learning from bad customer service experience

[Mizikal]

So my wife and I recently bought a house. The house turned out to need a lot more work then we initially thought and one of the first things was new carpet. I have never purchased new carpet before but found a place that could do it very fast or so they said. I wont go into to many details but my experience has reinforced my four basic customer service rules.


1. Do what I say I am going to do. We had agreed on things that didn't come through and told I would get calls from managers but those never happened tell I called them. This is in my opinion the easiest rule to follow. I also find it means I have to watch what I say and not over promise. I also try and live by this in my personal life as well. If you cannot follow it you should not be in customer service.

2. Don't argue with customers. I called spoke with a manager and said manager argued about my problem I admit I was exhausted(working on a house 14-16 hours a day does that) and frustrated but customers should be allowed to be as long as they are not belligerent and overly rude. I can always find something to apologize for " I am sorry for your frustration" or " I am sorry that didn't work out". In my opinion an apologize is the simplest and least expensive way of empathizing with a customer. This does not mean the customer always gets their way. It simply means if I cannot do what they want I can give other options and try and compromise.

3. Establish an expectation and of course meet it. This one for me is hand in hand with the first rule.The sign said 72 hour installation so guess what we expected?Guess what didn't happen and wasn't clearly explained? When I sell a pair of PAl to a first time wearer I also explain how they work and go over problems I know other patient may have had. I will explain that they shouldn't have said problem. If they do have any problems they wont be caught of guard and can make helping the patient a lot easier.

4. No real blanket rules. I have very few blanket rules. The only one that really stands to mind have more to do with prescriptions and what is and isn't covered by insurance The best example I can give was I did a warranty exchange yesterday but they had left the frame at home. I offered to allow them to take the frame home and have another optical mount the lenses. I explained they would have to bring the frame back. They were leaving for vacation today and would not have time to drive back and see me. That made them happy and solved their problem.

I think these are some good basic rules I can think of a few others to tack on. What rules do you try and operate by?

[Devan Z Rainier]

Those are some good rules! I really like the first and second rules because I know that personally, that can really dictate my return to a service or business so on the receiving end, I wouldn't want to give any less than what I wanted.

The guidelines below are what I have gathered during my time as an Optician and from the wisdom of my wonderful Mentor through the last year. These are definitely rules I like to think about everyday because it seems to put me in the right mindset before work. Once I remember, it makes it easier to smile, even if I have a rough day. I always like a little humor in my conversations too because they do say that laughter cures all sicknesses.

1 Under-promise and over-deliver.

2 When a patient approaches you with a problem and is enraged, look at it from their point of view and listen to their side of the story while keeping into consideration, your own. Be firm but gentle in your own knowledge to avoid letting a patient undermine you from the get-go. Despite the rage, half the time I come to find that you never know what kind of problems go on at home (or behind the scenes, for that matter) so approach in an empathetic manner. I find that empathy statements help too~ Like "I understand what you're going through" or "I definitely know what it's like to have to endure a situation like this, so know that I will do my best for you". Take notes. Showing the patient that you're listening, I have found, is a good way to diffuse the situation half of the time. Ask questions to gain insight or even to troubleshoot so that you can actively look for a solution. If a problem snowballs, which has happened to me a couple of times, endure it and over-deliver at the end. Reassure your willingness to make up for what happened on your end of things. If the patient is frustrated with the situation, sometimes even being honest and explaining it will help. Grey areas aren't always a good thing. I find that once the problem has solved, moving away from the fact that it happened is a good way to show the patient that their future dealings won't be a repeat of what once had happened. (As far as problems go, as a whole, I feel there should be a solution no matter what stage you're at so the patient always has options. However, impossible or obscene situations may not have a feasible or reasonable solutions, just use your common sense. Giving them some form of control over a situation through choices tends to make them more confident in their choice to come to you, and therefore, less likely to become incomprehensibly angry despite the fact that you are the one in control of the situation.)

3 If you made a mistake, own up to it. If at all, avoid pushing the blame onto someone else. It's easy to target a rep or the lab, but if you did it, be honest about it, be humble, and be willing to compensate for what you did. We are all human, after all. If a patient catches you slinking around, it is going to look really bad. Everything you do and say defines you because you are a professional and the populous depends on your intellect to navigate this form of the medical world. Create solid groundwork and I find that future problems won't be so bad if the patient knows you're more dependable and trustworthy.

4 If you present yourself as a professional, patients will be less likely to take advantage of you before all is said and done. Though, that should not make the patient any less important so act as a humble practitioner in whatever you do. I don't know about you but I love being real with people; it just makes interactions more genuine.

5 And lastly, smile. Kindness can be disarming in the worst of situations so even if you the whole situation is a mess, just be positive. The end of the world won't come for a very long time, haha. If you are frustrated, the patient will be more inclined to double their own. If you display a lack of certainty or confidence, it might not leave a good impression. If the patient is not satisfied even at the very end, send them off with a smile and the reassurance that you'll be there should they have any further questions, problems, or needs. It might just polish your reputation and get you some referrals~