What do you expect from Customer Service?

Question

I work for a utility company in Customer Service. I'm working on a project to increase customer satisfaction. If you would tell me what you would like to see from a Customer Service Representative, that would be helpful.

If the bill is incorrect, we take measures to correct it, if it's the matter of a late payment fee... no problem, waived.

If the bill is not incorrect, but it's still too high to pay, even with a payment arrangement, what can our representatives do to make sure that you are satisfied with our service?

We understand that utility bills can sometimes be a sucker punch to the gut, however our the Customer Service Representatives are bound by the "laws of the company." What can our reps do to show that we do truly care about your hardship... even if we can't provide the perfect solution?

Please be as specific as possible.

Answer 1

What can our reps do to show that we do truly care about your hardship... even if we can't provide the perfect solution?

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Here's a good rule of thumb. Never tell the customer what you CANT do for them. Do emphasize what YOU CAN or what you're WILLING to do instead. A satisfied customer and agent is one that is able to leave the conversation with a better understanding than what they came in with. Customers often don't realize that you're simply following the "laws of the co." because lets face it...as soon as YOU as the agent answers the phone, YOU are the Co. Sometimes, something as sincere and simple as empathy will leave a customer feeling that you're less of a robot and more of a person than they anticipated. Showing empathy goes a long way. "I know Mr. Customer, I understand how frustrating this is for you that your bill is so high, I've found myself in the same situation, here's what we can do to help you...." etc. I've worked in Customer Svc for over 12 years-and in a call centre invironment, which is very difficult. However, I have learned that as long as both the customer and I know we did everything possible to fix the situation together, even if the end result is not what the customer wanted, at least, when they hang up, they will feel that you did everything you could for them, and so if they have to call again, they wont feel so turned off by it, because they will remember the great service you provided for them.

Answer 2

IMO, the thing that customer service functions do most poorly is recognizing when a particular problem needs to be handed off to someone else. You train your reps to handle 90% of the recurring issues. The other 10% need to be handed off quickly to reps who have the experience to deal with them effectively. Keeping a customer on the line while a rep tries to "figure out" what to do, is a huge, frustrating waste of time for both parties. Learn to recognize those situations QUICKLY.