Recently, I was told that I have a problem with establishing good relationships quickly. I wasn't surprised by this, but rather confused. Is it really possible to establish a good solid relationship quickly to begin with? You see, in my view, relationships are a bit like tents and houses. If you need shelter, either will work. But there's huge differences in the shelter they give you.
A house takes time to build up. You need solid foundations - pillars, cement slab, all those sorts of things (hey, I'm not exactly into construction). Then you build a strong frame to hold up your walls and roof. You surround the frame with bricks and mortar, carefully mixed and laid to make sure the outside is strong and the inside is protected. The roof goes on, and you've got shelter. Then you add all those finishing touches that make it a home - the inside walls, paint & carpet, fittings & fixtures, kitchens & bathrooms etc. The house is finished, but you will forever add things or change things to make it a home -it constantly evolves.
A tent goes up in half an hour (if you're good at that sort of thing - if not, it goes up well after dark) on any patch of ground that's big enough. You use a couple of flimsy pegs to keep it anchored, some bendy poles to keep it standing and a few pieces of fabric between you and the elements, and you've got shelter. You throw some old bedding in there and an esky with a bit of food in it, and huddle inside.
Either way, you've got shelter, and the tent is much quicker. But a few strong gusts of wind, or some heavy rain, and your tent is dripping, bending sideways, and you're vainly trying to hold it up while staying warm and dry. In the house, the gust of wind doesn't even move it, the rain runs off, and you are happily warm and dry watching old Grey's Anatomy episodes. You have shelter for years, use a tent on holidays, and can't wait to get back to your home when the camping trip is over. Clearly, it's the house that's better and stronger long-term.
So, what would happen if you tried to build a house in half an hour? You wouldn't have time to worry about checking foundations, making sure the frame is solid enough to bear the weight of the roof, or carefully laying the bricks. Not only that, you'd defnitely have no time to waterproof the roof, put up plasterboard walls or fit some lovely fixtures and fittings that might provide a few comforts. The floor would start cracking and shifting after a short time, the walls would crumble and deteriorate, and the roof would start leaking. A strong gust of wind would send draughts through the house leaving you shivering, and rain on the leaking roof would soak you and cause more damage to the house. You'd be too busy patching up the dodgy build to add on those extra little bits that make it more comfortable, and within a year, the house would fall apart around you, leaving you wishing that you'd spent more time building up those foundations. If you had, you might have known the soil could shift and have built the house accordingly.
Real, good, strong relationships are built up over time on foundations of mutual trust and respect, on a frame of communication, protected by truth and honesty, sheltered by love, caring and understanding and strengthened from the inside by shared experience. There's no point trying to convince ourselves that we can turn a tent into a house. Nothing is wrong with having tents of course, but you wouldn't want to live in one forever.
To the person who said that to me (even though you'll probably never read this), I'm not worried that I don't have a lot of tents or crumbling houses, because I already have a couple of strong, solid houses and I'm slowly building a couple more, and who could ask for more than several solid houses?
Friday, 19 September 2008
Monday, 15 September 2008
Customer Service Tips
A few years ago, in my murky past as a customer service officer, I got sick of being abused by customers who complained that they could never get good customer service. As someone in the customer service industry, I often managed to get excellent customer service myself, and wondered why these people thought it was so difficult, when the real problem was getting good customers. One day, I had enough of all the complaining and compiled a list of tips for getting good customer service. I never did anything with it, but on the weekend I stumbled across it and thought 'Maybe I should put that on my blog'. It's a cross between slightly ironic, slightly bitter and slightly helpful, so I thought I'd post it here now to share with the wider world, in the hopes of helping customers find good service, and customer service people find good customers (or at the very least, a bit of a laugh). Enjoy.
It’s not news that people often complain it’s hard to find good customer service. But what might be news to most people who don’t work in the customer service industry is that it’s even harder to find good customers. Now, before you get in an uproar, consider this. Every single person who works in the customer service industry is a customer themselves. Because of this, we know how to get the service we want and deserve. How? Well, for the first time, here are some tips, not from some expert who sits in a room studying papers or god knows what else these so-called consumer experts do. Right from the horses mouth – someone who actually gives you this service.
Tip #1 – Be nice, or at least be calm
We know you’re upset if something has gone wrong or you don’t understand something. We understand that sometimes you feel as if you have been hard done by in some way. But it is a well known, well discussed common habit in every call centre I’ve ever worked in or heard of that we go the extra mile for people who deserve it. No one likes rudeness, and just because we are on the other end of a phone doesn’t mean it’s acceptable to throw verbal abuse at us. That only makes us want to get you off the phone quicker, and we will do the bare minimum to help you, not to mention mirror your attitude. But the nice people, who state their problem clearly and calmly and know how to show their displeasure without abuse, evoke empathy for their situation and get a better result.
Tip #2 – Be Reasonable
Every call we take is a problem in need of a solution. But we are limited in the solutions available to us. If a customer service agent has listened to your clearly stated problem and shows understanding, we know the solutions available. Remember, you are not the only person in the world with this problem. We have probably heard this before and know where we, you and the company stand. We know what is possible and what is not. Trust me on this, if we have stated we have booked the soonest possible appointment, it is the soonest possible appointment. If we have given you the maximum possible refund, it is the maximum possible refund. You wouldn’t expect a flight from Townsville to Perth to only take half an hour because it’s convenient, it’s just not possible. The same goes for everything else. Some things are just not possible. We have nothing to gain from not doing the best we can to help you. Read – Nada, Zilch, Zero!!!
Tip #3 – Listen carefully to everything we are trying to tell you
Seriously, the amount of times I have gotten halfway through a sentence, been interrupted with screaming, had to wait it out and then continue with “as I was trying to explain”. Some simple things to understand: There is no way to remove a charge from a bill that hasn’t been created yet. We cannot resend something that we have not received back yet. We cannot make delivery companies work faster. Things aren’t always as simple as flicking a switch. Everyone else has problems and wants things done right away too, that’s why everybody has to wait their turn, just like you do at the supermarkets, the fast food joint, the bank. If you ask what the problem is, we are only too happy to explain it, but you definitely will not get the full story if you jump in half way. A prime example? If you only read half of Pride & Prejudice, you’d never know Elizabeth does marry Mr. Darcy.
Tip #4 – Remember, you can’t help someone who won’t help themselves
Sometimes there are simple things you can do yourself that will improve your circumstances - changing a plan on line, working out the value of something, calling a third party for clarification, filling out a form that contains more details. Yes, we understand that this can be an inconvenience for you, and yes we understand that sometimes this is caused by our error, but the more you are willing to help sort out the problem, the quicker, easier and sooner we can help you sort it out. Accept the unchangeable, or as some would put it, realize that if you’re not part of the solution then you must be part of the problem.
Tip #5 – Accept our apologies
Think this is a weird one? Maybe, but many, many times I have had to apologize for a customer previously being told the wrong thing, or the wrong change being made (we all know the list goes on) only to have the customer say “Well that’s not good enough”. Remember, we don’t have to apologize. In some industries, we actually put ourselves at risk by doing so. But our apology demonstrates empathy for your situation, expresses our regret at the inconvenience caused, and means that we are trying to work out the best way to help you. Just say thank you and help us reach a mutually acceptable solution.
Tip #6 – Accept that we know more about this than you do
That is why we work here and you don’t. We have trained in some cases for months to understand the products, processes and policies so that we can deal expertly with your enquiries. Understandably, some people are better at this than others. By the time we get on the phone to you, we are experts.
Tip #7 – We are aware of the problems that exist in our organization
Yes, really, we are. Most people in call centres take anywhere from 40 to 200 calls in a day. When you think about it, that’s a lot of opportunities to identify common problems. That is why we are happy to apologise and remedy the problem. We know that some areas (we call them sales) often are not completely clear, or do not tell you everything. We are happy to fully explain anything that you ask us to. Really.
Tip #8 – Nothing is perfect
Not you, not us. Enough said.
Tip #9 – Have an angle, know what you want and be prepared to negotiate
If you call in a rage simply demanding we fix this, do that etc, you’re clearly not going to get what you want. Think over it carefully, be able to justify or provide clear, concise reasons and ideas. We may not be able to give you exactly what you want, but most of us have other things we can provide to reduce inconvenience. If your broadband has been accidentally disconnected, we can’t get it up and running immediately, but we can give you free temporary dial up access. We may not be able to give you a 10% discount on insurance but we may be able to give you a free optional extra. We may not be able to get someone out to your house today, but we may be able to do it for free when we would usually charge. If we are part or all of the problem, we will have some room to move when negotiating solutions but that doesn’t mean we can give you exactly what you want.
Tip #10 – Make sure you have your facts straight and are looking at the whole picture
Before you call up saying we have overcharged you, check some simple things like the billed from and to dates and the bill components, not just the total outstanding. Check the bill issued date if it shows an amount outstanding you think you’ve paid. Read the whole documents before you call to tell us some information is wrong. Think carefully about wether or not we have sent you an email or letter you discarded without reading properly before asking us why we did not advise you of changes. We are happy to confirm all these things, but please be fair. Generally we have made the effort to do the right thing by you, and if it is clear we have done the wrong thing we are happy to fix it.
Of course, there are other things you can do to improve your customer service, but being nice, clear, rational, prepared and receptive are all going to help. Remember, if you act like you expect bad customer service, that is more than likely what you are going to get. Yes, all companies want to keep customers rather than lose them, but who in their right mind would want to maintain a relationship with someone who is abusive, irrational, threatening and all too quick to jump to the wrong conclusion. Not you? I thought so.
Anyway, I hope this helps, so next time you’re talking to a customer service agent, try these. You never know what you might get.
It’s not news that people often complain it’s hard to find good customer service. But what might be news to most people who don’t work in the customer service industry is that it’s even harder to find good customers. Now, before you get in an uproar, consider this. Every single person who works in the customer service industry is a customer themselves. Because of this, we know how to get the service we want and deserve. How? Well, for the first time, here are some tips, not from some expert who sits in a room studying papers or god knows what else these so-called consumer experts do. Right from the horses mouth – someone who actually gives you this service.
Tip #1 – Be nice, or at least be calm
We know you’re upset if something has gone wrong or you don’t understand something. We understand that sometimes you feel as if you have been hard done by in some way. But it is a well known, well discussed common habit in every call centre I’ve ever worked in or heard of that we go the extra mile for people who deserve it. No one likes rudeness, and just because we are on the other end of a phone doesn’t mean it’s acceptable to throw verbal abuse at us. That only makes us want to get you off the phone quicker, and we will do the bare minimum to help you, not to mention mirror your attitude. But the nice people, who state their problem clearly and calmly and know how to show their displeasure without abuse, evoke empathy for their situation and get a better result.
Tip #2 – Be Reasonable
Every call we take is a problem in need of a solution. But we are limited in the solutions available to us. If a customer service agent has listened to your clearly stated problem and shows understanding, we know the solutions available. Remember, you are not the only person in the world with this problem. We have probably heard this before and know where we, you and the company stand. We know what is possible and what is not. Trust me on this, if we have stated we have booked the soonest possible appointment, it is the soonest possible appointment. If we have given you the maximum possible refund, it is the maximum possible refund. You wouldn’t expect a flight from Townsville to Perth to only take half an hour because it’s convenient, it’s just not possible. The same goes for everything else. Some things are just not possible. We have nothing to gain from not doing the best we can to help you. Read – Nada, Zilch, Zero!!!
Tip #3 – Listen carefully to everything we are trying to tell you
Seriously, the amount of times I have gotten halfway through a sentence, been interrupted with screaming, had to wait it out and then continue with “as I was trying to explain”. Some simple things to understand: There is no way to remove a charge from a bill that hasn’t been created yet. We cannot resend something that we have not received back yet. We cannot make delivery companies work faster. Things aren’t always as simple as flicking a switch. Everyone else has problems and wants things done right away too, that’s why everybody has to wait their turn, just like you do at the supermarkets, the fast food joint, the bank. If you ask what the problem is, we are only too happy to explain it, but you definitely will not get the full story if you jump in half way. A prime example? If you only read half of Pride & Prejudice, you’d never know Elizabeth does marry Mr. Darcy.
Tip #4 – Remember, you can’t help someone who won’t help themselves
Sometimes there are simple things you can do yourself that will improve your circumstances - changing a plan on line, working out the value of something, calling a third party for clarification, filling out a form that contains more details. Yes, we understand that this can be an inconvenience for you, and yes we understand that sometimes this is caused by our error, but the more you are willing to help sort out the problem, the quicker, easier and sooner we can help you sort it out. Accept the unchangeable, or as some would put it, realize that if you’re not part of the solution then you must be part of the problem.
Tip #5 – Accept our apologies
Think this is a weird one? Maybe, but many, many times I have had to apologize for a customer previously being told the wrong thing, or the wrong change being made (we all know the list goes on) only to have the customer say “Well that’s not good enough”. Remember, we don’t have to apologize. In some industries, we actually put ourselves at risk by doing so. But our apology demonstrates empathy for your situation, expresses our regret at the inconvenience caused, and means that we are trying to work out the best way to help you. Just say thank you and help us reach a mutually acceptable solution.
Tip #6 – Accept that we know more about this than you do
That is why we work here and you don’t. We have trained in some cases for months to understand the products, processes and policies so that we can deal expertly with your enquiries. Understandably, some people are better at this than others. By the time we get on the phone to you, we are experts.
Tip #7 – We are aware of the problems that exist in our organization
Yes, really, we are. Most people in call centres take anywhere from 40 to 200 calls in a day. When you think about it, that’s a lot of opportunities to identify common problems. That is why we are happy to apologise and remedy the problem. We know that some areas (we call them sales) often are not completely clear, or do not tell you everything. We are happy to fully explain anything that you ask us to. Really.
Tip #8 – Nothing is perfect
Not you, not us. Enough said.
Tip #9 – Have an angle, know what you want and be prepared to negotiate
If you call in a rage simply demanding we fix this, do that etc, you’re clearly not going to get what you want. Think over it carefully, be able to justify or provide clear, concise reasons and ideas. We may not be able to give you exactly what you want, but most of us have other things we can provide to reduce inconvenience. If your broadband has been accidentally disconnected, we can’t get it up and running immediately, but we can give you free temporary dial up access. We may not be able to give you a 10% discount on insurance but we may be able to give you a free optional extra. We may not be able to get someone out to your house today, but we may be able to do it for free when we would usually charge. If we are part or all of the problem, we will have some room to move when negotiating solutions but that doesn’t mean we can give you exactly what you want.
Tip #10 – Make sure you have your facts straight and are looking at the whole picture
Before you call up saying we have overcharged you, check some simple things like the billed from and to dates and the bill components, not just the total outstanding. Check the bill issued date if it shows an amount outstanding you think you’ve paid. Read the whole documents before you call to tell us some information is wrong. Think carefully about wether or not we have sent you an email or letter you discarded without reading properly before asking us why we did not advise you of changes. We are happy to confirm all these things, but please be fair. Generally we have made the effort to do the right thing by you, and if it is clear we have done the wrong thing we are happy to fix it.
Of course, there are other things you can do to improve your customer service, but being nice, clear, rational, prepared and receptive are all going to help. Remember, if you act like you expect bad customer service, that is more than likely what you are going to get. Yes, all companies want to keep customers rather than lose them, but who in their right mind would want to maintain a relationship with someone who is abusive, irrational, threatening and all too quick to jump to the wrong conclusion. Not you? I thought so.
Anyway, I hope this helps, so next time you’re talking to a customer service agent, try these. You never know what you might get.
Tuesday, 9 September 2008
Changes
Hello!
If there's anyone still paying attention to my blog, you'll notice that there's been some changes recently, with posts going missing and being changed. I've set up a new blog specifcally relating to career problems, so have moved relevant posts to the new blog and deleted posts that are simply boring. The careers blog is at www.mycareerhelp.blogspot.com.
I'm going to be making a determined effort to keep both blogs up-to-date, and to revamp this one so that it's worth coming back to. I'll be spending some time shortly cleaning up my old posts and putting some new stuff up for you to laugh or roll your eyes at.
As always, any comments, questions or enquiries are most welcome. Thanks for visiting!
Cheers,
Naomi
If there's anyone still paying attention to my blog, you'll notice that there's been some changes recently, with posts going missing and being changed. I've set up a new blog specifcally relating to career problems, so have moved relevant posts to the new blog and deleted posts that are simply boring. The careers blog is at www.mycareerhelp.blogspot.com.
I'm going to be making a determined effort to keep both blogs up-to-date, and to revamp this one so that it's worth coming back to. I'll be spending some time shortly cleaning up my old posts and putting some new stuff up for you to laugh or roll your eyes at.
As always, any comments, questions or enquiries are most welcome. Thanks for visiting!
Cheers,
Naomi
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