Prior to proceeding to the meat of today's matter, I wanted to mention a weblog I found featured on Typepad, Keitharsis, by a writer whose insights on New Year's resolutions struck me. (Please see also my own missive regarding Future Gratitude Lists from a few days ago.)
I think we all may have at some time experienced the dubious pleasures associated with communicating our malcontent to so-called "customer service" representatives. It matters not whether one is on the opposing end of a telephone conversation or face-to-face over what used to be signed as the Complaints countertop. The results are all too frequently the same. We stomp off (metaphorically or literally, as the case may be), winded and red in the face from pleading our case, but none the more satisfied, in fact, likely less so, than when we started. I have been one of the worst to fall prey to that particular form of deadly stress; I am quite sure that such encounters have cumulatively removed a couple of years of longevity from my lifespan. Good thing I gave up smoking- maybe I'll break even.
If you will notice, you'll never see a Complaints counter in businesses these days. They stopped calling it that long ago, forsaking the implied message that, heaven forbid, a patron might have a problem with a product or policy. That department is ubiquitously labeled these days as, you guessed it- Customer Service. On of my all-time favorite consumer advocates, Clark Howard, likes to call it "customer no-service". He also recommends "voting with one's feet (or alternatively, with one's pocketbook)", by taking one's business elsewhere. I heartily concur. But in the meantime, until one reaches such a point of abandonment, I would offer my own personal insights into the experience of dealing with the people whose customarily unrealized goal it is to make and keep us happy.
I recently decided to kick my sole service carrier to the curb. (Again, please refer to my recent posting.) Outrageous charges for my telecom and entertainment services and lack of response to my issues finally led me to revolt, and I am in the midst of trying to effect the changes- a task much more easily written about than executed. It seems that these days the Customer Service Department is the first place one goes to sign up, rather than a destination of last resort. I won't go into the details, but I have been a couple of weeks attempting to acquire my new services, during which time Brad, my tech buddy and IT guru, and I have spent more than a few hours online or on the phone trying to get things worked out.
Contrary to something I said in paragraph one, above, I find it personally quite difficult, when face-to-face with a customer service rep, to get extremely worked up and argumentative or demonstrative to the point of obnoxiousness; for one thing, there are usually others watching who may get the idea you're a nut. And that's not to mention nearby impressionable kids or hulking security guards. It's altogether a different story when I'm on the phone with a faceless and apparently linguistically-challenged individual. If I'm not on my best behavior, I can be an unholy and joyless terror. And you can probably imagine how far that gets me. I think you can see where I am going with this.
The minute I put myself in the shoes of that person (who is probably sitting in Pakistan in a boiler-room in the middle of the night, patiently enduring my ravings), something changes. And as soon as I start treating that person like, well, like a person, I start to get satisfaction. I may not arrive at my desired result, but I like myself a lot better. And usually, as has been my experience, I find my counterpart being much more helpful and appreciative of my adjusted attitude. I had such an encounter today, and decided to share my feelings about that experience. I think it falls under the general heading of "catching more flies with honey than with vinegar" (although the fruit flies in my kitchen prove that a lie every day). If I don't get the desired results, despite acting like a nice guy, I can always take Clark's advice (see above) and choose to do business elsewher, without being a flaming jerk about it.
Anyway, I suppose this all comes under the category of spiritual progress, which I am finding can be not only fun, but helpful, as well. Who says an old dog can't turn over a new leaf?
Here's today's Happy Face......
Comments