Battling with Customer Service: How to Win the War, Part 2 of 2

Title:Battling with Customer Service: How to Win the War,Part 2 of 2Word Count:564Summary:Have you been aggravated by the customer serviceexperience by the last time? Read the secondhalf of this two-part series on getting what youwant from customer service.

Keywords:customer, service, phone, company, utility,rubber, stamp, stamps, cable, satellite, FCC, PUC,federal, communication, commissionArticle Body:If you 抳 e already read Part 1 of 揃 attling withCustomer Service: How to Win theWar,?congratulations! You 抮 e halfway tobecoming a pro. Follow these last five steps andyou 抣 l be on track to bending the minds ofcustomer service representatives everywhere.Without further ado?6. Don 抰 drink and dial.It seems like a good idea at first; the mind saysno, but the six-pack says yes. You 抳 e had agreat relationship for years. Why throw it allaway over a silly dispute? You decide to pick upthat phone, one last time, and see if they realize

what they 抮 e missing. Has this logic everworked? Here 抯 a hint: no. Calling customerservice in an obviously altered state of mind willcause your pleas to fall on deaf, yet slightlyamused, ears. If you want customer service totake a complaint or concern seriously, save thesix-pack for when you call your ex.7. Call during off-hours.Yes, hold music is corporate America 抯 versionof water torture. To keep your sanity intact,try calling during off-hours. What areoff-hours, you ask? If Company X has 24x7customer service, try calling after 10pm. If not,try calling Tuesday-Thursday between 10am-8pm orany time on Sunday.8. Don 抰 call a 搒 pecial number.?The blog of a spurned employee, a news station,or a radio show might give you some kind of 搒ecret?and 搃 nternal?number to Company X. They

may claim it will eliminate hold time.Oftentimes, these 搒 pecial numbers?arespecifically for field technicians or an obscuredepartment that cannot handle the concern. Callthe main customer service number and pick thecorrect department. The towering inferno thatis the Voice Response Unit may mistake your spokenrequest to 損 ay a bill in Iowa?for 揷 ancellingall services immediately in Connecticut,?butsimply stating 揳 gent?to the VRU may get you toa real, live person. If 揳 gent?does not work,try similar terms such as 搊 perator,? 搑epresentative,?揷 ustomer service,? 損 arasitefrom the nether world,?or 搒 pawn of Satan.?9. Escalate, but only if necessary.If there 抯 no light at the end of a bleak tunnel,ask for a supervisor; however, do not immediatelyask for management if you were mishandled on aprevious call. Customer servicerepresentatives undergo weeks of training and,oftentimes, are more familiar with current

customer issues than their supervisors.Supervisors are there to ensure that customerservice representatives are doing their jobs; itis the job of the customer service representativeto handle your call and concern.10. Carefully consider contacting outsideregulatory authorities.If absolutely necessary, contact the FederalCommunications Commission, established in 1934to regulate communications by wire, cable,satellite, radio, and television. Complaints tothe FCC are taken seriously and will be handledat Company X by a department well trained on theirrules and regulations. Due to the escalatednature of this department, they may have higherhold times and more restricted hours of operationthan regular customer service. If you 抳 e beencompletely, hideously, utterly, and unforgivablywronged, feel free to call a regulatoryorganization. If you 抎 like to voice a

complaint, but do not need any further actiontaken regarding your concern, call or e-mail thecompany itself.If you follow these ten tips, the balance mayswing in your favor. May the customer serviceworkforce be with you.