Regardless of the issue being disputed, if a rep has to ask you to calm down, that tells me that your speech/demeanor/attitude/language/tone/volume put her on the defensive right off. I have posted this before...when you must speak to a CSR, put yourself in their position and communicate as you would like them to speak to you. One trick is to look in a mirror, take a deep breath and actually, physically smile before you begin. In other words, (Their name), I believe that an error in billing has been made that is very upsetting to me and I would appreciate your help with yada, yada, yada--in a calm, quiet tone as opposed to, WTF is the matter with you people? The charges on my bill is a bunch of BS and I demand that ...blah, blah, blah--in a loud, uncivil manner. A spoonful of honey vs a cup full of vinegar. Yours might be the 23rd call following 22 beligerent customers. A little patience, a civil, let's work on this together attitude and perhaps even the smallest bit of empathy for the unrelenting demands made of them might just be the magic bullet. Have you ever made a mistake? Has anybody made a mistake that you were expected to fix? As suggested earlier, retaining the original contract, until the business you have with them has been terminated(this applies to anything contractual), receipts, is important, taking notes with names, dates, gist of conversation and specific remedies stated to be applied all boost your odds. Finally, it never hurts to ask, is there anyway this fee, or that charge can be waived in that (state your reason), or does your company offer any discounts that I might be eligible for? If they don't know or can't/won't help, ask for a supervisor. I got a $25 credit, a free upgraded SIM card and a follow up call from a CSR by being nice yet persistent. I started the call with, Hi Gloria, I know you have a tough job and have to interact with people you wish you could hang up on, and I have yet one more problem for you this long work day...no...wait...I present you with a challenge to resolve...and the opportunity to make me a happy customer She laughed, I smiled, and the tone was set that drove the rest of the conversation forward. As it turned out, I was her last call for the day, I was content and she didn't feel like kicking the dog anymore.
I had an entire meal comped when the cook waaaay overcooked my steak the first go around, by the time I got another, my dinner partner was finished with his meal and the steak presented was pretty much raw, my few bites missing potatoes and veggies were dried out and cold, I kid you not. The waitress was frazzled, I was disappointed, but I kept my cool, smiled sweetly and let her know, I realized that this was not her fault but both steaks were obviously nowhere near the neighborhood of med. rare, and for the minimal cost of the sides, they should have been replaced fresh given that the overall presentation was awful, my returned plate was not given priority and so therefore, 30 min after returning the order my partner was finished and my apetite ruined. I asked for a doggie bag and told her that I could not see myself returning or recommending the restaurant to anyone. Upon presenting the bill, she of course apologized profusely for the new cook's ineptitude, and had compelled the manager to cancel the bill. Note: The waitress did get a 20% tip of what the bill would have been. The manager was smart, because if it hadn't been properly righted, I probably would have let my dissatisfaction been clearly heard by my fellow diners...no cussing mind you, but I would have used voice projection techniques...lol. That technique was effective for emptying a waiting room of about 20 poeple at a chinese restaurant once. I had gotten something spoiled (serious as a heartbeat, it looked and smelled rotten) from the buffet, brought it quietly and discreetly to the manager's attention and insisted on a refund. He flatly refused and offered nothing to make it right. At that point, I stepped away from him and raised my voice saying...If I understand you correctly, you expect me to PAY for food that is spoiled and you intend to LEAVE it on the buffet for your customers to get sick on? I don't think the Dept. of Health will be happy about that. The look on his face as the waiting room went from full to empty in less than 10 seconds was PRICELESS. That day he lost not only his lunch crowd, but any potential return patronage. My point to all this is how attitude can make a difference. Smiles.
