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| The Basics | 7 ways to win the customer-service game
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The system is indeed stacked against you -- but you can actually get help if you know how to work it.
By Liz Pulliam Weston
I consider myself a champion complainer.
My recent scores range from a couple of Happy Meals at McDonalds to a $50 coupon at Hertz to two free nights at the Hilton New York worth, depending on the season, $700 to $800. Better yet, I've gotten major companies to say they were sorry.
I share this not just to brag but to give hope to anyone who's ever battled the Gorgon that is customer service in America.
I'm here to tell you that you can take them on and emerge victorious. In "How to complain and win," I covered the basics: know your rights, take notes, be concise, be persistent, don't be a jerk and keep moving up the corporate ladder until your problem gets solved.
That column generated so much response from other customer-service victors that it's time for an update, with more details about how to win your particular customer-service war. So here goes:
Talk to a human -- and be pleasant
Skip voice-mail hell. You often can't get your problem solved without talking to a human being, but some companies use convoluted voice-mail systems that make reaching a human all but impossible.
Fortunately, the Internet is full of customer-service warriors compiling shortcuts that can help you bypass the mazes. The IVR Cheat Sheet is one of them.
Related news and commentary on MSN Money
What if the company is trying to steer you to an e-mail or Web-based customer-support system? Don't dismiss this option. That's how I made my complaint to Hilton Hotels. I briefly explained the maintenance calls that went unanswered, the nail I found on the floor (with my bare foot) and the 90-minute wait for room service. Within a day or so I received an e-mail from a manager who apologized for my bad experience and offered to comp a future two-night stay.
Of course, other companies bumble their e-mail support horribly, offering canned or indecipherable responses that don't help fix your problem. If that's the response you get, call the toll-free directory (1-800-555-1212) or check the company's Web site for its main number and ask for a transfer.
Enlist the rep. Let's face it: The customer-service rep's job usually bites. The pay may be low, turnover is high and they deal with cranky people all day long on both ends of the line. Their managers are pushing them to work faster and faster, sometimes insisting they pitch new goods or services to already unhappy customers.
"Unless you have worked on this end before, you wouldn't be able to understand the pressure that people are put under," wrote Chris, one of several customer-service reps who commented on my original column. "Your readers need to understand that the customer-service rep usually wants to help as much as possible, but there is a lot of pressure put on them by the company to resolve the problems within time limits."
That's why, like most of the other reps who wrote, Chris applauded my advice that consumers stay calm and polite. Chatting up the rep or asking her how she'd handle a similar problem may be ways to break the ice. Yelling, swearing or treating the rep like an idiot usually won't get you anywhere.
"As shameful as it is to say," wrote Mitch, a retail manager, "there is a certain joy in not being able to help rude customers."
Try, try again. Then again, some customer-service reps shred your patience before you even articulate your complaint. That's what happened to Cory Stephenson in Denver when she felt she'd been overcharged by her wireless company.
"Without even fully listening to my plea, the rep cut me off," saying the account couldn't be credited, Stephenson said. "Irritated, I asked to speak to a supervisor, at which time the rep flat-out refused to transfer me. She further threatened to hang up on me."
Needless to say, the call ended without Stephenson getting what she wanted. But then she called back, knowing she'd get a new rep, and asked immediately to speak to a supervisor.
"Naturally I was on hold for a while, but when the supervisor finally answered, remaining calm I explained my problem again," Stephenson said. "He then did the unthinkable -- something the average rep would never do. He took the time to review my account and found the problem immediately."
Calling back and sticking around for the supervisor earned Stephenson two credits worth $70.
Up the pyramid
Aim higher. If you can't get help by phone or e-mail, it's time to go old school. Write a letter, and aim it at the people who get paid to care.
You can find the name and address of most company CEOs on their Web sites. That's how I found Craig R. Koch, head of Hertz. He didn't respond personally to my letter, of course, but one of his underlings did. Eventually, I got my coupon.
Writing a letter also allowed me to send McDonalds CEO Jim Skinner a photo of the grinning skeleton creature that was given to my 2-year-old as a "toddler toy" in her Happy Meal. I got two apologies for that one: one included the coupons for free meals, while the other came with a charming Little People toy that elicited giggles instead of shrieks.
Sending letters by certified mail, return receipt requested, also creates that paper trail that can be so important in larger disputes.
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