Customer Service

Today I got to thinking about my job and about life and several big picture ideas. And then my mind came close to exploding and I had to take a breath and focus.  It did give me a good topic for today's blog though, so good came out of that experience.

I work for an insurance company in a client representative position. Essentially it's a type of customer service position, and this generally fits me very well, as I most of the time enjoy helping people. I've taken the Strengthsfinder test and among my strengths are communication and developer, so speaking with people and helping them if I can are right in my "sweet spot" I guess.

The down side to a position in customer service is that, like most jobs, there are some frustrations that come from time to time. I admit, I am a quasi-reformed whiner, and it would be very easy to use this blog as an attempt to whine about the frustrations I feel with my job. But, life has given me lessons over the past several years that have really helped me to gain perspective, and I'm thankful for that. It has helped me, for the most part, to keep my feelings in check and to try to find more positive ways of dealing with what bothers me. Now, I'm still human and have my moments where I slip into full on drama queen, but with age comes maturity, I hope anyway.

I've always been bothered by people who whine and complain without any action to back up their complaints. An example would be someone who rips apart a politician for the job they are doing who never bothered to vote in the first place. If you voted for the other guy and he didn't win, then go ahead and rant away. At least you made your effort to support your cause. I just get bothered when people whine about whatever injustice they are feeling and the only effort they've made to rectify the situation thus far is to open their mouth.

With that out of the way, I want to mention a few key triggers that tend to set me off in a negative way in terms of customer service, and to offer some tips that you may find helpful or that may reach that audience who's guilty of some of my offenses.  Hopefully I'm providing a positive spin on this, and in my own way possibly helping to be the change I wish to see in the world. (Sorry, I know that's a big picture concept too, but it seems to fit this situation.)

I think one of my biggest frustrations with customer service is the lack of respect for your fellow man. This offense happens daily, in many situations. When I'm feeling contemplative I often wonder where our compassion and respect for each other has gone. We so often are so quick to snap judge and decide that we're better or somehow "above" the other guy and are therefore entitled to treat them in a demeaning manner. If I'm doing a job for you, the polite thing to do is to say please and thank you, to take the time to listen to what I'm saying, to allow me the time to listen and understand what you're asking, and just in general to slow down for two seconds and appreciate that we're having some sort of human interaction.

 If we're communicating over the phone, please try to be in an environment where you're not distracted by other noises and stimuli. I understand in many instances you have a short amount of time to take care of whatever business I am assisting you with, but I promise that if you take a few moments to remove the distractions around you we'll accomplish our business in a more timely manner. You do your part, and I'll do my best to eliminate my distractions as well.

 If we're in person, please, for the love of God, put down your cell phone!  Don't get me onto my soap box on this one, because I could actually rant about this. When I'm out shopping and I'm on the phone, I will either end the call before checking out at the register, or at the very least ask whoever I'm speaking with if they mind holding for a moment while I interact with the cashier. Having been on the receiving end of this, I can't help you if you are giving all of your attention to whoever is on the other end of your phone. And sadly, I have more than one instance where I have had a cashier thank me for putting away my cell phone before interacting with them. Cashiers/employees are always appreciative when you give them your focus. Even if it's only for a few moments, it makes a big difference, and you get better service for it I promise.

Another thing that we could all improve on, similar to just giving more respect, is to understand that we aren't experts on everything. Each person out there has areas of their life that they excel in, and some where they may not be the strongest. That's part of being human. We don't know everything. I know my mind is only able to hold so much information, and usually that information is not relevant to the masses. Ask me who performed what on what reality singing competition and I'll know in an instant, but ask me about the latest local news headline and I'll likely struggle with a response. With that being said, there are times where you may ask me, or someone else in a customer service position, a question that they may not immediately know the answer to. This doesn't mean that I can't find out the information you need, or that I don't want to help you,  but I may need a moment to find the information you need. Instead of getting annoyed with me, or just being rude because I don't know something, understand that at some point this same interaction is going to happen to you, and you would hope to be given the benefit of a little patience too.

Something else that becomes irksome at times is the customer who feels the need to be cute/funny/smart with me. Don't get me wrong, I think that being silly is important, and I indulge in being silly as often as I can. There's no reason to take life too seriously. At the same time, when I'm providing you with good customer service, I'm giving you all of my attention and time. If I ask you if there is anything else I can do to help you, please respond if there is truly something I can do. I'll be glad to do what I can for you. Don't however use that question as a time to let your inner comedian come out. No, I can't give you the winning lottery numbers. If I had them I would take the selfish route and use them myself. No, I can't lower the price on whatever it may be that you're buying. If I had that authority I'd be glad to do so, but the fact of the matter is in order for any business to be successful a profit of some type needs to be made. If the price of the goods or services I offer are too expensive, use your voice and approach the competition. That gets the attention of the business much more than asking me to lower your bill. And no, I can't send you a couple of hot blondes to entertain you for the evening. That's not the kind of business I work in, and furthermore, I happen to know and respect several very attractive women (with a variety of shades of hair color) who deserve much more respect that you are giving women in general at the moment. Several of them would also knock you flat if they had the chance. My point is, if you are asked by a customer service representative how they can help or assist you, be honest and respectful. I promise you, when you give a little respect you get back that and more.

I'm sure I could list more things that can cause a negative response in me within the parameters of customer service, but I think I've touched on the big ones for me. Really it all just comes down to the golden rule. Respect one another and treat others as you would like to be treated yourself. I remind myself of this daily and hope that you do too.

So yeah, there's my deep thoughts for the day. Now that I've expressed that I think I'll put the serious mode away and focus on something less thought provoking. I'm sure I can find some reviews of tonight's X-Factor episode to read through. :)