Discussion on:
View:
Show:
I find these kind of things really useful for both me and my colleagues. It's one of those situations where your initial thought is "most of this is just common sense" until you realise you don't actually consider these things when you're involved in confrontation. Seeing it in black & white is just what's needed!
Graham Stamp
Graham Stamp
SOME VERY GOOD SUGGESTIONS THERE WILL TRY AND REMEMBER NEXT TIME A SITUATIONS LIKE THESE OCCURE
As every situation is different you really need to keep your wits about you as best you can.
Personally speaking after 30 Years in the business half of those tips at the wrong time will just fan the flames.
Telling someone you know they're upset.... they'll just let you know even louder and to stop patronising them.
Blame: I've no problem telling someone they caused the problem and I'm doing my best to fix it without making it worse. Always remember there is more than one way out of a problem. Fixing one in 5 minutes, just to spend 1 day recovering issues isn't the best plan if 15 minutes thinking time provides a better solution. Similarly if it was me; no point in the client looking for a problem/solution if I know what I done. Get it in the open and work on fixing it. How often do we find ourselves wasting time/resources to identify a problem and solution only to find the team we're working with caused it and didn't want to admit it?
Trying to keep everyone focussed and open minded is good BUT I've never been involved in anything that was life threatening or losing millions. Really can't imagine that sort of pressure personally.
Definitely think before you speak!
Personally speaking after 30 Years in the business half of those tips at the wrong time will just fan the flames.
Telling someone you know they're upset.... they'll just let you know even louder and to stop patronising them.
Blame: I've no problem telling someone they caused the problem and I'm doing my best to fix it without making it worse. Always remember there is more than one way out of a problem. Fixing one in 5 minutes, just to spend 1 day recovering issues isn't the best plan if 15 minutes thinking time provides a better solution. Similarly if it was me; no point in the client looking for a problem/solution if I know what I done. Get it in the open and work on fixing it. How often do we find ourselves wasting time/resources to identify a problem and solution only to find the team we're working with caused it and didn't want to admit it?
Trying to keep everyone focussed and open minded is good BUT I've never been involved in anything that was life threatening or losing millions. Really can't imagine that sort of pressure personally.
Definitely think before you speak!
Absolutely on the mark- suddenly realized that I once said almost word for word the same thing to someone who was panicking to get his machine working. Nothing more than an overheating problem, but when I told him that 'his' fan was shot, I couldn't quite understand why he suddenly looked like he wanted to take issue with me. To him, as I now see, it was as if I was blaming HIM for a physical problem, even though he knew inside that I knew that it wasn't his fault. It's just human nature to be a little defensive.
Great article. It's a great idea to just take a step backwards and let it all go by.. The whole idea is, you need your customer to get happy he called you in... And that will help to make him pay the bill you will surely be sending 
Excellent article! One phrase that has often been effective in easing the tension of such a situation, is to say, after the customer has finished venting, something like "If our positions were reversed, I'd be really upset right now too...." All customers want to feel important and understood, that someone really gives a darn and wants to help resolve the problem.
Perhaps when you CAN'T abide by these 10 things it's time to move into another line of work? 
It's hard to do technical support when you're also responsible for software development and administration, and project management. Customers become nuisances, especially those who won't listen and perform the same error over and over again. I always try to answer the phone with a smile on my face, which makes a world of difference when I start to speak.
It's hard to do technical support when you're also responsible for software development and administration, and project management. Customers become nuisances, especially those who won't listen and perform the same error over and over again. I always try to answer the phone with a smile on my face, which makes a world of difference when I start to speak. 
One thing that I've had to do to calm an upset client was to explain the supply chain and possible alternatives. This has come into question when some have purchased machines from a manufacturer that didn't want us to service their machines. With no access to their parts supply chain it took and extra couple days for our purchasing department to get approval to buy a whole unit in order to strip it for parts to fix their unit. Next time they'll think twice before buying a unit not on the corporates approved list of supported hardware.
6. Exception: I get a lot of mileage out of the phrase, "You did nothing to cause this, and there is nothing you could have done to prevent it." Use when applicable, especially with those technophobes that are still out there.
7. Instead of whistling, 'Oh No!'ing, etc., I've taken to "Interesting." or even a Spockian "Fascinating." Note the lack of exclamation.
7. Instead of whistling, 'Oh No!'ing, etc., I've taken to "Interesting." or even a Spockian "Fascinating." Note the lack of exclamation.
Actually, I think it was an "interesting" case when the user braught it to me. Did some Windows and Lenovo updates then had the user log in to make sure it was behaving; system froze.
"Interesting, I'll come and get you again in a bit after I look at this."
(f'ing machine.. consistantly freezing during bootup or right after user login if not at the login prompt.)
"Interesting, I'll come and get you again in a bit after I look at this."
(f'ing machine.. consistantly freezing during bootup or right after user login if not at the login prompt.)
A winxp install disk isn't going to help much unless I leave it for a day and a half decrypting the drive first. It may actually have been a heat issue as I'm not seeing any airflow through the vents and after sitting off overnight, it's been stable so far this morning.
uninstall the f'ing Lenovo "system tools" HATE that thing, with a PASSION!
Never ever ever answer Yes, when it says, Would you like to connect to the internet? It saves the userid of whomever happens to be logged in when it's installed and then it attempts to use that userid to access something, dang thing locked my AD account with multiple, and I mean MULTIPLE bad passwords for a good hour because as soon as I'd get my account unlocked it'd try again to access whatever it was trying to get to. The Lenovo system tools app is a big virus if you ask me.
Never ever ever answer Yes, when it says, Would you like to connect to the internet? It saves the userid of whomever happens to be logged in when it's installed and then it attempts to use that userid to access something, dang thing locked my AD account with multiple, and I mean MULTIPLE bad passwords for a good hour because as soon as I'd get my account unlocked it'd try again to access whatever it was trying to get to. The Lenovo system tools app is a big virus if you ask me.
Yes, just like normally one shouldn't correct the boss in public. Exception is if the boss publicly but incorrectly admits to making a mistake. If you know the boss was wrong about being wrong (i.e. the boss is right after all, but didn't realize it), it is OK and mandatory to correct the boss lol.
especially when the boss (and you) are meeting with his peers or superiors. It can also be like falling on a grenade to stop the boss at the toes, when he's certainly going to try to swallow the whole foot.
At the stage there is a problem it doesn't MATTER who caused it (as long as it is understood that YOU didn't!)
There is plenty of time for blame later.
There is plenty of time for blame later.
It can be difficult for everybody to stay calm, especially in the retail environment when major outages mean lost sales.
The biggest lesson I've learned over the years is to establish good relationships with your customers. This is difficult to do in an environment where you may only see a customer once or twice a month, but if you can do it before the major outages, your customers are often more understanding during those outages.
The biggest lesson I've learned over the years is to establish good relationships with your customers. This is difficult to do in an environment where you may only see a customer once or twice a month, but if you can do it before the major outages, your customers are often more understanding during those outages.
Would love to send this list to every vendor I deal with in my job! Excellent!
This is very important especially if you are working for a company with a reputation for bad service (products and support).
I worked for a web hosting company like that and we had to deal with irate customers on a regular basis. Happily I was able to stay on the customers' good side for the most part, then I had to leave, because it was becoming more and more difficult to stay on that side because being front line support, so much was out of our hands that it became very frustrating since many 2nd tier people (not all though) were not helpful at all. All we could do was sympathize with the customers, because their poor support was ours too.
Interestingly, after I left, I did find out that some customers still asked for me, at least for a while, and I still keep in touch with one that I helped. The funny thing about that customer, I was the one that messed up her website (then got it fixed promptly) but from that point on she would not speak to anyone but me. Even though I left that company years ago, I still stay in touch with that customer.
That is my $0.02
I worked for a web hosting company like that and we had to deal with irate customers on a regular basis. Happily I was able to stay on the customers' good side for the most part, then I had to leave, because it was becoming more and more difficult to stay on that side because being front line support, so much was out of our hands that it became very frustrating since many 2nd tier people (not all though) were not helpful at all. All we could do was sympathize with the customers, because their poor support was ours too.
Interestingly, after I left, I did find out that some customers still asked for me, at least for a while, and I still keep in touch with one that I helped. The funny thing about that customer, I was the one that messed up her website (then got it fixed promptly) but from that point on she would not speak to anyone but me. Even though I left that company years ago, I still stay in touch with that customer.
That is my $0.02
Meet their daughter, and then say under your breath:
"I'd like to show her my implementation strategy."
"I'd like to show her my implementation strategy."
Had a moment in one of the stores today. The floor supervisor (a very attractive 30-something) had missed her break and was complaining about being hungry.
"I really want a doughnut."
My first thought, which thankfully never made it to my mouth, was "How 'bout a Long John?"
"I really want a doughnut."
My first thought, which thankfully never made it to my mouth, was "How 'bout a Long John?"
We have a guy that works in our department that is notorious regarding his food intake. He's quite fit, not too thin, not overweight, but, boy, can he eat. For example...
He ate lunch one day, then they had left over lunches from the Board meeting that he ate, and 30 minutes later a vendor took him out to lunch. And, he didn't get sick from all the food.
Then it happened. He got so involved in fixing a user's computer at her desk, that he absent mindedly picked up her sandwich, unwrapped it, and ate it, along with the rest of her lunch. He didn't even realize he was doing it until he looked up and saw her and all her co-workers in tears from laughing so hard.
So, moral of the story is not to eat your customer's lunch. Oh, and he did fix her computer and buy her a new lunch. From then on, she always had candy or something for him when he came to fix her issues.
He ate lunch one day, then they had left over lunches from the Board meeting that he ate, and 30 minutes later a vendor took him out to lunch. And, he didn't get sick from all the food.
Then it happened. He got so involved in fixing a user's computer at her desk, that he absent mindedly picked up her sandwich, unwrapped it, and ate it, along with the rest of her lunch. He didn't even realize he was doing it until he looked up and saw her and all her co-workers in tears from laughing so hard.
So, moral of the story is not to eat your customer's lunch. Oh, and he did fix her computer and buy her a new lunch. From then on, she always had candy or something for him when he came to fix her issues.
Spit coffee when I read "picked up her sandwich..."
I would love to have seen that!
[still snickering]
I would love to have seen that!
[still snickering]
This happened about 6 years ago, and we still don't let him forget it. What was funny is that it happened in the same work week as the day he ate 3 full lunches.
I wish I had his metabolism. He works out, but not excessively. He should be huge but, even with all that food, he's quite fit.
I wish I had his metabolism. He works out, but not excessively. He should be huge but, even with all that food, he's quite fit.
...with some even better comments. Just for the record, this type of thing is precisely why I don't do corporate accounts. I limit my business to residential or VERY small businesses. When I was with a "real" company, it was these situations that made me get out of the corporate jungle. Now that I run my own company, my stress level is WAY down, my income is good (I'll never get rich this way) & I'm a much happier person & a much better technician. After all, dealing with one end user without corporate overpaid moronic bigwigs breathing down everybody's neck has helped me to retain my sanity.
Here's an addition that tends to be a problem for tech customer service. Often a customer who is angry about something not working ends up feeling that the rep is actually hinting that the customer has done something wrong, or doesn't have basic competence. Sometimes that is the case, but when you are perceived as blaming the customer, you are guaranteed to ratchet up the anger. For more techniques, see http://angrycustomer.org
- Keyboard Shortcuts:
- Prev
- Next
- Toggle
