Astoundingly, after telling me yesterday that it was impossible, Dell customer service found a way to get a computer technician to my home office today to replace the defective CD/DVD drive that came with my new computer.
If the first tech I spoke to yesterday had done his job and run diagnostics on my CD drive, it would have saved both me and Dell many exasperating hours of time wasted on the phone yesterday.
I ran a consumer complaint handling service called Rent-A-Kvetch for many years. Here’s my guide to effective complaining when you are forced to use the telephone for customer or technical support:
– Get people’s names. Always get the first and last name of every person to whom you speak as soon as they pick up the phone. Only hookers and people who don’t want to be accountable for what they say or do will refuse to give you their last name. If they say it is “company policy” not to give last names, get their employee number.
Remember, do this before you start talking to them so you can keep a record of what was said and done.
– Explain the problem clearly and succinctly.
– Say what you want done, when you want it done by and what you are prepared to do if you don’t get what you want. (Post to consumer opinion web sites, write to the agency that issues the company’s license to do business, etc.)
– Go to the top. If they waste your time, don’t do what they promise, keep bumping you from person to person, insist on speaking to the manager of customer service.
– Tell that person that the treatment and service you got is unacceptable, and that your service now needs to be escalated.
– Demand compensation for time and aggravation. That’s how I ended up being sent a Dell Digital camera, which, frankly, isn’t enough for the ordeal they put me through.
– To make sure you are not screwed around the same way next time, ask for a direct number for a customer service or tech suppport supervisor. Insist on it.
– Don’t take no for an answer.
– Stay calm, don’t yell, don’t curse and don’t back off.
Wishing you good consumer experiences.
Guide to Effective Complaining
She ran a consumer complaint handling service called Rent-A-Kvetch. She had trouble with her Dell computer and after posting to her blog, Dell Computer showed up at her door.
B.L. Just happen to click on your page about Dell Customer Service. I’m actually just ordered a Dell — not exactly an inspirational review I just read. But that’s neither here nor there. I thought I was the only one who had to deal with complete ineptness. Right now I’ve got quite a few gripe parties going with “all of my free time”, what with Home Depot, Verizon and Scrip Pharmacy – (the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care mail order pharmacy), I have no time to “do lunch”, “go shopping” or take long, luxurious baths”. What’s a girl to do! Believe me, I took note of your tips for dealing with the BS. Some of them I already do and some I hadn’t thought about. All of this just keeps going back to what I’ve been saying for years…take responsibility for what you’re getting paid to do. If you can’t do it right then get the hell out of the way so someone else can replace you whose more competent.
P.S. Home Depot upgraded my two defective faucets (their own product line and not one – but two of them had the same problem)to a Delta. Just to get rid of me no doubt. Too bad I can’t get rid of the expensive plumbers bills I had to incur.
Hi I just read your “Guide to Effective Complaining”
and I got sort of stuck on something. I work in retail and I read something in your “guide” that confused me. Will I turn in to a hooker if I choose not to give a customer my last name? Because I honestly don’t think it’s any of their business what my last name is nor does me keeping it from them affect my ability to answer their questions or rectify any problem they might be having. But then again, I may just be irresponible and affraid of accountability…Or a hooker…Who knows?
What a silly thing to say, just because I don’t want people having more personal information than they need for me to help them. I know for a fact if they were not happy with any product or service they recieved, they could go all the way to the OWNER of the company and he could identify me by first name only. So there’s really no way for me to “dodge” my responsibility for what I said or did on the company’s behalf.(Unless I gave a false first name. who knows what a hooker would say or do to avoid the rap…idiot). Beyond that why do they need to know anymore about me? Perhaps if they were really disatisfied they could inquire about my wage and hours as well. Don’t think that just because you’re a customer that you should get whatever you want just because you deem it vital to your “consumer experience”. Me not wanting to give you my last name does not make me a hooker and most certainly does not mean I’m afraid of responsibility. It means that we met under professional circumstances, not personal ones. And just like a customer shouldn’t have to hear about my personal life when they’re in my store and need assistance(i.e. discussing,say,politics or sports while on the sales floor), I shouldn’t be compelled to give out more personal information than I feel comfrotable with. And I won’t. I understand that customer service is paramount to a having a successful retail business and my customer service is tip top. Having said that, I won’t give a customer my last name just because they are disatisfied and listen to people like you telling them they are entitled to it. And now I may be treated like a “hooker” by the next customer who has a bone to pick and has read your guide because I won’t give him/her my last name rergardless of whether I can help them with their problem or not. People need to stop looking at service staff as someone to give orders to and drop this bullshit sense of self-entitlement that has overtaken consumers everywhere. And your little guide is just inflating people’s egos, leading them to belive that if they don’t like something, all they have to do is DEMAND things that they are really not entitled to.Definitely part of the problem.
Maybe you work in a company where there is only one salesperson by your name. But when one complains to a huge, faceless company, there will be dozens of Janes and Bobs. And the first question the higher up asks is “to whom did you speak.” You need to know either the person’s last name or employee ID number for purposes of identification.
I understand that working retail is a tough job. In my opinion, the best paid people in the company should be the ones dealing with the public, because nothing is more important than making customers happy.
Thank you for this post. I’m actually going through a cruddy customer experience with WebEx. Your post was a helpful reminder that Companies are not in control – we – their customers – are.
Cheers!
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