CSRs who insult customers cost you clients!

You might have already guessed from the headline that I had the “pleasure” of being insulted by a customer service rep... again. This time I brought it on myself. I called the company. The telephone company. I can already hear your groans. You know what it’s like; most of us have been subjected to that particular brand of torture. What’s really sad is that we all have such stories – no matter what carrier we use.


Even sadder: Customer Service reps who answer 1-800 lines are often the only people with whom customers interact on a regular basis, so if they don’t do a good job, companies risk losing their clients.

On three separate occasions over the past 10 days, I got off the phone appalled by how the call had been handled. I make it a point to be courteous and friendly when speaking with CSRs (or at least I start out that way) and if I had this many unfortunate experiences, I can only imagine the high numbers of clients across the nation who are being mistreated by call centre employees.

Story #1

I called a company with which I do a lot of business – in fact, my volume has now reached the point where I have been accorded VIP status. Too bad I don’t also get VIP treatment.

The rep who plucked me from the queue had “attitude” from the get go. Instead of asking for my account password, she barked: “Password”. When I replied, “Honey” (the correct answer), the woman with the big southern accent reprimanded me with a “Don’t you ‘honey’ me.” I’m sure that I was not the first person who had to endure this women’s bad mood because when the rep came on the line she was already spoiling for a fight.

Note to marketers:

Make sure that CSRs start their shifts in a positive frame of mind. Do periodic checks and give them enough breaks to help them stay fresh. Things I have used successfully with various call centres:

• Have CSRs and supervisors watch short humorous clips at the start of a shift and during breaks. America’s Funniest Videos and Just for Laugh Gags seem to work well.

• Encourage CSRs to post photos in their cubicle that make them happy. After a trying customer, have reps stand for a moment, shift their visual focus to one of their favourite photos and take a deep breath before taking the next call.

• After a truly annoying customer (I know, most customers can be annoying, but I’m talking about the truly trying ones), have reps read something humorous after their “stand, focus, breathe routine”. I find that 2 or 3 jokes or one of the Reader’s Digest “Life’s Like That” stories can be effective. (Sample stories can be found online at: http://www.readersdigest.ca/laugh_search.html.)

Yes, this means that there will be a 15 – 20 second lag between the calls, but the next calls will go far more smoothly and quickly as a result. (And yes, timed trials we conducted support this assertion.)

Story #2

This time, the rep was unable to resolve my problem and didn’t really understand it anyway. After multiple attempts, I quietly said something along the lines of, “I know from my own work that supervisors often have codes and access to files that other reps don’t. Could you please put me through to a supervisor.”

His answer: “No.”

Thinking he hadn’t understood (his English was not great), I tried it another way. Again, I was told no. No explanation, no apology, just a curt “no”. Then I heard a click followed by a brief silence and then a dial tone. The rep had hung up on me!

I had waited nearly 10 minutes to get to that rep and he had hung up on me!

I dialled again. And waited on hold listening to insipid music. Again. When I finally got through to the company and was able to find someone to whom I could complain, I was told that he had probably hung up on me because the company’s reps had to answer a certain number of calls an hour and I had “probably taken up too much of his time”. I was also informed that CSRs were expected to handle their own calls without having to call upon their supervisors. The implication was that my actions were the reason that the rep had been forced to hang up on me.

Needless to say, we are no longer dealing with that company.

Note to marketers:

• Train your CSRs adequately and do not let them on the lines until they thoroughly understand your product, how it works and how to deal with things that typically go wrong, and how clients should be handled.

• Although you may encourage your reps to resolve customer problems within a certain amount of time, do NOT assign your reps quotas or reward them for getting through calls in shorter and shorter periods of time. Instead, determine how to reward CSRs for how effectively they handle calls and how good a job they do of making clients feel like they have been well-treated.

• Ensure that CSRs know they must never hang up on customers, no matter what.

And now, the tale that promoted this week’s blog post in the first place:

Story #3

Once again, a company insisted it had not made a mistake despite evidence to the contrary.

What happened? The short version: My eldest asked me when her cell phone contract was up. Not realizing that she was thinking of getting her own Blackberry and taking over the payments herself (mom had been footing the bill for the past 10 years or so), my answer was a distracted, “Uh... this August”.

A few days later she came home and proudly showed me her new Blackberry. The twist: My daughter had gone with a new carrier – but had asked to keep her existing phone number. Without speaking with me – the person in whose name the phone was listed and the person who paid the bills – the carrier I had been with for 20 years let the number be ported out. The problem is that there had been 3 phones on a single shared plan.

As soon as I learned what happened I immediately called *** to see if there would be a problem. There was. Someone in “customer retention” (hah!) had taken all three numbers off the plan and had put the two remaining phones on a different, more expensive plan. All without talking to me, the person in whose name had been listed.

At first the rep suggested that my daughter had pretended to be me (which was not the thing to say if trying to ingratiate yourself to a customer). After I explained that was impossible because she had had to show her driver’s licence and another piece of ID in her own name to get her Blackberry, the rep admitted it was their fault... but added there was no way the plan could be reinstated because it no longer existed... even though this had all happened in the previous 90 minutes or so.

After agreeing to move my youngest’s phone to a student plan that was almost (but not quite) as good as the original one, I was told I would have to send them proof of university enrolment and ID. I faxed the papers the following day. 10 days later, I called to make a payment and found that I had been charged over $250: $100 for my eldest daughter cancelling the 1st cell phone 3 days before the contact end date (even though I was told this would be waived because it had only been a few days and because *** had not checked with me) and the rest was “over-minute use” because of the type of phone plan the retention rep had put us on.

When I explained that I had indeed faxed the papers, I got transferred. 7 minutes and 27 seconds later (according to my phone’s timer) I got to explain the whole story again to someone in the hopes of getting the charges reversed. The response, in a supercilious tone: “Well, if you had sent the papers in, then we would have them, wouldn’t we?”

Despite seeing red, and purple and a hazy green colour, I kept my cool and said that I could send a fax confirmation sheet to prove what I was saying. When the rep’s reply suggested that I was making it up, I hung up and tried again.

It took over two hours, but thanks to wonderful rep named Robin – who was the very first person to apologize – it will be resolved at the beginning of next week. (Though I did have to fax the original papers, a new note and the original confirmation notice twice more in the interim.)

Note to marketers:

• Let your CSRs know that it is never, ever, ever, okay to speak in a patronizing tone to customers or to be rude to them.

• Make sure your database can flag customers who repeatedly call in looking for rebates or giving you reasons why bills are not being paid, etc.

Then, when a client calls in, if there are no flags, make sure the CSR takes the customer’s side and tries to help – especially when the client has a long-term relationship with your company.

Even if there is a flag in place, CSRs need to treat the customers with respect (provided the client is not unreasonably rude) and listen objectively to what is being said. When uncertain about how to proceed, CSRs must know to involve their supervisors.


A few other suggestions to help keep the mood right

• Place mirrors next to the reps’ cubicles and encourage them to smile at themselves at the beginning of each call – but not during the call as it tends to distract CSRs.

• Don’t allow your CSRs to work double shifts as their ability to handle calls “nicely” and effectively diminishes the longer they answer calls.

• Provide CSRs with a quiet, phone-free place where they can take their breaks for people who want “silence” and an area where people can watch funny flicks if they prefer.

• Discourage reps from complaining about their callers during their breaks or they will return to their headsets more stressed than before the break. Again, this is supported by blood pressure experiments we conducted in multiple call centres.

• Provide free tea, coffee, pop, water and light snacks in the rest areas. When people return to their stations refreshed, rehydrated and reenergized, their ability to deliver excellent customer service increases significantly.
As mentioned at the outset, the Customer Service Reps who handle your inbound calls are often the only people with whom your customers speak on a regular basis. If these CSRs don’t do a good job, you risk losing customers. On the other hand, if they provide excellent service, you will likely enjoy a corresponding increase in customer loyalty. So... it makes sense pay CSRs well and treat them even better.

If you would like more on info on this topic, please feel free to contact me: jmc@theQgroup.com or 416-424-6644.



Regards, Jane-Michele Clark

New Consumer Expectations re Customer Service Contacts

We all know that good customer service is paramount to growing a business and increasing profitability. What many managers are failing to realize, however, is that rapid changes in technology have lead to equally rapid changes in consumer expectations about what constitutes the delivery of quality customer service.


A survey of 750 people of all ages, from all parts of the country reveals seven areas in which companies should pay heed.

1) Preserve me from auto-attendant hell! Customers are becoming increasingly annoyed and frustrated with having to sift through myriad options, and having to listen to multiple prompt levels, only to find out after 2 or more minutes that the information they are seeking is not on the menu.

Worse is hearing a recording say that the desired service of information is only available through the company’s website.

The worst of all, however, is when the auto-attendant uses voice recognition – but doesn’t ‘recognize’ your voice. Those of you who suffered through the days of “Emily” before she was replaced will empathise with that remark.

It’s understandable that companies want to reduce costs by using auto attendants and, there’s no question that these are valuable tools. Yet, people want to connect with human beings; they don’t want to listen to a long list of prompts – especially not if they are having a problem (and let’s face it, that’s what usually triggers the call in the first place).

Three thoughts expressed by about one-third of respondents:

“If I had access to a computer at the time, I would not have called in the first place.”

“If I had wanted to look it up online, I could have – but I when I choose to pick up the phone, I expect it to be answered.”

“When I have a problem, there is no satisfaction in typing something in an online box and hoping someone will get back to me at some point – and that they will actually answer my question properly.”

To keep customers happy...

• Always make it easy for customers to reach a human being – from the first menu.

• Do not program your system so that customers are returned to the initial menu if they hit “0”. When customers try to zero-out, they should either get placed in a queue to speak with a rep, or told what button to push to reach a live person.

• Give people the option of voice prompt or touch prompt.

• If you do use an auto-attendant, limit the number of menus to two rounds of choices before the customer reaches a human being.

• If you have asked the customer to key in account information, make sure the profile transfers with the call.

• If the call has been answered by a company rep who needs to transfer the call to another department, do not put the customer back into a long queue. Instead, make it possible for your customer service rep to be able to jump to the front of the line. The initial agent should also be taught to stay on the call with the client until the next rep has picked up. Once this happens, the first rep should introduce the caller and give rep #2 a précis of the situation so the customer doesn’t feel like he or she is having to start all over again.


2) Don’t make me wait more than a couple of minutes in a phone queue. Many companies are making clients wait 15 minutes or more in a phone queue. Anything more than 2-3 minutes is considered unacceptable by more than 80% of customers surveyed.

During period of high call volumes...

• Have overload capacity – either by having part-timers who work from home (à la Pizza Pizza way), or by engaging another call centre to work on a contingency basis. By monitoring your call patterns, however, you should be able to determine when it is most necessary to have extra staff on hand.

• Let customers know how long they will have to wait to speak with an agent and, if the wait period exceeds three minutes, include the option of having a customer leave a message to be called back – or of keying in the number where they can be reached.

It is important to let customers know their call will be returned within 15 – 30 minutes max. if you are going to opt for this solution. And make sure that this actually happens.

Customers hate being told their call will be returned within one business day. The following thought was articulated by many survey participants: “I hate being told that they will get back to me in one business day. I don’t know if they will or they won’t. Besides, that is telling me that they will return the call when it’s convenient for them, whether or not it’s convenient for me at that time. How arrogant.”

• Periodically update customers as to how much longer they will need to wait to speak with an agent. This one action can have a dramatic impact on how customers perceive the wait time.

• Give customers the option of holding with or without music. If you do include music, ensure that the selection will appeal to a broad range of clients, or is targeted to your customer demographics. We learned of one company who lost over 2% of its client base within 3 months of installing a new phone system. Investigation revealed the problem to be the heavy metal and rap music that played when customers were hold – customers who were primarily seniors!


3) Give me a toll-free number. With longer and longer wait times becoming commonplace, customers truly object to having to hold when they are paying long distance charges – especially when they are calling to resolve a problem they believe you have created for them.


4) Don’t make me quote chapter and verse about my account to get simple information. In these days of increased white collar crime, it is reasonable, and sensible, for companies to protect their customers by ascertaining that they are dealing with the correct person before discussing an account. However, 3 key questions should be the limit. Beyond that, it takes up too much time (costing the company money) and only frustrates your client.

Better yet, consider implementing a password.

Further, if the call needs to be transferred to another department’s rep, make sure the customer is not required to re-verify his or her identity.


5) Employ phone reps who speak English well with and without a strong accent... and make sure they are properly trained. Nearly 70% of participants expressed some level of dissatisfaction with calls that are handled by call centres in other countries when the person on the other end of the line is difficult to understand, or cannot seem to easily grasp the problem to be solved.


6) Give me more flexibility in how I contact you on any given day.

As communication options increase, so should the options that customers have for contacting your company.

• Offer clients the choice of scheduling appointments by going on-line or using their PDA to access a special appointment site.

• Let customers send a text message or e-mail to request that customer service call them within the hour.

• Enable customers to access their accounts on-line – and give them the ability to change billing and service options while there. Create apps that work with new mobile devices.

Giving customers (who want it) the ability to interact more with their accounts will make them happier – and has the added benefit of saving companies money and employee time.


7) Don’t tell me how I have to deal with you. This is similar to the above point, but the respondents’ distinction is that not only do they want the flexibility on choosing how to communicate with companies, but they want choices in terms of the ongoing relationship.

Right now there are multiple generations of customers – which means multiple ways in which people want to interact with companies. Don’t force everyone into the same mold or you risk alienating at least one of the generational groups.

For instance, it makes no sense to tell someone who is older and computer-phobic that they can only get their bills on-line (and yes, a large percentage of people 60 years and older does not trust on-line “banking” and “account management” in any form)… just as it could cost you a customer if you were to tell a Gen Xer that there is no on-line access to their accounts.

The research underscored one key point: More than ever it’s important to know how your customers want to be treated – and to deal with them their way.

If you would like more info on any of the above suggestions, please feel free to contact me: jmc@theQgroup.com or 416-424-6644.

Regards, Jane-Michele Clark

12 Tips for Improving Call Centre Customer Service

How many times have you found yourself seeing red because of a rude sales clerk? Or hung up in frustration because a company’s auto-attendant refused to understand your replies? Or been pestered by a pushy telemarketer who interrupted your meal (one of the few you actually get to have with your family in this day and age of jam-packed schedules) or sleep in the most unpleasant manner?
It was one such call that prompted me to start this blog. If you are in business, you know that your customers are your most important asset (next to your employees). You also know that customer service needs to be excellent in these days of social networking if you want to maintain and grow your business. Yet so often companies that should know better, have people on their front lines who act as if the customer is a pain in the butt.
This blog is intended to give people who value their customers some ideas for improving the service they provide (and yes, there are actual tips at the end of this rather lengthy first post).
Okay, back to me having been awakened this morning with “Hi this is a courtesy customer service call from...”

You just know that the moment you hear that phrase that you are about to be harassed by the person on the other end of the phone. In most cases it’s someone whose command of English is less than stellar – which probably explains why he or she cannot understand the words, ‘No thank you’.

In the early 1980s we recommended that clients call customers to thank them for large ticket purchases... and in those days, it was unheard of and customers responded well to the calls.

Then AT&T coined the phrase ‘telemarketing’ when the long distance market exploded. Since then the industry has grown exponentially in volume and bad practices... and all the negative things now associated with the word ‘telemarketing’ represent the reasons why your home number can likely be found on the ‘Do Not Call’ list.

Yet companies continue to use telemarketing because it works. Last year 32% of people in North America (more in the US than in Canada and 34% men vs. 30% women) purchased something as a result of a telemarketing call, with an average cost of $136 USD per transaction. And this does not include all the successful donation solicitations.

In particular, people were persuaded to purchase long distance plans (12.6%), magazine or newspaper subscriptions (11.5%), cable and satellite service (9%) along with lawn care, insurance, cleaning and repair service and others.

Indeed, telemarketing. response rates are over 3%, which may explain why over $900 billion worth of products were sold through teleselling.

Hundreds of thousands of Canadian businesses use telemarketing every year, according to Wally Hill, vice-president of public affairs and communications of the Canadian Marketing Association. He also says that "Telemarketing is far and away the leading source of calls and complaints about marketing that we receive at our organization."

The picture is the same in the US, where the number of companies using telemarketing as a marketing tool numbers in the millions (it’s no wonder consumers are complaining!).

It’s not just violations of the Do Not Call registries that generate the complaints, but scams and rude people on the other end of the line.

If you are one of the companies using telemarketing, here are a few tips to help you be more successful – and to not alienate potential customers in the process. Note: As you read these suggestions, remember that i) they are borne from complaints heard over and over in research and ii) that many complaints are associated with companies who think their call centres behave better.

1) Never start a call by lying to customers with the customer service courtesy call line.

2) Don’t call before 9:00 a.m. At that time people are either asleep (it’s a weekend, they’re home sick, or they’ve just come in from shift work and may be getting ready for bed) or they are rushing out the door to work or school. Either way, the last thing they want is a sales call.

3) Don’t expect your prospective customer to wait to talk to your rep; that’s highly disrespectful. It also prompts respondents to hang up when they hear the silence, and makes the people who don’t hang up 40% less likely to purchase.

Even worse: An outbound telemarketing call recording that asks respondents to wait while their call is transferred to the next available agent. Yes, some companies actually do this!

Instead, program your autodialer so that the call is transferred to a sales person as soon as the ringing starts. Yes, it costs more to do it this way, but the higher closing rates more than make up for it.

4) Make sure your reps speak English (or Spanish, or French, or whatever language your customer speak) well without heavy accents. Many companies outsource their telemarketing to India – yet over 70% of North Americans HATE dealing with customer service reps from India, and even more object to telemarketing calls from people who can barely speak English.

If your customer asks to someone who speaks English, the rep needs to transfer the call immediately to a North American call centre, instead of getting angry and insisting that they do speak English.

5) Train your call centre reps well so that they never cross the line from persuading into high pressure bullying. If you are using an out of country, outbound call centre the reps must be trained in the cultural norms and expectations of the inhabitants in the country they are calling – preferably by someone from that country. What is considered acceptable in some countries is considered to be overly aggressive and downright rude in others.

6) When the respondent says ‘no thank you’, the caller needs to end the conversation immediately and politely. It leaves a very sour taste in people’s mouths when a telemarketer hangs up on them.

7) Make sure the rep knows enough to answer questions without reading from a script, and that they are aware of all promotions being offered by the company.

8) Make sure your outbound telemarketing campaigns dovetail with the rest of your marketing initiatives.

Also, it you are combining telemarketing and direct mail or e-mail, then everyone at the call centre needs to receive copies of the printed pieces or e-mail message at least two shifts before the campaign is launched. The reps need to be briefed and have the opportunity to ask questions.

Their call screens also need to be updates accordingly.

We have found that this simple step makes for better customer/ rep conversations and higher close rates.

9) Train your reps to use the script as a guide and to talk to customers in a normal, friendly conversational tone. This one thing can increase close rates three fold.

10) Use online media as a way of making the initial connection so that your phone contacts are not complete cold calls.

11) Wherever possible use landlines, not cell phones. Over 80% of people surveyed indicate that they view telemarketing calls on a cell phone much more of an invasion of privacy, than they do similar land line calls. Yes, we expect this to change as more and more consumers move towards only having one number... but we’re not there yet.

12) Get your call centre reps to take good notes when they talk with prospects – even the ones who say ‘no’. This will let you better tailor your calls for other campaigns.

Hopefully these tips will help your reps deliver better customer service and speak with prospective customers in a way that makes them want to become clients.

If you would like more info on any of the above suggestions, please feel free to contact me: jmc@theQgroup.com.


Regards, Jane-Michele Clark