What’s on the iPod: I See Fire by Ed Sheeran
I’m enjoying the little break in the action this week. I was able to attend a Twitter chat, a webinar, and an online course. I got a bit of work done on the article assignment, and I’ll be talking with a potential client today. Plus I got a bit more marketing done than I normally could.
Last week I returned something to a department store. At the service desk, I stood behind another customer. We waited as the clerk talked to a manager on the phone, in a loud voice, about how this customer on the phone wants to talk to a manager “….and I told her I could help her but she wants to talk to a manager so I said I’d have to find one so could you talk to her it’s about this return and I told her I didn’t think it was possible…”
That’s not the worst of it. She then picked up another phone that was lying on the counter and said “The manager will be right with you.” No. That person wasn’t on hold. She’d heard the entire diatribe. As did we customers.
So I decided to try a different service desk. I went into another department, where the clerk there was helping a woman order something online. No problem. Only…the clerk saw me and said in a curt tone “Why don’t you go over there? She’s not busy and I’m trying to help this customer order something…” I said “Yes, she is busy.”
The customer’s friend walked behind me and whispered “This clerk is a little bitcheee….” and we snickered a little. Then I saw the other clerk ringing up someone else, so I went back over.
Her response when she saw me “You should go over to her. She’s not busy and I have to ring this up and I don’t know where…”
To which I said, “Oh, forget it” and walked away, muttering about how I just wanted one person to wait on me without bitching about it. I found that one person in a different department. She was happy to help me without pushing me away or acting irritated that I was somehow complicating her life.
That it took three people to get to one who was nice is bad. Very bad. Customers remember that, and they’ll avoid that kind of treatment in the future.
So how are you treating your customers? Maybe you’re fantastic at that first meeting or that initial draft, but are you losing it when it comes to hiccups in the project or revisions and changes?
Here are some ways you may be losing clients through lousy customer service:
The Silent Treatment. You think the project should have been finished ages ago. That may be true, but you signed up for the entire project, not up to the point where you think they should be happy. Going silent reads like you don’t care. You may not, but you’re being paid to care. Unless you’re trying to lose that client permanently, attempt to answer your emails or phone calls withing 24 hours. I like to send a note that says “Got your note — I’m in the middle of something now, but I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”
The Flip Out. I’ve known freelance writers who lose it on their clients when they think the project is closed but the client comes back with one more edit. I’ve known one or two writers who have flipped out when the client sends over the first round of revisions. Fact: Clients will always want revisions. Your job doesn’t include telling them how foolish they are or sending them emails bitching about how they’re wasting your time. Bite your tongue and remember to factor at least two revisions into your pricing quotes.
The Superior Attitude. You’re only as good as the project in front of you. So stop waving all those accolades in front of your client every time they ask for a change. You are not too good for the demands because hey, they’re paying you to get it right and you agreed to the terms. Remember, it’s their project, their company, and their image. You may not agree with their feedback or revisions, but unless they’re about to embarrass themselves publicly, your only concern should be pleasing them, not reminding them that you think you’re too good for them.
The Missed Deadline. I’m a fan of under-promising and over-delivering. By giving clients a longer estimate for delivery of a project, I’m able to pleasantly surprise the majority of them by getting it to them faster. The flip-side of that is missing the deadline, whether you set it or the client set it. Yes, most clients have a little wiggle room built into their calendars, but not always. If you miss a deadline, you’ve just branded yourself as unreliable. I used to work with some pretty great freelance writers who were pathologically late with their copy. That forced me to shorten their deadlines (without telling them) so that I wasn’t stuck with a large hole in the magazine content. But not everyone is willing to do that.
The Caustic Response. That client called you what? Doesn’t matter. That’s no longer your client (or it shouldn’t be — don’t work for anyone who treats you with anything but respect). Since it’s no longer your client, you shouldn’t waste another syllable on that person, not even to defend yourself. I find that letting their nasty words hang out there unanswered is the best option. You know I don’t like absolutes, but this is one everyone can espouse — Never fight with a client. It’s not worth your energy. Call them whatever you want in private, but leave it there. Be the bigger person. Hey, I’ve been called unprofessional (by the world’s most unprofessional business woman I’ve ever met), outrageously expensive (I can live with that), inept (no proof) and unskilled (already proven wrong a million times over). Each time I was furious. Each time I refused to respond and moved on. Each time I bitched in private. Let it go.
Writers, what forms of lousy customer service have you experienced?
How have those experiences tainted your opinion of these companies?
What’s the best advice you can give writers who are dealing with difficult clients?
Attitudes like those of the clerks you encountered have probably cost that store, and others, a lot of business.
Sadly, there are way too many examples of poor customer service to choose from. But I'll share the funniest: A few years ago I noticed the cable company added an HD Technology fee to my bill. I called in asking why I was paying $9/month when I got nothing out of their HD technology fee. The first person admitted they couldn't help me, and transferred me to a supposed supervisor. Naturally, I noted the date, time and their names.
The second guy was an idiot. He told me I had an HD DVR, and for it to work I needed to pay the HD tech fee. I told him when I upgraded to the DVR I made it clear to the company that I had a 20-year old, 19" CRT TV that was as far from HD as a TV can get, so why would they install an HD DVR? He said they no longer offered standard def DVRs. No one told me that, so I again asked for the HD tech fee to be waived, telling him that as a paid SUBSCRIBER I was worth well more to them than the check I sent each month; the more subscribers they have, the more negotiating power they have to strike advantageous carriage deals and demand higher ad rates. Apparently he had no clue about the difference between mere customers and subscribers, so he got super defensive and even more irritating and argumentative — in a very snooty tone he said "The vast majority of our customers have HDTVs, so we no longer offer standard def DVRs." He used that lie on the wrong person. I'd just read in a cable trade publication that at that time only something like 20-30% of homes even had HDTVs at that time! Then he started telling me that cable was a LUXURY their "customers" were happy to pay more for, and I could always cancel. He was making that sound like a better idea with every word.
Once I realized I wouldn't get anywhere with this bozo I decided to have a little fun. I quoted from that article and told him someone working in the cable industry should be a bit more knowledgeable about it. I told him that in many parts of the country, cable is the only way some homes can even get halfway decent TV reception. I think I even started correcting him every time he said "customer." When he realized he was over-matched he said, "I guess the only solution is to transfer you to someone who can cancel your account." The kicker? He couldn't even manage to transfer the darn call!
I'm still a subscriber, but after my letter to the VP of Customer Relations (CC-ed to the CEO), I doubt that guy's still an employee. A few days after I mailed it I had an apologetic call from the executive offices during which they said they would issue a $10/month credit on my bill and "deal with" that employee.
Oh Paula, that is one hell of a story! That's what I don't get — if you're in customer service, you should know your limitations and authority level. If you don't, don't guess–transfer that person to someone who does know, or promise to get back to them with the answer (and make good on that promise). It's how it should be. But it isn't, is it?
Remember hearing the recording a year or so ago of the AOL exec who was trying to cancel his Comcast subscription? I swear he was talking to the same representative!
I remember that! I wouldn't doubt it. It's the "badger them into staying" method. Why do they think that wins them any loyalty?