Poor customer service can be infuriating. However, giving into your ire and letting the emotions take over can only worsen the situation.
There is a better way to handle such inconveniences, which may involve a little malicious compliance. This customer used this approach with his internet provider after being made to jump through hoops just to cancel the company’s subpar service.
The author got the last laugh when an employee asked him to relay his problems, which he did in front of other fellow paying patrons to hear. Scroll down to read the entire story.
There are ways to handle poor customer service without letting anger take over
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This paying patron of an internet provider has had enough of the company’s low-quality service
Image credits: AtlasComposer/Envato (not the actual photo)
The author got the last laugh through malicious compliance
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Companies commit a few crucial errors that lead to poor customer service
Image credits: Olha Ruskykh/Pexels (not the actual photo)
If you feel like the quality of customer service has worsened over recent years, you’re on the right track. According to a 2020 survey by Arizona State University, the customer problem rate that year was 66%, ten percent higher than six years prior.
19% of the respondents deemed technology the most problematic. The complaints specifically revolved around internet access, email, software, and tech support.
Unfortunately, the poor customer service that the author experienced will always exist because companies tend to commit some crucial errors. In an article on LinkedIn, corporate strategist Taylor Goucher listed the major factors, with inadequate training being number one.
Goucher says it could be a way for a company to overcorrect its surplus workload by hiring more employees. However, they do not provide proper training.
Goucher also believes that organization higher-ups don’t have the time and patience to train new people, which can lead to more frustrating moments for customers and the company later on.
According to Goucher, company protocols and processes may be another issue. Many employees are unsure of what happens next after picking up the call. As a result, they may give convoluted instructions for the customer to follow, much like what the author went through.
“Each potential customer interaction should be well thought out, processed, and mapped so that it is designed to enable rich customer experiences,” Goucher wrote, adding that it is easier said than done.
Finding a resolution may help prevent poor customer service experiences from escalating
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Poor customer service experiences are usually long-winded. Since there is likely a tug-of-war between the two parties, finding a resolution—whatever it may be—could provide appeasement.
As a customer, you must not lose sight of your objective. This is why consumer psychologist and professor Uma Karmarkar suggests asking yourself this important question: “Do you want restitution, or do you want to punish them?”
In an interview with NBC News, Karmarkar urges empathy by humanizing the interaction from the other person’s perspective. Were they having a bad day? Do they have a horrible boss?
“It requires a lot of empathy and compassion after you’ve been harmed,” she said.
It may also help to find an outlet for these frustrations, like social media. However, Karmarker advises treading lightly and not stooping to the level of spreading hate just for the sake of doing so.
As she explains, the ultimate goal is to find a way for someone to validate the inconvenience you experienced. While it may feel satisfying to vent online and have many agree with you, it could be less damaging and vitriolic to let off steam by talking to someone you trust.
The author claimed to have lambasted the company on Facebook, which seemed to work well. However, he also found a resolution by canceling the internet provider’s services without acting like an entitled brat in the process. Based on the story, he seems to have handled it tactfully.
What do you think, readers? Do you agree with how the author dealt with the problem?
Commenters shared similar experiences and frustrations
