Travelogger

Jun|11|2007

How To Get Better Service, Part 1

Posted by Camica as Travelogger

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When I worked for an online travel agency, one of the biggest percentage of calls we received was what we called problem calls. These were calls from customers who had problems or issues they wanted resolved. Some of these calls were stressful, not only for the customers, but also for the agents. I’m sure the customers were already frustrated because of the problems they were encountering, but they also made it harder for us to help them. So, since I’m sure every one at some point in their lives will be a customer with a complaint, let me give you a few tips to getting better service:

• First, the golden rule: if you want to get good service, be nice to your agent. I’m sure you’ve heard of the saying you get more flies with honey than from vinegar. Well, I’ve found out it’s true, in all aspects of customer service. You don’t have to compliment us, or give us gifts, just give us the basic courtesies. Please don’t shout, or curse, or talk like we’re morons. Believe me, you’ll find somebody is more willing to go the extra mile, no matter how difficult the problem, if you’re polite and cordial. On the reverse side, I’ve also found that difficult customers often find themselves being transferred from one agent to another, since nobody wanted to deal with them.
• Having gotten that off my chest, let me just assure you that all of us, in general, want to help. We want to resolve your issues to the best of our abilities. We want you to be happy, because, believe it or not, we get a high from every satisfied customer we have. Unfortunately, we’re not God, unlike him, we can’t work miracles. So please believe us when we tell you we’ve tried our best, but our best can only go so far.
• Let me reiterate that last point, we can’t work miracles, so please don’t expect one. We will help us much as we can, but there are some situations that are beyond our abilities. Let me give you an example: I once had a call from a passenger who was in Bermuda. Her flights were cancelled, and she wanted me to book her for another flight out IMMEDIATELY. Ok, normally, this is no problem. But in this particular case, there was a hurricane coming, and all the flights were cancelled. You couldn’t even get a chartered flight out. So, no matter how much the passenger yelled and threatened, the only option for her was to take a boat ride. But then again, try sailing on a boat in the middle of a hurricane!

Oops, this is getting quite long, and I still have a lot to say. So please watch out for my next post, i’ll tell you more about my tips there. Ciao!

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