Customer service vent – to tell or not to tell.

[NcsstyBrdsIngnty]

Maybe you should ask your managers if they can be everywhere at once and monitor every conversation every employee is making every minute of the day while also getting their own duties done.

I'm not saying the company isn't responsible - you can stop putting those words in my mouth now. I'm saying your complaint form 1) may bring their attention to a problem they don't yet know exists and 2) WILL help them FIX the problem.

Why are you so resistant to helping the people who are serving you and your company do a better job?

You must have meant something different then what I am reading. I'm reading you saying that the customer has a responsibility. I'm reading you defending managers when I never wrote the word manager in reference to who is responsible for customer service. I'm guessing this must be a close-to-home subject? That isn't to be mean or escalate, just that I can get that it could be disheartening to hear a consumer refuse to give feedback.

I'm sorry you don't accept we have differing opinions, in my opinion it is not the consumer's fault, nor is it their responsibility, nor should they feel guilty by anymeans for not reporting bad customer service and taking their money elsewhere. The idea that "how will they know if they aren't told" is ludicrus(sp) at best to me - they should know because it is in their best interest (profit) to know. If that means hiring someone fulltime to listen to recorded calls - the sky must be falling that they are actually going to utilize a phone system the company paid for, in the way it was intended.

Keith - when their profit margin slides because of poor customer service and people leaving to other companies, you can be sure that they will be interested in improving service. That is unless there is a society that sits around filing complaint forms, keeping their money going to the company, hoping things will change. JMHO.

[Greebo]

I've already made it clear that management cannot monitor every call. They'd have to hire 1 person per caller to do that.

I've already made it clear that your feedback could be the ammunition they need to get rid of a troublesome employee - perhaps that employee works in a 'right to work' state where they can't be fired w/o strong justification - perhaps the employee has threatened a lawsuit and the company needs the complaints to protect themselves.

I've never suggested the bad service was your fault. However, if you're aware of bad service and you yourself do nothing - especially when ASKED to do something - well this employee may be great at dodging detection. Without your help, management might never find out. So if this person continues to give bad service, and you had a chance to do something about it and refuse? Yes - you get to share in the future blame IMO.

Ultimately, I just want to know why you object so strongly to letting a company know when one if it's representatives has acted in an unsatisfactory manner? Are you expecting the employer to be absolutely perfect? Is this a passive aggressive 'you should just know so if you don't you're a jerk and i can be mad at you' thing? I simply don't get it. Why NOT tell them, when asked, aside from "it's not my job!".

[NcsstyBrdsIngnty]

I am not a passive agressive person, no. Have you inferred that in any of my posts? Probably not . If you have please let me know because my future dh would get a kick out of that! No offense. . . .

It sounds like what I am typing is foreign to you - like it's forbid that the consumer take their money and leave without saying a word to "help" the company do better. Like I said, I object to the form so much because it is the company's responsibility to know how they are performing, their profit (not mine) depends on it. If that means testing calls, which wouldn't mean every single one - but periodically, so be it. If that means having the CEO coming down to the custservreps level to figure out why there is a break down of communication with clients - so be it. It is in their best interest, not mine, to push this rock up the hill. Sucks to be them if they have a bad employee that works in a right-to-work and has them strongheld. Such is life. I've been in much worse situations.

Now good customer service - I'll jump through hoops to compliment good customer service. Sad thing is, I'm not hard to please! A simple thank you and not getting cut off when I talk is all I ask for!

[frugalwarrior2]

In the time you spent on the internet you could have filled out the form. And petted the cat.
I hate it also being asked to do something just because someone else can't do what their supposed to. And I don't always feel socially resposible to right all the wrongs (I got tired of everyone just thinking I was weird and nosy). However, you don't in any way want to convey at your job that you have an attitude or are uncooperative. (co-workers are not always your friends-big suprise). The weirdest crap can bite you in the butt. So lovingly I suggest- JUST FILL THE DAMN THING OUT. lol. Seriously. I would be afraid not to.

[xtena]

I haven't been on the forum for a long time and should probably keep my mouth shut. But....it seems to me that you've spent a lot of time debating this issue and defending your POV (which is your right, don't get me wrong). In the amount of time spent here debating you could have filled out the form, and if you don't care/don't want to fill it out, why initiate this thread to begin with?

[NcsstyBrdsIngnty]

I haven't been on the forum for a long time and should probably keep my mouth shut. But....it seems to me that you've spent a lot of time debating this issue and defending your POV (which is your right, don't get me wrong). In the amount of time spent here debating you could have filled out the form, and if you don't care/don't want to fill it out, why initiate this thread to begin with?

You've been on here a lot longer than I have!

It's not the time involved, it's the principle. I figured this would make for good topic, not just attack for belief structure, so I asked the question: Do you just walk away from bad customer service or do you complain? My fault for thinking so, sorry.

I alsowondered if I was alone in feeling like I shouldn't have to babysit - and apparently I am, or darn close to it.

[annymoll]

I do not walk away from bad customer service. I complain.I find that easier to do than to compliment,because I feel that good customer service should just be a given. I am trying really hard to work on that. I like to be complimented in our businesses. It is sometimes difficult to accept constructive criticism from customers, but it has helped us to grow, and to do the best job possible. Our patients, clients, and customers are sometimes the proverbial,"little flies on the wall". I am grateful for their help and input!I want to make money, but I want our patients to feel respected and valued as well .

[savvy_sniper]

I fill out customer service questionnaire when I get bad service, but also fill them out when I receive exceptional service. A manager can not be every where at once. Just because an employee works well with their manager and coworkers doesn't mean they treat the customer right.

You were treated badly and someone should be made aware of it!

[2ndGenGranola]

I fill out customer service questionnaire when I get bad service, but also fill them out when I receive exceptional service.

Same here. We had a safety product (that people are complaining on having to pay $$$ for) work exceptionally well and saved my kid and my house. We wrote them a letter and sent pics of the incident. They were thrilled to get a nice letter, wrote us a nice one back and sent us a $50 gift cert (something we didn't plan on).

We also fill them out when things are not up to standards. Quite often we get a nice letter back thanking us for alerting them to the situation and how they plan to remedy it.

[Greebo]

Strictly speaking, you invited commentary on your specific decision. You asked if you were off base.

Next time you might want to rephrase the question - limit it to "what do you do in these situations" - instead of inviting people to open fire, as it will.

[Nana2two]

I look at it this, if i had a job i would be filling out a complaint card on the service, even if its a outside company. Personally u should file one. Thats why companies get away with so much stuff because people like you have a complaint and not happy with service but don't do a thing about it. In my opinion if you don't file a complaint, then you except the service they gave you.

[McD]

I fill out customer service questionnaire when I get bad service, but also fill them out when I receive exceptional service. A manager can not be every where at once. Just because an employee works well with their manager and coworkers doesn't mean they treat the customer right.

You were treated badly and someone should be made aware of it!

This is exactly what I do. Not only because it gives me a chance to vent about the poor service in the hopes that it is brought to someone's attention, but to also bring to the good stuff to someone's attention. Also, having worked in positions that have dealt with the public since I was 16 years old, I can tell you how nice it is to have a manager or a supervisor come up to me and say, "We just received a compliment about you."

Also, I complain when I get poor service or I am offended by someone in a service position, because they may have NO idea they have done anything wrong. What is totally okay to one person can offend the other without someone ever knowing they stuck their foot in their mouth, kwim?

I am more apt to complain when I know I have no option to take my services elsewhere. For instance, you don't get to pick and choose who processes your paycheck so you can't let your dollars speak for you---just like I can't pick my electric company and shove off and find a new one if they treat me badly.

[Thrifty Mom]

I would report bad service. If I got bad food or service in a restaurant, I would bring it to someone's attention. For me, bad service from a CSR is equal to that. I get especially itchy when CSRs give out incorrect info, because if they give it to me, they are telling others the same thing which creates a huge mess.