» Customer Service
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Step Out From Behind The CounterBy admin on May 15, 2006 | No Comments
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Written by Sarah Little, Secret Shopping Maven.
After working in and around our call center for 3 years, I have gained some insight into the call center mood. Before understanding a little bit about call centers, I thought the person I talked to on the phone was the beginning and the end of the business they represented. I was unsure of how to approach these representatives with the various questions I had about my credit card or cell phone.Today I had to call my auto loan lender. The payment we sent last month has still not been received so I wanted to fix the problem ASAP. (I knew better than using the mail. From now on I’ll do it online.) My husband had called last week and was treated rudely; when he asked to speak to a supervisor he was hung up on. I couldn’t believe it!So I called this morning. I set out in my mind to be calm and pleasant, but I was prepared to be stern and demand some help if I needed to. When the representative answered I explained the problem clearly and asked her very simply, “How can we fix this problem and avoid additional fees?” Fortunately I reached a very cooperative woman who wanted to help. She explained the process of things to me, and I was able to resolve the issue on the phone with no added fees.I’m sure she is the type of person who remains calm and tries to give the best service she can in spite of a customer’s attitude. But I know that if a customer is being pleasant and friendly to the rep, they will be more likely to exercise some of that ‘wiggle’ room they have and help me out.So my advice to anyone who has to call their credit card company, cell phone, loan company, etc., whether the center you’re calling is across the country or the world, is to keep a smile in your voice and ask them what they can do to help the situation. Try to avoid becoming the tyrant caller and you’ll get much better service.
As customers, we must also extend a friendly attitude. While it is the duty of businesses to be courteous, we as customers and fellow customer service professionals should return the favor. Everyone knows not to make the waitress preparing your food mad, and the same rule should follow with your other services. Especially those handling your finances!PhoneSmart Your Offsite Sales Solution
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We’re a TEAM!By admin on May 10, 2006 | No Comments
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Kay Johnson, Phone Smart blog editor gets her 2 cents worth in…Welcome to our blog, an insider look at the self-storage call center industry and secret shopping world.Where is Tron Jordheim? Has anybody seen him? How can we find him? He is a strange dude but he is our leader!I am pausing in my task as blog editor to offer some insights I have gained from the flow of creativity that is all around me. We have several new people on staff here, some of them I have not yet met. We have an expanding crew of bilingual operators to accommodate the needs of facilities with larger Hispanic communities. It has been my joy to work with the blogs submitted by old timers and newbies. This is one call center where there is no lack of eloquence, insight, humor, and shared experience.One key to a successful compact team is, of course, our willingness to accept each other and to work together. The other key is the working atmosphere that the guy at the top wishes to cultivate in his call center team.There is a wide spread in age and experience in the team. I am almost the oldest staffer here. I say almost because I am certain that I am not as old as Tron Jordheim. There is a considerable group of college age and mid to late 30ish reps. for an old duffer such as myself, working with younger people is often refreshing and invigorating. I am amazed at how much more they know of the world than I did at their ages and sometimes they are amazed at some of my attitudes, knowledge and preferences. Last weeks while working the closing crew, I mentioned that although I am primarily a fan of country music and consider myself an educated “redneck woman’ that I enjoy the antics and some of the music of Kidd Rock. Chris Hires, a young man from Texas who is in school here replies “I don’t like Kidd Rock but I like that you like him” There is a high level of that sort camaraderie here. Employees do favors for each other and help each other on the job and in their private lives. Spanish speakers are always willing to teach the uniligual reps. words and phrases. The working environment here is one of serious dedication to the task at hand but with a very comfortable emphasis on achievement and a sense of well being. Supervisors and department heads have nearly all served as call center operators and are sensitive to our situation. Even the “big guy” steps in to take calls when things are really busy.Tron, who was referred to as “Sometimes Charisma –guy by his wife at our 5 year anniversary party” is soft spoken and has an easy approach to employee relations. He is forgiving too. I am proof of that as when I took the opportunity to Roast him at that anniversary party I tried to singe his beard (he has no hair to go after) and I took my very best shots at him. I am still employed here.One of the primary values he has instilled in the Phone Smart call center is our acceptance of the diverse group we work with. There is a small printed sign on our break room wall right next to the official required government employment posters. This sign reads:“Phone Smart Celebrates Diversity!We are lucky to have people on staff with many different backgrounds. Phone Smart does not discriminate against anyone based on ethnic background, creed, gender, belief system, cultural heritage, etc.However, rude, mean, or lazy people are fair targets.”Tron JordheimWe work hard here; we share our lives, our food, laughter, and our good wishes for all.It is a great place to work!Self Storage Search Engine Storage in: Oklahoma
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What’s the 411?By admin on May 8, 2006 | No Comments
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We have a handful of storage facilities in our local area. It is always difficult to get these stores because they have caller ID. Normally, when calling long distance our call routes through Sprint T1 lines, and so any caller ID just get “Out of Area” or something to that affect. But locally our calls show the corporate number. We use the *67 technique, but the stores avoid “Blocked ID” and let them roll over to the self-storage call center.So, today, being near the end of the month, Natalie and I thought we’d outsmart them by calling the operator and being directed through them.I called 411, gave the city and state. When the operator picked up I gave her the location I was looking for. I was in the middle of asking her to direct me to that number when I heard a click. She didn’t even seem to notice that I was talking, as she just kept on with her spiel. The automated voice came on gave the numbers in robotic tone and then hung up.I was a little put off, but I thought I’d call back. I did the same thing again. Except that this time instead of giving the location I wanted right away I told the operator that I wanted to be transferred to this number. She politely said, “Ok, I can do that.” Then, CLICK, the same robotic voice giving the numbers as slow as possible and once again I was hung up on.Now I was just upset. I’m sure I was being charged for those two calls. I called a third time; this time I did not give even the city and state to the automated voice. I was quickly transferred to an operator. She asked me what city and state and I didn’t even give those, instead I explained that I had just called twice and been hung up on both times, and then I explained what I wanted.She let me know that when calling from a landline calls cannot be transferred and that I’d have to dial the number myself.Well, I would have liked to know that the first time! I find it ironic that a phone directory has such horrible phone etiquette!Self Storage Search Engine Storage in: Texas
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A Customer in Need is a Need IndeedBy admin on May 5, 2006 | No Comments
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Welcome to the Secret Shopping blog where we look at mystery shopping, secret shopping and the trends in the industry.
PhoneSmart trainer Angela Perry reflects on customer service attitudes
The way that one handles a situation is a lasting impression on the person that is in need
Be wary of the services that are offered through a program when purchasing a vehicle. . At the time of purchase I thought that it was a GREAT idea that I received a complimentary card in case of car trouble would arise. My initial thought was that this is too good to be true but I accepted it.
About 2 months after having the vehicle it continuously stopped. I thought that it was due to shortage of gas but then I noticed that when I turned the air conditioner on it would stop with a full tank of gas so then that led me to believe that the problem was deeper than the gas. I called my dealer’s service department and made an appointment. They could not get me in for 3 days. In the meantime the car stopped on me completely and I had to call on my pastor for assistance.The following morning I made phone calls to get the vehicle in, as it could not wait the other two days. I called the FREE roadside assistance program. I thought that this could not be as bad as I thought that it would be. The man that answered the phone was not helpful. He asked questions concerning my vehicle such as the year and make of the car, the purchase date and the nature of the problem. I answered all the questions accordingly and then he told me that someone would be on the way in about 30-45 minutes. I asked for a reference number, as I know from experience to always ask for a number. After 20 minutes had elapsed I called the again and gave the operator the reference number and was told that the order was incorrectly entered. The operator had written the ticket up as if I was not affiliated with the roadside assistance program and went to an outside contractor to take the tow, which is why it is taking longer as they cannot guarantee the time length with an outside contractor. Apparently the operator dispatched an outside contractor but gave me the rules and guidelines of a program participant. I took a deep breath and just asked the second operator when someone would be able to assist me. She told me that she would put my tow as a priority and it should be soon.From this I learned two things. Everyone makes mistakes and that it is okay to say you don’t know. The second operator handled the situation more professionally, in my opinion because she gave me the explanation of what went wrong and she gave me an answer that made me feel that she was honest. Although the answer was “I don’t know” she did not say resort to an unprofessional criticism of the first operator.PhoneSmart Your Offsite Sales Solution
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ChangeBy admin on May 3, 2006 | No Comments
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Robin Turner is the Phone Smart call center’s manager. She speaks her mind about adaptability in our secret shopping blog.You can’t adapt to change easily…
You are a debater…
You adapt easily with explanation…
Which one are you?The people who can’t adapt to change under any circumstance are typically close-minded and don’t want to learn anything new. Typically they won’t accept changes and will gripe about it and that’s their final word. They are normally harder to get along with then the other 2 types of people. These people will usually either be the “try it” or the “simply won’t!”Then there’s the “debater”. The one who is resistant to change and will question at every angle why the change shouldn’t be made and doesn’t easily understand why the change should be made. But they do ask great questions along the way. Sometimes, they may be a bit sarcastic, however you could also learn from them as they could be a bit of a challenge. They usually do come around and try it out … at least for “debates” sake.The person who easily adapts to change usually goes along with the flow, not afraid to try something new and have a positive outlook on the change. They can usually figure out and think of the positives effects it may have and will “go for it”. They of course are usually the ones who are pretty easy to get along with.Which type are you?
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Tick TockBy admin on April 13, 2006 | No Comments
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When our clients get their secret shopping recordings they may hear about 1-5 minutes of conversation for each shop we record. It seems like a quick process, but we actually spend about 60 minutes on each shop if everything goes like it’s suppose to.Let me explain the process from the beginning. First we compile a list of all the shops a particular client wants us to make. Then we post the list where it’s available to our shoppers. Next, our shoppers go down the list and begin making the shops one by one. This is where things start to slow down. It may take a week or two to reach everyone on the list. Once everyone has been called we burn the calls onto a CD. Finally, we give the CD to one of our evaluators and they return the CD along with the completed reports. This can up to a week or more also. And then lastly, we email or mail the finished product along to our clients.As you can see, we have to maintain a quick pace in order to get our shops out by the deadline each month. So if you are interested in shopping your employees, you can see how we can save you a lot of time and money by doing it for you. So give me a buzz and I’ll get your shops started today.Self Storage Blog A diary of the self storage industry
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Is “Whatever” your response?By admin on February 28, 2006 | No Comments
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Welcome to the secret shopping blog. Today’s blog is from Angela Lechtenberg, who knows a good customer experience if she can find one.The Academy Awards are this weekend, and although it may not provoke the excitement or cause you to celebrate as the Super Bowl does the two events have something in common. They are what is commonly referred to in the television ad world as “Appointment Television.” They also have something else in common: they please advertisers very much. The commercials are higher quality and networks can ask several million dollars from clients who wish to promote their product during this time.
We are all used to gearing up for the SuperBowl game and the commercials, but why the Oscars? Demographic and marketing studies have shown that most people who are watching the Oscars are also the ones who do most of the spending and make most of the spending decisions on products in America – affluent, Caucasian women between 18 and 40. This coveted demo is very important to businesses that spend a pretty penny for one commercial during the Oscar telecast. These companies know who they are trying to sell to and they know how to get their message to the people it matters most.
Does your business have an advertising plan? Have you taken a good long look at it lately to make sure you are reaching your target audience, whoever that may be? These questions are very important ones to ponder, and investing the time and money to advertise your products or services in the right place at the right time can greatly increase your profit margin.
Angela L
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Try againBy admin on January 20, 2006 | No Comments
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Today’s secret shopping blog deals with the kinds of frustrations one commonly experience. Doesn’t it seem a little unneccessary?
When we got moved into our new home, we decided to get a satellite system for our TVs. The neighborhood is new and cable was not yet available. (Side note: if you were a cable company, wouldn’t you pro-active and not re-active to new growth areas.)
The TV in the living room is HD ready and we got the special HD receiver that we could also get local channels on. It has never worked. We called a few days after the installation and the woman on the phone said that the receiver we had was outdated and that it would be an additional $100.00 to upgrade the receiver to get local and HD. WHAT!!
How can a receiver that is one week old be outdated? I realize that electronics become outdated quickly but this was ridiculous. So we opted for some simmer-down time.
Today, my boyfriend contacted the satellite company again. Pledging to be nice and calm and explain the situation, he was on the phone for over 30 minutes and transferred a few times. Well, it paid off. The lady this time said that he just needed to push three buttons to make it work. I am glad we didn’t settle for the first answer and send them $100.00.
There is a way to try and get what you want and deserve. Try asking questions and think it over. Contact the company again. Chances are you will get a new live person. Tell your situation in a calm and informed way, and see where that gets you. It worked for us!
Natalie
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We don’t want your money…By admin on January 2, 2006 | No Comments
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I was making my annual holiday flight arrangements about 6 weeks ago and was able to finally find a price that was reasonable. After the flights were booked, my boyfriend’s mother told us that she would pay for our plane tickets as our Christmas gift. Unexpected, yet very thoughtful and practical. Then we had a flash, let’s call and see if we could upgrade the flight to first class and pay the difference. If it wasn’t too much more money we would splurge.
I have never been in first class, just walked through it many times. And my boyfriend is a big guy, 6’6”, so fitting into a regular seat is a squeeze. Since I had booked my flight online with Orbitz, I called Delta directly. I listened to the nice message, selected my option and waited. Not too long after, I was greeted by a live person. She asked for my confirmation number and asked what she could do to help me.
I explained that I would like to see what it would cost to upgrade to first class over and above the price of the tickets I already had. She informed me that she would have to transfer me to another department. On hold again.
Another lady answers and I explain that I would like to see what is would cost to upgrade to first class over and above the price of the tickets I already had. On hold again. She comes back on and asks a few questions; Was I a special la-la delta customer? NO, Was I a member of the fru-fru club? NO, Did I have any miles that I wanted to use? NO. On hold again.
The question I was asking didn’t seem that difficult to me. Still on hold. Finally she comes back and says, “Well, the only way you would be able to do this is to pay the difference.” Aaahhhh. THAT IS WHAT I WAS ASKING IN THE FIRST PLACE!
Then she tells me that she could not do that over the phone, that it could only be done at the counter at check in.
All of that for nothing. My balloon had been deflated.
Are you listening to what you customers have to say? I only was trying to spend more money with their company, yet I was not able to do so. Their loss.
Happy New Year,
Natalie -
In person performanceBy admin on December 9, 2005 | No Comments
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Competing for consumers.
When you walk into a store to do business, do you feel as if the people working there are competing for your business?
Everyone loves to be fought over. Everyone wants to feel wanted. Do you feel that way when you shop?
Make note of this as you complete your secret shopping assignments. If you do not walk away feeling as if you were wanted, then it doesn’t matter how good or bad the technical nature of the shop was or if the person you shopped said all the right things.
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