• Shop Kathy Kuo Home
    • Valentine’s Day Gift Guide
    • Ready to Ship Furniture & Decor
    • Warehouse Sale – Save Up to 50%
  • Friends of the Kuotes
  • Design Projects
  • Pro Tips from Kathy
    • Shop Reels
  • Resources by Room
    • Living Room
    • Nursery
    • Kitchen & Bath
    • Outdoor
    • Bedroom
    • Dining Room
    • Office
    • The Trade Exclusive
  • Email Sign-Up | Save 15%





The Kuotes Blog

banner

  • Shop Kathy Kuo Home
    • Valentine’s Day Gift Guide
    • Ready to Ship Furniture & Decor
    • Warehouse Sale – Save Up to 50%
  • Friends of the Kuotes
  • Design Projects
  • Pro Tips from Kathy
    • Shop Reels
  • Resources by Room
    • Living Room
    • Nursery
    • Kitchen & Bath
    • Outdoor
    • Bedroom
    • Dining Room
    • Office
    • The Trade Exclusive
  • Email Sign-Up | Save 15%
  • Shop Kathy Kuo Home
    • Valentine’s Day Gift Guide
    • Ready to Ship Furniture & Decor
    • Warehouse Sale – Save Up to 50%
  • Friends of the Kuotes
  • Design Projects
  • Pro Tips from Kathy
    • Shop Reels
  • Resources by Room
    • Living Room
    • Nursery
    • Kitchen & Bath
    • Outdoor
    • Bedroom
    • Dining Room
    • Office
    • The Trade Exclusive
  • Email Sign-Up | Save 15%
How to Get the Best Customer Service (and How to Provide It)

How to Get the Best Customer Service (and How to Provide It)

Kathy Kuo Home 6:24 pm

Bad customer service. It happens to everybody. You’re put on hold long enough for your children to have children, or you need to track an order for a client and their item seems to be somewhere between the Bermuda Triangle and Timbuktu. At KKH, we pride ourselves on providing the absolute best customer service. Today, we’re revealing the way we deal with clients and sharing how you can get the best customer service you need (with the help of some adorable cat GIFs… because why not?).


1 – Do Your Homework

giphy

Or as Scar from The Lion King would say, “be prepared.” One of the most frustrating situations for both the customer and the service provider is if either party is ill-prepared for the conversation. If you’re calling as a customer, make sure you have your order number ready along with any other information that has been sent to you. If you’re calling a client to update them, have the forethought to make sure you have the answers to any follow-up questions they might have. But before you even call, go online to research your question first. Although you should never hesitate to call customer service (especially at KKH), most companies and vendors work really hard to provide as much information on their website as possible, and neither party enjoys when customer service becomes a game of “let me Google that for you.” If your question is specific to your order, then definitely call, but let them know you went through the effort of trying to find the answer for yourself first. Simply saying, “I went online and read the FAQ on your return policy, but I was wondering if you could clarify for [insert your particular item and issue here]” will make you a favorite customer. Your efforts won’t go unappreciated, and the more you know about someone’s business, the better you’ll be able to interact with their customer service.


2 – Play Nice

1362155494996841_animate

This is not a patronizing statement. It can be really frustrating working with particular clients or companies, and it’s very easy to get worked up. Don’t. We’ve all seen that person screaming at the waiter or yelling over the phone at an employee who potentially has no control over the situation or request. It’s not a pretty sight. As the mantra goes, keep calm and carry on. Be persistent, and respect what your customer service agent does and does not have the authority to do. If you believe you need to talk to a supervisor or manager to resolve your issue, say that, but don’t use it as a scare tactic. Typically, your problem is not the fault of the customer service rep you’re speaking with. Instead, say something like, “I completely understand that this is not your fault and was out of your control. Could you please transfer me to a manager or supervisor who might be able to better help resolve this issue?” Escalating the issue up the chain of command is normal. In fact, it is part of most customer service training. And if your customer service rep did put every effort toward helping you, it never hurts to mention that to a supervisor. You may just make their day.


3 – Pretend You’re in Couples Therapy

4691-Cat-Fight-With-Love

Wait…what?? Trust us. Most customer service mishaps come from miscommunication. Use the three steps listed below that actually originate from couple counseling, and you’ll find talking about your customer service issues to be much more manageable:

  1. Mirroring. When a customer calls and says, “I’m upset because…,” you shouldn’t react by placing blame on them (obviously), nor should you immediately solve the issue. Instead, you should mirror back the words you heard so the customer knows you heard them. Doing this is important because it proves you were listening instead of formulating a response while the other person was speaking.
  2. Validating. I’m sure you were waiting for this phrase to come up in this article: “the customer is always right.” And while we know this is not always true, you should still always validate the way someone feels. Even if they’re not right, you are connecting with them on a human level. You’re saying, “I get it. I get why you’re upset. I would be upset too.”
  3. Empathy. After you mirror back their issue and validate their emotions, it’s important to express that you are just as concerned as your client. If your client is upset, just saying, “That’s so horrible, I’m so sorry!” can make all of the difference.

4 – Avoid the Social Attribution Error

giphy-1 

What does that mean? Imagine you’re on a bus. It’s crowded and hot. People are shuffling. You accidentally bump into somebody, and they start yelling at you. “Watch where you’re going!” …you can use your imagination for the string of expletives that follow. When this happens, our mind may automatically say, “Wow, that person is a jerk.” We attribute their behavior to them as a person instead of the situation they’re in. For all you know, they just got fired from their job, had their car towed so they had to take the bus, and now they just got shouldered by a stranger. Sure, it doesn’t excuse their behavior, but it doesn’t mean they’re a bad person either. People get stressed. People have bad days. It’s easy to forget this, but this is extremely important to remember whenever a client or customer gets upset with you.


5 – Don’t Make Threats

01005f7fa8b54c2a1b0eef5ba9d44e16

While it’s perfectly okay (when warranted) to ask for a supervisor or manager, threatening to post to social media or get someone fired is only going to give yourself a bad name. If you are displeased with your customer service, leaving a polite (but honest) review or contacting a supervisor or manager is the best option.     

 

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Follow
Instagram
    The user currently does not have any images...
Pinterest
Visit Kathy Kuo Home's profile on Pinterest.
Search
Suggested For You:
  • #FriendsOfTheKuotes: January 2023
  • Organic & Modern Family-Friendly Nashville Interior Design Reveal
  • Introducing Favorites From Kathy Kuo: January 2023
  • Kuotable Women: Antica Farmacista Founders Susanne Pruitt & Shelley Callaghan
Archives
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • September 2018
  • July 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • April 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013

Related posts

Read What Kathy Kuo Home Customers Are Saying



Trustpilot

ABOUT KATHY      POLICIES & TERMS  

© 2023 Kathy Kuo Designs. All Rights Reserved.