Don’t Curse
Twelve per cent of Canadians curse when frustrated by customer service, making us one of the most profane nationalities, according to a 2012 Echo Research study. Resist the urge. Elaine Allison, a Vancouver customer service expert, says keeping your cool, sticking to the facts and being your most charming self will bring better results.
Speak Up
If the problem can be solved right away, vocalize your complaint in the moment. It’s better to have a free meal sitting in a restaurant than leave fuming after a sub-standard dinner with a voucher you might never use.
Don’t Be a Toxic Customer
Threatening to smear a company’s reputation if it doesn’t acquiesce is unethical and rarely works.
Let the Company Know You Love Them
Politely let the company know how loyal you’ve been. Front-line workers often can’t tell a long-time customer from a crank. A free night’s stay is a small gesture for 20 years of business.
Know How to Reach a Human
Trapped in a phone-menu maze? While dialing zero can be a shortcut to a real person, some companies have made their shortcuts more complicated. The website gethuman.com lets consumers share extensions and wait times. On the site, Bell Canada and Rogers Cable regularly get criticized for having too many phone-menu steps.
Know When to Call
For the shortest hold time, contact customer service between 9 and 11 a.m. Representatives will have cleared the previous day’s backlog but haven’t been hit by the lunch rush.
Go to the Top
If you’ve tried official channels to no avail, it might be time to move up. Often, a web search can unearth an executive’s email address. Complain about the system failure itself, not your efforts to change cable bundles.
Try a Different Route
The Canadian Transportation Agency can deal with unresolved complaints about flight disruptions, unexpected charges and lost baggage, but it doesn’t want to hear about rude service or bad food.
Seek Help Through Social Media
Facebook and Twitter can be effective ways to jump the queue. Airlines have been known to respond to tweets within the hour, when email queries can take days.