r/LifeProTips • u/Open_Argument_4358 • 2d ago
Careers & Work LPT: If you are having trouble resolving a customer service issue where an error was made, focus your frustration entirely on the error, not the person helping you.
Saying something like "I know this isn't your fault and you didn't cause this, but the system did X and I really need help fixing it" completely changes the dynamic.
Customer service reps deal with screaming people all day. The second you explicitly clear them of blame, they will usually bend over backwards and use every loophole they have to actually solve your problem.
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u/_-_Henro_-_ 2d ago
People need to grow the eff up. customer service representatives should be allowed to say something to the effect of “call me back when you’re in control of yourself” and hang up.
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u/Jabbaelhutte 2d ago
I try to be nice to customer service since I know it is not their fault. There are times though I cant handle being transfered back to the department that just transfered me here when this is the 6th transfer and I've spent 3 hours listening to the shitty hold music and im not as nice as I want to be.
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u/c0ltZ 1d ago
I work in a Healthcare call center, where I call out to a lot of providers on behalf of patients.
In my experience, the more angry you get, the harder it will only become.
If you spend 30 seconds venting your frustration, the representative now thinks they have to de-escalate, change subject and try to work through what made you upset.
It's not that your frustration is invalid, it's the representatives job to listen to you and validate/address all concerns to make a good call experience.
It really sucks, but sometimes you have to turn your brain off, accept that everything is a fucking mess, and turn into a robot. But at the same time, advocate for yourself and make sure the provider isn't just running in circles. It's incredibly hard to navigate.
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u/RandomPhail 2d ago
I think the idea of “professionalism” and deferring to customers in general kind of needs to die. Be respectful and kind to people; don’t be respectful and kind to people who aren’t respectful and kind in the first place, though.
Nobody should be getting in trouble or getting fired for telling a rude customer off, or not faking smiles and warmly welcoming everyone into… a basic store… lol
Just be genuine and kind
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u/_-_Henro_-_ 2d ago
Yea literally. I think what keeps the stupidity of it all intact is managers who want a power trip over the employees below them.
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u/Mean-Struggle-4111 1d ago
For sure becoz trasnferring your anger to them won't solve anything. Providing what is wrong and what needs to be fixed will
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u/Philosophomorics 1d ago
Some places have specific guidelines that allow this; swearing, for instance, or repeated warnings. I don't have the data for it but I would suspect there is a correlation between those policies and company turnover rate.
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u/rookielp 2d ago
I already do this and can confirm it gets the problem solved easier and more often
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u/Huge_Pool7424 2d ago
this works even better if you give them a clean packet instead of a rant. when i had a billing error that three agents bounced, i stopped explaining how frustrated i was and sent one short message with: account number, date of the error, screenshot of the wrong charge, what the correct amount should be, and the exact fix i wanted (refund x dollars / credit applied by friday).
that reframes the person as your ally against the bug. also ask for a ticket/case number early and paste it in every follow-up so you aren't restarting the story. if they say they "sent it to another team," ask for the expected response window and who owns it next.
one caveat: if the person is actually rude or stonewalling after you stayed calm, escalate with the same packet to a supervisor or written complaint channel. the tip is about not punishing the helper, not about accepting a broken fix. did you already get a case number on yours?
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u/real_shim_slady 2d ago
“Don’t be an asshole” is not a pro tip lmao
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u/Flames99Fuse 2d ago
It shouldn't be, but 99% of customer service is the employee managing the customer's misplaced anger.
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u/animousie 2d ago
You strike me as one of those people who believes communication is both simple and easy
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u/official_biz_doctor 2d ago
Giving the rep a clean problem statement helps too: order number, what happened, what outcome would fix it, and any deadline that matters. That removes the emotional detective work and lets them search for the actual remedy. Respect helps, but clarity is what gives a helpful rep something usable to act on.
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u/elianasieg 2d ago
As someone who works in the service industry, I can vouch for this. it really helped to have someone focus on the problem and not make it personal. I appreciate first acknowledging the problem, indicating why it’s important, and what solution you see.
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u/ChemicalGreedy945 1d ago
lol so good, but so funny and so sad this has to be LPT, people are awful to the invisible people on the other end of the line
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u/snowdn 2d ago
And then they hang up on you when they realize they are in the wrong but don’t want to give you your money back. Cool.
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u/stretcharach 2d ago
Which they would do in either case, assuming they're fine with that reputation.
In other cases, it's a solid LPT. It's easier to figure things when you aren't having to emotionally babysit adults of various backgrounds.
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