3 Customer Service Nightmares And What You Can Do To Avoid Them

Any person running a company or selling a product knows that closing a sale is hard. But what’s even harder? Providing excellent after-sales support and great customer service. Whether you provide customer service and support via email, phone, chat, or social media, one thing will never change – customers will encounter problems and they’re most likely going to want it fixed ASAP. Customer service horror stories are bound to happen.

As somebody who has worked in the business process outsourcing industry, and as an admitting personnel at a private hospital, I have at least 4 years of experience solving customers’ problems and listening to their complaints. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean I am immune to facing customer service horror stories of my own! Here are three customer service nightmare stories I’ve faced in my own life – and advice for how companies can avoid  being the cause of customer service horror stories.

Internet Service Provider Nightmare

The backstory:  This is one of my worst customer service stories. When my previous internet service provider changed important details on my subscription and chose not to notify me about it, I let it pass. But when the company started to provide me with bad connection (think early 90’s dial-up speeds) on a regular basis and with no connection for a whole week, they put me at risk of losing my job. And that’s when I had to draw the line.

The customer service problems: Oh, where do I start? From having to constantly request to speak to a manager just to get any kind of good result, to agents forgetting to press the mute button or put me on hold while they mock me to their fellow agents. But one of the worst experiences was probably when an agent told me that the reason for my bad internet connection was due to an expansion project that the company had taken on. And when I asked when it would be done, all I got was this response: “I don’t really know. ” A simple yet very important question, and yet no agent nor manager knew the answer. What company takes on an expansion project and does not set a deadline? It’s no wonder only 62% of customers feel contented with their internet service providers

How companies can avoid it: Keep clear lines of communication between most, if not all, of the departments in your company. While it may be true that various departments take on different and very specific roles, that should never be an excuse for any department to be so detached from the others. In this case, the head of the engineering department could have made a bit of an effort to relay to the head of service about when the expansion project would be done. That way, an answer would be available to customers when they ask for it. Most customers don’t want to admit it, but hearing the awful truth is better than being left in the dark.

Airline Carrier Mess

The backstory: Here’s another of my top customer service horror stories. My mom travels every now and then for work. On her way back home from a conference, much to her surprise, one of the straps on her duffel bag was already ripped when she picked it up from the baggage carousel.

The customer service problem: When my mom went to the airline carrier’s office inside the airport, she was then met by an unfriendly and uninspired representative who told her that she was going to have to wait a long time (at least 30 minutes) for her request to be processed. It’s no wonder a lot of travelers dread having to deal with airline customer service. My mom replied that she was in no hurry and was willing to wait. The representative then proceeded to offer my mom $10 just so she would leave and be done with the complaint. My mom refused to accept it. Fast forward to two weeks later, and the airline company finally reimbursed my mom with a better amount.

How companies can avoid it: Always remind your representatives  to smile no matter the situation. A lot easier said than done, yes. But not impossible. And instead of belittling your customers by offering them a measly amount for the damage, identify a better process. Surely it couldn’t hurt to go above and beyond what your customers expect from you, right?

Resort No No

The backstory: Here’s the last customer service horror story I have to share. Ever since I started working for Peak Support, I’ve made it my goal to treat my family to an overnight stay at a nice resort on the weekend of my birthday. This resort that I’m about to talk about has well-trained staff who are courteous and helpful. However, as friendly as the staff may be, the booking process needs a whole lot of improvement.

The customer service problems: When I called to ask for the availability of a specific room, I was told that one was available for the date I needed. The reservations officer then put me on hold to process my booking. Not more than three minutes after being put on hold, the reservations officer got back to me and told me the room wasn’t available anymore. I asked how that was possible when we were already in the process of booking it and finalizing the payment method. As kindly as he might have said it, “the system didn’t refresh automatically” is just not a good enough excuse for me. And this isn’t just some one or two star establishment, it’s a five-star resort!

How companies can avoid it: Ideally, you should have a booking system that updates automatically or makes a room unavailable to other customers when someone is already in the process of booking it. But if that’s not possible, you can still fix the problem with new processes and good training. Simply put: require your employees to refresh the page before telling someone a room is available. Nothing is more frustrating to a customer than the realization that their weekend getaway might not happen, all because a staff failed to do something so simple yet so important in the booking process.

Gone are the days where consumers are just willing to settle for whatever is given to them. For a lot of companies, providing mediocre customer service is a cost-cutting measure. Others simply either don’t care enough or they’re getting too comfortable at the top. Whatever the case may be, your customers – other than your employees of course – are the biggest factors in your company’s success. Treat them well, and they will help spread the good word. Never forget that the most effective and cost-efficient marketing strategy any company can have is a customer’s honest review and recommendation.

Avoid becoming part of customer service horror stories and start working with Peak Support today!

Illustration by Rhea Avanceña