Week 3, Part 1: Communication - Business & Consumer

The companies that impress me the most are always those with impeccable/fast customer service; ones that go above and beyond to at least try to listen and resolve my issue are the ones that get the real points. I find myself most unhappy when I  am made to feel like an inconvenience, or am unable to communicate with a real person or find the solutions I need in a timely manner.  

One example of is Discover, my prior student loan lender. Discover had never impressed me due to long wait times on hold, and difficulty connecting with a customer service representative. I also feel passed around from department to department every time I call, and the customer service was very hollow and impersonal. I have never attempted to connect with them via social media, though perhaps I should have. I have since switched my loans over to Earnest, which is has amazing customer service - a representative texted me as soon as I was approved to make sure I did not have any additional questions. No robots, no holding, no hassle. 

Social media definitely makes it easier to connect. I do agree that through sites like Twitter and Facebook, you have the potential to get noticed by the company. It makes it a bit more personal. As I mention in my previous post last week, I did have a very impressive experience with Delta airlines, after I reached out to them on Twitter about a delayed flight. They were able to hold my connecting flight for me, allowing me to make it home for the holidays. They were incredibly fast with their responses, and went above and beyond to solve my problem. 

If I had a business of my own, I would 100% utilize social media. I would try to respond to both positive and negative feedback, building on the positive, and trying to resolve the negative (in a non-pushy way). As our book’s first chapter covers, people like to be heard. I work in customer service, and 90% of the time, people are not even looking for reconciliation - they just want someone to listen to them. I would be sure to respond to grievances and let the person know I hear them.


Comments

  1. Ashley MartinezSeptember 8, 2019 at 2:55 PM

    Hi Angelica! Regarding your comments about your previous student loan lender Discover, I must say that nothing is more frustrating to me than when I call a business, explain my problem and then I'm passed around from one department to another while trying to solve my issue. To me that is one of the worst things ever. I really don't want to explain my problem over and over. I just want someone who can help me in a timely manner. I mean once in a while, if there is a new employee and they don't fully understand how to solve my problem, well then yes, transfer me. But when this is an every time experience, there are no excuses to me. The worst customer service that I have ever received was by, believe it or not, Google. I had such a horrible experience with them. I even wrote about it in my blog post. I didn't even write everything that has happened to me with them, because then the post would have been a novel, so I shortened it up by a ton. I HATE DOING BUSINESS WITH GOOGLE! They're the worst!

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  2. Katalin SolymosiSeptember 9, 2019 at 2:17 PM

    Hi Angelica, it is always such a big relief after dealing with a business with difficult processes and horrible customer relationship to find another company which is easy to talk with and handle things. Like you had with Discover and Earnest. When I experience or hear similar stories, I wonder how a company can survive with such a bed customer relationship, especially when there are competitors out there who deals with their client wonderfully. I think people (myself included) are not using their power often enough to show if they are not satisfied with a product or services. Which is much easier nowadays with the help of social media. On the other hand, your experience with Delta still amazes me. It shows how great it is when companies utilize social media to connect and help their client’s life.

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  3. Angelina DraperSeptember 9, 2019 at 2:41 PM

    Hi Angelica,

    Totally agree with you that not being able to communicate with real people when trying to contact a business makes you feel like an inconvenience. I think that the way a business communicates with its customers is SO important, and for me, if I have multiple negative encounters with trying to get a hold of someone, it definitely makes me want to find someone else who can provide the service for me.

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