Video: How to get better customer service

Consumer Reports News: July 22, 2011 10:08 AM

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Customer service

Consumer Reports recently surveyed readers about their experience with customer service, and found that plenty of people are fed up. Sixty-four percent said they'd walked out of a store because of poor service in the past year.

Here are some ways to get better customer service:

Speak with customer service agents in person. It's not always possible, but if you have the opportunity take it, the possibility of things going wrong increases when you're not face-to-face.
Use social media sites like Twitter. Companies monitor sites to see what is being said about them.
Keep a record, and be persistent. Note when you called, the name and location of everyone you spoke with, how many times you were put on hold (and how long you waited for someone to pick up), and the responses you received. You can use this information when you bring the complaint to the next level.
Check out helpful websites like our sister site The Consumerist. Dial-A-Human and Get Human list customer-service numbers that will get you to an actual person.
Contact the CEO's office.

For more about what to do with customer service and the worst companies for service you can check out the full story, What's wrong with customer service? Also from our customer service survey: Women get more annoyed than men with aspects of bad customer service.

—Maggie Shader