urn:uuid:23e86d35-fe0c-b636-f1b3-9d2b3b3aca08 http://gethuman.com//news_/atom http://gethuman.com/images/gethuman-hands50.gif urn:uuid:acc643be-ba9f-30e6-62ba-38736b5fc14e 2012-05-25T15:23:01+00:00

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urn:uuid:24c696c0-08ec-9010-aad2-3b27536cda8b 2012-05-23T17:10:32+00:00

Is it possible we're reaching the tipping point in customer service land? More and more companies have recently announced major shake-ups in how they handle customer service, and more and more companies are trying to replicate what companies like Apple and Amazon.com do. While it's not a weekly occurrence, it seems like more often than not there's a headline out there about a company that's putting the customer first, making sure the experience they have with the company is as solid as the product. We've recently focused in this space about how JC Penney was making a similar move, and now we're seeing one of the largest phone services in Europe announce similar goals. These are good things people. While we live in a world where companies like Google and Facebook refuse to speak to you in person, some of the larger retailers in the world are realizing how ineffective that model is, and they are doing something to change that. While there's more than one way to skin a cat, it's our jobs as consumers to encourage these radical thinking companies like Vodafone. By showing that consumers have their backs, more companies will take notice and will hopefully follow suit.

For more on the Vodafone announcement click here. ]]>

urn:uuid:58cbb106-5fcc-c046-b503-5f23d1f3610d 2012-05-21T18:59:02+00:00

on Forbes.com with FedEx CEO Fred Smith. In the interview, Mr. Smith gives some insights into his core values for his company, and it's clear that after reading his comments, FedEx continually stresses the value of the customer and the lessons translate directly into one of the stronger customer service departments in the country. We've listed the five lessons below and have added our insight into how it directly translates into strong customer service from the company.

1.) Make reputational intelligence a priority. This one's a no brainer. From a customer service stand point, if you are conscious of what your customers think about you, it directly translates into solid customer service. There's a reason why companies like FedEx and Amazon.com are so successful and it comes from the CEO on down - without a good reputation, you have nothing.

2.) Create a culture that is always striving for excellence. Great companies understand that the only way to succeed is through competition. Competition helps breed excellence, and the best way to succeed is to create an environment where employees can help customers. Not only is FedEx concerned about the in store experience but they are also on Twitter and Facebook, continually monitoring what customers are saying about them. The company does an excellent job at giving it's employees the tools to keep the pulse of customer base.

3.) Don't hide your failures but learn from them to improve. There are a lot of customer service departments out there that have an air of "not our problem" to them. Some companies feel their interaction with customers is over after the point of sale and so when embarrassing stories arise, some companies simply don't care because they already made their money. Well not FedEx. In a business where millions of packages are shipped daily and where a multitude of things can easily go wrong, it's easy for public perception of a company to get out of hand, quickly. Well good companies will admit when they are wrong, they'll study it to make sure it doesn't happen again, ensuring future customers of a great experience.

4.) Always look to improve your process Just like we at GetHuman.com are constantly trying to bring you all the latest and greatest ways to get in touch with customer service, FedEx is always looking to improve. Once you stop improving as a company, customers will go elsewhere. This one could also be called "don't rest on your laurels."

5.) Take advantage of unexpected areas for growth This one is directly tied into point 4. Everyone knows FedEx is in the business of shipping, but did you know they do some electronics repair as well? It's small business but it's important that the company is looking for new avenues for growth. Customers like you and me will see this translates to customer service as FedEX customer service is constantly available on any platform available. It's not just a phone number any more, but the company is always at the forefront of technology, making sure they are available any time and by any means possible. ]]>

urn:uuid:425649a8-ed5d-2cbf-f400-987fff459568 2012-05-17T13:57:34+00:00

So how can you turn the tide in your favor? As someone who runs a forum solely dedicated to credit cards, what follows are 5 valuable tips and tricks I've learned over the years when it comes to dealing with their customer service.

1. You may be able to ask for US-based support

When speaking with a CSR in a foreign country such as India or the Philippines, I try my best not to get angry. After all, they're just trying to earn a living. But the bottom line is that due to language and cultural differences, sometimes they just can't grasp what needs to be done.

If you don't want to deal with a foreign CSR, guess what? You may not have to!

Many (but not all) banks will immediately transfer you to a US-based service rep if you simply ask. For example with the Citi ThankYou credit cards (Preferred, Premier, and Prestige) their support system is setup to automatically route your call to the first available rep, regardless of whether they're in the US or a foreign country. I've ended up getting the latter a number of times. So right off the bat I just say "Can you please transfer me to the US call center?" and they quickly oblige, without objection. In my experience, it has been an instant transfer without any additional wait time.

Here are some other tips for getting an English-speaking support rep.

2. For annual fee waivers, the retention department is best

If you're not familiar with the retention department, it's the place you are transferred to when you want to cancel an account. Their job is to keep you on as a customer. Not only is this department usually staffed with the most polite and knowledge people, but they also tend to have powers above and beyond the typical CSR.

If you're thinking about bailing because your annual fee or interest rate is too high, then these are the folks you want to speak with. My advice? Specifically ask for the retention department if you are serious about cancelling. I tried to get the fee waived on my Southwest Visa but that was a big fail with the first CSR I spoke with. However, she transferred me to a "loyalty advisor" (translation: retention department) who agreed to waive the annual fee and that was without any strong arming on my part.

However it's important to realize that annual fee waivers aren't always possible. In the case of the Southwest Airlines credit card, they don't always do that and even when they do, you have to actually be using the account to the extent that it's worth their while. According to the information on this post, Chase reportedly only budgets fee waivers for certain cards at certain times.

With American Express, they are famous on my forum for never waiving the Platinum Card fee. It's the sacred cow they won't budge on, not even for AmEx employees! That being said, many forum members have reported getting a one-time point bonus instead.

Regardless of the card issuer, the lesson here is that the retention department will have the most power to give you an incentive, if available.

3. For credit limit increases, ask for the balance transfer department

Before the recession, it wasn't unusual for someone with a good credit score to get approved for a 5-figure limit on day one with their new card. Unfortunately, those days are long gone!

Now when you apply for a new account, you will probably get a relatively low limit to start out with. Getting that increased isn't always easy... unless you speak with the balance transfer department.

Balance transfers are big money makers for the credit card companies. Even if they're giving you a promotion for 0% interest, they're still collecting 3-5% upfront in balance transfer fees. Being that the Fed loans money to banks for practically nothing, that fee is largely a profit. They want your balance transfer and will do whatever it takes to get it, including giving you a higher credit limit when possible.

So if you want a better limit, you should speak with the balance transfer department. Even if you aren't doing a transfer today, often times they will help you out with an increase now, as long as you're planning to do a transfer in the near future.

4. For a lower interest rate, you may have to specifically ask for it

A number of credit card issuers have policies in place for their CSRs to not give a customer a lower rate unless they specifically ask for it.

That means you can call up customer service and complain about your high APR until the cows come home, but if you don't specifically ask the CSR for a lower rate, then there may not be anything they can do for you. So make sure you directly ask "can you lower my interest rate?" Also from my experience, it helps to kill them with kindness when making your request. After all, no one wants to help someone who's mean and rude, right?

If the CSR can't lower your rate, then the next step is to ask for the retention department. Not only do they have the power to [sometimes] waive annual fees and offer bonuses, but they also have greater power when it comes to your interest rate.

5. Some credit cards will just plain suck, no matter what

These tips and tricks won't always work. Some card issuers don't even have a US center. And a retention department? Some couldn't care less if you cancelled!

This especially is the case with many retail-branded credit cards from stores and gas stations. Often times, the people who use them have a scandalous credit history and can't get approved for anything better. The issuers exploit this fact; they know they can get away with shoddy service and outrageous interest rates.

Whatever the case, don't let any card issuer treat you like crap. If you have good credit, obviously there are plenty of other options out there for you. Sometimes keeping a particular card to earn good rewards isn't worth it, if it means you will constantly be dealing with subpar service.

For those with bad credit, indeed your options will be limited, but you still have some available! Rather than putting up with terrible service from a sub-prime issuer, I recommend finding a local credit union and getting a secured card from one. With those types of cards your credit line is backed by your security deposit, so you can get approved no matter how ugly your credit may be.

Mike Dolen is the founder of CreditCardForum, which is a community where consumers can share their credit card reviews. On behalf of the site, Mike's credit card advice has been cited in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and other media outlets. ]]>

urn:uuid:31f1b1b9-4cc9-487f-0fe4-b24fba81c6fa 2012-05-15T20:27:59+00:00

You have to hand all of the credit to CEO Dan Hesse. Not only has Mr. Hesse turned the company around, he has done so by focusing on customers and customer experience. He clearly saw a hole in the cellphone service model and decided to take advantage of it. Actually scratch that, he more than took advantage of it. He used it as leverage to catapult his company back into relevance again, and placed himself as the target for consumer sentiment/disdain by placing himself squarely in the middle of the company's ad campaign. In a time when CEO's have been caught for cheating on their resumes as well as have had to deflect criticism for huge company errors (Hi JP Morgan we're looking at you), Mr. Hesse has thrust himself into the spotlight of relativity by focusing on the issues that concern consumers, and giving them what they really want - great customer service. Somewhere down the line there will be a business school case written about this turn around, and rightfully so. This is one heck of a turn around when it comes to consumer sentiment.

If you want to read the whole press release click here. ]]>

urn:uuid:903bc399-d093-7e47-9eac-7a8702fb0e12 2012-05-09T15:04:47+00:00

Forsee's report, over 21,000 visitors to the top 100 retailer websites were asked to rank the companies based on price, merchandise, content and website functionality.

I wrote about this earlier, but companies that have bad customer service websites, or bad websites in general are more likely to lose customers than keep them. It's an interesting problem to have this day in age but it makes sense given the digital age that we live in. With smartphones and tablets in what seems like everyone's hands, customers want instant gratification and it's the company's responsibility to be receptive and provide that to it's consumers. Clearly companies such as Amazon, QVC and Apple understand that, and they are focusing on providing the best possible experience to it's customers, and for that, as customer service advocates, we are grateful. Check out the rest of the top ten and let us know what you think of the list on our Twitter page. ]]>