🚀 go-pugleaf

ironmike@cegt201.bradley.edu (Michael Leiter) wrote:

>Now maybe I'm dreaming, but don't you think customer service reps
>are taught that when someone in business (incl. consultants for
>business customers) calls that they are to sit up and pay attention
>and go the extra mile, compared to home customers?

>I'm not saying they specifically discriminate against home users,
>but business users have bigger budgets, more need of upgrades,
>and generally buy more machines.  If Micron truly has 3 days
>worth of customers to call back, who's numbers are going to float
>to the top of the pile?  I also noticed you haven't worked 
>specifically with Micron for 15 years, but with a variety of
>vendors...

.......

Mike,

In my humble opinion, the variable isn't whether one is a business 
person or not.  It's a matter of interpersonal skills.  There are 
plenty of business people who score low on that count also.

Some tech reps can fail on interpersonal skills also, or may not have
as much experience as others in some areas.  (All of us have different
degrees of experience.)   In that event, I just seek out another tech
rep, instead of feeling cheated by the company.

I certainly don't deny that some people have problems with their 
computers.

However, there are times when it just sounds to me  like someone is
more interested in the thrill and attention of a public fight than
getting their computer fixed.  I've seen that in every manufacturer's 
newsgroup and Compuserve forum.

When somebody addresses a flaming complaint to any manufacturer's
forum or newsgroup, it is by definition one-sided.  We really don't
know the history of what went on.  

The one thing I do know for sure is about my own experience with
various manufacturers.  I don't have a problem getting things fixed.

My two secrets:
--------------------
1. I talk to tech reps and customer service as I would want to be
talked to.

2. I clearly and unemotionally define the problem for them.

Alan

Alan Z. Scharf
GrapeVine Systems
New York City