Thursday, August 24, 2006
Getting what you want
"I'm not hanging up until this is fixed!"
I get the sentiment behind that statement. Really, I do. You have a problem, the problem is frustrating, and you really want it to be fixed.
The only problem is with the way you're telling me. You sound confrontational, like the problem is personally attributable to me. That's not good. And you're also making it sound like you're going to be a difficult and uncompromising person to deal with. That's also not good.
The specific reality of the tech call is that you're at the mercy of the technician. Most support agents will do their best to help you, and will look for the best solution: something that gets you off the phone quickly and solves the problem completely, which ensures that you won't have to call back. That almost sounds harsh, except that it's what the caller wants.
But if you make a declaration like "I'm not hanging up until this is fixed", you end up sounding unreasonable right away, and you make me not want to do my best. It's counterproductive. Instead, I want to find the fastest, most broad way to fix your problem, which may or may not be excessive. Here's an analogy: for most people, I'd kill the spider with spray or just squish it with a paper towl. But because you're being belligerent, I'm going to go find a bulldozer and knock over your house. Spider problem solved!
I get the sentiment behind that statement. Really, I do. You have a problem, the problem is frustrating, and you really want it to be fixed.
The only problem is with the way you're telling me. You sound confrontational, like the problem is personally attributable to me. That's not good. And you're also making it sound like you're going to be a difficult and uncompromising person to deal with. That's also not good.
The specific reality of the tech call is that you're at the mercy of the technician. Most support agents will do their best to help you, and will look for the best solution: something that gets you off the phone quickly and solves the problem completely, which ensures that you won't have to call back. That almost sounds harsh, except that it's what the caller wants.
But if you make a declaration like "I'm not hanging up until this is fixed", you end up sounding unreasonable right away, and you make me not want to do my best. It's counterproductive. Instead, I want to find the fastest, most broad way to fix your problem, which may or may not be excessive. Here's an analogy: for most people, I'd kill the spider with spray or just squish it with a paper towl. But because you're being belligerent, I'm going to go find a bulldozer and knock over your house. Spider problem solved!
# posted by Terry @ 1:13 PM 
