By ERNAN ROMAN

Founder, Ernan Roman Direct Marketing

 

Time and again, national studies show that most consumers are not happy with their customer service experiences. My most recent survey showed that almost two-thirds of customers—63 percent—rated their most recent telephone customer service as negative or neutral. 

 

This research also shows that poor customer service isn’t good for American businesses, either. 83 percent of consumers who had a poor customer experience have negative perceptions of that company. 77 percent are unlike to recommend that company to others. 72 percent are so perturbed they are unlikely to buy from that company again.

 

Considering what we spend for products and services, don’t we have the right to better treatment?

 

I’d like to suggest the following Customer Service Bill of Rights that makes companies accountable for the quality of their customer service—or they credit you for your time and frustration.

 

As a customer I have the right:

 

1 – To have my precious time respected by the company’s customer service department in every situation and to have my issue resolved in a single phone call or email by one representative who speaks clearly, is easy to understand and has access to my customer records.

 

2 – To be treated with courtesy and respect as a customer who paid money to the company with the expectation of customer service that cares about my individual needs.

 

3 – To have adequately trained representatives who know enough to actually solve my problem and who will provide me with a case number I can use for a credit if I do not receive great service, as well as the ability to call back or email the same representative should the need arise.

 

4 – To receive quality customer service—including an easy-to-use menu with a minimum of clutter to quickly reach a representative—OR be compensated for my time and effort.

 

5 – To rapid access to a live person from a company with sufficient staff so I am not kept waiting on-hold for more than 10 minutes, or I will receive a negotiable credit on my next bill. I also have the right to receive a negotiable credit on my next bill from the company if the first customer service rep does not have my records or cannot solve my problem and has to transfer me.

 

6 – To receive a negotiable credit on my next bill from the company if I have to speak with more than 2 customer service representatives trying to resolve my issue. I also have the right to receive a negotiable credit on my next bill from the company if I ask for a supervisor and none is available,

 

7 – To receive a negotiable credit on my next bill from the company if I am billed incorrectly and I have to call or email to fix the problem, or I am given the wrong information to fix my problem by any of their representatives, compelling me to call back or send another email.