Also, hate to tell you this but gray text on black background? It’s very hard to read for my horrible eyes!

with regard to your thoughts on customer service, i completely sympathize with where you’re coming from and the recent frustrations you may have experienced with a service provider.

it’s not uncommon that occasionally (or maybe more often than the odd occasion?) you’d end up talking to rep who’s not helpful AND equally rude. it happens. and it’s likely going to happen more often now than before.

why? well i hate to point the finger at the economy again as if it’s a predictable scapegoat, but i do feel that overall, everyone’s morale is at an all-time low: unemployment on the rise, unpredictability in the market, and those who actually *have* jobs (likec customer service reps) are taking more work than they can humanly handle. so no surprise that *occasionally* they don’t come off as the happiest of campers.

but you do also raise a good point about manners. i mean come on: CUSTOMER SERVICE. yes. you signed up for it, so suck it up: now that’s a tad oversimplified but at the end of the day IT IS thier job to provide service to the customer—no matter what.

my question is whether or not these folks are actually getting (a) the proper training to deal with customers and (b) they are getting the right amount of positive reinforcement from their team/manager. it makes a world of difference when you’re part of a supportive team. you know that. i know that..but do these people even get the benefit? i wonder..

yes, the customer is always right about one thing: expecting to get good service. are they always right about WHY reps fail to deliver? maybe. the answer may not be as simple.

so there, my 2 cents..a bit lengthy for 2 cents worth, but hey, you’re a valued member of my twitter tribe. now THAT’s good client relations autom