I'm Trying to Help You! (I sucked mildly in both)

[Angry_Hippie]

First one:

This guy a year older than me calls. He was trying to book his complimentary room using our website.

For all players all we promise in a comp room is a regular standard room type (even for our highest tier of players who gamble $xxx,xxx a year +). At one of our properties we have a chic upgraded room-type that fits somewhere between a regular room and a suite (they really are pretty cool). This is because rooms are not assigned till check-in (or sometimes very shortly before). Often higher level players will be assigned an upgraded room when they check-in depending on inventory. But, going into it all that was booked was a standard room.

When you book a room on our website while logged into your account, all bookable room types are available for you to select from. Depending on the dates you select some nights might show up complimentary (based on a wide variety of factors).

The dude who called noticed if he picked the basic room (on par with holiday inn and such) it showed up complimentary but if he picked the chic upgraded room (on par with say the W) it charged him a rate. He decided this was a website error and decided to call.

I understand where he is coming from it is confusing. But, I hated his snotty demanding tone from the get out and talking down to me like I'm an idiot. I explained the hows and whys of it and he wasn't having it. I advised him how I could book what shows up complimentary and send a request to the front desk to assign the higher room as long as we have one available. This wasn't good enough for him. He wanted me to 100% promise the higher room type and not being one to lie I wouldn't. I try to feel him out and He starts being even snottier saying how he'd go to a competitor if we don't do this and then he struck a nerve he did the SC "if there is nothing you can do for me I'll just go elsewhere" the tone he used was revolting and made the hair on my neck stand up. For the first time at this job I went from my super nice voice to the sharp snappy one and strongly advised "that is not what I said" this got his attention and I offered to put him on hold and see what I could do. I call a supervisor and we see his play just barely qualifies for a host to be involved and he won a nice chunk of money from us recently. So I feeling bad about his hold time I click back to him and tell him that I'd be glad to call a host with him off the line (avoid putting him on hold) and call him back letting him know what I find out.

He snaps into a snotty tirade about how he is in a different time zone and going to bed as soon as he hangs up the phone (how the hell am I supposed to know his sleep habits?). I offer a callback tomorrow and he tells me how we need to call during business hours only because he doesn't work. I call the host she gives me permission to force the computer to book his upgrade room comp and attach her name to it.

DUDE!, I get it your concern was valid (no it wasn't a web error but I see how it could be misleading), yeah the upgrade rooms are much cuter than the standard (but the standard are not as substandard as you'd want me to believe), yes I've been in both room types (I've been in every room type including all the suites at that property) but thanks for assuming I've never been there, if we just booked the standard and requested the upgrade it's 99% you would have got it but I don't promise things I can't for sure deliver, I wanted to get you what you wanted and I did (btw 99% of the people I work with have no concept of customer service and they wouldn't have "wasted" time calling a supervisor and a host, they would have just told you too bad so sad this is all I can do), oh and it's free.

I feel bad for being snappy, I really do. But this would have been an awesome call and I would have felt even better about the result if it weren't for the snotty tone and being talked down to like I was less of a person and an idiot (fyi I'm not).

The name seemed familiar so I poked it into google for fun. Turns out this guy is a celebrity and highly educated. He was nowhere near as bad as he could have been, but if he just toned it down a little bit and talked to me like I was a person just like him he would have been super cool. I guess the confidence is what helps make him successful though (that's my major flaw in my work and life, I tend to be above average in a lot of things especially customer service, but my extreme lack of confidence keeps me from moving up, when people with the super bravado but below average in other areas excel).

Should I have just wrung my hands offered the standard room with non-promised possibility of upgrade as the only option (and have him go elsewhere) and not have gone the extra mile?

[Sauletekis]

Quoth Angry_Hippie

Should I have just wrung my hands offered the standard room with non-promised possibility of upgrade as the only option (and have him go elsewhere) and not have gone the extra mile?

This is a paradox I come across all the time. Nice, honest, smart customers accept what I have to say at face value, and dicks bitch and moan and complain and raise a stink. Who does management usually insist we go the extra mile for?

The bitch and moaners.

I usually hate myself after those calls, because I can think of ten customers I would rather have treated to the extra mile. Sometimes all the extra effort we put forward is completely wasted on these asshats.

That said, I know how you feel. If it were me, I probably would have pulled jerk back on this guy by following procedure to the letter. I really hate breaking rules for jerks.

[Angry_Hippie]

What bothers me is how even most management doesn't seem to appreciate the extra mile. They just think very short term and are more concerned about things like talk time and number of calls taken. My talk times are high and I spend a lot of time in after call work (blocking incoming calls) giving stellar customer service. I sometimes worry about losing my job over "bad stats".

I have the Disney taint. My first job was at Disney world so I've always been stuck on their spirit of customer service (which I here isn't so special recently).

I have one manager who understands me well because his background come from a property with the Ritz Carlton standard of customer service (but not them).

But, the current favorite stat (it seems management gets focused on one stat as a fad every so often) I'm excelling on (turning calls into actual bookings).

I'm learning how to not give up my values while becoming more efficient. But I'm tired of other agents trying to coach me (hello your my peer so I don't fucking listen to you if I don't like the way you handle calls). The non-cool managers are still pretty cool because they just seem to be giving me lip service on my "bad stats" (they have given me way more warnings with no action over things like talk time than official policy).

I swear what I do is right though. The people you go the extra mile for will be customers for life and make you more $ in the long run, than churning over whatever comes along as fast as possible. Turning upset customers happy is even better as far as making customers want to be loyal and spend money with you is concerned.

I just want to feel more recognized for what I do. I think it's cool I get guests that want to only deal with me from now on (and it's not like I'm giving them stuff their not entitled to or making mistakes in their favor, like other agents who get groupies).

[Andara Bledin]

Quoth Angry_Hippie

Turning upset customers happy is even better as far as making customers want to be loyal and spend money with you is concerned.

That. That right there.

I don't for the life of me understand why companies forget this.

If a company goes the extra mile for me, I'll bring it up every time the conversation turns that way, and I'll pay more (as finances allow) to do business with them.

Why do so many business just want quantity at the expense of quality?

^-.-^

[EricKei]

Quoth Andara Bledin

Why do so many business just want quantity at the expense of quality?

Probably because they can quantify the former as dollars on the bottom line. Most big corporations could not care less about the latter, except in "motivational speeches" and employee handbooks.

[raw456]

There was no suck on your part AH. The fact that this guy is a celebrity is no excuse for treating you like crap.

I also understand where your coming from with the confidence thing. It took me about 5 years to overcome doubting my own abilities. I was fortunate that I had a great Boss/Mentor who helped me. When I deal with a particulary nasty customer I think to myself - When I leave work tonight, I will forget all about you, but you will spend the next few days/weeks thinking about me. It makes me feel alot better.

Oh and if you get a chance, read "Who Moved My Cheese" by Dr Spencer Johnson. You will be amazed at how it changes your outlook to work

If all else fails - you still have us here at CS to offer hugs and cookies

[VComps]

Quoth EricKei

Probably because they can quantify the former as dollars on the bottom line. Most big corporations could not care less about the latter, except in "motivational speeches" and employee handbooks.

This. You can't count quality. Unfortunately.

However, as a manager if I see (or hear about) one of my staff go above & beyond for a customer I write them an award. Yeah, it's not like they get any extra money for it, but at least it's some recognition.