No matter what product or service I buy from a company, I am often very quick to judge the level of service I receive. Whether I’m dining out, buying a pair of shoes or working with an agent at company X to resolve a problem, I make a snap judgment about the service. How long did I have to wait before I was acknowledged? Did they ask if I needed anything else? What was their personality like - did they seem like they got up on the right side of the bed, or did they have the demeanor of a somewhat shaggy dog who hasn’t eaten for more than 2 days?

It’s a fact that when we feel service is lacking at a particular company that we will tell anywhere from 9-15 people about it. Some of us will tell 20 or more. And anyone else who will listen. Most people won’t complain about the service or the product; they just won’t buy from you in the future. It can cost you up to 9 times as much to attract a new customer as it does to keep a current one.

So, with all this in mind, is there anything YOU can be doing to get more out of customer service?

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to NOT use customer service. Often times, I hear complaints that could have easily been solved if a request had been submitted to the help desk. For you to really get the most out of what you have paid for, it’s imperative that you have an excellent working relationship with technical support. To be cliche, there is no such thing as a dumb question. Ask questions - and ask often. If you don’t feel like you’re getting the answers you want and/or in the expected time frame, escalate your request through the proper channels.

Second, prepare in advance! All of the information you can gather on a particular problem gives our tech team the tools they need to diagnose the problem. Planning ahead is also greatly appreciated. Do you have a big project planned like moving your database from one server to another? What about working over the weekend to complete a project? Are you planning on doing something you *might* need tech support with on or around a major holiday? Communicate your plans well in advance and then you won’t be disappointed.

Be upfront with your expectations. Be realistic. If you have a report that you MUST have written by the end of the month, make sure you actually do the legwork on your end so the report author knows what you need. Don’t wait until the end of the month to send a frantic email and expect a miracle - some things take time. Prioritize your projects and then plan sufficient time to get them finished, with the realization that even though it may take extra time and effort now, it will pay off in the long run.

Last, communicate your experience with us. We do want your feedback. What can we do better? Do you have a suggestion you’d like to share? Perhaps there is something you do internally to provide good customer service to YOUR customers - I’d love to hear about it.