When you contact customer service to express a complaint you should think about how to word what your complaint is. Learn to be clear and detailed when explaining your situation without emotional outbursts.

An example might be that you received your order you placed online and when it arrived it was damaged. You get upset and grab the phone while desperately looking up the customer service number online.

You rush to dial the number, get someone on the line, and immediately they begin asking questions you aren't prepared to answer. All you want to do is rant about your broken product while the person who answered your call still has no idea what you ordered, who you are, or how they should proceed to help you.

Soon you are angry and lashing out at someone who has no idea what you are mad about. And the communication level is so low neither of you can focus. You will most likely spend too much time on the call and resolve very little or nothing at all.

Tips:

Be prepared by getting out a pen and paper before you call. Jot down your questions/issues using the following guidelines. (This helps you avoid that "oh, hang on I need a pen". And for the best results don't call while driving or on your ten minute break unless you can really concentrate.)

1) Review your invoice/packing slip and highlight the important information they may need from you such as product order number or item id number.

2) Know when and how you ordered your item. Please don't assume they know automatically what you ordered. It can be very frustrating when someone asks and you reply with something like "On your website you moron". First of all you probably just offended the one person that can help you resolve things and what's worse is they might be customer service for 50 websites.

3) Think before you act. Yes I know how hard it is to take a deep breath and think a little before responding. Overall this will help you get the results you want.

4) Know what you want them to do to fix the issue. Do you still need the product? Would you be happier with your money back?

5) Review your order details carefully. Do you know if this came with the option to return and what the procedures are? Did you insure the item personally or does the company provide insurance?

6) Evaluate the packaging. Does the packing appear to be good? Could this have been a shipper's error or does it appear to have been broken prior to shipping?

Additional tips:

1) Try to keep a log or detailed list of products and/or services you have ordered. (I try to keep a sort of log in excel for shipments because I am a seller online and a buyer.) This way I know what is coming and from whom and who to contact with issues. This is completely optional of course but if you are ordering a lot of items and especially if you are ordering a lot from the same company. You may want to track who handles your orders and who to call first.

2) Never be afraid to ask a question on your mind. Even a small one is worth asking and if you are uncertain at all it could be the difference in you leaving the table happy or leaving disappointed.

While these are just suggestions to prevent arguing and misguided conversations they are very important tools to resolve your issue. You can add to your checklist anytime you deal with customer service and notice a question they might ask in certain situations. If you think of a question after you hang up call back immediately and ask for the same person you spoke to if possible.

Learn more about this author, Starr Sheets.
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