WEBVTT - Getting Great Customer Service #071 0:00:00.080 --> 0:00:02.720 Welcome to How to Money. I'm Joel and I'm Matt, 0:00:02.880 --> 0:00:25.079 and today we're discussing getting great customer service. That's right, Joel. 0:00:25.079 --> 0:00:28.560 We're talking about customer service today. And oftentimes folks think 0:00:28.840 --> 0:00:31.560 about customer service when it comes to getting something fixed, 0:00:31.640 --> 0:00:34.280 like when something has gone wrong. But yeah, we're gonna 0:00:34.320 --> 0:00:35.959 touch a little bit on what it means to get 0:00:35.960 --> 0:00:38.880 customer service even before things have gone wrong, even before 0:00:38.920 --> 0:00:42.040 something's broken or you've been offended. Yeah, but then what 0:00:42.120 --> 0:00:45.200 if you enter a worst case scenario customer service wise, 0:00:45.240 --> 0:00:46.840 We're going to kind of go into how you handle 0:00:46.920 --> 0:00:49.040 that as well. And customer service. Matt just kind of 0:00:49.040 --> 0:00:52.120 fascinates me. You're a total nerd. I am like I 0:00:52.159 --> 0:00:55.120 could geek out on customer service stories or just how 0:00:55.240 --> 0:00:58.520 companies that handle customer service particularly well, like a company 0:00:58.560 --> 0:01:01.280 like Zappos just known for customer or service. I think 0:01:01.280 --> 0:01:03.560 that's so cool. So I'm really interested to dive into 0:01:03.600 --> 0:01:06.040 this today. And Joel, on our recent episode that we 0:01:06.120 --> 0:01:08.319 did on Before You Buy a House, we had talked 0:01:08.360 --> 0:01:10.240 about doing the wave test when you when you drive 0:01:10.240 --> 0:01:12.840 around looking at properties to uh, it was something you 0:01:12.880 --> 0:01:14.480 came up with, right that. Yeah, I've never heard of 0:01:14.480 --> 0:01:17.040 it before, and this was a Matt original. Yeah, can 0:01:17.120 --> 0:01:18.640 I have always done that. We always just wave at 0:01:18.640 --> 0:01:21.240 people and kind of gauge how friendly folks are. But 0:01:21.640 --> 0:01:24.560 some folks wrote in from the Pacific Northwest, or our 0:01:24.600 --> 0:01:27.000 friend Katie up there in Portland, and then a couple 0:01:27.040 --> 0:01:28.800 of other folks as well up in the Northeast, like 0:01:28.920 --> 0:01:30.480 I think it was in New York and in Jersey. 0:01:30.760 --> 0:01:32.679 We're saying, man, if you were to wave at somebody 0:01:32.720 --> 0:01:35.280 that you didn't know, you would just get stairs at best, 0:01:35.440 --> 0:01:39.000 you know. So maybe that's our Southern biased shining through. 0:01:39.200 --> 0:01:41.479 I don't know, but even still, I think that folks 0:01:41.520 --> 0:01:43.640 should try to be a little more friendly. And if 0:01:43.680 --> 0:01:45.840 that's not something that you're used to seeing, give it 0:01:45.880 --> 0:01:47.840 a shot because you might be in a neighborhood that 0:01:47.880 --> 0:01:49.840 is extra friendly. And who doesn't want to live in 0:01:49.880 --> 0:01:51.920 a friendly neighborhood where everyone's happy to see you? I 0:01:51.960 --> 0:01:53.440 know I do, totally, Matt. I mean I want to 0:01:53.440 --> 0:01:55.040 live in a friendly neighborhood. I feel like we live 0:01:55.080 --> 0:01:58.160 in a friendly neighborhood. Some of our neighbors have reference 0:01:58.200 --> 0:02:00.560 to where we live as kind of like Mayberry, Like 0:02:01.040 --> 0:02:02.520 that's kind of true. And that's kind of what that's 0:02:02.520 --> 0:02:05.320 what I love about living here. There are always neighbors 0:02:05.320 --> 0:02:07.640 walking down the sidewalks, interacting with one another. People just 0:02:07.720 --> 0:02:09.240 kind of know each other and look out for each other, 0:02:09.280 --> 0:02:11.160 hanging out the front yards. Now that's getting warmer. But 0:02:11.160 --> 0:02:13.120 what it takes is being intentional. You have to foster 0:02:13.160 --> 0:02:15.080 that as an individual, and even though it might go 0:02:15.120 --> 0:02:17.440 against the grain a little bit, maybe worth where you live. 0:02:17.960 --> 0:02:20.000 You can be that weirdo, like you can be that 0:02:20.040 --> 0:02:22.280 friendly versa. You have to be the wave in this world? 0:02:22.400 --> 0:02:24.240 Do you want the waves to wave back? Right? But 0:02:24.320 --> 0:02:26.160 I think there is a good point that maybe that 0:02:26.280 --> 0:02:28.360 is also kind of a distinctly Southern thing. We're a 0:02:28.360 --> 0:02:31.480 little overtly friendly down here. And actually we had a listener, 0:02:31.520 --> 0:02:33.959 Darren who wrote in and he said, maybe instead of 0:02:34.000 --> 0:02:36.520 the wave test, consider asking a mail carrier. And I 0:02:36.520 --> 0:02:39.080 thought that was just the perfect suggestion. I didn't see that. 0:02:39.080 --> 0:02:40.920 What did you say, asking a mail carrier what they 0:02:40.919 --> 0:02:43.760 think of the area? Yeah? Exactly, Like so asking about, hey, 0:02:43.760 --> 0:02:46.160 what happens on this street? They're like literally boots on 0:02:46.200 --> 0:02:48.239 the ground right, eyes on the street, and so they're 0:02:48.280 --> 0:02:51.280 a perfect person to ask suggestions about what the neighborhood 0:02:51.280 --> 0:02:53.680 actually looks like day to day, and that specific street, 0:02:53.680 --> 0:02:56.000 that specific house, what sort of activity are you seeing? 0:02:56.280 --> 0:02:58.200 And so I think, Yeah, Darren's point is well taken. 0:02:58.280 --> 0:03:00.239 If you are looking to buy a home, hanging out 0:03:00.320 --> 0:03:02.320 and waiting for the mail to come by is not 0:03:02.400 --> 0:03:05.200 a terrible idea. You might get some great suggestions and 0:03:05.240 --> 0:03:07.880 some really great thoughts from a mail carrier before you 0:03:07.919 --> 0:03:09.799 go all in and buy a home. Yeah, I like it, 0:03:09.960 --> 0:03:11.560 And Jeel, I'm gonna go ahead and introduce this beer. 0:03:11.600 --> 0:03:14.360 I just sniffed the bottle yet again because this is 0:03:14.400 --> 0:03:17.200 one of the most delicious, fruity smelling beers I have 0:03:17.280 --> 0:03:20.440 ever sniffed in my entire life. We have a beer, 0:03:20.639 --> 0:03:23.200 our second beer now from our listener Jared out in Texas, 0:03:23.520 --> 0:03:25.959 and this is an at real rubiside from Jester King, 0:03:26.080 --> 0:03:29.240 which they make some amazing beers out in Texas. I've 0:03:29.400 --> 0:03:31.320 never had at the Jester King, so I am very 0:03:31.320 --> 0:03:33.360 excited about this one. Yeah. I think I've only had 0:03:33.400 --> 0:03:35.760 one beer from Jester King before in my life, and 0:03:35.760 --> 0:03:38.520 their reputation totally percedes them. They've got this amazing kind 0:03:38.520 --> 0:03:41.440 of farmhouse style brewery down there in Austin. Uh, And 0:03:41.480 --> 0:03:44.160 it's definitely one of those that I wanna visit for 0:03:44.280 --> 0:03:47.360 sure in my life, and atro Rubiside in particular. This 0:03:47.440 --> 0:03:49.800 beer is probably on like my top five beers I 0:03:49.840 --> 0:03:53.040 want to drink before I die list. So I'm so 0:03:53.160 --> 0:03:55.320 excited to drink this beer today. I told him you 0:03:55.360 --> 0:03:58.640 were pumped. He gave a thumbs up or something. Yeah. 0:03:58.680 --> 0:04:01.360 So thank you, Jared, seriously so much for donating this beer. 0:04:01.600 --> 0:04:04.360 I can't tell you how happy it makes me. Yeah, Austin, 0:04:04.400 --> 0:04:06.440 they didn't They just have a south By Southwest or something. 0:04:06.440 --> 0:04:07.960 I don't know. I've never been, but want to check 0:04:07.960 --> 0:04:09.840 it out. Yeah. Here, it's a great town. By the way, 0:04:09.880 --> 0:04:11.720 I just had my first sip. Can't wait to tell 0:04:11.760 --> 0:04:13.600 everyone what we think about this beer at the end 0:04:13.640 --> 0:04:16.559 of the show. Quick hot take though, tastes like raspberry jam, 0:04:16.720 --> 0:04:19.880 you know, beautiful way Okay, Joe, Let's let's get nerdy. 0:04:19.960 --> 0:04:22.400 Let's talk about some customer service. Let's do it. Okay. 0:04:22.440 --> 0:04:24.039 So part of the reason that we felt like we 0:04:24.080 --> 0:04:27.120 needed to tackle this topic on the show was so 0:04:27.160 --> 0:04:29.640 many people take what companies give them they failed to 0:04:29.680 --> 0:04:33.400 advocate for themselves. This can often result in you paying 0:04:33.400 --> 0:04:36.800 more than you need to unnecessary fees. And let's just 0:04:36.839 --> 0:04:38.800 state this up front. Not every company is going to 0:04:38.880 --> 0:04:41.960 deliver great customer service, and doing business with well reviewed 0:04:42.000 --> 0:04:44.640 companies is gonna nip a lot of customer service issues 0:04:44.680 --> 0:04:46.800 in the bud. But at times also you're gonna have 0:04:46.880 --> 0:04:50.760 to do business with companies based on other factors. Potentially 0:04:50.760 --> 0:04:52.600 they're the only one close by where you can get 0:04:52.600 --> 0:04:54.480 the item you need. There are all sorts of reasons 0:04:54.520 --> 0:04:56.040 you might have to do business with a company that 0:04:56.160 --> 0:04:59.320 isn't well known for customer service. And because so many 0:04:59.360 --> 0:05:00.960 times in our lives we have to do business with 0:05:01.040 --> 0:05:04.279 companies that might not necessarily be well known for customer service, 0:05:04.440 --> 0:05:07.040 it's really helpful to know how to advocate for yourself 0:05:07.080 --> 0:05:09.680 and how to get good customer service in light of that. 0:05:09.960 --> 0:05:11.800 So this podcast, we're going to cover a lot of 0:05:11.839 --> 0:05:15.240 tips for how to get good customer service and specific 0:05:15.279 --> 0:05:17.440 avenues that you need to take in order to make 0:05:17.480 --> 0:05:20.040 that happen. Yeah, Joe, it's worth mentioning that not all 0:05:20.080 --> 0:05:23.920 businesses need to have really great customer service all the time, right, 0:05:23.960 --> 0:05:25.719 Like I think of Zenny and we talk about them 0:05:25.760 --> 0:05:27.880 all the time, but I wouldn't really expect them to 0:05:27.920 --> 0:05:30.720 have great customer service because they just sell cheap eyeglasses. 0:05:30.839 --> 0:05:33.360 They're the cheapest out there. You can't win it everything, right, 0:05:33.440 --> 0:05:35.000 Like they're gonna win the game when it comes to 0:05:35.040 --> 0:05:37.760 getting really really affordable glasses. Yeah, it's kind of like 0:05:37.800 --> 0:05:39.440 when if you've been in a mechanic shop and they've 0:05:39.480 --> 0:05:40.880 got the sign that says you can get it two 0:05:40.880 --> 0:05:43.680 out of three ways, good, fast and cheap, right and Zenny, 0:05:44.080 --> 0:05:46.840 it's hitting two of those right. It's pretty definitely cheap, 0:05:47.520 --> 0:05:49.479 and you know they're solid eyeglasses, but you're not getting 0:05:49.480 --> 0:05:51.919 great customer service at the same time, right, Exactly. The 0:05:52.000 --> 0:05:54.440 more expensive a product is, or if there's a service 0:05:54.480 --> 0:05:57.640 that's more personal, certainly that would require a higher level 0:05:57.680 --> 0:06:00.560 of customer service. Like I think about realtors. You're spending 0:06:00.600 --> 0:06:03.080 close to maybe two months of your life if not more, 0:06:03.200 --> 0:06:05.880 with them, talking to them on the phone, texting, meeting 0:06:05.920 --> 0:06:07.680 with them in person while you're looking at properties, like 0:06:07.680 --> 0:06:09.280 you really get to know them, and so you want 0:06:09.279 --> 0:06:12.000 to make sure instances like that that that you do 0:06:12.080 --> 0:06:14.120 have a high level of customer service. I think of 0:06:14.400 --> 0:06:17.400 wedding photography like that's something that I do weddings in general, 0:06:17.720 --> 0:06:21.240 very high levels of customer service are expected, and so 0:06:21.279 --> 0:06:23.600 I think that's certainly worth noting because there's going to 0:06:23.680 --> 0:06:26.880 be companies out there that don't provide good customer service. 0:06:27.360 --> 0:06:28.880 You just want to make sure that they've got other 0:06:29.240 --> 0:06:31.719 great things going for them in that vein, Matt, let's 0:06:31.760 --> 0:06:34.560 kind of give a loose definition of customer service. It's 0:06:34.560 --> 0:06:36.640 going to depend on the company, right, What getting good 0:06:36.640 --> 0:06:39.800 customer service from that company means. You mentioned Zenny optical 0:06:39.960 --> 0:06:42.800 getting your product quickly and not being broken. It's like 0:06:42.839 --> 0:06:46.320 the only requirement rights, that's really the only requirement from Zenny. 0:06:46.520 --> 0:06:49.000 You're not going to have this amazing personal interaction with 0:06:49.080 --> 0:06:51.200 somebody from Zenny. That's just not how they do it. 0:06:51.480 --> 0:06:53.120 If you go with the company like Warwie Parker to 0:06:53.120 --> 0:06:55.560 get your eyeglasses, you can expect a higher level of 0:06:55.600 --> 0:06:58.320 customer service. You should also just expect to pay more 0:06:58.400 --> 0:07:00.279 at the same time, Right, Yeah, it's a fine balance 0:07:00.279 --> 0:07:01.839 because often times we talk about trying to get the 0:07:01.839 --> 0:07:04.080 best deal and try not to be cheap. You know, 0:07:04.080 --> 0:07:06.200 we're trying to be frugal, but a lot of times 0:07:06.200 --> 0:07:08.520 with that price tag comes a level of customer service. 0:07:08.880 --> 0:07:11.040 That they're trade offs, and so you know that sure 0:07:11.080 --> 0:07:13.640 within this example we're talking about any, buts Any, there's 0:07:13.640 --> 0:07:15.320 not gonna be someone standing there showing you the different 0:07:15.320 --> 0:07:17.480 frames and kind of fitting it to your face. However, 0:07:17.760 --> 0:07:20.880 they're gonna be significantly cheaper than they are with Warby Parker. Yeah, 0:07:20.880 --> 0:07:24.200 so I feel like my reaction from not getting the 0:07:24.280 --> 0:07:28.120 product as desired from Zenny and from Warby Parker, I 0:07:28.120 --> 0:07:30.480 would have two different reactions, honestly, you know, I would 0:07:30.480 --> 0:07:33.000 try to get the situation rectified in both cases. But 0:07:33.120 --> 0:07:34.520 my way of going about it might just be a 0:07:34.560 --> 0:07:37.200 little bit different based on their reputation, based on their 0:07:37.200 --> 0:07:40.640 price point, and based on how they interact with customers today. 0:07:40.720 --> 0:07:43.080 But ultimately, you want someone to treat you with respect 0:07:43.080 --> 0:07:45.280 and kindness. You want help when you have an issue, 0:07:45.440 --> 0:07:47.360 and you want that company to to make it easy 0:07:47.440 --> 0:07:48.920 on you too, so that you don't have to jump 0:07:48.960 --> 0:07:52.280 through a million hoops in order to get your problem solved. 0:07:52.640 --> 0:07:55.200 That's right, you know, And when there is a problem 0:07:55.400 --> 0:07:58.520 a company being able to provide great customer service, that 0:07:58.560 --> 0:08:00.960 comes down to the individual, like the individual that you're 0:08:00.960 --> 0:08:03.240 talking to or that you're meeting with, because honestly, so 0:08:03.320 --> 0:08:06.280 much is up to them as an employee to figure 0:08:06.280 --> 0:08:07.960 out what it is that you need or what it 0:08:08.000 --> 0:08:10.080 is that you're looking for, because in one instance, getting 0:08:10.080 --> 0:08:12.520 great customer service might be getting your money back, getting 0:08:12.520 --> 0:08:14.800 a refund, or if you really love the product, it 0:08:14.880 --> 0:08:17.640 might be getting that replacement because hey, I really like 0:08:17.680 --> 0:08:19.200 the product, I just want to replacement this one was 0:08:19.240 --> 0:08:22.200 ship damaged. In other instances, man, it might be up 0:08:22.240 --> 0:08:24.720 to that person to understand that the customer is just 0:08:24.760 --> 0:08:27.280 looking to vent, like they're just mad about something, and 0:08:27.320 --> 0:08:30.080 there may not be anything hard or tangible that the 0:08:30.120 --> 0:08:33.680 customer service representative might be able to provide. Great customer 0:08:33.720 --> 0:08:37.119 service doesn't always come down to what can be monetarily 0:08:37.160 --> 0:08:39.240 given or what product can be given to a customer. 0:08:39.760 --> 0:08:42.520 Sometimes it can be just listening to the customer. I 0:08:42.600 --> 0:08:45.000 think that's a huge part of it. And in some instances, 0:08:45.040 --> 0:08:47.520 I think it might be the customer looking for answers. 0:08:47.559 --> 0:08:50.480 They might want to learn. They might have some questions 0:08:50.520 --> 0:08:52.360 as to you, like why the product behaves this way, 0:08:52.440 --> 0:08:54.800 or you know, why does this service include this? There 0:08:54.840 --> 0:08:56.880 might be things that weren't explained on the front end, 0:08:57.120 --> 0:08:59.240 which is also customer service, right like the sort of 0:08:59.280 --> 0:09:01.440 the sales proces says, but when there is a problem, 0:09:01.440 --> 0:09:03.960 it might be up to the customer service representative to 0:09:04.120 --> 0:09:06.120 figure out what it is that's wrong and make sure 0:09:06.160 --> 0:09:08.360 that the customer understands and that they are educated on 0:09:08.360 --> 0:09:10.640 the product. Yeah, and so many of us Snowmatt too, 0:09:10.640 --> 0:09:12.960 that the worst part of not getting good customer service 0:09:13.440 --> 0:09:15.400 can be the time that we waste trying to get 0:09:15.440 --> 0:09:18.000 the problem solved, whether it's time spent on hold with 0:09:18.040 --> 0:09:20.880 the cable or internet company with that terrible hold music, 0:09:23.000 --> 0:09:25.520 how does it go something exactly like that. Yeah, you've 0:09:25.559 --> 0:09:29.160 got the Melanie down. Yeah, so there's totally that. I've 0:09:29.200 --> 0:09:32.240 totally heard that before. We've all been there music. Yeah, 0:09:32.320 --> 0:09:34.960 And so it's that's one of the toughest parts of 0:09:34.960 --> 0:09:37.959 a bad customer service is waiting to even talk to somebody, 0:09:38.160 --> 0:09:40.640 and we're going to get into that in this show too. Basically, 0:09:40.679 --> 0:09:43.280 it can be emotionally draining as well as draining on 0:09:43.320 --> 0:09:46.400 your time, potentially draining on your finances at the same time. 0:09:46.640 --> 0:09:49.280 So when we do take steps to have a problem fixed, 0:09:49.640 --> 0:09:51.400 it's helpful if we can find the easiest route to 0:09:51.400 --> 0:09:54.440 take that's going to eliminate some of that emotional and 0:09:54.480 --> 0:09:56.920 time drainage and just kind of the annoyance that comes 0:09:56.920 --> 0:09:58.760 with trying to get good customer service. Yeah, I think 0:09:58.840 --> 0:10:01.360 that's honestly the biggest reason and why I don't advocate 0:10:01.360 --> 0:10:03.200 for myself. Like when there's times when I know that 0:10:03.280 --> 0:10:05.360 something's wrong but I don't do anything about it, it's 0:10:05.360 --> 0:10:07.040 because I just don't have the time for it, or 0:10:07.080 --> 0:10:08.840 I just don't have the patients because I'm thinking, what 0:10:08.880 --> 0:10:11.079 are the chances of this getting fixed? And a lot 0:10:11.080 --> 0:10:12.720 of times you know it's it may not get fixed, 0:10:12.800 --> 0:10:14.240 or you might get a discount code for the next 0:10:14.280 --> 0:10:16.640 time you placed an order with them. There's the thought 0:10:16.679 --> 0:10:18.800 that with larger companies that that may not work out 0:10:18.800 --> 0:10:20.800 in your favor. But yeah, like you said, when when 0:10:20.800 --> 0:10:22.840 you do take the steps, you advocate for yourself and 0:10:22.880 --> 0:10:25.480 to try to have a problem fixed, like you wanted 0:10:25.520 --> 0:10:28.000 to work. If I want to dedicate any part of 0:10:28.040 --> 0:10:30.880 my day towards getting something replaced or getting a discount 0:10:30.920 --> 0:10:33.320 because something showed up scratched, you want to know that 0:10:33.360 --> 0:10:35.320 it's gonna work right, Like you want to know that 0:10:35.320 --> 0:10:37.240 the steps you take are going to be worth your time, 0:10:37.320 --> 0:10:39.720 worth your energy, that it's going to be an efficient 0:10:39.760 --> 0:10:41.640 use of your time and that in the end, yeah, 0:10:41.640 --> 0:10:44.640 you're gonna get results, totally true, Matt. Results are what 0:10:44.679 --> 0:10:46.360 it's all about at the end of the day when 0:10:46.360 --> 0:10:48.160 it comes to getting good customer service. And so let's 0:10:48.200 --> 0:10:51.160 talk about the strategies that you can implement into your 0:10:51.200 --> 0:10:53.360 life in order to get better customer service on the 0:10:53.400 --> 0:11:05.040 regular right after the break, All right, Joel, and now 0:11:05.120 --> 0:11:08.000 the first step to get great customer services make sure 0:11:08.040 --> 0:11:11.800 that you're doing business with great companies whenever possible, right, Yeah, 0:11:11.840 --> 0:11:13.520 all the time. You want to read reviews, you want 0:11:13.520 --> 0:11:15.400 to make sure that you're doing research, and even better, 0:11:15.400 --> 0:11:18.000 hopefully you've heard about that company or that retailer from 0:11:18.040 --> 0:11:20.319 someone else who's used them. Both of those. Uh, those 0:11:20.320 --> 0:11:22.079 are two great steps that you can take when you're 0:11:22.120 --> 0:11:25.360 vetting a company or service. Yeah, there's some companies in particular, 0:11:25.400 --> 0:11:28.920 they just have great reputations for stellar customer service locally 0:11:28.960 --> 0:11:31.960 in your area and then nationally as well. So for instance, Matt, 0:11:31.960 --> 0:11:34.439 we've talked about Aldi before as being a great grocery store, 0:11:34.559 --> 0:11:36.280 not just because they have some of the lowest prices, 0:11:36.320 --> 0:11:39.200 but guess what, Aldi has the sweet double Guarantee, which 0:11:39.240 --> 0:11:41.400 means if you buy an Aldi product and you don't 0:11:41.440 --> 0:11:43.920 like it, you can return it and not only do 0:11:44.040 --> 0:11:45.840 you get your money back, but you also get a 0:11:45.840 --> 0:11:48.719 replacement item. So that's like great customer service right there. Well, 0:11:48.720 --> 0:11:50.520 on top of that, I think they just retitled it 0:11:50.600 --> 0:11:53.640 or they renamed it. I think it's called twice as nice. 0:11:53.679 --> 0:11:56.000 That's nice. Maybe I don't know. That's cute. Yeah, that's cute. 0:11:56.840 --> 0:12:00.400 Aldi just also treats their employees really well. So you're 0:12:00.400 --> 0:12:02.560 bound to get better customer service at and Aldi than 0:12:02.600 --> 0:12:04.959 you are at one of the other major grocery chains. 0:12:05.120 --> 0:12:06.960 That people are just nicer and more helpful, and and 0:12:06.960 --> 0:12:09.160 that's because their company treats them well. There are so 0:12:09.160 --> 0:12:10.800 many other companies, like I can't list them all that 0:12:10.840 --> 0:12:13.720 have great reputations for customer service, but just a couple 0:12:13.720 --> 0:12:16.640 of real quick costco ll being those are companies that 0:12:16.679 --> 0:12:19.720 have great return policies that treat customers well. Have you 0:12:19.720 --> 0:12:21.679 ever made a return man at like an electronic store 0:12:22.040 --> 0:12:24.640 and they're asking for all sorts of identification. They don't 0:12:24.640 --> 0:12:27.160 trust you. It's just a huge pain to do that. 0:12:27.600 --> 0:12:28.960 It makes you not want to go shop there. It 0:12:29.000 --> 0:12:31.360 makes it makes you feel like that company thinks that 0:12:31.440 --> 0:12:35.200 you're a criminal, and that sucks. That's bad customer service. 0:12:35.360 --> 0:12:37.040 So anytime you can do a little bit of research 0:12:37.080 --> 0:12:39.079 about a company before you do business with them and 0:12:39.160 --> 0:12:42.600 kind of know their customer service patterns, obviously not applicable 0:12:42.640 --> 0:12:44.800 in every scenario, but any time that you can, it's 0:12:44.800 --> 0:12:46.640 really helpful. That's part of why I shop at Aldi, 0:12:46.679 --> 0:12:49.720 why shop at Costco. Their reputation for customer service just 0:12:49.880 --> 0:12:53.040 precedes them. Jel And you mentioned like companies treating their 0:12:53.040 --> 0:12:56.240 employees well. Good customer service I think is indicative of 0:12:56.320 --> 0:12:59.360 how an employee feels about the company. Because if you 0:12:59.360 --> 0:13:01.920 have an employee who's excited to help you, or they're 0:13:01.920 --> 0:13:04.079 talking about the product right even like the customer service 0:13:04.120 --> 0:13:06.040 even before the sale, because they just want to help 0:13:06.080 --> 0:13:08.040 you out, Like that's customer service as well, not just 0:13:08.080 --> 0:13:10.520 fixing the problem, but on the front end, just chatting 0:13:10.520 --> 0:13:12.360 you up, like talking about your needs, what is it 0:13:12.360 --> 0:13:14.680 that you're looking for. When you have someone that's really 0:13:14.720 --> 0:13:16.680 pumped to be there, it makes you feel good about 0:13:16.679 --> 0:13:19.560 the company because clearly they do care. And if they 0:13:19.600 --> 0:13:22.120 hated their job, if they hated the company, I think 0:13:22.160 --> 0:13:24.080 the chances are that they would be you know, going 0:13:24.120 --> 0:13:27.240 above and beyond for you, the customer would be slim. Yeah. 0:13:27.240 --> 0:13:30.480 I think anytime a company offers their employees a sense 0:13:30.480 --> 0:13:33.360 of autonomy and a sense of buy into the company, 0:13:33.559 --> 0:13:36.600 I think that person, that individual, that employee is going 0:13:36.640 --> 0:13:38.720 to serve the customer better. So I think when you 0:13:38.760 --> 0:13:41.600 get bad customer service at a place, just know too 0:13:41.640 --> 0:13:44.320 that the that employee is probably disgruntled. They're probably not 0:13:44.320 --> 0:13:47.640 being treated very well by their employer. Because companies that 0:13:47.679 --> 0:13:50.400 do treat their employees well, Matt, you're right, You're exactly right, 0:13:50.679 --> 0:13:52.960 those employees are then going to treat their customers well. 0:13:53.000 --> 0:13:55.400 That's that's how it works. That, Yeah, it trickles down 0:13:55.480 --> 0:13:57.880 right completely. And so the next tip that we're gonna 0:13:57.880 --> 0:13:59.600 cover is just to make sure that you are being 0:13:59.640 --> 0:14:02.679 a good customer. And this means not asking for an 0:14:02.800 --> 0:14:05.360 unreasonable things Like I think about Costco, how they have 0:14:05.840 --> 0:14:09.280 the pretty much unlimited return policy on a lot of items, 0:14:09.440 --> 0:14:11.360 on a lot of items, right, But and so technically, 0:14:11.559 --> 0:14:13.480 like you can buy something from Costco and ten years 0:14:13.559 --> 0:14:15.760 later I didn't like these chips that about ten years ago, 0:14:15.920 --> 0:14:18.520 sorry Costco, but you can return them and according to 0:14:18.559 --> 0:14:20.320 company policy, they have to accept it, they have to 0:14:20.360 --> 0:14:22.840 take it back. But that's just not cool. Certainly, a 0:14:22.880 --> 0:14:25.160 big part of customer service is how they treat you 0:14:25.440 --> 0:14:28.760 in that interaction. And I think the fact is they 0:14:28.800 --> 0:14:30.480 may not treat you as well if they feel like 0:14:30.560 --> 0:14:32.880 that you're taking advantage of the system, if you're doing 0:14:32.960 --> 0:14:35.520 something that they feel is sort of uncouth and just 0:14:35.600 --> 0:14:37.600 not cool. Well, you know what, Like, you're not going 0:14:37.680 --> 0:14:39.600 to get great customer service if you're trying to return 0:14:39.640 --> 0:14:42.320 some tires to Costco after you've been driving on it 0:14:42.360 --> 0:14:45.400 for five years, which you could totally technically do. Just 0:14:45.440 --> 0:14:49.000 don't be that guy, don't be that girl. And I think, actually, Matt, 0:14:49.120 --> 0:14:52.720 that those bad apples, those bad customers. In recent years, 0:14:52.720 --> 0:14:55.480 we've seen companies that have great return policies start to 0:14:55.480 --> 0:14:57.960 make their return policies just a little less consumer friendly. 0:14:58.200 --> 0:15:00.640 And that's because of the people that to return their 0:15:00.680 --> 0:15:03.080 tires after driving on them, or someone who wears the 0:15:03.120 --> 0:15:04.880 shirt for twenty years and returns it to l L 0:15:04.920 --> 0:15:08.120 being because of they're awesome in return policy, and so 0:15:08.200 --> 0:15:09.920 that just kind of ruins it for everyone, and it 0:15:09.960 --> 0:15:12.840 makes companies less likely to offer great customer service. So 0:15:12.920 --> 0:15:15.160 be a good customer. Right be someone who doesn't take 0:15:15.200 --> 0:15:17.680 advantage of the rules, but who uses something like a 0:15:17.760 --> 0:15:20.240 nice return policy from a company in the way that 0:15:20.280 --> 0:15:23.920 it's intended. Don't ask for unreasonable things. That's just crappy. 0:15:24.240 --> 0:15:26.080 We tossed this topic out in our Facebook group as well, 0:15:26.120 --> 0:15:29.520 Right Customer Service, and the overwhelming response that everyone kind 0:15:29.520 --> 0:15:31.120 of pitched in and said that this is what you 0:15:31.160 --> 0:15:33.720 need to do, is to make sure that you're being nice. 0:15:33.760 --> 0:15:36.200 Make sure that you're being a decent human being, because 0:15:36.400 --> 0:15:40.240 humbug like nobody wants to help out a jerk, become 0:15:40.280 --> 0:15:42.680 the type of person that someone actually does want to help. 0:15:42.880 --> 0:15:45.680 The language I saw being used that multiple folks used 0:15:45.760 --> 0:15:48.520 was that when you have a customer who is being 0:15:48.600 --> 0:15:51.360 nice and friendly, that they want to delight and surprise 0:15:51.480 --> 0:15:54.840 and go above and beyond for that customer, because you 0:15:54.880 --> 0:15:56.680 know what, like a lot of times folks do come 0:15:56.720 --> 0:15:59.040 in and they're just not happy, they're complaining and they're 0:15:59.080 --> 0:16:02.160 honestly taking it out unfairly on the customer service representative 0:16:02.240 --> 0:16:04.280 or whoever it happens to be in front of them, 0:16:04.320 --> 0:16:06.680 and if you can just be nice, but do make 0:16:06.720 --> 0:16:09.280 sure you're clearly communicating with them as see what your 0:16:09.280 --> 0:16:12.040 problem is, well, the likelihood of you getting helps and 0:16:12.080 --> 0:16:14.320 even getting something else thrown on that maybe they wouldn't 0:16:14.360 --> 0:16:16.360 have done anyway. If if you're being considerate of them 0:16:16.400 --> 0:16:18.120 in their time as well, well, chances are you're going 0:16:18.160 --> 0:16:20.040 to be way more likely to be helped. Yeah, if 0:16:20.080 --> 0:16:22.320 you walk into a situation where you're hoping to get 0:16:22.320 --> 0:16:25.560 a problem resolved and your reaction is human worker, fix 0:16:25.640 --> 0:16:28.760 my problem, as opposed to making a personal connection with 0:16:28.960 --> 0:16:31.680 a sense of understanding that they're not the person, even 0:16:31.800 --> 0:16:34.280 in all likelihood, who caused the problem to begin with. 0:16:34.480 --> 0:16:36.160 If you ask them even just how how their day 0:16:36.160 --> 0:16:38.640 has been going, or even just reference their first name, 0:16:38.880 --> 0:16:41.760 those little bits of kindness, uh, treating someone like a 0:16:41.840 --> 0:16:44.400 human in the interaction, even if you've been disappointed and 0:16:44.480 --> 0:16:47.200 the company hasn't lived up to your expectations, you received 0:16:47.200 --> 0:16:49.960 an item that was broken, the communication back and forth 0:16:50.040 --> 0:16:51.960 just has been less than stellar. When you do get 0:16:52.000 --> 0:16:54.240 someone on the line, treating them with kindness goes a 0:16:54.280 --> 0:16:57.040 long way in you getting your problem resolved. So being 0:16:57.080 --> 0:16:59.880 a good customer, realizing that people have bad days and 0:17:00.080 --> 0:17:02.320 taking a few deep breaths before you make that phone call, 0:17:02.360 --> 0:17:04.520 even if you've had the most painful experience can be 0:17:04.560 --> 0:17:07.760 really big in actually getting your problem solved versus it 0:17:07.840 --> 0:17:09.679 lingering and steam coming out of your head at the 0:17:09.680 --> 0:17:12.320 same time. Yeah. In our Facebook group, Bryce, he mentioned 0:17:12.400 --> 0:17:14.520 not just being kind, but kind of going over and 0:17:14.560 --> 0:17:17.840 above being kind. You know. He mentioned chatting up customers 0:17:17.920 --> 0:17:20.080 back massages that we're talking about for the customer services, 0:17:20.320 --> 0:17:21.600