Secret Ways to Connect With a Real Person in Customer Service
In a world that seems increasingly to tear us apart, we all share at least one universal experience: the frustration of talking to a real person on the phone in a customer service call center. Whether we want to complain, fix a problem, or just get information, interacting with a call center can be maddening. Companies are increasingly hiding their customer service reps behind phone menus and AI-powered tools, and even if you make contact, the experience is often less than perfect.
While different companies operate their call centers differently (and host them in different countries), there are some universal truths to keep in mind – and use them to your advantage if you know a few secret ways to navigate them. These tips do not guarantee you success in your quest for a refund, return, or simply an explanation as to why you were sent a BTS-branded body pillow instead of the winter coat you ordered. But they will increase your chances of getting out of the call with something that will showcase your efforts.
Good general advice: stay calm and always be polite. Call center employees are people who do hard work, so remind yourself that your grievances are not with them, but with their corporate overlords.
GetHuman
Your chances of successful customer service increase dramatically when there is a person on the line. Hitting the phone’s hard menu is pretty common these days, and it’s frustrating: the automatic options are often not flexible enough to suit your specific needs, and they seem to be designed to prevent all but the most die-hard souls from actually contacting a rep. support services. (CSR).
And that’s because they are . It costs money every time you contact a CSR, which is why companies try to keep you as far away from them as possible. So, instead of fiddling with their phone menu and hearing “sorry, I didn’t get that” fifteen times until you set fire to your phone in desperation, try a service like GetHuman . Type in the name of the company you’re trying to contact and see if there’s a direct phone number you can call to reach the person, or if they offer a set of simple instructions on how to get out of the phone menu. If a person calls you, ask for a direct number to call back if you need to resolve your issue again.
Trick with the warden
This is an old but useful thing, and it really works. If your CSR is not working or you are not getting the results you want, ask to speak to a supervisor. A slightly more polite and less aggressive way to do this is to ask to speak to “someone who can solve my problem” or something similar. In almost all situations, your CSR is required to transfer you upon request, and supervisors are often empowered to do things that a regular CSR cannot.
Press zero or don’t say anything
If you can’t get information on how to connect to a person, try pressing zero on your phone keypad. Many (though not all) call center phone menus will automatically take you to CSR if you press zero.
If that doesn’t work, be patient and just do nothing. Most phone menus will expire if you don’t respond to their prompts, and will default to human. It may take a minute or two, but it often works.
Call after business hours
As you can imagine, call centers, like any other business, experience the most stress, and they tend to coincide with people’s waking hours. If the company you’re trying to contact offers 24/7 customer service, try calling very early in the morning or very late in the evening. Most sane, well-adjusted people will be sleeping or enjoying life, so your chances of ending the call quickly (and your chances of the CSR having extra time for you) will be better.
Exhaust script
It is important to understand that every CSR you communicate with is scripted. Companies develop complex algorithms for dealing with customer complaints. These scenarios are designed to reduce the duration of calls and prevent results that the company considers undesirable (for example, refunds).
But like all scenarios, they are limited. A few simple tricks will help you free yourself from the script so that you can actually do something. A few things to try:
- Repeat your requirements. CSR scripts usually have a limit on how often CSR can fail you, but they don’t tell you that. More often than not, if you run the same script loop three times, the CSR is obligated to transfer you or authorized to reveal another option that they haven’t shared yet. So if CSR tells you they can’t refund your money, don’t take it – ask again. And then again.
- Hold on. CSR is always on the lookout. Every interaction costs the company money, and their performance often depends on how quickly they can resolve customer issues. The longer you refuse to end the interaction, the closer you are to being transferred to someone who can actually do what you want, or inspire the CSR to use some of its power to just turn you off.
- Go through the scenario. When trying to cancel an account or get a refund, CSR scenarios are rife with alternatives, upsells, and misdirections. (Have you ever tried to cut cable TV and somehow got three months of free HBO instead? That’s the power of the script.) discounts, new services or whatever, you want one very specific thing. This can shorten the script and get you where you want to go much faster.
call back immediately
If your CSR refuses to see things your way, don’t get mad – change the venue. End the conversation politely and call back immediately. You will almost certainly get a different CSR and the experience can often be dizzyingly different. This is because your call may be redirected to a completely different call center, or it may be taken over by a CSR with more experience and more authority.
Show them money
If you’re having trouble getting a person on the line, no matter what you’re trying to do, there’s one last trick: select the menu item that includes spending money. Upgrade your account, make a purchase, take out additional insurance – no matter which option leads to an increase in your bill, you will almost certainly get a call from an impatient person. This may not be the right person to talk to, but you are now on the phone menu and they can move you to a more appropriate department.
Customer service often feels like a battle of wills. But it’s also a battle of wits, and these secrets will give you extra ammo.