Count to 10 before posting service complaints

Dear Readers: Every year during this time I step away from my column to work on other creative projects. I hope you enjoy these “Best Of ” Q&As from 10 years ago. Today’s topic is: customer service.

Dear Amy: This week, I was fired from a customerservice job. I had only been at the job for three weeks. The incident leading to my firing happened when I was caught off guard by a very young customer who was angry about an answer I gave her. I tried to steer her to my manager. The girl refused to see the manager and tweeted about my company and me that night. The next day, I called my supervisor to alert her about the angry customer. I was shocked to hear our headquarters caught wind of the tweet, which stated that I was unkind to this customer. I am a compassionate person. Tell your readers to count to 10 when they are angry, even if they are “right” in a commercial situation.

— Fired

Dear Fired: Twitter and Facebook have made it very easy for consumers to broadcast their praise about products and services. These same tools are being used by consumers to complain about services and single out specific employees. I admit to having done this myself.

Recently, after a very frustrating encounter with an airline employee during a delayed flight, I took to Twitter with a nonspecific, snarky complaint.

Within minutes, I heard back from the corporate office of the airline, asking for the name of the employee I was complaining about. I declined to provide it (and the lesson to me is that I’ll never do that again).

Sometimes a complaint is a vent and not grounds for punishment or dismissal.

I agree with your admonition to count to 10 before pressing “send.” I also urge companies not to overreact to unverified tweets or postings, especially when these complaints could be used to improve service through training.

Dear Amy: I’m responding to the letter from “Fired,” the customer service worker who was fired after an angry customer took to Twitter with complaints.

I am a customer service manager, and I have noticed in recent years that angry customers have become increasingly more confrontational.

While registering complaints through social networks can make organizations better at serving customers, it also can lead to abuse of customer service personnel. Bad customer service shouldn’t be tolerated, but more often I am seeing customers who come in looking for a fight, wanting to post that scathing review, wanting retribution for an unknown transgression.

It’s not uncommon for customers to scream at us, insult us and threaten to have us fired.

My co-workers and I have had customers take our pictures, and some post those photos with hateful commentary — and even our names — on Facebook and Twitter pages.

One customer videoed a conversation with a customer service representative and posted it on YouTube with the representative’s name, referred to her as “a stupid pig,” and encouraged further confrontation from strangers. Many times, we’ve found online reviews of our organization that include unfounded claims of racism and theft, reviews that are sexually explicit and overtly racist. — Management

Dear Management: Just as networking through social media makes for many wonderful stories of positive connections, the ability to surreptitiously record encounters and post thoughtless or unfounded complaints can lead to abuse. People with complaints should think before they Tweet, and management should confirm the veracity of complaints before making any sudden moves.

Dear Amy: It is important for people to understand that servers and store salespeople are fired for customer complaints.

I only complain if the service is seriously lacking. If the service is good, I find the manager and sing their praises.

— Equal Opportunity Praiser

Dear Praiser: I agree that we should all put as much energy into our praise, as we do into crafting our outraged and clever complaints.