Phone Support Leads To Rapport

(We have a website people use to generate leads for their business. Recently, a competitor has come into the market, undercutting us severely on price, but they provide no tech support and have a confusing interface. A long-time client of ours who has left us for the competitor calls in. I’m listening in as a manager on the call.)

Customer: “Hi there. I have some questions.”

Coworker: “I’m sorry. I thought you’d switched to [Competitor]. I’m glad you’ve come back to us!”

Customer: “Oh, no. We still have [Competitor]’s service. I was hoping you could help me with it. It’s confusing!”

Coworker: “Are you asking me to help you figure out how to use our competitor’s product?”

Customer: “Yes! I’m so lost, and you guys have always been so helpful!”

Coworker: “I’m sorry, but I can’t support our competitor’s product. You’ll have to call them.”

Customer: “Well they don’t have tech support. No one ever answers there! I don’t understand the product! You have to help me!”

Coworker: “I’m sorry; I don’t have access to their products. I wouldn’t be able to answer your questions.”

Customer: “Well what the h*** am I paying for then?”

Coworker: “You’re not paying us anything, ma’am. You switched to [Competitor].”

Customer: “This is ridiculous! What kind of service is this?”

Coworker: “Better service than you get at [Competitor], I guess, since they don’t pick up the phone.”

Customer: “Er, I, er… d*** it!” *hangs up*

Me: “I should be annoyed that you sassed her, but that was awesome.”

(They came back to us two months later!)