My previous post struck a nerve in me and I realized that being a technical support rep, I can offer some inside tips on how to call in to customer service with as little pain as possible.

1.  Have your ducks in a row:  Before you even pick up the phone, be sure to get as much information as possible about your device.  This includes serial numbers, IMEI numbers, model numbers, what you were doing when the problem occurs, what you have tried to correct the problem, information needed to access your account such as a password, etc.

2.  Keep it relevant:  Be brief in your explanations, using yes or no answers when possible.  Avoid over explaining the issue.  “I cannot send picture messages.” is allot better than “I cannot send picture messages and I need to send a one to my lawyer for a multi-million dollar lawsuit because I fell in the grocery store and broke my face.”

3.  Be patient:  With some companies, you are routed to the basic customer service first.  Don’t get upset if that person needs to transfer you to a department that can better assist you.  In the long run it will speed up the process.  Companies have a system in place that requires a department to do a certain amount of troubleshooting before transferring the call to prevent un-needed transfers.  You may be asked to do the same troubleshooting steps more than once.

4.  Use the system:  If the system asks you to listen to the prompts before making a selection, do it.  They are designed to determine what your problem is and route you to the correct department.  If you just press 0 to speak with an operator, you are immediately transferred to the first available person who may or may not be able to assist you.

5.  Don’t Lie:  If you have had the problem for 2 hours don’t say you have had it for 2 months in hopes this will expedite the resolution, it won’t.  Companies can generally see the last time you were able to use the service.  As a customer service rep, it drives me crazy when a person says they are loosing $10,000 an hour because their cell phone hasn’t worked in 3 weeks, when I can see usage in my system 2 hours ago, plus they have an overdue balance of $300.  Honestly, that is not what the problem is about and telling a customer service person that just makes them roll their eyes at you.  We understand that you might be upset, but please, don’t claim issues that aren’t relevant or true.

Sometimes, ok, allot of the time, speaking with customer service for any company is nerve racking.  Try to keep your cool and remain calm.  The nicer you are, the more likely your issue will be given higher priority.  If you are rude, curse at the rep or act like a jerk, chances are the rep will not use all the resources available to him and this will cause more problems.

Now, I’m not saying if the rep is rude to you that you should just take it.  Ask to speak with a manager or call back to get another rep.  Make sure to get the rep’s name before starting any conversation and write it down.  This will give you ammunition should you be treated without respect.