10 Effective Ways to Respond to Poor Customer Service

Co-authored by Tami Claytor and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: August 25, 2021 References

As a consumer, you’ve probably had to deal with bad customer service from time to time. While not getting your questions answered or your needs met can be frustrating, there are a few things you can do to solve your issue. Read through these tips and tricks to respond to poor customer service and let the company know you’re not satisfied with their products or services.

1

Talk to someone on the phone.

If you can get ahold of a real person, they can help you out. Try calling the number posted online and asking for a customer service representative. Most companies will have a customer service department that you can call during normal business hours.^{[1]
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Trustworthy Source
Consumer Reports
Nonprofit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy and product testing
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- Some companies don’t have a customer service number, in which case you’ll have to reach out via email or instant message through their website.

2

Send an email if you can’t get someone on the phone.

It’s the next best way to reach a real person. Check out the company’s website and see if they have a customer service department that you can email. If they do, send them a message detailing your problem with your contact information.^{[2]
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Trustworthy Source
Consumer Reports
Nonprofit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy and product testing
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- Companies usually take a few days to respond to emails, so you might not get an instant reply.

3

Call the company out on social media.

Use this as a last resort if you can’t get ahold of them. Find the company on Twitter or Instagram and tag them in a post detailing their poor customer service. If they’re active on social media, they might respond and get your issue fixed faster.^{[3]
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Trustworthy Source
Consumer Reports
Nonprofit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy and product testing
Go to source}
- Social media probably isn’t your best bet, and some social media accounts aren’t monitored closely by big brands.

4

Be kind and respectful.

Bad customer service can be frustrating. However, it’s important to remember that you’re talking to a real person online or over the phone. Try to keep your tone of voice calm, and don’t resort to yelling or name-calling.^{[4]
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Research source}^{[5]
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Expert Source

Tami Claytor
Etiquette Coach
Expert Interview. 29 September 2020.}
- It’s fine to express that you’re disappointed in the company and the customer service, though.

5

Ask to speak to a supervisor.

They may be able to help you faster than a representative. If you’re speaking to someone on the phone, request that they connect you with a manager or a supervisor. You don’t have to be demanding, but you can explain that you think your problem can get handled better by someone in charge.^{[6]
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- Say something like, “I’ve been dealing with this issue for 2 weeks now and I haven’t gotten any help. Could you connect me with a manager so we can resolve this?”

6

Work toward a resolution.

Figure out what you want or need from the interaction. While it can be tempting to call up a company simply to berate them for poor customer service, it won’t get you anywhere. Try stating what you want clearly and calmly so the person on the other line knows what to do next.^{[7]
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- For example, you could say, “My account has been charged twice even though I canceled my account. I’d like my money refunded and to make sure that I’m no longer in your system.”

7

Ask for a refund.

If you didn’t get the services you were promised, you can be refunded. Getting a refund from a larger company usually isn’t hard, especially if you’ve had a tough time getting ahold of their customer service. Explain exactly what you’d like to be refunded for and why by saying something like:^{[8]
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- “I signed up for your service because you promised to give me a discount for the first 6 months. I’ve been charged the full price for the past 2 months, so I’d like to be refunded the excess charges.”

8

Ask for compensation for time wasted.

Large companies will often waive fees for poor customer service. If you had to spend hours on hold, let them know that you could have spent that time working or making money. They might just refund your account or give you some money back for your troubles.^{[9]
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- You could say, “I’ve spent a total of 6 hours over the past week on hold with you guys. It took away from the billable hours at my job, which cost me money. Is there any way you could refund my maintenance fee to make up for that?”

9

Let the company know you want an apology.

Sometimes you just want to hear the words “I’m sorry.” If you really struggled to get ahold of a customer service representative, you might be feeling frustrated and hurt. Express your emotions and let the company know that you want an apology before moving forward.^{[10]
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Trustworthy Source
Harvard Business Review
Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices
Go to source}
- You could say something like, “It took me over a week to talk to a real person on the phone. I don’t think that’s a good business practice, and I believe that as a loyal customer I deserve an apology from you.”

10

Dispute the charges on your credit card if you need to.

Get your money back a different way. If you couldn’t get a refund from the company, you can call your credit card company and ask to dispute the charges. There’s no guarantee that you’ll get your money back, but it is a possibility.^{[11]
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- You can usually get a refund if a company charged you too much or you never received a service.