Customer Complaints

Staff should take all complaints seriously.  It is the team’s responsibility to acknowledge the customer and deal with the complaint.  When a customer approaches a team member with a complaint, the team member should always give the customer immediate and full attention.  Call or refer the person to a member of the Management team if needed.

When staff are dealing with anxious, irritated, or irate customers, they should maintain a calm attitude and demeanor.  Staff will encounter customers experiencing a computing problem at what the customer determines to be the worst possible moment.  What sounds like a very simple problem to staff may feel like a life crisis to the customer.  Staff should try to remember what it was like when they didn’t know their way around computer applications and were pushing a deadline.  Patience and empathy can be invaluable at these times.  It is important to stay focused on the problem and not react emotionally. 

If you get a call from an angry customer, or a customer who requests to speak with a supervisor or manager, notify the Point Person immediately.  Minimize the amount of time you make the customer wait before handing the call off. If you get any customer who indicates they’re upset or they want to file a complaint, but do not specifically ask to be transferred to a supervisor, notify the Point Person.  They will be handling all upset customers or complaints. In addition to calls, if you receive an angry e-mail from a customer in a case, let Point know.

Procedures to follow after speaking with the angry customer:

• Notify the Service Desk Manager (Dan) any time we receive a complaint about CSC service or have to communicate with an upset customer.  Please e-mail the manager if he or she is not in the office and include the customer name, FootPrints Issue number, and what we did to resolve the issue (if we were able to).
• If a customer is still unhappy with the solution we’re able to provide or would like to speak with someone else, please provide the Service Desk Managers or Supervisors name and contact information.  You may tell the customer Dan’s name, office phone number and e-mail address; please refrain from giving anyone the manager’s personal number. (Contact information can be found on the phone sheet).
• If it’s after 5:00pm or on the weekend and a customer insists on talking to a supervisor, inform them you will contact one by email or phone (depending on the urgency).  Make sure you get their contact information and the manager will respond. 

Need Help or Backup?

If a Rep is dealing with an incident and feels uncomfortable handling the situation, the Rep should immediately contact the Rep Supervisor or a Specialist. It is better to admit the need for assistance than to ignore the incident.

Abusive or Threatening Customers

If a situation gets out of hand, or should staff feel the situation becoming threatening, staff should use the phone to call CSC leadership or call Purdue University Police Department (PUPD) by dialing 911.  Staff do not need proof or a supportive reason to call PUPD.  Often, informing the customer that PUPD will be called for assistance in restoring order to the office is enough to inspire the customer to settle down or leave.  This is a judgment call.  If staff think telling an abusive customer PUPD will be called will provoke the customer further, they should take alternative action as unobtrusively as possible.

If you’ve called PUPD, you should always follow-up with leadership.  Managers, Specialists, and Rep Supervisors are good sources of support for you in trying situations.