Bob
We've been in the customer service industry for more than 65 years combined. Amas and I created this podcast to share our thoughts on how you can navigate customer service. And while we don't always agree, and I often have to explain to Amas why he's wrong, we hope that you will be the winner based on our experiences working from the inside out.
Amas
Thank Bob.
Amas
It is good to see you. I look forward to kicking your ass again.
Amas
So today, I've got one for you. So, the government is now trying to.
Amas
Legislate good customer service into the law.
Amas
There is a new lawsuit by the.
Amas
New York attorney general, my home state.
Amas
They are suing Sirius XM not for fraud, but for being bad at customer service. The government alleges that SiriusXM puts customers through long wait times, jumps through hoops.
Amas
When they want to perform routine customer service. Things in this case, cancellation of their service.
Amas
And I hope you will be on.
Amas
The right side of this issue, Bob. But you don't have a good track record, I think.
Amas
Amen. We need the government, the supreme Court.
Amas
To fix customer service for us. What say you, Bob?
Amas
Surely you agree with me on this one.
Bob
No, I can't agree, and I can tell you why. But before I tell you why you're wrong, let me share my story. Okay.
Amas
I've experienced almost the very same thing.
Bob
That the lawsuit represents. Okay. I'm a longtime serious XM user, and I've called in to try to cancel before, and I've gotten the same run around, the same transferred back should be for this.
Amas
Yeah, my outcome is a little different.
Bob
So let's talk about the theory of what you're saying. You want the courts and the government to decide. I've got some questions for you, and I think you'll tie yourself into a knot to the point that you change sides.
Amas
Is that even possible? Of course it is. What's the minimum standard going to be? Well, I mean, people ask you all.
Amas
The time, what's the best practice, the standard for slas and service level? 30 seconds and 80. I mean, we could do this. There's plenty of smart consultants to come up with the Standard.
Amas
What else you got?
Bob
Okay, now you're talking about standards, about how fast I get answered.
Amas
Exactly.
Bob
What about the concept of how are we going to define good service? Is good service when I get what I want as a customer or when the company gets what it has to have in order to be successful? I think I remember already this year you've come down on the side of the company and their ability to make money. So who's going to make that decision? Are we going to go to the Supreme Court every time there's a need? Because that's a lot of work, man. There's a lot of agents we don't.
Amas
I do want to remind you that the only reason you and I had.
Amas
Decades a career in contact centers is because of the Supreme Court.
Amas
You are deriding so well. In 1968, right, the Ford Motor company.
Amas
Was giving customers the runaround.
Amas
And the government, the Supreme Court mandated that they created a toll free 1800 number to allow consumers to call in. And a few things later, we had.
Amas
The contacts and we have today. You cannot let the free market just decide this.
Amas
You need a little governmental push.
Amas
I don't want every customer service issue going to the Supreme Court.
Amas
But I would like a ruling that.
Amas
Says I will never have to suffer through another self checkout at Walmart. I would like a ruling that says.
Amas
You'Re not going to keep me waiting.
Amas
For hours and hours.
Amas
I need something. By the way, the Biden administration is putting together.
Amas
There's actually a law right now, or.
Amas
Not law, a bill that I think is the Taylor Swift concert thing that.
Amas
Again tells companies to stop gouging us with the fees and all that. I am a free market guy, Bob, as you know, I am no socialist, but I think the free market can use a little bit of. And if they want to get involved.
Amas
In customer service, I say come on.
Amas
Down because these guys are not going to do it themselves.
Amas
And you are exhibit a.
Amas
You are getting screwed by Sirius XM, aren't you? You are. You want.
Amas
Hold on.
Bob
But if I'm a good consumer, then I'm not getting screwed by Sirius because let me tell you the end of the story, the rest of the story.
Amas
Okay.
Bob
When I called into Sirius, they transferred me around. And the reason why I called is because they sent me a precursory email and a letter telling me they were raising my rates by, I think it was around 200% to 250%.
Amas
Right?
Bob
So just a matter of fact letter. So I called up and said, yeah.
Amas
I don't want to keep it.
Bob
And so they transferred me over to the cancellations department and the person said.
Amas
What would it take?
Bob
After negotiating with me for a good eight to ten minutes of back and forth, the person said, what would it.
Amas
Take to keep you?
Bob
And I said, I want the same.
Amas
Service for the same price and I will stay a customer.
Bob
That's all I want. I'm not paying anymore.
Amas
He said, okay, let me set that.
Bob
Up for you so for five or six years now, maybe longer.
Amas
My time is not rational post Covid, but.
Bob
It'S a dance we do.
Amas
They send me a letter.
Bob
They tell me they're going to increase my rates by 200%. I pick up the phone, I talk to them, I tell them I'm going to leave if they don't give me the same service for the same price. They say, okay, Mr. Furnace will do that. And I go about my merry way with the same price that I was.
Amas
Paying six years ago.
Amas
So you like dance?
Bob
I don't like the dance, but I like the results of the dance. So my argument would be, I don't know that the government's going to fix that ability because the government's going to have to take into account, well, the company has to have an increase in.
Amas
Rates on an annual basis. And that would make sense to me.
Bob
If I'm the government and I'm listening to the company, I'm listening to the customer, we're going to let you raise rates 3% annually.
Amas
I've done better than that.
Bob
I'm just not quite where you are that the government should be involved in the decision. I think we as consumers should be involved in the decision by where we buy, what kind of service we use, and how we react to the company. And there's very few monopolies left that I can't go somewhere else and get a better.
Amas
Will. I will admit occasionally, Bob does make some points here and there.
Amas
I'll admit that the government is not.
Amas
My first choice to fix anything.
Amas
That being said, I think a little bit of consumer bill of rights, something will be a good floor.
Amas
But we like to leave people with tips.
Amas
And I think, Bob, the point you.
Amas
Made about, at the end of the day, you, the consumer, you have power, you have autonomy. You can choose to shop elsewhere.
Amas
And I do think that if the government passes some laws and they have.
Amas
There'S some consumer bill of rights, if you're dealing with the customer, there are consumer protection agencies. If you feel like you're really being had, it's not for every customer service issues. There are consumer protection agencies that can help you as well. So that would be a tip to help some of you on here. So I've beaten Bob enough here. Bob, what do you want to leave people with this week? Or quote, what lesson?
Amas
What do you have for us?
Bob
Well, I'll just remind you that when I call serious, I am the nicest customer that that person has talked to all day. I'm dripping with honey.
Amas
There you go. I'm nice on this podcast.
Amas
You're not.
Bob
So my quote for the day was from the 14th Dalai Lama, who I haven't quoted before as far as I know in my life.
Amas
Wow.
Bob
It's to be kind whenever possible, and it's always possible. So no matter how frustrated you are with the company, you're as a consumer going to get more if you are.
Amas
Specific about what you want. And nice to the agent.
Bob
Nobody wants to deal with an unhappy customer any more than the agent who's dealing with you when you're an unhappy customer.
Amas
That is a beautiful quote.
Amas
Mine is win or lose, do it fairly. This is by Nokney, and to me.
Amas
It'S again, why this lawsuit and all.
Amas
Of that was interesting to us is.
Amas
We'Re looking for balance, right?
Amas
The company has to make money. We the consumers, they need to respect our time. And I think that hopefully you learned some tips today on how you can bring some fairness in your customer service dealings.
Bob
So, not to give you a hard time about your quote, but you said it was by Nokney, and I'm just wondering if that's like a Ben and Jennifer Benifer thing, because I think the quote's by Newt Rockney. So just wanted to call out one more time how you sometimes don't make sense.
Amas
Apologies to the great football player. It's because he played for Notre Dame.
Amas
He played for Notre Dame.
Amas
So.
Amas
We'Ll see you all next time. Thank you.
