This article originally ran in the December 2012 issue of AVN magazine.
When it comes to getting good service, how we approach things makes all the difference. By using five simple tips you might find that other people actually seem to want to help you!
1) Be calm
Put your feelings aside. It’s much easier for service reps and support techs to solve problems when the person they’re helping is calm. The best thing you can do is calmly, briefly explain your problem and ask for help.
2) If you can’t be calm, apologize.
It sounds crazy but if you can’t be calm, apologize to the other person before explaining your problem. Try saying, “I’m sorry I’m taking things out on you, I’m just extremely frustrated”and then politely ask them to please help with whatever you need. This approach works wonders!
3) Be friendly and polite
Elevated X handles a high volume of product support tickets daily from our adult CMS customers and while most customers are pleasant, few approach us in a friendly manner. Those that do always stand out.
Support people deal with negativity all day. They might hear just one compliment for every 100 complaints. A friendly customer always stands out in contrast to the other 99 percent. Saying “Please” or adding “Have a good weekend” at the end goes a long way to soften an email and make you stand out in a good way.
4) Help them help you
Provide information when a tech or support site asks for it. It’s tempting to enter “N/A” or “You have it on file” but it takes only a few seconds to enter your info. Providing it means you’ll get help that much faster.
Ask as soon as you realize you need help rather than overloading support staff. If you wait until you’ve compiled a long list of problems and then dump it on someone, don’t expect them to be happy to help you. The easier you make it for support staff to help you, the more likely you are to get better service.
5) Show your appreciation
It’s natural to want to help people we like. Regardless of whether you’re getting free or paid support, remember to show appreciation. Simply saying, “Thanks for all your help,” or telling them when they’re doing a good job goes a long way. Out of the last 100 calls or emails a support tech handled, you might be the only one to say thank you. And you’ll be remembered for it.
AJ Hall is a 12-year adult industry veteran and the co-founder and chief executive officer of Elevated X Inc., a provider of popular adult CMS software for the online adult entertainment industry. Hall has spoken at industry trade shows and is a contributing writer for several trade publications. Elevated X powers more than 2,000 leading adult sites, and has been nominated for industry awards six times.
