Hello all,
I’m writing to let you know that this is the time of the year where my job is busiest. I provide support to thousands of students, teachers, and staff, when it comes to providing answers to general questions. I also put on my detective hat when it comes to more technical troubleshooting.
Time Pressure
I was anticipating this week to be worse than it was so far though, actually – a lot of the people who called were quite calm on the phone, and I think there were a few factors at play here:
- They were finally eased into their classes.
- They didn’t too many deadlines weighing over their heads
The deadline of having to have paperwork filed for your student to attend school, or things closing on you otherwise, is a daunting feeling. I can totally understand from a parent’s perspective why they would be overwhelmed when it came to be something like this, especially because it shows how much you care for your child. I think these parents, while being uptight and hard to calm down on the phone, turn out to be the most appreciative if it comes to you finding some kind of workaround for them. I’ve always tried to paint a picture to the customer that, even if I’m not fully able to grasp your situation immediately, I am a representative that cares about your situation uniquely and want to try my best to find the best outcome.
Drawing Connections
It reminds me of my personal work, where I commission music for others in my free-time, I still want to ensure the product I’m providing is meeting my personal expectations, as well as the expectations from a business perspective. At the same time, I need to manage my time efficiently to make a valuable hourly rate, and sometimes that might mean coming up with the best solution “as time allows”. I’ve been learning to be better with being okay with certain outcomes, at the sacrifice of quality, for more time to be invested toward other customers. If I can manage a balance of helping a customer with as many things, that’s wonderful and I aim to do that so they don’t have a reason to call back, but I also want to be efficient in that process so I can solve as many problems as possible.
Two Birds, One Stone
There are some exceptions though, I would say – as, there was a scenario I had earlier this week where someone needed a specific document, and they would not be able to get that document requested in time, normally. I suggested to the customer that there may be an alternative way if they would be able to call the parent and let the parent know to call us to change account information. After they notified the parent, I had a light bulb moment to let them know, hey, I’ll reach out to the customer and check on them, and then get back to you after I guide them through updating their account. (especially so the customer wouldn’t have to call and be on hold for hours anyway) From there, I called the person back and told them I guided the parent through the right process for the document to show up on their end, and sure enough, that resulted in two happy customers within a fraction of the time it would have taken either of them, from hours or even days waiting for a solution. It’s these kinds of situations that maximize time for our team, and for these customers, which is ideally the perfect balance.
Lessons Learned
The real lesson learned here this week, is that, there will come a time where while it is okay to be patient and understanding, there are deadlines and other customers to assist. I learned that I cannot get a customer’s hopes up toward a solution, if ultimately they may be disappointed in the end later on anyway. I do not want to mislead anyone, even if the phone calls get uncomfortable. I will find a way for them to get the answer – whether that is biting the bullet and being the bearer of bad news on the phone, unfortunately, or escalating a ticket so someone else can do that via e-mail. It’s those kind of difficult situations that require you think on the fly about what the best possible outcome may be.