When is humor appropriate with customer service? As an owner of a new house, I'm still learning to take all of the bumps in the road to home repair with humor. As I navigate my way through the alarm company, the cable company, the insurance company, the flooring company, the locksmith etc. I find one thing perfectly clear. There is not enough humor in customer service. Face it, there are many obstacles to using humor on the phone with a company we are dealing with; distractions with pets, the doorbell, the cell phone, the kids. I have found on my end of the phone that the best way to ease my own anxieties is to ENGAGE the other person with something going on- on my end of the phone. My goal is to bond with them and perhaps attain better customer service in the process. There are very few companies who have done this with me first, and as a type A homeowner I have to say that when humor is used tactfully with a customer service rep, I do calm down. What about you? Do your customer service reps use humor appropriately?
My thoughts are as long as the humor is not patronizing, follows the humor rules, and there is a genuine goal with which to bond with the customer, then I'm in and participating in the process to solve the problem that much faster. I'm more agreeable and my guard is down. The guard was inherited from watching my father for years scream at the person on the other end of the phone (or in the restaurant). This may be why I care so much about passing the knowledge to great customer service on to others. It works!!