The Negotiation Guru

When I stepped into the office this morning, my colleague was screaming and arguing with the bank rep over the phone. Later I found out that he was actually trying to negotiate to get a charge of $40 waived. He got the charge because of an accident overdraft.

Later I found out from him that he had been calling his bank 3 days in a row. A bank manager promised to waive off his charge when he called on the first day. However, he was still charged $40 by the bank. He probably made about 10 calls to the customer service department and had spoken to more than 10 bank reps and managers. He was really persistent.

“So, do you think it’s worth the effort just trying to get your $40 back?”

“It’s a matter of principle.”

Boy, i was thrown off. He was dead serious about getting his money back. I observed all the calls he made and noted down all the mistakes he did. Finally, I decided to help him out a little.

“Can I make a suggestion?”

“Sure, help me if you can!”

“Call them up again and ask for the customer retention department.”

“What’s that? Can I find the number online?”

He went online to search for the number to the customer retention department.

The department is probably so exclusive (only to serious problematic clients of the banks) that it is not going to be easy to reach them. So I told him to call up the customer service department and asked to be referred to the Customer Retention Department. He did.

”Hi, I am really unhappy with the service that the bank is providing. Can you refer me to the Customer Retention Department?”

“Sir, may I ask the reason?”

He went on the explain for 2 minutes and insisted on getting referred to the Customer Retention Department.

The customer service manager finally gave up and said these words to him, “You know the game, don’t you?”

My friend’s face lit up immediately. He knew he was winning the game, turned over and gave me a thumb up.

Remember: If the customer service department fails you, turn to the Customer Retention Department. And, know your game. =)

—————–
Jens Thang
Negotiation Skills for Everyone

Email: jens@thenegotiationguru.com