What Is Your Name In Customer Service?
I have a question for you:
As a customer service representative, how do you feel about using your real first and last name with customers?
Privacy Violations
Some customer service reps agree that providing their first and last names threatens privacy and sets them up for possible trouble. We all know the cranky, creepy customers who are having a horrible day and need to take it out on someone else. No matter how good our customer service skills are, there are folks that just try to drag others down with them. We don’t quite know what lengths they’d go to, though. I know I’ve had some of those creepy customers tell me they are trying to find me on Facebook. I kindly let them know that I don’t have one…
Assigning Responsibility
There is also the debate that providing your first and last name automatically assigns responsibility for that customer. You are officially taking ownership, the customer knows it and you know it–your name becomes linked with this situation.
Limiting Information
We’ve heard some companies feel more comfortable by using the first name and first initial of their last name to protect the identity of the representative. Even if you ask them over the phone what their last name is, the rep will not share it with you. Does this then take away from a positive customer experience?
Accomodating Everyone
Some members of the customer service team may not mind, especially if their names are more common, however, others with more unique names, may want to protect their identity. How do you accommodate each member of your team, depending on their privacy preference? Or, do you just let them know going into the job, that their first and last name will be provided and if they have issues with this, to not take the position?
I don’t know the answer to what is right and what is wrong so I am asking you, customer service professional–how do you manage this with your team?
[custom_author=jenny]
You raise some great issues.
I’ve never hesitated to give my full name. I don’t think any of us should. When I’ve received service from someone who wouldn’t reveal their full name, I’ve always felt a bit disconnected.
I agree–I feel that disconnect too. There’s something reassuring knowing the first and last name of the person you are working–I think that must be the responsibility aspect and just having an “in” with that individual on a personal basis. But, we still get complaints from reps about their last names being out there for weirdos that will Google them…some info out there in the interwebs you cannot set up privacy about. Has this ever gotten anyone into trouble?
I’m not aware of a situation where this has gotten someone into trouble outside of work.
It also makes me wonder what they’re really worried about.
I think it depends on the call center business model. If the company is sales or direct service, then providing a full name should be appropriate to make the connection with the customer. I personally appreciate and connect with the agent when this is done. In a Public service call center situation, you definitely have customers expecting that they will be able to speak directly with the agent that assisted them previously and become very irate when this doesn’t occur. In this case, all agents could be assigned an ID number to provide in conjunction with their first name. This allows for identification of the agent without providing further personally identifiable information to the customer.
Good points, Jeff. Thanks for your comments. I do agree that in large call center departments, having a way to connect the customer with the representative is incredibly important, especially when they cannot just call in and ask by name if there are hundreds of people answering the phones.
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