{"id":5292,"date":"2025-04-30T17:19:59","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T16:19:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/?p=5292"},"modified":"2025-05-27T11:23:02","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T10:23:02","slug":"how-your-customer-service-staff-emails-repel-and-negate-your-reputation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/2025\/04\/30\/how-your-customer-service-staff-emails-repel-and-negate-your-reputation\/","title":{"rendered":"How Your Customer Service Staff Emails Repel \u2014 And Negate Your Reputation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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I regret going on social media four months ago to commend a health management organisation (HMO) for its stellar customer service delivery. And all it took to change my mind was a discourteous email from a faceless employee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, my teenage daughter visited a hospital. My husband took her there, registered her, and ensured she received care. All went well, and she was given a prescription. Unfortunately, the medication was unavailable at the hospital, so they left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, the HMO we use for our family, Z HMO, has a policy regarding the delivery of prescriptions, which we were familiar with. Therefore, after the hospital visit, I emailed the health insurance agency and politely requested that the medication be delivered to our home address. I attached the prescription note (which listed the doctor’s and hospital’s names and the medication’s dosage). We\u2019d used the health insurance agency for over a year and had been impressed with its prompt service and professional communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, what should have been a quick, professional email turned into an email trail that left me baffled at the tone of one customer service associate. I\u2019d use that email as a mini case study in this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, to all managers or human resources professionals responsible for training customer  service  employees: Below  are  two  reasons they\u2019re repelling your clients with their rude emails:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1) They lack emotional intelligence<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The first line of the email from Precious, the customer service associate from Z HMO who responded to my email, was standard. But the request given was odd. I was told to list the diagnosis of my daughter \u2014 in an email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My daughter is underage, and I was concerned about her medical details being shared with people I didn\u2019t know. Moreover, I didn\u2019t understand why I needed to provide information about a diagnosis that was made by a trained medical professional who had subsequently given a prescription. In my experience with Z HMO and others, they would contact hospitals to clarify diagnoses and the prescribed medications. So, I responded and stated my concern about sharing my daughter\u2019s diagnosis, which was a sensitive matter. However, I provided information that would help Precious confirm details from the hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I was hoping that Precious would understand my concern, or that the HMO would call me to discuss and advise when they\u2019d deliver the medication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Precious\u2019 response was swift and discourteous. (I received it within seven minutes of sending my email). Instead of addressing my concerns and displaying some emotional intelligence, the email tone<\/a> was cold and dismissive, as can be seen below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2018\u2026Sensitive is not a diagnosis, and I cannot contact the doctor on your behalf.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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That comment stung.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fact that the sender prefaced the rude remark with \u2018Kindly revert with the diagnosis<\/em>\u2019 did little to reduce the friction. In fact, as a business writing trainer, I recognised the deception \u2014 using \u2018please\u2019 and \u2018kindly\u2019 to appear polite but remaining difficult or uncompromising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, I wanted the process to move forward because my daughter\u2019s medication was at stake. I also instinctively knew that if I didn\u2019t provide the information, Precious (already defensive) would do nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, I refused to take the bait of losing my temper. I responded in a calm manner. Then, in my first line, I provided the diagnosis and referred to the hospital where it was given.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nonetheless, I wasn\u2019t going to ignore the unprofessional attitude, so at the end of the email, I called out the sender\u2019s abrasive tone. I also stated that I intended to communicate my displeasure in the feedback form I would receive later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The email back-and-forth with Precious revealed two critical points that customer service staff often overlook:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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a) Customers can make or break the company\u2019s reputation\u2026or careers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The interaction with the customer service associate changed my perception of Z HMO as a professional, reliable health insurance agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Precious might have been an exception, but sometimes, all it takes is one negative experience or a frustrated review on social media (e.g., X) for an organisation to lose face. X (formerly Twitter), with its \u2018cancel\u2019 culture, is a platform where a spark of displeasure can quickly lead to a torrent of vitriol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a serious backlash, who will likely be punished for scathing customer service complaints that lead to reputational damage or a loss of goodwill with stakeholders?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think about that for a minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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b) Empathy is not a \u2018soft\u2019 attribute<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Empathy is critical to building trust and securing loyal clients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the mother of the teenager whose prescription was considered, I might still have needed to provide the diagnosis to enable Z HMO to process the request and deliver the medication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Precious could have settled that issue quickly with even an iota of empathy. He\/she could have called me to acknowledge my concern and explain why<\/em> he\/she required the sensitive information. A simple example could be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2018I understand your concern. But please be assured that we will keep the information confidential. We only require it at the back end for x or y.<\/em>\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As effective as emails are, that conversation should have been a brief telephone call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lack of empathy placed Precious in a poor light. If the case had been severe, the cold attitude would have led to a serious complaint being sent to Z HMO\u2019s management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It costs nothing to be a decent human being and show empathy for others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2) They are proud and disingenuous<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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After my email to Precious stating that I intended to complain about the \u2018unfortunate\u2019  and \u2018abrasive\u2019 tone of the email, I expected to receive an apology that would show genuine regret.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I received a non-apology (see below), which convinced me that the customer service associate was disingenuous. He\/she seemed more interested in scoring points and less concerned about trying to regain trust. This stance was unwise, given the negative review I\u2019d threatened to give.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2018I sincerely apologise for the tone you perceived<\/em>.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sigh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A simple \u2018I apologise for my previous email\u2019 would have been more appropriate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being passive-aggressive in emails doesn\u2019t mend fences. I didn\u2019t believe Precious was contrite or felt accountable for his\/her tone. However, I knew it would be pointless to flog the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, I closed the matter. In response, I used \u2018Noted\u2019, before wrapping up \u2014 meaning that I acknowledged the non-apology, didn\u2019t believe in it, but decided to move on, whilst still using polite, professional language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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If you\u2019re a customer service professional, reflect on the mini case study of the discourteous employee, Precious from Z HMO, and note what not<\/em> to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve got to admit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I briefly considered tendering a formal complaint to the leadership of that HMO after my last email with Precious, complete with screenshots of the email trail. But the effort didn\u2019t seem worth my time.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nevertheless, realise that aggrieved customers\/clients might turn vindictive and not relent until they get you sacked or suspended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, take it from an award-winning communications trainer and professional who has been obsessed with effective communication for over two decades:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your email tone can elevate your professionalism (and desirability) or stifle your career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Always communicate with empathy. Then email with a cool head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And saying \u2018I\u2019m sorry\u2019 is a sign of strength, not weakness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Over to you:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Do you need help boosting your speaking, interpersonal or business writing skills to influence people and get results?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, sign up here<\/a> for my free quarterly newsletters and learn best practices. When you sign up, you\u2019ll receive my evergreen resource on giving persuasive presentations. <\/strong>Ensure you download and refer to that document before any high-stakes presentation or speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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———————————————————————–<\/p>\n\n\n\n

N.B:<\/u><\/strong> First and last images are courtesy of <\/a>Gerd Altmann Pixabay via Pixabay. Screenshots of email are courtesy of Lucille Ossai.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Your service staff are alienating your customers with rude emails. Nip the problem before your organisation loses clientele and bleeds revenue. 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