I just read an article over at The Red Tape Chronicles where a new survey shows 75 percent of high-tech CEO’s think their customer service is great.

Are you kidding me? Apparently they don’t have the same toll free numbers I have. The ones you spend what seems like hours typing in account numbers, passwords and zip codes only to have an operator finally answer and ask the same damned questions that I just spent an hour typing for their automated attendant.

Before I get too off topic, this article got me thinking about the credit repair industry and how they might be the absolute worst at customer service when in fact, they should be the best. See if this sounds familiar.

“Send us your credit reports, tell us what to dispute now sit back and let us do the rest.”

It should, its pretty much the MO of every credit repair company out there.

I have a question for you. What single item controls your mortgage payment, car payment, savings account, years to retirement and well, you get the picture.

The ironic part to me is that people will insist on good customer service from their cable company, or will ask more questions about an Xbox before they purchase it then they will a credit repair company.

As a result, Credit repair agencies have adopted the poorest customer relations then I’ve seen in any industry. I’m on your side and you know that, but I have to say that you’re not being very smart about this matter.

If you hire somebody to handle such delicate matters, you better have a lot of questions before you sign up and you better make sure you get answers. Insist you get to talk to the same person who will be working on your credit and if you hire a credit repair company because they a “law firm” then talk to the lawyers.

Let me give you some insight to these guys. Sure, the owner of the company may be a lawyer, but do you think a lawyer will ever even see your file - probably not.

I’ve personally signed up with many of these credit repair law firms and tried talking to a lawyer. Not once was I able to speak with one. Instead, my account was being handled by a kid who 3 months ago was working at Home Depot.

Credit repair can be a wonderful thing for many people, but if the company you hired is doesn’t know what its doing, there can be devastating consequence. It’s time this industry started acting like a real industry and focus on good old fashioned customer service. You the consumer should start insisting you get it.

Finally, in case you’re wondering what give them a pickle means, it’s a great book written by the founder of Ferrills Ice cream about customer service.