Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Chapter 8 Consumer Services 203 Customer Service Customer service refers to taking care of customers’ needs. Customer service representatives are the intermediaries (go-betweens) between a company and its customers. Their days are usually spent answering questions, quoting products and services, entering orders, and handling customer complaints. Computer support specialists solve customers’ problems with computer software or equipment, satisfying both the customer and the supplier. They listen to and ask questions about the customer’s problem and then provide solutions to fi x the issue. Rona had dreams of becoming a midwife and returning to the Philippines, the country of her birth. She had not returned there since she was in high school. On her last visit, she worked with a nurse and a midwife in the poverty- stricken community outside the city of Manila. She returned home knowing that becoming a midwife was her dream. Now, she has found a college training program. A large debt that an unexpected visit to the hospital emergency room last year brought on, however, is thwarting her dream. Rona had gone to the emergency room at the urging of the medics who responded to her at the scene of a car accident. She was uninsured at the time. The debt was huge, over $10,000. When she did not pay the bill, she could not get a car loan. The debt also prevented her from getting a credit card. Now she is concerned that she will not be awarded any student loans. As a result, she is not even trying. Frustrated and feeling stuck, Rona decided to ask for a free financial makeover from a credit counselor who was volunteering one Saturday morning at her community center. The meeting with the credit counselor turned out to be very helpful. The credit counselor analyzed Rona’s situation and then offered her some suggestions. The counselor helped Rona make some key decisions that resulted in cutting back her spending, lowering her housing costs, and making plans to invest in her future. Rona could feel her load lightening. The future felt much brighter. Rona’s credit counselor is just one example of a financial services worker. Financial services workers teach people how to use their financial resources wisely to meet their needs, wants, and goals and lead a higher quality of life. Money Matters For Discussion 1. Which of Rona’s decisions got her into financial distress? 2. Over which circumstances did Rona have control? Which did she not control? 3. What specific skills did Rona’s financial counselor use to solve her financial struggles? Case Study R. Gino Santa Maria/Shutterstock.com