The Old Me v.s. The New Me- Handling customer service

I just got off the phone with my internet provider after realizing they have been overcharging me for almost a year
This company has an overseas phone room and we all know how frustrating that can be
THE WAY I USED TO BE- I would to lose my cool and scream at the first person who didn’t give me what I wanted
This always resulted in me going for the nuclear option, cancelling whatever service/account and losing the money that I think they owe me
THE WAY I AM NOW- After working on the other side of the phones, I have observed the way that phone rooms operate and the tactics they use to make you give up instead of insisting on the customer service your money pays for

*HERE”S HOW TO DO IT -Above all, have your info straight and be able to reference it immediately
The first person to answer is the Drone. They will ask you for all of your information even though you know you will be immediately going over their heads
Just give it to them. It will be much faster than arguing
Once the inevitable “I can’t do that for you” happens (delay tactic #1) you ask to be transferred to their supervisor (which is usually a Drone making an extra dollar an hour)
You will have to repeat the same info that you did with the first drone (delay tactic #2) and this is where things can go in 2 different directions
Obviously,the response you want is “We see that we made a mistake and will rectify it immediately (whereupon they will still push for a credit instead of a refund) but the response you will probably get is “Why didn’t you take care of this earlier” (delay tactic # 3)
This tactic is designed to make you feel like it is your fault for being overcharged, it causes some people to question themselves and can weaken their resolve to get their money back
My usual response to that question would have been to tell them “None of your fucking business” but the correct reply is “The issue is that you erroneously charged me and I want it back, not how long it took for me to figure out that you were charging me for a service that I asked you to discontinue”
Once you have exhausted all options, you clearly ask them a direct question “Are you going to fix things the way I want it -or do I need to speak to your supervisor?”
The 2nd level Drone has been instructed that they are not to let anyone up the chain of command if they can help it.(delay tactic #4)  No matter how many times they tell you that they do not have a supervisor or cannot give their name THEY ARE NOT TELLING YOU THE TRUTH (also, do not let yourself be pacified by an e-mail address, you want to speak directly to their supervisor)
Every phone room has a floor supervisor and you will have to scratch and claw to get to them (and you will wait on hold while they all talk about what an asshole you are).
In my case, I got his supervisor (or so she told me) and I was told that I would be given a call back tomorrow with a resolution (which is fair because a few hours had passed and the people who actually make the real decisions are gone for the day)

*Always try to keep your cool, always have your information ready (including customer ID# etc…)
*Always ask for employee/operator numbers and case/transaction codes (people act differently when they know you have the information to hold them accountable)
* Always insist that the only resolution is the one you originally asked for and do not give up until you force someone to say “We will not give you what you want”
Either way, you have a better chance of getting your money back by being generally calm, firm and even aggressive when you aren’t getting what you want
Be prepared for a concession (in this case, credit to your account instead of a refund)
Above all remember this, there is ALWAYS a supervisor over that person’s head
You just have to be firm and  persistent until they realize that you are not going to be deterred by Tactic #4
You are the customer and your opinion has more weight than it used to due to the internet and the power of negative posts.
Lastly, (or should I say the first thing you need to do) is to make sure you are right in the first place before you go demanding satisfaction
Don’t be a dick
That person is probably making a lot less than you do and degrading them isn’t going to get you your money back
In fact, it will make that person more determined to deny you what you want
Making someone feel powerless only results in them wanting to exert some kind of power over you
Getting what you wanted should be gratification enough