We're sort of famous!

[Rapscallion]

http://redtape.msnbc.com/2007/01/win_those_custo.html#posts

We helped the author with a few tips from our side of things, since he approached us nicely. Have a read, and please note that Barefootgirl and Spiffy were also contributors, so credit where it's due, please :) The rest of the moderating team gave Mexican waves and critique as appropriate.

Rapscallion

[Rapscallion]

If anyone visting from the article feels like signing up to read (more for registered members), it's free, there's no advertising or spamming, and we generally don't bite :D

I've had a few email bounces from either mis-typed email addresses or non-existant emails, so if you didn't get your validation email, try checking that in your profile and altering if necessary. We don't harvest email addresses. I hate spam more than most people, so I'm not going to do that to anyone else.

Rapscallion

[powerboy]

It is about time, we are famous

[myswtghst]

That article is how I found y'all. Great article, and I really appreciated your contributions, as they were right on the money!:)

[ahanix1989]

Whee, now our bosses / customers are going to read this :)

[Becks]

We weren't famous before the article? :(

I liked these points:

7: Be reasonable and retain a sense of perspective. Decide whether or not throwing a fit over a small inconvenience or 20 cents or so is worth losing your dignity, or the risk of verbally assaulting an innocent representative of the company. Threats of legal action go one of two ways -- either you're seen as blowing things out of proportion with an empty threat or you will be referred to the company's lawyers as it then becomes a legal matter for which the phone representative cannot help you.

8: Consider seeing a therapist if you find yourself screaming at a powerless representative.

9: Accept that sometimes you cannot be helped. There will be some circumstances when the entire company cannot do anything for you. Sometimes, the only answer the service reps can give is, "no."

[Kiwi]

hahahah

youareoutofajob.com

HAHAHA thats funny:lol:

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Awesome! Totally awesome!

Some of those things can also be applied to complaint letters and face-to-face interactions.

[Ree]

youareoutofajob.com
I wasn't sure what you were talking about at first, Kiwi, then I saw "Andy's" comment about halfway down:
"Seems like CustomersSuck.com would be named "Youareoutofajob.com" if companies really cared about their customers."

[Mr. Rude]

LMAO...Nice one Ree...


Bring 'em on!! Bring 'em all on!!

*loads both pistols with shrapnel*

I'll cover all of ya...YAHARR!!

*Stands guard dilligently & awaits the assault of SC types*

[Lace Neil Singer]

[Consider seeing a therapist if you find yourself screaming at a powerless representative.

This could also be applied to shop jobs. Just substitute "rep" for "cashier."

[hauntedheadnc]

You know, speaking of an assault by SC types, has this latest incarnation of the site been getting hatemail the way the last ones did? If so, I wouldn't ask that it be posted the way it used to be, but those nasty letters were always a kick to read.

[Rapscallion]

The site never used to get that much, since as far as I'm aware it's been worked on a common-sense basis. I've had one through the 'contact admin' form claiming that the Vinegar Boy saga was cobblers, but I ignored it with the lack of literacy involved. Other than that, I can't remember anything.

Rapscallion

[CrazedClerk]

This site rules! :D

I'm so glad a friend told me about this place, it's one of my favourite stops on the superhighway now.

[yahurd]

We weren't famous before the article?

I liked these points: 7: <snip>, 8: <snip>, 9: <snip>

yes i must agree that everyone on earth should read that

[Greenday]

Bring 'em on!! Bring 'em all on!!

*loads both pistols with shrapnel*

I'll cover all of ya...YAHARR!!

*Stands guard dilligently & awaits the assault of SC types*

No, no, you're going about it all wrong!

*Pulls out a sniper rifle, climbs a tower, and waits for SCs*

Much more efficient.

I like how some people think we hate all customers. Not true at all. We just hate the complete and utter morons that we do sometimes deal with.

[AFpheonix]

It's interesting seeing all the people complaining about foreign call centers. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I have never had to be routed to one. Perhaps it's because I call at a decent time of day?

Thing 2, people on both sides are so busy generalizing that "every" CSR or "every" customer is mean or rude, they fail to see that about 95% of the time, things go smoothly with the other party. Honestly. It's really rare that I get a bad CSR on anything, (it happens occasionally, though, and I can minimize it by behaving myself), and the vast majority of my customers are great.

The old turd that wrote a letter completely in caps complaining that he doesn't speak "dothead or spanish or slanteyed" needs to be taken out and shot.

[HYHYBT]

What bothers me more was that at the bottom it says all comments are read and approved before they're displayed! So someone, somewhere at that site thinks that's a remotely acceptable post...

If I remember rightly (and even if I do, it may well have been chance) this site doesn't do well after publicity. For example, shortly after the Smart Money article (end of 2002 or so) the site was hacked, and I believe at least two others were shortly after some sort of outside publicity but can't remember when or what at this point. Probably coincidence...

[Rapscallion]

I put up a comment at the end of the article that hasn't been approved - I made sure that Barefootgirl and Spiffy were credited for their help, but it's not gone up yet.

Rapscallion

[ShortTemperHatesStupidity]

That article is how I found y'all. Great article, and I really appreciated your contributions, as they were right on the money!:)

Ditto. Actually, my intro mentioned the article before I found this thread...

Definitely agree with myswtghst

[cpc]

That article is how I found y'all. Great article, and I really appreciated your contributions, as they were right on the money!:)

Same here. Great site, btw! :)

Srry Rapscallion for the email about the confirmation, I was able to reset the password and entered with no problems.

tim

[karma_gypsy]

We weren't famous before the article? :(


We'll, waaaay back when, when I joined the first time round (this was years and years ago - before the site even had a forum, I believe). I didn't find the site by word-of-mouth or even through a search engine. It was mentioned in a blurb, either an ad or an article. Either way, it was through media. I decided to check it out, and was amazed at the stories that were on the site, I even submitted a couple of stories myself (nothing spectactular), but doubt they got posted . . .

[ForestDragon]

No, no, you're going about it all wrong!

*Pulls out a sniper rifle, climbs a tower, and waits for SCs*

Much more efficient.

It might be more efficient, but it lacks a certain...pirattitude. :D

[Luna]

It amazes me about all the complaints over foreign based call centers. If all call centers were based in the US (or your country of origin) do these customers understand that their services would probably cost about 10% more?

Then they'd be calling to complain about that too. :rolleyes:

[Andara Bledin]

It amazes me about all the complaints over foreign based call centers. If all call centers were based in the US (or your country of origin) do these customers understand that their services would probably cost about 10% more?

Then they'd be calling to complain about that too. :rolleyes:

Oh, it doesn't amaze me about foreign call center complaints.

I have much too often had to deal with off-shore call centers where the people answering the phones not only had incredibly thick accents, but their grasp of English was marginal, at best, and they were incapable of actually understanding anything that did not fit the script they were using.

When a call that should take no more than 15 minutes takes 2 hours, I think you have every right to be incredibly irritated or downright pissed.

^-.-^