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I'm wondering if this happens to any of you or if it's unique to my company. I'm in billing but calls about other things get routed through me because the department they actually want either doesn't take calls or has a number that isn't well-known (not on their bills, maybe on the website if they'd look, idk).
I understand why the cancellation calls get routed to us: we have to sift out the early term-ers before they get to Retention to cut down on their call volume. If they can have Billing do some of that it helps. I've been able to dissuade someone from terminating early by mentioning the penalty. I really don't get it, though; if they pay out the rest of the contract with or without penalty we can get the equipment back, refurbish it, and lease to someone else. More money?
But there are others I get and people get mad that I can't give them an answer and have to make a ticket or send them somewhere else.
Smaller government accounts I can help with a specific function of the machine and that's it. Any billing/contract/buyout/sales questions have to go to another line. Federal gov't. accounts? Nada. Zip. Zilch. I cannot touch those in any way, shape, or form. Even the gov't line shouldn't. They have an account manager and it's that person, period. Those people never answer emails nor voicemail. They are overwhelmed.
People ask me for a quote on a lower rate or different equipment. I have no idea. I don't draft contracts. They have to ask sales. I put in a ticket to sales for them and most are ok with that but some are frustrated because they don't want to wait.
The hardest is cancellations that have already gone to Retention and are in the works. Processing takes a month and a half, especially if they are still in contract. I have days where all my calls are this. I can answer some things. I know if you don't send us the payoff that machine is not coming back to us. That ticks people off when they're closing their office. No, I don't know what address it's going to. There are several warehouses the country over and you won't know until we send you the shipping label and that won't happen until the contract is closed. I don't know whey they won't just let you out of your contract. Yes, some companies do; we don't. I didn't make that determination.
Other times they want to talk to so-and-so who is moving money or crediting something or doing whatever has been requested. Those people don't take calls. If they did they'd never get done. Besides, they're in another country. Even if you could call out to the Philippines I still wouldn't give you their number. You're just going to have to wait. I get this all the time because it takes forever to do some things--and I have no idea why--and customers receive no updates via email. So we get the calls and of course the ticket notes don't really tell us anything.
No, I don't know why there is property tax. We were assessed it, we paid it, and the company sees fit to bill you for reimbursement. Ask your tax jurisdiction why. You can argue, but it's in the terms and conditions on the contract you signed.
I spend a lot of time on things over which I have no control. Double billing? Incorrect amount? Invoice dates are wrong? Need to know why your credit line has a high balance? Got a refund check and you don't know why? I can handle those billing questions.
I understand why the cancellation calls get routed to us: we have to sift out the early term-ers before they get to Retention to cut down on their call volume. If they can have Billing do some of that it helps. I've been able to dissuade someone from terminating early by mentioning the penalty. I really don't get it, though; if they pay out the rest of the contract with or without penalty we can get the equipment back, refurbish it, and lease to someone else. More money?
But there are others I get and people get mad that I can't give them an answer and have to make a ticket or send them somewhere else.
Smaller government accounts I can help with a specific function of the machine and that's it. Any billing/contract/buyout/sales questions have to go to another line. Federal gov't. accounts? Nada. Zip. Zilch. I cannot touch those in any way, shape, or form. Even the gov't line shouldn't. They have an account manager and it's that person, period. Those people never answer emails nor voicemail. They are overwhelmed.
People ask me for a quote on a lower rate or different equipment. I have no idea. I don't draft contracts. They have to ask sales. I put in a ticket to sales for them and most are ok with that but some are frustrated because they don't want to wait.
The hardest is cancellations that have already gone to Retention and are in the works. Processing takes a month and a half, especially if they are still in contract. I have days where all my calls are this. I can answer some things. I know if you don't send us the payoff that machine is not coming back to us. That ticks people off when they're closing their office. No, I don't know what address it's going to. There are several warehouses the country over and you won't know until we send you the shipping label and that won't happen until the contract is closed. I don't know whey they won't just let you out of your contract. Yes, some companies do; we don't. I didn't make that determination.
Other times they want to talk to so-and-so who is moving money or crediting something or doing whatever has been requested. Those people don't take calls. If they did they'd never get done. Besides, they're in another country. Even if you could call out to the Philippines I still wouldn't give you their number. You're just going to have to wait. I get this all the time because it takes forever to do some things--and I have no idea why--and customers receive no updates via email. So we get the calls and of course the ticket notes don't really tell us anything.
No, I don't know why there is property tax. We were assessed it, we paid it, and the company sees fit to bill you for reimbursement. Ask your tax jurisdiction why. You can argue, but it's in the terms and conditions on the contract you signed.
I spend a lot of time on things over which I have no control. Double billing? Incorrect amount? Invoice dates are wrong? Need to know why your credit line has a high balance? Got a refund check and you don't know why? I can handle those billing questions.
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