Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

"Who Am I Speaking To?"

Collapse
This topic is closed.
X
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • "Who Am I Speaking To?"

    Or my favorite:
    "Thanks for calling _____, how can I help you?"
    "Yeah, I didn't catch your name." That would be because I didn't say it. Thanks for ignoring my question to ask your own annoying one though. Are we playing the question game? Because I will totally win.


    I hate when customers ask my name. They're only asking for one of three reasons: repeating it at the end of every sentence thanks to the latest "Mind Control A CSR" article they read, to give me praise they think won't be complete without using my name (and always reminds me of the way my family spoke to our dog,) or because they don't like what I told them and are going to go whine to someone about it. The last one is semi-legitimate (although the reasons they're whining never are) but a stupid way to go about it. Either they're going to only ask my first name, which will be highly ineffective given how huge this company is, or they're going to ask my full name then throw even more of a hissy fit when I won't give it to them. Why don't they just ask how they can identify us?


    Names are personal and I hate having to give mine to random strangers. It's so sucky to ask someone who is required to answer for it and then repeat it over and over. I don't even give my real name anymore after masturbation guy (I use a contraction of my middle name), and it still annoys me greatly.

  • #2
    If I am asked for my name, I do one of two things.

    1)Say my middle name only
    or
    2) Not tell them my name
    Under The Moon Paranormal Research
    San Joaquin Valley Paranormal Research

    Comment


    • #3
      When one is having problems with a company, documentation is always recommended. Getting the name of the CSR is just part of that.
      "Always stand near the door." -- Doctor Who

      Kuya's Kitchen -- Cooking, Cooking Gadgets, and Food Related Blather from a Transplanted Foodie

      Comment


      • #4
        Whenever somebody asks for my name over the phone, I give them a fake name. Like Lester. Or my middle name. Or even Irv sometimes.

        In my experience, whenever people ask me for my name, it's because they want to bitch about how unhelpful, rude and/or stupid they think I am.
        Knowledge is power. Power corrupts. Study hard. Be evil.

        "I never said I wasn't a horrible person."--Me, almost daily

        Comment


        • #5
          Quoth marasbaras View Post
          When one is having problems with a company, documentation is always recommended. Getting the name of the CSR is just part of that.
          This center has ~800 CSRs, and the company has about ten call centers. Even if you know what call center I'm in (and I don't tell irates because it's the only one in this state) and are able to find a sup who will transfer you to a sup in this call center(sups can't search for CSRs outside of their center), and even if that sup could search for an agent only by first name (they can't), there would still be at least ten employees with the first name I give. "Spoke to Anriana" is completely useless documentation.

          Comment


          • #6
            I hate having to wear a name tag. I mean, I've never been reported or anything and no customer's ever whined about me before when I wasn't present, so I don't care if they know it if they want to bitch at my manager or whatever. I just hate it when people think it's okay to act like we're old buddies just because they know my name. As soon as someone calls me by name I automatically feel like they're trying to sell me something--I never feel like there's a good motive behind it.

            Comment


            • #7
              I rarely give out my name on the phone anymore. If they ask for it, I will give it, but good luck on trying to make a complaint against me, since I'm very by the book on my calls and my supervisor knows this.

              I also document everything that I and the customer said, so trying to make a complaint about me will not get a person very far.
              Do not annoy the woman with the flamethrower!

              If you don't like it, I believe you can go to hell! ~Trinity from The Matrix

              Yes, MadMike does live under my couch.

              Comment


              • #8
                I am required to say my first name, but over the phone I have been asked my last name & tell people I do not feel comfortable giving out my last name over the phone.
                When it comes to getting things done, we need fewer architects and more bricklayers. ---Colleen C. Barrett---

                Comment


                • #9
                  First name/Operator # is all you'll get from me. I do not release my last name under any circumstances and any company that makes you should be groin punted.

                  Some accounts we say our name, some we don't. Its mainly up to the client there.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I work in a call center - where we have to announce who we are when answering the phone - first name only.

                    I really don't see an issue with a customer knowing my first name because I LOATHE being called, "Ma'am", "Honey", "kiddo", "sweetheart", "Darling", "miss" (which I'm getting too old for - but still too young for Ma'am), "sweetie"...etc. I'd much rather have you call me by my name - Heather - than any of those.

                    Now, last names - uh, uh, - no way.
                    "I'm still walking, so I'm sure that I can dance!" from Saint of Circumstance - Grateful Dead

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      We don't give out our last names for any reason. Our supervisor is very adamant about that, because he puts our safety above everything else.

                      I did have a woman who kept calling the call center to try to get someone to tell her my last name and got really ticked off when no one would give it to her.

                      My supervisor got on the phone with her and told her it wasn't happening. She wasn't complaining about anything I did, she was just nuts.

                      I don't mind people calling me "ma'am" but pet names drive me nuts, unless it's an older person and they aren't being creepy about it.
                      Do not annoy the woman with the flamethrower!

                      If you don't like it, I believe you can go to hell! ~Trinity from The Matrix

                      Yes, MadMike does live under my couch.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Quoth Anriana View Post
                        I hate when customers ask my name. They're only asking for one of three reasons:
                        Actually, I always get a name when I'm contacting a call centre. I record whatever our agreement was, and the name and date. It's just a paper trail, and 90% of the time it gets filed for a year, shoved in our archival boxes for another six years, then shredded.

                        But sometimes I need to be able to say to another call centre rep 'okay, my notes show that we agreed X, what do yours say?' Just occasionally, keeping the paper trail is very helpful.

                        Why don't they just ask how they can identify us?
                        It's not a socially accepted question. The overtones of it to the general public are tones of lies, deceits, and aliases.

                        The intention - at least for the non-sucky customers - of 'what's your name' is 'how can I identify you'. But the overtones of the question are much nicer.

                        Names are personal and I hate having to give mine to random strangers.
                        Unless it bothers your employer, develop a name which you can give to customers which uniquely identifies you in your call centre on the dates you work. That's all the customer needs, and it's all a non-sucky customer wants.

                        It's so sucky to ask someone who is required to answer for it and then repeat it over and over.
                        No argument here. I'll use it interspersed with ma'am/sir, or some other 'hey, I know you're a person too' type of social convention. But only as part of 'hey, you're a person'.

                        I don't even give my real name anymore after masturbation guy (I use a contraction of my middle name), and it still annoys me greatly.
                        Not giving your real name is fine with me - especially after an ass like that.

                        I can see how it annoys you, but please understand that the ordinary citizen is going to use 'what's your name' or 'what can I call you' - socially neutral statements unless you've worked in a call centre - rather than the socially loaded 'how do I identify you'.
                        Seshat's self-help guide:
                        1. Would you rather be right, or get the result you want?
                        2. If you're consistently getting results you don't want, change what you do.
                        3. Deal with the situation you have now, however it occurred.
                        4. Accept the consequences of your decisions.

                        "All I want is a pretty girl, a decent meal, and the right to shoot lightning at fools." - Anders, Dragon Age.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Quoth thehippie777 View Post
                          I am required to say my first name, but over the phone I have been asked my last name & tell people I do not feel comfortable giving out my last name over the phone.
                          Me too.

                          I was asked what my last name is a couple times. Usually I tell them that it's against company policy to give out that kind of information (I don't know if that's true, I made it up on the fly one day) or I tell them it's "unpronounceable." Once I was called "Mrs Unpronounceable", that was a funny day.

                          Now that I think about it, the only people I tell my last name to is my co-workers (who still can't pronounce it properly) and Germans.

                          -EQ
                          Ridiculous 2009 Predictions: Evil Queen will beat Martha Stewart to death with a muffin pan. All hail Evil Queen! (Some things don't need elaboration.....) -- Jester

                          Ridiculous 2010 Predictions: Evil Queen, after escaping prison for last years prediction, goes out and waffle irons Rachel Ray to death. -- SG15Z

                          Ridiculous 2011 Prediction: Evil Queen will beat Gordon Ramsay over the head with a cast-iron skillet. -- FireHeart

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            I don't give out my last name. If they insist I give out the letter of my last name and lie about it. No way are they getting my full name.
                            I don't get paid enough to kiss your a**! -Groezig 5/31/08
                            Another day...another million braincells lost...-Sarlon 6/16/08
                            Chivalry is not dead. It's just direly underappreciated. -Samaliel 9/15/09

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Quoth Listerfiend View Post
                              I just hate it when people think it's okay to act like we're old buddies just because they know my name. As soon as someone calls me by name I automatically feel like they're trying to sell me something--I never feel like there's a good motive behind it.
                              Me too.

                              "Hi, Simplyanother, blah blah blah". Mostly because you have to do the ..."wait, do I know this person?" thing, and then you just realize.."aw, man, this dipshit can READ!"
                              you are = you're. not "your".

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X