I thought I would revisit the past and recount a tale from my banking days.
BG - I worked in a call centre position, both during and after hours, on a rotating shift. I moved around a fair bit within the company, however at this time I was taking inbound calls on the general line. What that meant was that people would call in, and I'd answer any questions they had regarding the bank itself [eg. product knowledge], right up to answering general questions about their accounts.
For example: 'What's my current balance?' - I could answer this
'I want to apply for a credit card over the phone' - I could NOT answer this.
Me -
SC - the douche that called in one night around 8pm
Me - 'Welcome to *bank*, how may I help you this evening?'
SC - 'Yeah look I've got a big problem, I'm at a restaurant and we've just finished dinner, and my cards declining, I don't know what you people have done with it but you need to fix it right now 'cause I'm here at the front waiting to pay. Do you understand how inconvenient and embarrassing this is for me right now?'
Me - 'I do apologize sir, I'll just bring up your account and have a quick look for you'
*I confirm all his security dtls, and that it's his debit card that he is calling about [so his own cash, not credit], I pull up his account and have a look*
Me - 'Thanks for holding sir. I've got your account details up here in front of e now. I'm sorry but you don't actually have any available funds at present, your account is sitting at a zero balance. It's actually been at a zero balance since this past weekend'
SC - 'Yeah, I know that, what's that got to do with anything?'
Me - '...um. Well. I mean...to be able to use your debit card sir, you do have to available funds in your account'
SC - 'I really don't see what that has to do anything. Can you hurry up and fix my card, I need to pay for my dinner! I'm standing her waiting!'
Me - 'I'm sorry sir, as I've mentioned, you won't be able to use your card or your account at all unless you have available funds in there, which you do not. You will need to find another form of payment for your dinner, or perhaps speak to the restaurant about your predicament'
SC - 'Excuse me young lady...do you know who I am?!'
Me - 'Yes sir, I confirmed your details when you first called in. I'm speaking with *read to him his name and suburb....and no, he was not anyone 'special', not a celebrity, nothing. He was a regular Joe Blow*
SC - 'Listen here young lady! You're quite clearly just a trainee, I'd like to speak with your manager now, thank you!'
Me - 'I'm sorry sir, we aren't able to transfer calls to managers in the event that an escalation is not necessary'
SC - 'An escalation IS necessary young lady! You don't know what you're doing!'
Me - 'Sir, you need to have funds in your everyday account to be able to spend that money. This is not a credit facility. Any manager or individual will provide you with the same information'
SC - 'And what about providing good customer service, eh? I've been with your company for bloody decades, I'm a loyal customer, and the one time I ask for a bit of leeway, you knock me back! I've got a right mind to close my account right now and just take my business elsewhere you know!'
*I've already been glancing over this guys account while he's been talking. He's been a customer with us for just over a YEAR, and during that time he's called in numerous times to ask that we waive the late fees he been getting most months on the attached credit card facility. All the notes state the same - he says he doesn't have to pay on time. Dont we know who he is. Blah blahb blah. Cue the same performance almost every month. The fee was waived the first time but never since*
Me - 'I'm sorry sir, you've called *our bank*. You've only been a customers of ours for over a year, I suspect you might be confused with another banking institution? In any case, we would still be sorry to see you leave, however if that's what you'd like I can certainly transfer you to our cancellations tea and they'd be happy to assist you with your request'
SC - 'What? No! Just get my card to work!'
Me - 'I'm sorry sir, as I've advised numerous times now, you won't be able to use your debit card this evening as you don't have any funds available'
SC - 'You know, none of this makes any sense! I don't understand why you just wont turn my card back on! You dont care about your loyal customers at all! *yelling to people in the background on his end* Yeah, they've turned off my card for no reason! Yeah, I know, bloody banks! Always out to hassle the hard workers, all they care about is making money! I know, its a joke right!'
Me - 'Sir? Hello? Was there anything else I can help you with today?'
SC - 'Yeah, you can go fuck yourself is how you can help me!'
And with that, he hung up and slunk off into the night.
What a fucknut, seriously.
BG - I worked in a call centre position, both during and after hours, on a rotating shift. I moved around a fair bit within the company, however at this time I was taking inbound calls on the general line. What that meant was that people would call in, and I'd answer any questions they had regarding the bank itself [eg. product knowledge], right up to answering general questions about their accounts.
For example: 'What's my current balance?' - I could answer this
'I want to apply for a credit card over the phone' - I could NOT answer this.
Me -
SC - the douche that called in one night around 8pm
Me - 'Welcome to *bank*, how may I help you this evening?'
SC - 'Yeah look I've got a big problem, I'm at a restaurant and we've just finished dinner, and my cards declining, I don't know what you people have done with it but you need to fix it right now 'cause I'm here at the front waiting to pay. Do you understand how inconvenient and embarrassing this is for me right now?'
Me - 'I do apologize sir, I'll just bring up your account and have a quick look for you'
*I confirm all his security dtls, and that it's his debit card that he is calling about [so his own cash, not credit], I pull up his account and have a look*
Me - 'Thanks for holding sir. I've got your account details up here in front of e now. I'm sorry but you don't actually have any available funds at present, your account is sitting at a zero balance. It's actually been at a zero balance since this past weekend'
SC - 'Yeah, I know that, what's that got to do with anything?'
Me - '...um. Well. I mean...to be able to use your debit card sir, you do have to available funds in your account'
SC - 'I really don't see what that has to do anything. Can you hurry up and fix my card, I need to pay for my dinner! I'm standing her waiting!'
Me - 'I'm sorry sir, as I've mentioned, you won't be able to use your card or your account at all unless you have available funds in there, which you do not. You will need to find another form of payment for your dinner, or perhaps speak to the restaurant about your predicament'
SC - 'Excuse me young lady...do you know who I am?!'
Me - 'Yes sir, I confirmed your details when you first called in. I'm speaking with *read to him his name and suburb....and no, he was not anyone 'special', not a celebrity, nothing. He was a regular Joe Blow*
SC - 'Listen here young lady! You're quite clearly just a trainee, I'd like to speak with your manager now, thank you!'
Me - 'I'm sorry sir, we aren't able to transfer calls to managers in the event that an escalation is not necessary'
SC - 'An escalation IS necessary young lady! You don't know what you're doing!'
Me - 'Sir, you need to have funds in your everyday account to be able to spend that money. This is not a credit facility. Any manager or individual will provide you with the same information'
SC - 'And what about providing good customer service, eh? I've been with your company for bloody decades, I'm a loyal customer, and the one time I ask for a bit of leeway, you knock me back! I've got a right mind to close my account right now and just take my business elsewhere you know!'
*I've already been glancing over this guys account while he's been talking. He's been a customer with us for just over a YEAR, and during that time he's called in numerous times to ask that we waive the late fees he been getting most months on the attached credit card facility. All the notes state the same - he says he doesn't have to pay on time. Dont we know who he is. Blah blahb blah. Cue the same performance almost every month. The fee was waived the first time but never since*
Me - 'I'm sorry sir, you've called *our bank*. You've only been a customers of ours for over a year, I suspect you might be confused with another banking institution? In any case, we would still be sorry to see you leave, however if that's what you'd like I can certainly transfer you to our cancellations tea and they'd be happy to assist you with your request'
SC - 'What? No! Just get my card to work!'
Me - 'I'm sorry sir, as I've advised numerous times now, you won't be able to use your debit card this evening as you don't have any funds available'
SC - 'You know, none of this makes any sense! I don't understand why you just wont turn my card back on! You dont care about your loyal customers at all! *yelling to people in the background on his end* Yeah, they've turned off my card for no reason! Yeah, I know, bloody banks! Always out to hassle the hard workers, all they care about is making money! I know, its a joke right!'
Me - 'Sir? Hello? Was there anything else I can help you with today?'
SC - 'Yeah, you can go fuck yourself is how you can help me!'
And with that, he hung up and slunk off into the night.
What a fucknut, seriously.
Comment