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  • You're harder to get ahold of than... (longish, some language)

    First proper thread hooray! Hi everybody

    A short introduction- I work in a call centre, where I provide tech support for many, many different products. I'm talking TVs, DVD players, home phones, home theatre kits, etc.

    A lot of the job is hand holding, helping people to set up things when they are too lazy to RTFM. For the most part, I really love the job.

    That said, I have been getting a slew of SCs lately. Which is good, because I have to move before too long and will need to resign at some point in the near future. SCs will make this less painful. Here are yesterday's gems-

    Crazy Bitch

    SC- Does what it says on the tin
    Me- Tech Support super star

    Me- <opening spiel>, have you called us before?
    SC- Yeah, no, listen, can you call me right back?
    Me- If I could take some of your details, I would be happy to arrange to call you back.
    SC- I don't want to give you any of my details. I'm on my mobile and this is costing a fortune and why do I need to pay to tell you one of your products is BROKEN?!
    (Side note- yes, customers have to pay to call us, at their local rate. Higher for mobile phones, so, well, don't call from a mobile phone)
    Me- Ok. I would need to take at least your phone number and your name, and then I can arrange to call you back.
    SC- What do you mean ARRANGE? Listen, this is a birthday present and I need to get it working NOW. Will you just call me back? Isn't my number on your screen right now?!?
    Me- Madam, the reason we need to arrange a call back is this. All call back requests are placed into a queue and and called on a first come first served basis. This way, we treat all of our customers fairly.
    At this point, I'll mention that I am one of the folk who get to call people back. I am usually able to call people back right away, but because inbound calls have priority, if another call comes through I have to take that first. That is why I can't guarantee the time.
    SC- NO! The lady who transfered me to you said you would just call me back!!!
    Me- We need to treat all of our customers fairly. I cannot guarantee the time of the call, but that it will be ASAP. If you could let me know which product you're calling about, I could see about answering your question this instant.
    SC- It's a <unsupported product>, but that is not the point! This is bullshit. I want to be transfered to your manager this instant.
    Me- Madam, I won't be able to transfer you to my manager because our managers do not take calls. They would tell you the same thing I am telling you now, because we treat all of our customer's fairly.
    SC- WHAT?!?!? SO YOU'RE GOING TO DENY ME MY RIGHT TO SPEAK TO A MANAGER?!?! I'll get you fired for this! You transfer me to a manager this instant!!?!?!11!!
    Me- I can try, madam. Are you able to hold one moment please?
    SC-ARRRGFLELLHLKLAHSHJ!
    Attempts transfer, no manager at desk
    Me- Thank you so much for holding. There is not a manager available at the moment. If this is just a quick technical query, I can address it now, and I don't have to take any details for that. Otherwise, I can take your name and phone number and arrange a call back.
    SC- OHHHHHHHHHH! Well isn't it just convenient that there is no manager available? You bet your ass I'll be making a formal complaint. Enjoy your job while it lasts. My number is <shouts number in my ear> and you better have some one call me back right fucking now. I can't believe your shit blarjbahljalkjs *hangs up*

    I was shaking after that call, and was left with a bit of a dilemma. I could exact my revenge, forget it, and she would never get that b-day present working. She'd probably call back and tirade at someone else. Or, because there is no way I was talking to her again, I could have one of my colleagues call her back and tell her we DONT SUPPORT THE PRODUCT. Something I could have told her in about 30 seconds if she had just STFU.

    I went with option B, when my colleague got off the phone he said she is still planning to complain about how horrible we all are, how we don't know anything, etc. Part of me worries that if she actually does complain about me enforcing policy, I might get in trouble for it.

    You're harder to get ahold of than...

    Following on from that, I had SC2 of the day following right on her heels.

    SC2- The clue is in the name
    Me- How long till my next break?

    Me- <Opening spiel> <requests details>
    SC2- <Provides details>
    Me- How can I help?
    SC2- Well, you idiots have had my daughter's TV for 10 days now, and you said it wasn't going to take more than 2 weeks, and that engineer who took my daughter's TV away said it wasn't going to be more than 2 weeks but I haven't heard anything and what the hell is going on, you're depriving her of her TV!
    Me- (WTF? Since when is 10 days more than 2 weeks) Ok sir, lets get to the bottom of this. Have you called the engineers directly?
    SC2- WHAT?!?!? Is this the wrong damn department again?!?!?!
    Me- Sir, this is the correct department. If your TV's gone out for repair and is taking some time, we can help you find out what is happening.
    SC2- Awww f*ck! I KNEW it. That idiot put me through to the wrong department!!! I'm here and there and everywhere and you guys.... you guys are HARDER TO GET AHOLD OF THAN BIN-LADEN!!!!!!!!!!! *hangs up*

    Ummm.... what? Nevermind, then.

    There have been more... many, many more, but these are the only two I've got the energy to get down in writing at the moment.

    More to come, then
    If brains were gunpowder some would not have enough to blow their nose off!! ~RobertM

    Getting married for the cake is like getting arrested for the free photo. ~ EvilEmpryss

  • #2
    SC- I don't want to give you any of my details. I'm on my mobile and this is costing a fortune and why do I need to pay to tell you one of your products is BROKEN?!
    (Side note- yes, customers have to pay to call us, at their local rate. Higher for mobile phones, so, well, don't call from a mobile phone)
    Me- Ok. I would need to take at least your phone number and your name, and then I can arrange to call you back.
    SC- What do you mean ARRANGE? Listen, this is a birthday present and I need to get it working NOW. Will you just call me back? Isn't my number on your screen right now?!?
    Wait... She's calling on her mobile and wants you to call her back so she doesn't get charged for it. But she wants you to call her back on her mobile.

    I don't know how it works on your side of the lake, but over here we get charged for minutes regardless of whether or not we made or accepted the call.

    The second SC.. I dunno what's worse. His sense of time or his sense of hearing. Sweet Jeebus.

    CH
    Some People Are Alive Only Because It Is Illegal To Kill Them

    Comment


    • #3
      Quoth crashhelmet View Post
      I don't know how it works on your side of the lake, but over here we get charged for minutes regardless of whether or not we made or accepted the call.

      CH
      over here we pay to make calls and sent texts, but apart from some premium numbers, receiving is generally free. :-)

      Comment


      • #4
        Congrats on first thread Sauletekis.

        I love people who threaten like that... Then again I tell em just to call my manager during the day. She's a fiesty one
        "Hi, this is Silver. How may I lose my self respect in order to cater to your over- inflated ego today?" --- Silverrb

        Comment


        • #5
          Quoth crashhelmet View Post
          Wait... She's calling on her mobile and wants you to call her back so she doesn't get charged for it. But she wants you to call her back on her mobile.

          I don't know how it works on your side of the lake, but over here we get charged for minutes regardless of whether or not we made or accepted the call.
          This is one of the lovely lovely things about the UK- you don't pay to receive calls on your mobile.

          So yeah, I understand it costs money to call us. If you call from a landline it is 5p per minute (like $0.07 per minute), if you call from a mobile it is 15-30p per minute depending on your carrier.

          What I don't understand about arses like this is how they figure they get to jump the queue ahead of all the people paying to call in and waiting for one of us to take their call, and then double queue jump ahead of all the folk waiting for a call back. EW much???
          If brains were gunpowder some would not have enough to blow their nose off!! ~RobertM

          Getting married for the cake is like getting arrested for the free photo. ~ EvilEmpryss

          Comment


          • #6
            Quoth Sauletekis View Post
            This is one of the lovely lovely things about the UK- you don't pay to receive calls on your mobile.

            So yeah, I understand it costs money to call us. If you call from a landline it is 5p per minute (like $0.07 per minute), if you call from a mobile it is 15-30p per minute depending on your carrier.
            Is that after you go over your minutes?
            How was I supposed to know someone was slipping you Birth Control in the food I've been making for you lately?

            Comment


            • #7
              Quoth Sauletekis View Post
              Part of me worries that if she actually does complain about me enforcing policy, I might get in trouble for it.
              That, that right there. That is why i need to get OUT of retail and into an industry that sticks to the rules. Just for my own sanity's sake.

              My work's opinion is that you can bend, break, crush the rules if denying the customer becomes "a guest service issue".

              But you know what? Telling the SC's "NO" is ALWAYS a "guest service issue" because they ALWAYS get pissed off that they're not getting exactly what they want!

              Comment


              • #8
                Quoth jjllbb View Post
                That, that right there. That is why i need to get OUT of retail and into an industry that sticks to the rules. Just for my own sanity's sake.
                Don't suffer from insanity - enjoy the ride!

                And if you want to work in a place that sticks to rules, I have some beach-front property in Arizona I can sell you for a steal! Very few do when dealing with the customers.

                B
                "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."- Albert Einstein.
                I never knew how happy paint could make people until I started selling it.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Quoth jjllbb View Post
                  That, that right there. That is why i need to get OUT of retail and into an industry that sticks to the rules.
                  The thing I don't get about this shit is why even have rules in the first place? And, if we cave into a SC because they are whinging their pants off, what message does that send?

                  And what about all the non-SCs that I wish I could bend the rules for? Because they are not sucky and honest we can't give them anything, but for the turds who are horrible and expect the world for nothing- for them we can break the rules?!?

                  Seriously, this pisses me off more every day.
                  If brains were gunpowder some would not have enough to blow their nose off!! ~RobertM

                  Getting married for the cake is like getting arrested for the free photo. ~ EvilEmpryss

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Sauletekis, you dont happen to work for an international company with 2 letter name do you? Sounds very similar to the place I used to work here in Oz.

                    I lost count of the number of times a customer *DEMANDED* we call them back because they *CHOSE* to call us from a mobile, but didnt want to pay for it.
                    "When did you get a gold plated toilet?"
                    "We don't have a gold plated toilet"
                    "Oh dear, I think I just peed in your Tuba"

                    -Jasper Fforde

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      We don't really have minutes.

                      You usually just pay whatever you used up.

                      Also wtf? You pay if you get called on your mobile? What kind of screwed up system is that?
                      http://www.deezer.com/#music/album/100130
                      Melody Gardot

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        We have plans that usually include a number of minutes as part of the package, and then any time over that gets billed at a usurious rate. Most plans include all evenings and weekends free. Many plans now include calls to others with the same service as free.

                        And, honestly, it doesn't matter whether the call is inbound or outbound; you're using the service regardless of who placed the call.

                        Since it's cheaper these days to just have a mobile phone, and most of those have better services (as an expected part of it and not an add-on) than land lines, a lot of people are abandoning land lines altogether.

                        ^-.-^
                        Faith is about what you do. It's about aspiring to be better and nobler and kinder than you are. It's about making sacrifices for the good of others. - Dresden

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Quoth raw456 View Post
                          Sauletekis, you dont happen to work for an international company with 2 letter name do you? Sounds very similar to the place I used to work here in Oz.

                          I lost count of the number of times a customer *DEMANDED* we call them back because they *CHOSE* to call us from a mobile, but didnt want to pay for it.
                          International Company? Yes. Two letters? No. I'm gonna keep my company name on the down low right now, given I'm still employed there and for the most part I love my job... but yeah, its a call centre, and sometimes it really sucks.
                          If brains were gunpowder some would not have enough to blow their nose off!! ~RobertM

                          Getting married for the cake is like getting arrested for the free photo. ~ EvilEmpryss

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Quoth Sauletekis View Post
                            International Company? Yes. Two letters? No. I'm gonna keep my company name on the down low right now, given I'm still employed there and for the most part I love my job... but yeah, its a call centre, and sometimes it really sucks.
                            Thats Cool! It was more of a wondering than anything else. Thought it might be amusing if we both worked for the same Company, just in different countries. We could have compared war stories.
                            "When did you get a gold plated toilet?"
                            "We don't have a gold plated toilet"
                            "Oh dear, I think I just peed in your Tuba"

                            -Jasper Fforde

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Quoth Sauletekis View Post
                              I'm gonna keep my company name on the down low right now, given I'm still employed there and for the most part I love my job...
                              Exactly what we advise people do. We're here to vent, not get sacked.

                              Rapscallion

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