Call Center Chaos (very long)

[XCashier]

Took an extra job at a call center for some extra cash. The business is well-known for their high-quality but expensive fruit, chocolates and other goodies, frequently sent in gift baskets. My job was to take phone orders and input the data into the computer so the folks in the packing department could send the orders on their way.

There is a specific way to enter the data. First, take the customer’s name/address/phone/email. Next screen is the first recipient’s name/address (phone and email optional). Then we need the item number of the specific item the customer wishes to send the recipient. Next, we need a greeting to put on the label or enclosed card. If there are more recipients, we go back and repeat the last few steps. Then, it’s payment time, and we will need the coupon you will be using (if any) and your form of payment. I ask the questions at the appropriate times, fill out the information and voila! We’re done, and your friends and family members will be receiving their tasty treats soon. If we skip back and forth, it will take a lot longer and be far more confusing for both of us.

The first week of December was all training until the last day. I admit I had awful stage fright my first couple of calls, but things got easier. Had some standard calls that went well, then got my first bad call. The customer spoke with an extremely thick accent, which wouldn’t have been a problem if not for the fact that the phone line itself was horrible. The line was giving me a triple echo feedback and static, rendering her almost completely incomprehensible. She understood me and refused to believe that I had a bad line. Add to this that she did not have a catalog, did not know any of the item numbers or even the full names of what she was ordering, and this was the nightmare call from hell. We went back and forth, with me getting even more frustrated and her even more unintelligible, until she finally hung up in disgust. I feel very bad about that call, but we are not allowed to hang up on a customer and I didn’t think transferring would do any good, as it was the line that was bad. It was my very first day taking orders and it upset me greatly. The trainer told me it was okay, these things happen, take a deep breath and go on to the next call.

Things went okay for the rest of that day and the next, and on the third day I got this gem of a call:
ME: Thank you for calling Fancy Gift Company, my name is XC, may I help you with an order?
SC (very snappy): You’d better! I want to order this gift package, but I want to substitute this item for that part.
ME: We’re not allowed to substitute items in our gift packages—
SC: I don’t care! I want to and if you can’t do it, get me someone who can!

Okay, we’re not allowed to do substitutions for multi-component gift packages, and I explained that, but she was having none of it. And she was very sharp and rude about it as well. I had to put her on hold and ask a trainer what to do. After explaining the problem, she took over the call and went through it. The trainer kept her voice even and pleasant, but I would see her roll her eyes or make a face every few seconds. Finally, she finished the call and the SC hung up.

TR: That woman was such a bitch!
ME: So it wasn’t just me?
TR: No, definitely not you.

Now, most of my calls were okay. As long as I was able to guide the call and get everything done in order, things went smoothly.

I did not realize how much talking I would have to do and ended up losing my voice and having to call out for two days, which sucked, but this is the season for laryngitis, and even the leads understood that I couldn’t take calls with my voice reduced to a whispered croak.

I got better, went back to the phones, business as usual. Then today I got this call from a hysterical customer.

ME: Thank you for calling Fancy Gift Company, my name is XC, may I help you with an order?
HC: Oh my GOD, I don’t have my shopping done, I need to get this done! Quick, what do you have and how soon can you get it there?
ME: With whom am I speaking—
HC: Oh God oh God, I’m so late! I’ve got so much to do and no time to do it!
ME: We can get this done, I first need to confirm—
HC: OH GOD! We’re so behind! I’m stressing out!

What I wanted to say but couldn’t because I knew the call was monitored: “Lady, get a grip already! This is Christmas shopping, not Armageddon! The world as we know it is not in danger of collapse! Calm down, quiet down, listen to me, answer my questions and follow my prompts, and we can get this done in half the time and one-tenth the stress!”

But since I couldn’t say that, I had to listen to her freaking out, and try to wrest what little information I could from her ranting. It did not help matters any that she had a shrill, loud, squawky voice reminiscent of a shrieking cockatiel, nor did it help that she didn’t have all of her information at hand and had to hunt down several addresses! I finally got the call finished in about thrice the time it needed to take, after which I had an excruciating headache and ringing ears.

Tomorrow is my last day. While I am looking forward to it being over, I am not looking forward to the calls, if Madame Hysteria is any indication.

In summary, if you are going to call a call center to place an order, have all of your information at hand, listen to the operator, follow his/her instructions and most importantly, keep calm. Things will go much more smoothly if you do.

[XCashier]

Today was the last day! And as I guessed, we had loads of people who couldn't understand why their order wouldn't arrive before Christmas, or why the item they wanted was sold out. You snooze, you lose.

Not to mention the brain surgeon who was trying to read her catalog without her glasses and couldn't figure out why she couldn't make a gift basket out of whatever she wanted to put in it.

Then there was Mister No-Volume-Control who shouted throughout his order (dude, the phone speaker is right next to your mouth. You don't need to yell!) and someone who insisted on ordering over speakerphone, then couldn't figure out why the call sounded weird.

Ah well, at least it's over and I've a little more money in the coffers.

[notalwaysright]

and couldn't figure out why she couldn't make a gift basket out of whatever she wanted to put in it.

If you want to do that you need to... I dunno... Go out and buy stuff to make your own basket! Oh wait, we're talking about SCs, so that's too much effort.

[XCashier]

Pretty much, yes. The company made the gift baskets this specific way for a reason; they're popular, quickly assembled and fit properly in the shipping boxes. If you want different stuff, you have to pay for it separately; you can't just substitute items willy-nilly.

[shanarocks]

Welcome to my world!

I work in a call center for a huge bank. I happen to work in the credit cards. Credit happens to be one of the most misunderstood things, apparently. People ask what seem to be the dumbest questions. They yell and talk over you as if that will get thier issue resolved. They act like the representative on the phone is personally resposible for their mistakes or, even, the bank's mistakes. It is a nightmare!

[Slave to the Phone]

And as I guessed, we had loads of people who couldn't understand why their order wouldn't arrive before Christmas, or why the item they wanted was sold out. You snooze, you lose.

Christmas comes the same time every year, why is it such a surprise to some people? Why are those same people so shocked to learn that popular items are often bought by other people who actually planned ahead.

Oh well, Merry Christmas from someone who ordered presents that needed to be shipped well in advance and is now getting happy phone calls from the giftees.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Christmas comes the same time every year, why is it such a surprise to some people? Why are those same people so shocked to learn that popular items are often bought by other people who actually planned ahead.

1. It's not a surprise; they feel they can procrastinate because they know places like Walmart, Target and the clearance swamp will be open in the evening Christmas Eve for them to shop.

2. They think we have more in "the back."

[earl colby pottinger]

How much

Ah well, at least it's over and I've a little more money in the coffers.

If you don't mind how much did they pay an hour, just to compare to other call centers and to get an idea of what these customers costed you.

[earl colby pottinger]

Problem waiting till the last minute

1. It's not a surprise; they feel they can procrastinate because they know places like Walmart, Target and the clearance swamp will be open in the evening Christmas Eve for them to shop.

2. They think we have more in "the back."

I worked computer repairs, and people would bring in stuff that was acting up or out-right failing for months. Now they want the computer ready for Christmas so they can play the latest games. When do they bring it in for repair?

1) When the unit breaks down - it seems like never.

2) One month before we closed for Dec.24 - Jan.1. Open Dec 27-29 for pickup only or the leave a unit - NO REPAIRS! 10-15% of customers.

3) One week before we close. 75-80% of customers and I am working to fix units but I do them in the order they arrive unless the unit is very bad in which case it gets skipped over.

4) The last two days before we close for Christmas. The rest, all yelling that their computer must be fixed for little Johnie while of-course with so many people ahead of them it will be nearly impossible to get them fixed in time.

What makes it worse, is I do not celebrate Christmas or New Years so I did not mind coming in and working on units on the days that were only to be pickup days (it is sort of nice to work without salesmen trying to get your attention) so often I could get units working earlier than first projected and call the owners to come and pick it up.

Most were happy to get their computers back so soon so the kids (and adults) could play the games they found under the Christmas tree, but there always would be one or two people a day complaining it was not ready for Christmas despite the facts the unit had broken down months ago and they bought it in only on the last day.