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    I got a call from a former customer because she's getting contract renewal offers from Sales. I was able to pull up the old account and see that the contract had been cancelled but before I did I was trying to determine from her responses if her contract was still open and under her legal responsibility. Her company had been bought out and I can't tell you how many times companies take over others' leased equipment and but not the contract. ugh. Anyway, I couldn't get a word in edgewise but she kept telling me to close her account. Well, it is, but the history is still in our system. But I couldn't tell her the contract was closed once I did see that because I can't give out any information except general stuff unless I not only have the account pulled up but verify the caller's information. I hadn't done that because she wouldn't shut up.

    She kept going on about the fact that she absolutely did not renew her agreement blargle. No one said she did; they are offering it. Also someone had sent a box to her old address. I was 90% sure the box was an extra sent by mistake for a return of the equipment from when she had cancelled her contract. But I couldn't get her to listen to me about it. Instead she decided to be angry. About an empty box that she can keep and use for whatever. We haven't billed her so I don't know why she's so upset.

    Here's the kicker: she's sending a letter with her attorney copied in to whatever address these things are coming from. It's the sales office in another state. Okaaaayy. Sending an offer isn't illegal, so good luck. She was really mad that I couldn't just click a button to stop this and I couldn't get her to shut up long enough to tell her it is SALES that is sending these things and they are thousands of miles from me. I do BILLING. I don't control the sales people. There is no magic button. I mean, I can do something. I can send a ticket to Sales to tell them what's up but since she kept complaining that I couldn't do anything for her, the phone call ended with me telling her I can stop it but I need information. She was too busy squawking to give that to me so oh well. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
    Last edited by Food Lady; 04-14-2018, 07:19 AM.
    "Is it hot in here to you? It's very warm, isn't it?"--Nero, probably

  • #2
    Did she EVER shut up and let you speak? I'm guessing not.......

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    • #3
      I have this obsolete concept known as "manners". I speak in a civilized manner, waiting for the pause in the conversation and the appropriate time for me to speak my part. As such, I'm constantly interrupted and/or spoken over. I handle it in one of two ways. I will wait for that pause in the conversation (if it ever comes), then wait, really drawing out the pause, to the point of it becoming an awkward silence then ask "Oh, you're done, it's my turn now?" If I don't have the time or patience for that, just speak, say you're part either by interrupting or speaking over them. Okay, I've said my part, whether you were listening and heard it, I'm done.

      But this kind of crap is why I really prefer communicating through email.
      D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F.
      Quoth = Crossbow "EvilHomer, Irv, Gravekeeper, and Seraph: the Four Horsemen of the Dumbpocalypse."

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      • #4
        Quoth evilhomer View Post
        then ask "Oh, you're done, it's my turn now?" If I don't have the time or patience for that, just speak, say you're part either by interrupting or speaking over them. Okay, I've said my part, whether you were listening and heard it, I'm done.
        I do this. I wait, I say what I think and I'm done. If they argue against my statement, I may (if they are being polite) repeat myself, but mostly I don't repeat my statement over and over. That is arguing and I have found arguing with people futile.

        So when they come back to me days later and admit I was correct, mostly they are angry that I didn't argue with them. This baffles me. I normally say, "Maybe next time you will listen when I tell you something."

        Even more baffling is when they have done something I knew was wrong, but I didn't know beforehand. Then they are angry I didn't tell them. Or they are angry that I am telling them I knew and they didn't ask me. Even when it is their fault they didn't ask me.

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        • #5
          Quoth evilhomer View Post
          I have this obsolete concept known as "manners". I speak in a civilized manner, waiting for the pause in the conversation and the appropriate time for me to speak my part.
          Manners you say. Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.
          Be Nicer To Retail Workers 2K18, also known as: stop being an incredibly shitty human to people just doing their job.

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          • #6
            Quoth the lawsmeister View Post
            Manners you say. Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.
            A Simpsons reference is always appreciated.
            Life's too short to drink cheap beer

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            • #7
              I used to be a CSR at a satellite call center and would get these calls all the time. Being interrupted is my pet peeve, so I came up with a way to win. Never failed...

              When listening, a person talking on the other end instinctively caused me to stop so I could hear them. When it was my turn I simply took the headset off so I was only speaking into the microphone. This way I could continue talking and explaining things to the caller interrupting me, and I wouldn't hear them which meant they would be forced to listen to me as I wouldn't budge from speaking. If they missed out on important information, it was on them. QA couldn't say anything.

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              • #8
                A couple of times over the years, when I got really, really obnoxious idiots on the phone who would simply Would. Not. Shut. Up. - I got through by yelling "EXCUSE ME!!!" however many times it took to get through. When they stopped talking (probably out of shock), I continued politely with whatever I needed to say.

                It worked, but it was not strictly polite. But with some people, polite goes out the window and you have to use what works.
                When you start at zero, everything's progress.

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                • #9
                  When I worked for a government agency, one of my jobs was to take the calls the receptionists couldn’t handle— because the issue was too difficult or because the caller was either irate. And obnoxious or hopelessly vague. I couldn’t hang up or be rude; callers had a tendency to complain to some elected official and we had to stop everything and deal with the complaint. On the other hand, I could take as long as I needed, no time stamps.

                  I found that both irate callers and people who had to tell their life stories could be handled by waiting them out. I got very good at playing Solitaire on the computer, while murmuring “oh, really? My goodness. Uh huh. That must have been difficult.” Since I was barely listening, I could tune out both the invectives and the details of Martha’s dog groomer’s car accident.

                  The not so fun part was saying “no” without triggering either more invective or a burst of tears.

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