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I work for a major wireless provider
TWICE in two days I get this!
Idiot woman one
IW1: Does my plan include feature X at no charge?
Me: No it doesn't, for some reason a lot of customers think it does, but in order to get that you need plan B.
IW1: So I have to pay extra for feature X? It says it's included.
Me: The access to feature X is included but you will still pay every time you use it, under plan B you have unlimited use at no extra charge.
IW1: That doesn't sound right to me...
Me: Well I apologize for the misunderstanding but that's the way it is.
*IW1 leaves store*
Well, that was easy...
NOT!
Moments later she comes storming back in with a phone to her ear.
IW1: Ok, hold one moment please (to person on phone). Look I have one of your customer service SUPERVISORS on the phone and he's calling you a liar!
Me: Excuse me?
IW1: He says I do get unlimited access to feature X at no charge under my plan!
Me: Well I am sorry to tell you but he's incorrect.
IW1: But he's a supervisor!
Me: That does not necessarily mean he is right all the time.
IW1: I am more inclined to take his word over yours, you're just a sales rep.
Me: I may be a sales rep but I've been in this industry a long time, I handle these phones on a daily basis and know the billing inside and out. I used to work at a call center too, just like that supervisor does and there's a good chance I actually have MORE experience with this than he does.
IW1: But that doesn't mean you're right either!
Me: No one can be right all the time, but I am almost certain I am correct in this instance.
IW1: So why is this supervisor telling me something different?
Me: He likely does not know the systems as well as I do. As I told you ma'am, I've been doing this for quite awhile and I know a LOT about how our phones and billing work.
IW1: Well I am going to believe him, you obviously don't know what you are talking about, if I get any charges for this on my next bill I am coming back here to dispute them because I refuse to pay for something I DO NOT have to!"
*leaves*
I would bet $100 she'll be back next month with a huge ass phone bill because she didn't listen to me. You watch...
Idiot woman 2
IW2: I bought this phone at (outlet of yours) in California and I was told I could exchange it within 30 days. My 30 days are up on July 30 and I would like to switch phones.
(IMPORTANT NOTE: The company I work for is a 3rd party retailer that sells on BEHALF of a major wireless provider and are branded as such, we HAVE NO outlets in California)
Me: Ok, well our company has no outlets in California so I would not be able to process an exchange for you here.
IW2: What do you mean you have no outlets there? The place there had (name of major wireless provider) on it and this place has (same name) on it. How are they different outlets? It's the same company!
Me: Actually no its not, we sell phones for (major provider) but we are a separate company and it looks like the place you bought if from in Cali was also a 3rd party provider according to my computer here.
IW2: What are you saying?
Me: I am saying ma'am that in order to exchange this phone you will have to go back to the store in California.
IW2: WHAT?! But they both say (name of major provider) on them!
Me: That is true, however they are SEPARATE 3rd party retailers. Think of it this way: if you buy some Budweiser at Jimmy's Liquor store, you won't be able to return it at Jerry's Liquor store even though Jerry's sells Budweiser too.
IW2: That's not fair! Get me the corporate number to your CEO!
(at this point my manager gives her our standard corporate number which was apparently enough to placate her because she left the store after)
At least for a minute or two. It seems in the parking lot she had a rare SC flash of logic that caused her to come storming back into the place.
IW2: You know it just occurred to me that contacting your CEO won't do me any good, he won't listen to me. It will be useless. I need this resolved TODAY.
Me: As I explained earlier I can't do anything for you.
IW2: What if have the California store fax my receipt over to you? Could you do the exchange then?
(Faxing receipts is in general a no-no, and in this case it made even less sense)
Me: Unfortunately that would not help since I cannot do a refund or exchange on a transaction that does not exist in our system.
IW2: Why not?!
(do I REALLY need to explain that one??
Me: If there is no sales record, a return or exchange is not possible as we will not be able to account for or process it correctly.
IW2: (grumbles) Fine, I'll have to figure something out. (leaves store again)
...But NOT for good!
A couple of minutes late SHE COMES BACK AGAIN with the notorious phone in her ear. I want to run in the back room and hide for a few minutes but unfortunately my manager is with another customer and I am the only one that can handle this lady.
IW2: Ok I have a supervisor on the line (Oh shit, not this again...) and he says if a buy a phone at one store I can exchange it at any other store. He wants to talk to you. (hands me phone)
Supervisor: Yes hello my name is Rahib and I am customer service supervisor. I am told you refuse to exchange this woman's phone at her location, but she should be able to exchange it at any store.
Me: Where did she tell you she bought the phone?
S: At a (corporate) store sir. That is where she bought it and exchanges can be made at any of these stores nationwide.
Me: You are correct but I looked up the store she purchased it at through the lookup function on the corporate website and it was NOT a corporate store, it was a 3rd party store...just like this location is.
S: Oh, well yes return for phone cannot be done at stores that are not corporate. the customer had told me it was corporate store.
Me: Precisely, now would you mind telling the customer this please? (hands phone back to IW2).
IW2: (to S on phone) What???? It was a (corporate store), you just don't know what you are talking about! (hangs up) (to me) why can't I return this phone here?!
Me: (seriously lady, you are going to put me through this AGAIN?! urge to kill rising...) For the FOURTH time ma'am, even though it says (name of major provider) on the sign of BOTH stores, they are in fact different companies. You will only be able to return this phone in California.
IW2: Well what if I go to (corporate store) in this city? Will they do it?
(*mental image of myself strangling customer with barbed wire*) No ma'am they won't, you will have the same issue there. Follow me here: You BOUGHT this phone at a 3RD PARTY STORE, you have to take it BACK to the SAME STORE. You can't bring it back here or to a corporate store, ONLY from the place where you bought it.
IW2: Well I will be in this area until just after my 30 days, what if I can't get back to the other store in time?
Me: Well perhaps you could call them and see if something can be worked out.
IW2: Could you call them for me?
(Oh no you didn't. I have WASTED 30 minutes of my day on you and I know full well I won't see one RED CENT from sales or commission out of this deal, I am done with this. Seriously.)
Me: Unfortunately I can't, I don't have the number. (Not true, I did have it, but I am sooo over dealing with this woman)
IW2: Well fine then, I'll do it myself. I'm leaving now, (hallelujah, praise the lord, don't ever come back!) but I am still going to call your corporate offices and report all this. This is NOT the way to treat a valued customer! (she storms off).
I spent the next five or so minutes on edge but after that I finally realized that she was finally gone for good.
I do understand part of this woman's argument, it is not marked on our sign that we are a 3rd party store and not a corporate store, but after I explained that to this woman, that should have been the end of it.
I've been in my field for awhile, I know the business and I HATE it when people don't believe me because they aren't happy with my answer and go whining to our phone in customer service. I used to work that department and I know they fuck things up all the time there.
Man I am glad I have today off.
TWICE in two days I get this!
Idiot woman one
IW1: Does my plan include feature X at no charge?
Me: No it doesn't, for some reason a lot of customers think it does, but in order to get that you need plan B.
IW1: So I have to pay extra for feature X? It says it's included.
Me: The access to feature X is included but you will still pay every time you use it, under plan B you have unlimited use at no extra charge.
IW1: That doesn't sound right to me...
Me: Well I apologize for the misunderstanding but that's the way it is.
*IW1 leaves store*
Well, that was easy...
NOT!
Moments later she comes storming back in with a phone to her ear.
IW1: Ok, hold one moment please (to person on phone). Look I have one of your customer service SUPERVISORS on the phone and he's calling you a liar!
Me: Excuse me?
IW1: He says I do get unlimited access to feature X at no charge under my plan!
Me: Well I am sorry to tell you but he's incorrect.
IW1: But he's a supervisor!
Me: That does not necessarily mean he is right all the time.
IW1: I am more inclined to take his word over yours, you're just a sales rep.
Me: I may be a sales rep but I've been in this industry a long time, I handle these phones on a daily basis and know the billing inside and out. I used to work at a call center too, just like that supervisor does and there's a good chance I actually have MORE experience with this than he does.
IW1: But that doesn't mean you're right either!
Me: No one can be right all the time, but I am almost certain I am correct in this instance.
IW1: So why is this supervisor telling me something different?
Me: He likely does not know the systems as well as I do. As I told you ma'am, I've been doing this for quite awhile and I know a LOT about how our phones and billing work.
IW1: Well I am going to believe him, you obviously don't know what you are talking about, if I get any charges for this on my next bill I am coming back here to dispute them because I refuse to pay for something I DO NOT have to!"
*leaves*
I would bet $100 she'll be back next month with a huge ass phone bill because she didn't listen to me. You watch...
Idiot woman 2
IW2: I bought this phone at (outlet of yours) in California and I was told I could exchange it within 30 days. My 30 days are up on July 30 and I would like to switch phones.
(IMPORTANT NOTE: The company I work for is a 3rd party retailer that sells on BEHALF of a major wireless provider and are branded as such, we HAVE NO outlets in California)
Me: Ok, well our company has no outlets in California so I would not be able to process an exchange for you here.
IW2: What do you mean you have no outlets there? The place there had (name of major wireless provider) on it and this place has (same name) on it. How are they different outlets? It's the same company!
Me: Actually no its not, we sell phones for (major provider) but we are a separate company and it looks like the place you bought if from in Cali was also a 3rd party provider according to my computer here.
IW2: What are you saying?
Me: I am saying ma'am that in order to exchange this phone you will have to go back to the store in California.
IW2: WHAT?! But they both say (name of major provider) on them!
Me: That is true, however they are SEPARATE 3rd party retailers. Think of it this way: if you buy some Budweiser at Jimmy's Liquor store, you won't be able to return it at Jerry's Liquor store even though Jerry's sells Budweiser too.
IW2: That's not fair! Get me the corporate number to your CEO!
(at this point my manager gives her our standard corporate number which was apparently enough to placate her because she left the store after)
At least for a minute or two. It seems in the parking lot she had a rare SC flash of logic that caused her to come storming back into the place.
IW2: You know it just occurred to me that contacting your CEO won't do me any good, he won't listen to me. It will be useless. I need this resolved TODAY.
Me: As I explained earlier I can't do anything for you.
IW2: What if have the California store fax my receipt over to you? Could you do the exchange then?
(Faxing receipts is in general a no-no, and in this case it made even less sense)
Me: Unfortunately that would not help since I cannot do a refund or exchange on a transaction that does not exist in our system.
IW2: Why not?!
(do I REALLY need to explain that one??
Me: If there is no sales record, a return or exchange is not possible as we will not be able to account for or process it correctly.
IW2: (grumbles) Fine, I'll have to figure something out. (leaves store again)
...But NOT for good!
A couple of minutes late SHE COMES BACK AGAIN with the notorious phone in her ear. I want to run in the back room and hide for a few minutes but unfortunately my manager is with another customer and I am the only one that can handle this lady.
IW2: Ok I have a supervisor on the line (Oh shit, not this again...) and he says if a buy a phone at one store I can exchange it at any other store. He wants to talk to you. (hands me phone)
Supervisor: Yes hello my name is Rahib and I am customer service supervisor. I am told you refuse to exchange this woman's phone at her location, but she should be able to exchange it at any store.
Me: Where did she tell you she bought the phone?
S: At a (corporate) store sir. That is where she bought it and exchanges can be made at any of these stores nationwide.
Me: You are correct but I looked up the store she purchased it at through the lookup function on the corporate website and it was NOT a corporate store, it was a 3rd party store...just like this location is.
S: Oh, well yes return for phone cannot be done at stores that are not corporate. the customer had told me it was corporate store.
Me: Precisely, now would you mind telling the customer this please? (hands phone back to IW2).
IW2: (to S on phone) What???? It was a (corporate store), you just don't know what you are talking about! (hangs up) (to me) why can't I return this phone here?!
Me: (seriously lady, you are going to put me through this AGAIN?! urge to kill rising...) For the FOURTH time ma'am, even though it says (name of major provider) on the sign of BOTH stores, they are in fact different companies. You will only be able to return this phone in California.
IW2: Well what if I go to (corporate store) in this city? Will they do it?
(*mental image of myself strangling customer with barbed wire*) No ma'am they won't, you will have the same issue there. Follow me here: You BOUGHT this phone at a 3RD PARTY STORE, you have to take it BACK to the SAME STORE. You can't bring it back here or to a corporate store, ONLY from the place where you bought it.
IW2: Well I will be in this area until just after my 30 days, what if I can't get back to the other store in time?
Me: Well perhaps you could call them and see if something can be worked out.
IW2: Could you call them for me?
(Oh no you didn't. I have WASTED 30 minutes of my day on you and I know full well I won't see one RED CENT from sales or commission out of this deal, I am done with this. Seriously.)
Me: Unfortunately I can't, I don't have the number. (Not true, I did have it, but I am sooo over dealing with this woman)
IW2: Well fine then, I'll do it myself. I'm leaving now, (hallelujah, praise the lord, don't ever come back!) but I am still going to call your corporate offices and report all this. This is NOT the way to treat a valued customer! (she storms off).
I spent the next five or so minutes on edge but after that I finally realized that she was finally gone for good.
I do understand part of this woman's argument, it is not marked on our sign that we are a 3rd party store and not a corporate store, but after I explained that to this woman, that should have been the end of it.
I've been in my field for awhile, I know the business and I HATE it when people don't believe me because they aren't happy with my answer and go whining to our phone in customer service. I used to work that department and I know they fuck things up all the time there.
Man I am glad I have today off.
. He gets up to the counter and stands there. So I ask him, "Do you have insurance on the phone, sir?" No reply. I repeat myself a couple of times, still no reply. He finally says, "You people are useless" and walks out.
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