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[BG]One of the support calls I take is for a discount phone carrier that was absorbed by the company we bought out a couple of years ago. This carrier is essentially no longer in business but they still have an old customer base to support (Not to mention that the customers themselves are old).
This carrier, like any other phone provider charges a trip fee if they come to the house and get a clear dial-tone in the outside box's test jack, meaning it's an issue with the customer's inside wiring. This same jack is also accessible to customers (Just open the box up and there it is).[END BG]
The trip fee is rather high for this carrier, but I don't set the price but we have to quote it and the customer has to verbally agree to it before we can submit a ticket.
Most people accept it. This one, well....
*Calls is uneventful until I mention the trip fee*
SC: I don't see why you have to gouge me like that just to tell me if the problem is on the inside or not.
Me: The trip fee is only there in case the tech finds the service is good to the box. It's basically a diagnosis fee.
SC: Again, I don't think I should pay that much just so your tech can tell me it's my responsibility!
Me: An analogy I can make is if you bring your computer to a repair shop and they diagnose it but you decline the repair, you still have to pay a diagnosis fee. It's the same thing here.
SC: Don't make analogies like that, it's very patronizing!
Me: I'm sorry if it came off like that but if you want to avoid the trip fee, there is something you can do....
SC: *Cuts me off* And what would that be?
Me: Take an old fashioned corded phone outside, open the box and plug it into the test jack, if you get dial-tone then it's an inside issue and you might want to call an electrician, if you get no dial-tone outside call us back and let us know so we can notate it and submit the ticket.
SC: I'm not doing that, that's your job! This is ridiculous!
Me: Then I can submit the ticket for you but if the tech finds the service good to the box you will be charged the trip fee.
SC: Now I know why you guys are cheaper than the regular phone company, you charge less per month so you can screw me in other areas! Send me over to customer care, I want to cancel and go with someone else!
Me: You do realize that if it's an inside wiring issue, switching over to another phone company is not going to resolve the issue? You need to get it taken care of if it turns out to be inside.
SC: I DON'T CARE! I WANT TO CANCEL MY SERVICE!
Me: No problem, please hold....
*Transfered....*
It's funny that she didn't want to pay the trip fee but when I offered a way out of it she would rather bitch and moan rather than take all of 2 minutes to open the box check the test jack.
This carrier, like any other phone provider charges a trip fee if they come to the house and get a clear dial-tone in the outside box's test jack, meaning it's an issue with the customer's inside wiring. This same jack is also accessible to customers (Just open the box up and there it is).[END BG]
The trip fee is rather high for this carrier, but I don't set the price but we have to quote it and the customer has to verbally agree to it before we can submit a ticket.
Most people accept it. This one, well....
*Calls is uneventful until I mention the trip fee*
SC: I don't see why you have to gouge me like that just to tell me if the problem is on the inside or not.
Me: The trip fee is only there in case the tech finds the service is good to the box. It's basically a diagnosis fee.
SC: Again, I don't think I should pay that much just so your tech can tell me it's my responsibility!
Me: An analogy I can make is if you bring your computer to a repair shop and they diagnose it but you decline the repair, you still have to pay a diagnosis fee. It's the same thing here.
SC: Don't make analogies like that, it's very patronizing!
Me: I'm sorry if it came off like that but if you want to avoid the trip fee, there is something you can do....
SC: *Cuts me off* And what would that be?
Me: Take an old fashioned corded phone outside, open the box and plug it into the test jack, if you get dial-tone then it's an inside issue and you might want to call an electrician, if you get no dial-tone outside call us back and let us know so we can notate it and submit the ticket.
SC: I'm not doing that, that's your job! This is ridiculous!
Me: Then I can submit the ticket for you but if the tech finds the service good to the box you will be charged the trip fee.
SC: Now I know why you guys are cheaper than the regular phone company, you charge less per month so you can screw me in other areas! Send me over to customer care, I want to cancel and go with someone else!
Me: You do realize that if it's an inside wiring issue, switching over to another phone company is not going to resolve the issue? You need to get it taken care of if it turns out to be inside.
SC: I DON'T CARE! I WANT TO CANCEL MY SERVICE!
Me: No problem, please hold....
*Transfered....*
It's funny that she didn't want to pay the trip fee but when I offered a way out of it she would rather bitch and moan rather than take all of 2 minutes to open the box check the test jack.
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