Do you have my information up?

[MoonChild2007]

I am sorry but I can't stand customers who just flat out ask if i have their information up. WHO ARE YOU! Jesus. I don't understand why customers just ask that before I could even verify who the hell they are!

Sorry, just a little pet peeve of mine.

[ArcticChicken]

No need to apologize, it's stupid behavior, and you have every right to dislike them for it.

[Dreamstalker]

Many times at the Game Store I would take calls that began: "Hi, I ordered something. Did it come in yet?" Let's see, we just received a large shipment via UPS, your item likely is in there, but I won't know if it is unless you tell me a) your name or b) what you ordered. Sometimes I could deduce what the item was from release dates, but if it wasn't a unique special order the chances of being right on the first guess were slim.

If I did get either of those bits of info, the caller would not stay on the line and half the time there was not a phone number in the computer.

[Pedersen]

Actually, there is one time that the question is not quite so stupid: When I call up a place that has me go through a slew of questions to identify myself to the phone system before letting me speak to somebody, the phone system should pass that along to the operator/csr and have that popup on the screen.

Sadly, very few places do this.

[alogram]

When I call up a place that has me go through a slew of questions to identify myself to the phone system before letting me speak to somebody, the phone system should pass that along to the operator/csr and have that popup on the screen.

THAT IS SO ANNOYING.

I totally agree!

I understand that they probably have to ask if you are dealing with a credit card for security, but if that is the case, don't ask 49 questions before I get to a real person!

[Dreamstalker]

Indeed. I would actually prefer if in tech-support situations, relevant info (OS, program having the issue, browser, mail program, etc) was collected by the automated system and one was passed to a tech on that basis--it seems as if that would produce a higher likelihood of an issue being solved on the first go.

That hinges on the user being accurate and the system working as it should though -_-

[MoonChild2007]

Actually, there is one time that the question is not quite so stupid: When I call up a place that has me go through a slew of questions to identify myself to the phone system before letting me speak to somebody, the phone system should pass that along to the operator/csr and have that popup on the screen.

Sadly, very few places do this.

That depends on if you actually introduce yourself first then I could understand the question but some customers would just ask that right after i say my opening line. Not to mention, some of the accounts that pop up are to OTHER people's accounts not the one the customers are calling about.

[freeatlast]

At the Call Center from hell, the customer was asked to input their account number while in the VRU. We had screen pops, so most of the time we had the customer's account information up on our screen (providing they put the correct account number in) by the time we received the call.

[katie kaboom]

Actually, there is one time that the question is not quite so stupid: When I call up a place that has me go through a slew of questions to identify myself to the phone system before letting me speak to somebody, the phone system should pass that along to the operator/csr and have that popup on the screen.

Sadly, very few places do this.

This drives my fiance absolutely nuts. It is pretty stupid that you have to enter in all that info to get to a human, and then when you finally do, they ask for the same info again.

[MoonChild2007]

This drives my fiance absolutely nuts. It is pretty stupid that you have to enter in all that info to get to a human, and then when you finally do, they ask for the same info again.

Oh so the rep should just assume that the person whose account is up on thier screen is the person who they are speaking to?

I guess the rep should just make changes to whatever account is up on their screens without VERIFYING who they are speaking to.

Deal with it, its for the company's and the customers security, don't like it, too bad. Anybody can punch in a number, anybody can ask what the balance is, anybody can ask if they could put something on the account practically raising the person's bill higher and higher.

I guess its pretty stupid to open your bill and find over 10 PPV's on it, find over 10 VOD's ordered that you did not authorize just because its stupid to verify the info before doing anything.

BTW, us call center reps do not know who we are speaking to.

[Pedersen]

BTW, us call center reps do not know who we are speaking to.

Relax. I do understand your frustration here, I really do. It's got to seem like we're all attacking you, saying your complaint is invalid. I know, at the least, I'm not.

Dang, lost a post somewhere. Basically, I was agreeing with you that the person should at least say hello, my name is Pedersen, and then ask if your system gives you the information they've already given it.

It's a frustration for both sides. On the customer side, they feel like they're repeating themselves a few times (at minimum) just to get some basic help. On your side, you're getting the brunt of their frustration.

My whole point in all of this, though, was to give you some perspective from the other side. Sometimes, that can help in dealing with it. I'm sorry if it didn't.

[ArcticChicken]

Oh so the rep should just assume that the person whose account is up on their screen is the person who they are speaking to?

I believe the point was not that the rep should just run with the info on their screen, it was that it's intensely frustrating to have to go over all that stuff twice, and why does the company even have the automated menu if they can't put some kind of security on it.

[Dreamstalker]

Perhaps it could be phrased something like "I would just like to verify that the account coming up on my computer screen is yours", using one or two security questions. I'd be happy with a system like that.

Then again, that hinges on customers remembering the correct answers -_- (I once had a brain-fart on an easy one when dealing with my bank; since I had gotten the 2 more difficult ones right it was allowed to slide)

[MoonChild2007]

I believe the point was not that the rep should just run with the info on their screen, it was that it's intensely frustrating to have to go over all that stuff twice, and why does the company even have the automated menu if they can't put some kind of security on it.

Well, I don't care, don't take that crap out on me.

[Broomjockey]

This is getting a little too heated. No one was attacking, and everyone's too defensive, so everyone just chill.