Call Center Classics Holiday Edition: Extremely UNThankful

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

I worked at a Call Center that handled U.S. customers, therefore we were closed on Thanksgiving for obvious reasons.

Me: Thank you calling Empire wireless, this is CC how may I help you?
SC:(agitated) You can help me activate this phone I've been waiting a day and a half to get set up!
Me: Not a problem ma'am, can I have the serial number on the phone?
SC: I want to know where you people get off closing down on Thanksgiving!
Me: What??
SC: You were CLOSED yesterday. My sister-in-law gave me this great new phone when she came to visit and I called to get it activated right away and guess what? NOBODY WAS THERE!
Me: Sorry for the inconvenience ma'am, but we do close for Thanksgiving.
SC: No, sorry that's not how this works. You don't get to inconvenience me. I'm the customer.
Me: Let's go ahead and activate that phone shall we?
We slowly move through the process...
SC: I can't believe what this world is coming to when a company can't even be relied upon to answer a simple phone call.
Me: It was a holiday ma'am.
SC: That doesn't matter! All customer service should be open 24/7.
Me: Well, unfortunately we're not although we do come pretty close. We are closed only two days out of the year: Christmas and Thanksgiving.
SC: (Inaudible grumbling)
Me: Ok, your new phone should be 100 percent up and running. Is there anything else I can help you with today?
SC: Actually yes there is. I am still upset over being inconvenienced yesterday and I think I deserve compensation for that.
Me: What kind of compensation?
SC: A $25 account credit will do just fine, thank you.
(I'm sure it will)
Me: Ok, just to make sure I record this accurately: You want a $25 credit because we were closed on Thanksgiving and you were inconvenienced?
SC: Duh, that's what I just said. My goodness, what sad excuse for training do they give you people?
Me: I can't give you a credit because were closed ma'am.
SC: What??? Why not?
Me: It's not a valid reason for a credit. I'm sorry you were inconvenienced but we have families to spend time with as well so it's perfectly reasonable to close on Thanksgiving.
SC: Give me my credit.
Me: I'm sorry, I can't give you credit for this.
SC: Then get me a manager!!

I call a Supervisor over and after virtually laughing in the poor SCs face, completely shuts here down. No credit for you!

Oh and on a sidenote: I had a good Thanksgiving that year. Though we celebrate Canadian turkey day in October, my American fiance cooked up a little Turkey dinner for the two of us that day. It was nice.

[MoonCat]

Wow. "You don't get to inconvenience me." Uh.....nope. Not convinced.

I hate people who think the world revolves around them. It's a phone, big deal. And you were very polite and helpful. She really has no right to ask for anything more.

[cashierbex]

I see the extreme opposite on the company I work for Facebook page. People bitch about us being open cause they don't think of our families. Sure, there are bad managers out there, but some divvy hours up to be fair. You can never win.

[MoonCat]

Oh, let's not forget that the customer herself was probably not at work on the holiday! Yet she expects other people to work.

[telecom_goddess]

I'm amazed there are cell phone provider call centers that close down at all

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

I'm amazed there are cell phone provider call centers that close down at all

The center I worked at took calls from 7am to Midnight 363 days a year. We were closed only Thanksgiving and Christmas. The thing is, when we closed down, the company STILL took customer service calls, they just sent them to overseas call centers. Thanksgiving and Christmas were the only days the whole thing was shut down.

I did the math, our company took customer calls 99.4% of the entire year.

I mean really, what more do people want???

[thehuckster]

I bet if she did get her phone activated she'd be rudely using it during Thanksgiving dinner.

[Jay 2K Winger]

I did the math, our company took customer calls 99.4% of the entire year.

Which would make the EW from the OP the 0.6%? #OccupyCallCenter

[wolfie]

Oh and on a sidenote: I had a good Thanksgiving that year. Though we celebrate Canadian turkey day in October, my American fiance cooked up a little Turkey dinner for the two of us that day. It was nice.

Something I don't understand: Traditionally, large numbers of turkeys wind up on dinner tables on Thanksgiving, and therefore are no longer able to go about doing their normal turkey business. Why, then, are there just as many SCs the day after Thanksgiving as there were the day before? After all, some of those turkeys should have been taken "out of circulation" on Thanksgiving.

[TechieGirl87]

I've had customers come back to the store complaining that I sold them a piece of shit phone. I've calmly explained we don't make the phones, we just sell them so if they really think the phone is crap, call the company who makes it and complain to them. However, we do offer refunds up to fifteen days as long as the person has everything that came with the phone (and, by the way, I make damn sure to tell them this).

ME: Here's your phone. Have a nice day
SC: Are the instructions in there?
ME: Yes. Make sure to keep everything, including the receipt, and you have fifteen days to return the phone if you're not happy with it. The card, however, is not refundable
SC: Okay. Bye.

So the customer leaves and I think I won't see them again. And if I do, it'll be for something else. Right? HA! Hell no.

SC: *walks up to me while I'm obviously busy, drops the phone in front of me* This phone sucks
ME: *picks my head up* I'm sorry to hear that. What happened?
SC: *goes on to explain what happened* Can you fix it? And if not, I want a refund
ME: *looks at the phone* Considering the screen is cracked, no I can't fix it. I'm not a repairman
SC: Then I want a refund
ME: Certainly. Can I see your receipt?
SC: I don't have it
ME: Do you at least have everything that came with your phone?
SC: Just the charger
ME: Unfortunately, I need everything that came with your phone, otherwise I can't do a return
SC: That's BULLSHIT. The person I talked to earlier said I would be fine
ME: Whether that's true or not, I still need everything. If you are able to find your items at home and bring them in, I will look in our computer to see when you bought the item and if it is still eligible for return
SC: Whatever... *walks off*

So I wait, go to break, come back, help other customers, chat with a few of them who share similar interest, have a good conversation while doing a phone contract, goofing off with a few employees while putting away items...

Then SC comes back

ME: Welcome back
SC: Oh shut up. I did what you want. Just give me my money back
ME: There's no need to be rude, sir.. *takes the phone* Let me go to the back for a moment and pull up a record on our computer
SC: Hurry up
ME: *disappears for a few seconds then comes back* Okay so you are still able to return this phone
SC: Good. The card is in there as well
ME: Did you use those minutes?
SC: Yes
ME: There's nothing I can do about the card. They're no refundable, more so if you use those minutes
SC: What?! It doesn't say that on the card
ME: Actually it does.. *flips the card over and points to it*
SC: Well, it doesn't say that in the return policies and you never told me that last time
ME: Again, it does and once again, I was very clear on that. I did indeed tell you about this
SC: So I can return the phone but I'm out $25?
ME: Yes. You could possibly call the company and work it out with them about your minutes
SC: Fine. Just give me my money
ME: Return are done at customer service
SC: -.- *walks up front*

[dalesys]

After all, some of those turkeys should have been taken "out of circulation" on Thanksgiving.

Nobody eats that kind of turkey... They're so FOS that there's no meat, just a tightly stretched skin over the vileness inside.


(*FOS=Full Of S***)