My favorite mistake

[DannyboyO1]

Once upon a time, before the turn of the millenium (whichever year you decides counts as the first of it), I worked for MCI. Long distance phone company, I took customer service calls for small business. (Hated the job, but that's so totally another rant.) I had a fun experience in training. About halfway through training you on the systems, they have you take live calls. Working on the real network. One thing long distance companies do is manage 800 numbers. One customer was finding that it wasn't cost effective for his business, and I went through and cancelled it. As I was writing the note, I noticed something didn't add up.

Specifically, the number I'd cancelled wasn't the one on his account. You had to pull up a second window for that, and the system was created before copy & paste. (OS 2 Warp!) So I scratched my head, and realized I hadn't gotten an error message. I cancelled the customer's correct line and then dug up where the other number had belonged.

The system I worked with had a unique way to ensure that I wouldn't be giving out any information about the really big customers. You put in the number, and it generally says nothing for the name. That's Another Department. They use A Different System. Can't say I ever heard of the company before, or since... but they had over three hundred lines. And I just killed their 800 number.

"Oh, mister trainer? I think I need some help."

I was embarassed, but it was training, and I'd owned up to it. But in retrospect, it was a little strange that nobody seemed upset or really very surpised. Years later, working at a call center with an 800 number... I'd always remember that moment when there'd be a really dead night and nobody getting through on the toll free line.

[felixxkatt]

i worked for MCI briefly, in collections. it was the only job i have ever quit by simply not showing up. one of the customers made me cry and people would berate you all the time. it was horrible. i started feeling physically ill before i went in to work. then i just stopped going. but the place had such a high turnover rate and it was so hard to keep and train people that two weeks later they called me and asked me if i was coming in to work...

[DannyboyO1]

For me, it was in the middle of the usual business when I quit. I'd not really thought it through. I'd just had to give some fairly nice customer some mostly bad news. "Well, I deleted the account that was created when you were our customer for about three hours. That should stop further billing. No, no refund, you've already stopped being my customer, so there's no reason to do any favors." Basically, someone our telemarketers had scammed. They were doing things like converting residential customers to small business and calling it a sale. Or the infamous "slamming" where your long distance provider is changed without your permission.

I remember hitting the busy button on the phone. And looking up to see that, yes, there were still a hundred people in the queue. As there had been roughly the entire time I'd worked there.

I remember looking at my coworkers. They hated me. I brought down the team's average in sales because I refused to hang up on a customer if I could solve a problem. I was hated because my honesty interfered with their greed.

I remember looking to where my supervisor normally sat. Good looking guy, very much a businessman. He'd been a veep for another phone company... and then it crumbled a lot and he had to start over in his overly tanned 40's... I guess not everyone in upper management picks the best 401k options. The guy tended to be honest with his direct reports. "Now while we're not calling this a per-line charge... that's what it is, and it's what's saving the company's bacon right now..." He was stuck in a meeting, and would be for an hour or more.

I remember thinking "No. This job is not better than starving to death. Death before dishonor." And I wrote a little resignation letter, leaving it and my badge on my supervisor's keyboard, and walked out of the building.

Best part was the exit interview by phone a week later. "Reason for quitting? It's a hideously unethical environment." "I... don't have a box to check for that."

[JustADude]

I remember thinking "No. This job is not better than starving to death. Death before dishonor."

Oddly, the only job I ever felt that way about was also in telemarketing. I'm never touching phone sales again, and I'll rip into someone who tries to mask a sales job as 'Customer Service' with a vengeance and never feel an ounce of remorse.

[DannyboyO1]

It was inbound, but the entire company couldn't stand the thought of not having everyone working to increase sales. I even said at the initial interview, "I am not a salesman, and have no real desire to be one." and the guy said "That's ok, we'll train!" And shoo'd me out.

I kinda suspect he was one marginally acceptable applicant from being able to pack it in. And this training group had involved a woman who, when told to move the mouse pointer... physically lifted the mouse and wiggled it in the air. Quality and ethics weren't job #1. I don't think they made the top 15.

[JustADude]

It was inbound, but the entire company couldn't stand the thought of not having everyone working to increase sales.

And that's exactly what I mean. CSRs should NEVER be required to sell or meet quotas, and they shouldn't be on commission for the sales they do make either, to prevent assholes from abusing customer trust. Then again, when have TelCom companies ever cared about the customer?

[Becks]

Best part was the exit interview by phone a week later. "Reason for quitting? It's a hideously unethical environment." "I... don't have a box to check for that."

You'd think that it would be the FIRST option.

[Bella_Vixen]

Best part was the exit interview by phone a week later. "Reason for quitting? It's a hideously unethical environment." "I... don't have a box to check for that."

I think WalMart has that as an option...