Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

We're not allowed to say the customer lied

Collapse
This topic is closed.
X
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • We're not allowed to say the customer lied

    This happened to me about an hour ago and honestly, I'm still pretty shaken up from it. All those machines at the fitness center...BUT NO FREAKIN' PUNCHING BAGS! Anyway...let me throw this by you guys...perhaps you have policies like this, though honestly, I think it's BS. A tier 2 agent got ready to transfer me a call and aaaaaaaaalll hell broke loose.

    Me: "Alright, so what's going on?"
    Tier 2 Agent: "Well, basically the customer was just installed today and he can't connect wirelessly."
    Me: *Look over his account. Verify that he only has a telephone modem and no wireless modem or router supplied through us.* "Uh, actually, what kind of router was it?"
    T2: "Well, it's a Linksys."
    Me: "Yeah, that's not ours. It's a third party router."
    T2: "Well, the customer was insistent that the technician set it up."
    Me: "We don't supply Linksys routers."
    T2: "The customer said it was."
    Me: (What am I, a parrot?!) "We don't supply Linksys routers."
    T2: "Well, we're not allowed to argue with the customer."
    Me: (WHAT) "Look, you need to try to directly connect to the modem. This is not our router."
    T2: "Well, do you want to tell the customer that?"
    Me: *I notice something strange...they don't have a data occurrence for the telephone modem! In other words, no Internet anyway! * "No, you need to directly connect. Further, I don't even see a data occurrence here anyway."
    T2: "Well that's not what my system's showing."

    --- Intermission ---

    Let's go over what's just been done. First, I verify it's a Linksys router...not a wireless modem/router combo and not a Netgear (sometimes we will supply those). I have stated WHAT the agent needs to do and he really doesn't seem to care. I have ALSO stated that the customer wouldn't be able to get Internet access anyway, but he chooses to believe the customer over me, implying that it IS our router and he DOES have Internet, only not. Back to the show!

    --- End Intermission ---

    One of my coworkers leans over and informs me that a tier 2 agent has been transferring us customers like this lately and he's received LOTS of negative feedback. He further explains to me to get his supervisor if he doesn't quit. Guess what happens?

    Me: "Sir, I'm going to say it again. He does not have a data occurrence. He does not have our router. Even if he had a data occurrence, he would need to directly connect."
    T2: "Well, my supervisors have already approved this because the customer insisted it was his router."
    Me: (THAT'S IT) "Then you won't mind getting your supervisor on the line!"
    T2: "O-oh, not at all! H-hold please!"

    *Annoying ass musack.*

    Tier 2 Supervisor: "This is Richard Cranium, how can I help?"
    Me: "Yeah, why is it your agent was trying to transfer over a customer with a Linksys router without trying to directly connect?"
    T2S: "I do apologize about that. Under normal circumstances, yes, he should have directly connected."
    Me: *Wow...suddenly, someone that makes sense!* "Right."
    T2S: "However, we're not allowed to say the customer's lying."
    Me: (WHAT) "When did I say that?"
    T2S: "If he says he get his router from us, we have to believe him. We can't tell him he's wrong. We can't say no."
    Me: (WHAAAAAAAAT) "Wait, so you're saying you know the router isn't ours..."
    T2S: "That's correct, but we can't directly connect if the customer insists it's ours."
    Me: "No, you just said it's not ours. Therefore, you have to try to direct connect."
    T2S: "But why would we deliberately bypass our own equipment?"
    Me: "You just said it wasn't ours!"
    T2S: "We're not allowed to lie to the customer."

    GOD LET ME HAVE THE POWER NECESSARY TO KILL THIS MAN AND HIS ENTIRE FAMILY. The conversation went like this for another good 10 minutes. This asshole tried to argue that though he knew the equipment wasn't ours and the agent also knew it, they couldn't directly connect because that would be lying to the customer. Kinda wish I was wearing my boots...it's getting a little deep.

    Now the good news. The customer eventually DID connect with the third party router. How? Because I added the data occurrence, with the customer on the line (who had eventually been cold transferred via the supervisor when he was "done" with me), which resulted in a SALE. Even better, the customer was just happy that he had someone competent and willing to help him.

    Well, I guess it's just okay news. If anything, I'm still pissed. It really doesn't seem to be getting any better in our department. The tier 2 groups are getting progressively worse and snotty to boot. With supervisors like THAT backing them, it's pretty obvious why. So what do you guys think? What do you think would be the best policy in dealing with this? It's starting to get out of hand and we even have a supervisor (one of my favorites, in fact) leaving because of all of it.
    You can find me on Backloggery, Facebook, Twitch, Twitter, YouTube

  • #2
    That's...

    That's a new level of stupid.
    Everything I do goes through...

    Think About It Central

    Comment


    • #3
      Honestly, I could understand if the t2 is being an ass. I don't know why it's happening more and more frequently, but yes, I could still understand it. But a SUPERVISOR doing this?!
      You can find me on Backloggery, Facebook, Twitch, Twitter, YouTube

      Comment


      • #4
        Linksys routers are ebil. I had 3 die on me within two months. I finally said screw it and went with a D-Link. That sucker lasted a good 5 years before it finally died and I had to replace it.
        Random conversation:
        Me: Okay..so I think I get why Zoro wears a bandana
        DDD: Cuz it's cool

        So, by using the Doctor's reasoning, bow ties, fezzes and bandanas are cool.

        Comment


        • #5
          You know, it's funny...it's not even like it's hard to set up, manage, or what have you...but we aren't allowed to support them because, of course, they're not our products. I'm just mad because there is absolutely NO excuse for not properly following troubleshooting steps based on "Oh, uh, well, ah, I don't wanna 'lie' to the customer." Come on. That's so lame it hurts.
          You can find me on Backloggery, Facebook, Twitch, Twitter, YouTube

          Comment


          • #6
            Quoth fma_fanatic View Post
            Linksys routers are ebil. I had 3 die on me within two months. I finally said screw it and went with a D-Link. That sucker lasted a good 5 years before it finally died and I had to replace it.
            And yet I've had nothing but problems with my D-Link since I got it. The stupid thing doesn't even have to good grace to out and out DIE on me, justifying a purchase of a new one.
            Ba'al: I'm a god. Gods are all-knowing.

            http://unrelatedcaptions.com/45147

            Comment


            • #7
              I have a Linksys and it works perfectly. I have tried the crappy D-Link, but that keep dying.
              Under The Moon Paranormal Research
              San Joaquin Valley Paranormal Research

              Comment


              • #8
                The Customer lied, you can't help him sense it's not your equipment. You can't say "Sir it's not our system but here's how you fix it." HOW were you suposed to serve the customer?
                Stories like this make my head hurt.
                Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.
                The following is subject to change:
                If Your Going Through Hell,
                Keep Going...

                Comment


                • #9
                  Quoth fma_fanatic View Post
                  Linksys routers are ebil. I had 3 die on me within two months. I finally said screw it and went with a D-Link. That sucker lasted a good 5 years before it finally died and I had to replace it.
                  Weird - we had 3 D-link routers die on us, and then finally bought a Linksys. No problems with that one for over two years now.

                  If you have to ask, it's probably better posted at www.fratching.com

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Throwing my hat in the Linksys ring. I've a wireless that also has 4 wired ports, and I've yet to have a failure at the router level even using the wireless and three ports.

                    Now, the cable companies modem is another story.
                    The Rich keep getting richer because they keep doing what it was that made them rich. Ditto the Poor.
                    "Hy kan tell dey is schmot qvestions, dey is makink my head hurt."
                    Hoc spatio locantur.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      2 comments

                      1)

                      I worked Tier 2 (Hell, for over a year, I was the only Tier 2 agent at my company, Smallish cable ISP) and, and I was in the position to tell the subscriber to "quit lieing" to me about something I knew wasn't true. In one case, I got a subscriber escalated to me about slow speeds in his connection. He told me that he wasn't running and P2P software, but when I pulled up his connection to see what ports he was using, one of the ones in used was the one for e-donkey(?). After he finaly adment to useing it, I got him to turn it off, and he speeds returned to normal.


                      2)
                      I'm on my 2nd linksys, and it's working great. Only reason I'm on my second, is I needed a wireless router, and the first one didn't have it. Still have it, it's perfectly good.. Just not needing it at the moment.

                      At the above mentioned ISP, Linksys seemed to be the best one.. D-link wasn't to bad, but we had all kinds issues with Netgear, Mostly with holding onto IP addresses, and no renewing them correctly. This, caused allot of IP conflicts with 2 subsribers trying to use the same IP address at the same time.
                      Just sliding down the razor blade of life.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Picture this, later this decade. A guy has a heart attack and is lying on the sidewalk. The EMTs show up. But they aren't allowed to try to hit him with some juice or do CPR on him.

                        Because that would suggest they thought something was wrong with him and that he had a faulty body part.

                        So, I'm just curious here. When the idiot that made this policy was jamming his head up his ass to the shoulders, did he use lube?

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Sometimes it irks me to no end that we have to keep from insinuating that the customer is not telling the truth. I have been in customer service for close to 20 years, and it still is something I cannot get used to. You know when a customer is lying to you, and yet you can't say anything that says you know.

                          What I find strange are the customers who get livid when a rep does tell a customer that they are lying, or at least implies it, and it's always 99 per cent of the time a customer who's turned over to the collections department every month.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Quoth RecoveringKinkoid View Post
                            When the idiot that made this policy was jamming his head up his ass to the shoulders, did he use lube?
                            Hmm. This is a thought-provoking inquiry indeed, and it certainly deserves answering.

                            Perhaps the OP might consider passing it along to management?


                            If you have to ask, it's probably better posted at www.fratching.com

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              The annoying part is let's assume this policy is true. That means that if a customer says something along the lines of "Look, I KNOW I have service with you guys! Why won't you help me?!" but the customer isn't really a customer at all, does that mean they have free reign to transfer? One more thing...I never suggested that...

                              A) The customer was lying. Misinformed, probably...but that doesn't equate to lying.
                              B) That we should tell the customer flat out "You're lying." If anything, you work around the BS, asking questions that provide answers that defeat their initial statements. For example...

                              Me: "Okay, so you have a Linksys router..."
                              Cust: "Yes. Your technician left it."
                              Me: "Today, when he installed your Internet?"
                              Cust: "That's correct."
                              Me: "I'm only asking because if it is ours, you'll have to turn it in when you disconnect your service or unsubscribe from home networking."
                              Cust: "Gh-uh...well...ah..."
                              Me:

                              The point is that no, you should never be an ass and say "By the way, you're a big fat liar." However, you should do your job...AND especially if you're a SUPERVISOR, why would you ever insinuate that you would never say the customer's lying? Or even better, are you saying that you cannot be argumentative with the customer? Arguing is a state of negotiation.

                              Are you saying we can't negotiate with the customer? For that matter, are we not allowed to probe for information? Boy, that makes my job easy...

                              Me: "So, what seems to be the problem?"
                              Cust: "Well, mah Inninet don't wurk quite right..."
                              Me: "I'm sorry to hear that. I'll be sending out a tech tomorrow."
                              You can find me on Backloggery, Facebook, Twitch, Twitter, YouTube

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X