Ghost in the Machine

[HowMayIHelpYouToday]

SC: I think my computer might have been compromised.
Me: What information do you think might have been compromised?
SC: I don't know.
Me: Checkcard number, account number, online log in information?
SC: Nothing was really compromised I just went to this website and it was weird and I have a feeling something might happen to my account.
Me: What do you think might happen to the account?
SC: I don't know, you're not listening! Something might happen to the account.
Me: Well do you want to block your checkcard or account number?
SC: NO!
Me: Then what are you looking to do?
SC: You're not listening, something might happen to the account!
Me: What do you think is going to happen to the account?
SC: I don't know, connect me to a manager!

Manager told her to go withdraw money to have for the holiday weekend and to call back to get her checkcard blocked, and she was happy.

[wraiths_crono]

......... paranoid much? how was that any different than your advice? oh well, guess people are like that, I just got off the phone with a field tech of ours had to send to a team lead, whom said word for word what I told him (mostly because my TL sits next to me)

[MoonChild2007]

Of course she wants to speak to a manager despite her dumbass not being more clear.

[HowMayIHelpYouToday]

Well I received a quick coaching (not a reprimand, just a do this next time) that I should have listened to her as a person instead of a customer and deduced that she wanted to have money for the holiday weekend, suggest she take money out first, and then give us a call back to block the checkcard.

[MoonChild2007]

Well I received a quick coaching (not a reprimand, just a do this next time) that I should have listened to her as a person instead of a customer and deduced that she wanted to have money for the holiday weekend, suggest she take money out first, and then give us a call back to block the checkcard.

Wait a minute, you get coached despite the fact that she wasn't clear in the first place? As a call center rep myself, that's bullshit. Its always the rep's fault! I am sorry if I take this personally but you don't know how many times supervisors will blame me because the customers were being idiots.

[HowMayIHelpYouToday]

Wait a minute, you get coached despite the fact that she wasn't clear in the first place? As a call center rep myself, that's bullshit. Its always the rep's fault! I am sorry if I take this personally but you don't know how many times supervisors will blame me because the customers were being idiots.

The stories I could tell

[JLRodgers]

...I should have listened to her as a person instead of a customer....

So does that mean that customers aren't people?

[HowMayIHelpYouToday]

So does that mean that customers aren't people?

Well I'm always told that I'm too straightminded with them... A, B, C... that I should go down to their level and talk to them like buddies.

[MoonChild2007]

Well I'm always told that I'm too straightminded with them... A, B, C... that I should go down to their level and talk to them like buddies.

The day customers will stop talking to me like I'm the idiot who doesn't know what she is talking about, the likely I WILL talk to them as if I'm their buddy.

But please, these customers are not friends, we don't even know them!

[HowMayIHelpYouToday]

The day customers will stop talking to me like I'm the idiot who doesn't know what she is talking about, the likely I WILL talk to them as if I'm their buddy.

But please, these customers are not friends, we don't even know them!

The best part is that we have to use certain pre-determined empathy phrases (but really, we can modify to fit our personality ) and then I get told I don't sound like I mean it and that I sound like I'm being made to say it!

Maybe it's just me but when I call the bank I'm not looking for a buddy/therapist. If I can get competent service who does what I ask I'm happy.

[MoonChild2007]

The best part is that we have to use certain pre-determined empathy phrases (but really, we can modify to fit our personality ) and then I get told I don't sound like I mean it and that I sound like I'm being made to say it!

Yeah, we are being made to say it, we get monitored Frankly, I don't care about these customers problems anyways. Most of their issues are their fault anyways (like they unplug their box, didn't make payments on their accounts, call us just to make demands, etc)

Also, my empathy goes way down if they are being assholes towards me.

[JLRodgers]

Well I'm always told that I'm too straightminded with them... A, B, C... that I should go down to their level and talk to them like buddies.

If I talked to customers like my buddies with me not owning the place, I'd get fired
I had a friend call up once and said "We can't get this printer working"
I replied" so you screwed it up -- let me guess, didn't follow instructions and just plugged pointy things into holes until it felt right? then you started moving them in and out while making moaning noises to try and pleasure the computer with the plugs yet it didn't put out for you?"
And he replied "uh, yeah...."
me:"So read me the instructions..."
him: "Install the software and then plug in the printer"
me: "so after you install the software and plug in the printer.... done yet? see? you have to be smarter than the object."



But that person you dealt with.... I don't know what's worse, the customer, or that the manager understood it.

[HowMayIHelpYouToday]

The one thing that really pisses me off is when they want a manager because of my accent. I've been at my job for years. I know how to do 80% of what can be done, know how to find instructions for 15%, and know where to find the person that can figure out the other 5% What's funny is that I was about to reimburse an OD fee for a customer and because of my accent they asked to speak to a supervisor who then told them no And they don't understand that most of the time we know how to do more than the managers (because they're busy with administrative stuff and we're the ones clanking around the computers).

[MoonChild2007]

or that the manager understood it.

Like with many supervisor/manager calls, the customer will kiss the supervisor's ass and make the other rep look like an idiot. This comes from experience.

[RayvenQ]

This thread Reminded me of Ghost in the Shell...

Then I had day dreams of Spider tank being sent after SC's