Call center vent

[Andara Bledin]

Ah, the joys of trying to deal with people who don't know the local language.

We sometimes get people coming in here asking about work (we're 2 blocks from the local social services/etc building) who bring their kids with them to interpret. It baffles me that these people think that a language barrier won't be a problem in the workplace.

^-.-^

[calulu]

I listened to this telemarketer call from hell last night and it reminds me a great deal in how customers act where I work when things don't work out like they planned - Insane Customer The worker hung in there way longer than I would. The first curse word I hear and it's dial tone city from the customer.

[depechemodefan]

I have to add to this one, working in a call center myself. Please, for the sake of all that is or is not holy, please do NOT chew in my ear,

There's this one agency that calls the library 50 times a day asking us to look up info. on people and companies, like how much a company makes, how many employees, owners and managers names, etc. So one night a dipshit from the agency calls us and he's eating something crunchy. I get the name of the company from him and then I ask, "when I come back to the phone, could you not be eating?" He said, "I wasn't eating, that was static." I reply, "I know what static sounds like, that wasn't static, that is eating."

stop flailing about like a helpless one-celled organism

That is an insult to one-celled organisms. One-celled organisms don't whine.

the only other pet peeve I have to add to the list is the people who clearly aren't fluent in english yet refuse to be transferred to a speaker of their native language...

My mother is a native Spanish-speaker. I understand Spanish completely, but speak it like a 4 year old. But my cws will send Spanish speakers to me. The Spanish speaker will ask me, "do you speak Spanish (they ask in Spanish." and I say, "a little." and the Spanish speaker will start speaking in English. Or they start speaking English in the middle of my speech. My beef is partly on the cw, for not trying to get the Spanish speaker to speak English (some cw will ask, "can you speak a little?" but most just send the person to me) and also, the Spanish speaker, because I'm petty and find it insulting that I am trying my best to speak Spanish, and the Spanish speaker decides he/she does'n't want to be patient with me.

[Pagan]

Yo, 3 years in hell here myself selling a certain woman's underwear!

try some double chocolate beer, its a favourite of mine

Isn't that stuff great! Hmm, I haven't had any in a long time....

I have to add to this one, working in a call center myself. Please, for the sake of all that is or is not holy, please do NOT chew in my ear, or use the toilet while on the phone with me!! I hate to hear in the middle of the call **flush**!! I'd rather not know that you were on the toilet while discussing your utility bill!

This is why I get grossed out with a certain burger chains commercials....even though I love their burgers.

15.) Don't call the store, listen to the recorded greeting telling you which numbers to press for various departments-- the first of which is "For our location and club hours"-- and then ask what time we're open until when you finally get through to a real person.

Gah! Idiots! Do you ever get the feeling that maybe they think that the recording is lying?

[Jay 2K Winger]

14.) Don't screech if the department you actually need is closed for the evening. Not everything is 24 hours. Here's their phone number and hours of operation- INCLUDING the time zone.

15.) Don't call the store, listen to the recorded greeting telling you which numbers to press for various departments-- the first of which is "For our location and club hours"-- and then ask what time we're open until when you finally get through to a real person.

[MoonChild2007]

Don't flip out when your need involves a transfer to another department.

You know when a person starts an argument with me, I just ignore what they say and repeat I will transfer them to the correct dept. Some customers even say to me, "Oh, so you can't assist me". I don't understand, some people say "okay", "thank you" but some people just to start fights.

The most annoying customers are the ones who you have to keep repeating yourself, too. Granted I talk fast but I do try to talk slow so people can understand but come on and then they say, "exxxxcuse me" as if I just ruined thier day.

[Refkeila]

Share your pain. And be richer for the sharing.

Some others.

1.)If you're a business customer, and you delegate responsibility, at least give whoever you have call us the basic information we need. It'll make their job and ours a lot easier.

---------


12.)Don't be indecisive. Going "Um...umm...oh..." takes up time

Going to add a few to that bit there, based on my 2 1/2 years doing time for cell phone care

13.) Don't flip out when your need involves a transfer to another department. Yes, you called me for help. My help sometimes mean taking your information and getting you to the right department because you were too busy screaming at your kids to listen properly to prompts.

14.) Don't screech if the department you actually need is closed for the evening. Not everything is 24 hours. Here's their phone number and hours of operation- INCLUDING the time zone.

[calulu]

You know, since they aren't actually your customers at all, you could just do them a favor and do the hanging up for them...

^-.-^

I've tried that. They just call right back screeching that someone was rude to them and hung up on them. I prefer to drill it into their heads that a) they've called the wrong place and b) they are officially idiots.

Somehow I was stern enough the other day to make a lady cry after I told her that I was going to hang up on her if she kept dropping the F-bomb because it was just flowers..

[Andara Bledin]

he first time I tell you that order number is sequenced by our competition please say thank you and hang the fuck up without further drama!

You know, since they aren't actually your customers at all, you could just do them a favor and do the hanging up for them...

^-.-^

[Ironclad Alibi]

The interpreter service my employer uses isn't very good, either - they'll conduct business for other jobs while on the phone

It must be the service featured here: ADG Security

[AccountingDrone]

Vent over. I'm feeling a bit better now, and am going in search of chocolate and booze (hmmmm...chocolate booze???)

awwwww....

hands you a box of Ethel M's alcoholic chocolates

though I confess I prefer asbach weinbrand flaeschen myself .. depth bombed into expresso mjam!

[BookstoreEscapee]

Godiva chocolate liqueur....over ice cream (vanilla or Breyer's mint chocolate chip). Mmmm.

[MsCrankypants]

Ugh. I dread calls from those non-English speakers who don't speak Spanish. Even with an interpreter, the call takes 3 times as long as a normal call because the interpreters don't understand our line of business either, so you waste a lot of time explaining basic eligibility stuff to them so they can explain it to the client. And the clients always have a billion questions, and you end up having to repeat yourself about a billion times.

The interpreter service my employer uses isn't very good, either - the interpreters get in arguments with the clients and will hang up mid-call without warning, they'll conduct business for other jobs while on the phone, and don't exactly go out of their way to create a quiet environment - sometimes we'll hear pet birds tweeting, kids playing or music blasting - and it's the interpreter's (they're home-based).

From what I've heard, though, the Spanish interpreters are the worst - so I'm glad I don't have to use them, ever.

[Anriana]

2) Spouse of account holder: sorry, I need your spouse to say its okay. I know its a pain in the ass but if you don't like it and he don't like it, HAVE YOUR NAME ADDED TO THE ACCOUNT!

But I've sent you guys a check with MY name on it for the past 30 years! That's redickulus!

The pisses me off the most, My job is on the line because of that bullshit.

"Ma'am, I apologize, but we do have other customers in line and we don't want to make them wait."

"Sir, I'd like to get you your information as soon as possible so you can enjoy the rest of your day."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Your balance is $XX.XX."


I would always say stuff like that when I was working on AHT. Now I just ignore them and do other things while mumbling an occasional "mhm."

[smileyeagle1021]

Vent over. I'm feeling a bit better now, and am going in search of chocolate and booze (hmmmm...chocolate booze???)

*offers Choclatini*

and I hate the people who expect psychic powers... I still get it at the hotel even (though not as much as at the call center)

the only other pet peeve I have to add to the list is the people who clearly aren't fluent in english yet refuse to be transferred to a speaker of their native language... look, I know you are trying to learn english and I think it is admirable... but this isn't a language education center, it is a business, just talk in the language you are most comfortable conducting business in so we can get this transaction over with and move onto the next one, kthnxbye.