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One of my favorites, when a customer is caught receiving an employee discount, then has the nerve to call in bitching that they have to pay normal rates like everyone else does. A few years back, when I was at Bellsouth, I had a woman who called upset that her bill was higher than ever. So, we researched the bill together and found that changes had been made without her knowledge. Of course, she was outraged like any customer would be at something like this. Upon further checking, it was found that the change made was to remove an employee discount she was previously receiving, and she was never an employee. She demanded this be corrected at once because she was allowed to have it for three years.
Here is what actually happened: This woman had established phone service in her name. Later on, she got a roommate who worked for Bellsouth, so she authorized the phone bill to be changed in his name so they could get the employee discount, which was 40 percent. A year later, he moved out, and she called in to get the name changed back to her. An employee did this, but had failed to remove the employee discount. This went on for three years until one day, the business office decided to do a complete sweep of the system to see who was legitimately receiving the discount. Over a hundred names came up where these people were receiving discounts and were not entitled to it. Most of them did not call being they knew they had been caught. However, this woman had the nerve to yell and scream, demanding that we put this back on the account immediately. I told her I was sorry, but unless she is a Bellsouth employee, she cannot receive the discount. I further told her that if she is an employee, she also needs to have her supervisor sign her discount papers and send it in so she can receive the benefits again. It turned into a supervisor call, to which she told her she was sorry, but policy is very explicit on this. You have to be an employee to get it. My supervisor then told her she was pretty lucky that we were not a company that goes back and backdates this amount she was receiving in discounts, making her have to pay what we were ripped off on (this last part we left out, but we wanted to tell her this). She later on had her service disconnected for failure to pay the bill. Last I heard, it was with a collections agency.
I can understand someone getting upset when they lose a discount, but getting upset when you're caught and then demanding to keep getting away with it is another matter. A while back, after I quit Adelphia, I was still receiving the employee discount, which was six more months. I had called them three times to change my package being I knew it was going to be removed and I would not be able to afford the full package. Yet, each time I called, I was told I was an employee and therefore they were not allowed to touch my account. Three times I had called to do the right thing. I gave up, but six months later, when someone finally caught this, did I call in screaming and yelling? Of course not. I knew I was not entitled to this, and I'm one that knows sooner or later, I'm going to be found out and lose what I should be paying for. Besides, I hate all those extra channels that I don't watch anyway.
Here is what actually happened: This woman had established phone service in her name. Later on, she got a roommate who worked for Bellsouth, so she authorized the phone bill to be changed in his name so they could get the employee discount, which was 40 percent. A year later, he moved out, and she called in to get the name changed back to her. An employee did this, but had failed to remove the employee discount. This went on for three years until one day, the business office decided to do a complete sweep of the system to see who was legitimately receiving the discount. Over a hundred names came up where these people were receiving discounts and were not entitled to it. Most of them did not call being they knew they had been caught. However, this woman had the nerve to yell and scream, demanding that we put this back on the account immediately. I told her I was sorry, but unless she is a Bellsouth employee, she cannot receive the discount. I further told her that if she is an employee, she also needs to have her supervisor sign her discount papers and send it in so she can receive the benefits again. It turned into a supervisor call, to which she told her she was sorry, but policy is very explicit on this. You have to be an employee to get it. My supervisor then told her she was pretty lucky that we were not a company that goes back and backdates this amount she was receiving in discounts, making her have to pay what we were ripped off on (this last part we left out, but we wanted to tell her this). She later on had her service disconnected for failure to pay the bill. Last I heard, it was with a collections agency.
I can understand someone getting upset when they lose a discount, but getting upset when you're caught and then demanding to keep getting away with it is another matter. A while back, after I quit Adelphia, I was still receiving the employee discount, which was six more months. I had called them three times to change my package being I knew it was going to be removed and I would not be able to afford the full package. Yet, each time I called, I was told I was an employee and therefore they were not allowed to touch my account. Three times I had called to do the right thing. I gave up, but six months later, when someone finally caught this, did I call in screaming and yelling? Of course not. I knew I was not entitled to this, and I'm one that knows sooner or later, I'm going to be found out and lose what I should be paying for. Besides, I hate all those extra channels that I don't watch anyway.
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