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customer service rant. - 10/19/2006 10:44:18 AM   
Mavis


Posts: 828
Joined: 2/8/2004
Status: offline 		nearly posted this in the intolerance thread, but really, it's a rant more than  a qualified intolerance, but ANYone in customer service that doesn't give anything of the sort... 

cashiers that ring you up, take your money, and pass back change without ever having looked you in the face to say hello, thanks, kiss my ass.  Grrr.
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RE: customer service rant. - 10/19/2006 10:47:34 AM   
mistoferin


Posts: 8284
Joined: 10/27/2004
Status: offline 		.....and I was sure this was going to be a thread about the phone company...lol.

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There are no victims here...only volunteers.

When you make a habit of playing on the tracks, you thereby forfeit the right to bitch when you get hit by a train.

"I did it! I admit it and I'm gonna do it again!"

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RE: customer service rant. - 10/19/2006 10:50:32 AM   
KenDckey


Posts: 4121
Joined: 5/31/2006
Status: offline 		Navy Wave talking to Army PSG (Platoon Sargeant) at Military Air Terminal Checkin Desk during Viet Nam (I witnessed this).

PSG:     I'd Like to Check in <hand in paperwork>  <PSG has a major beer belly>
Wave:   <Checking over paperwork>  What does PSG mean?
PSG:     Platoon Sargeant
Wave:  Oh   I thought it meant Pregnant Sargeant

Entire checkin line and all the workers had to come back later.  Everyone was cracking up so hard.

Fortunately PSG had a good sense of humor.   He even bought wave some roses before he left for Viet Nam.

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RE: customer service rant. - 10/19/2006 11:02:08 AM   
ShadowMster


Posts: 94
Joined: 7/14/2005
Status: offline 		On the topic (and old one at that) of customer service.  I want to give credit for a company that seems to be trying.

Capital One Bank customer service in this case.  We've all heard the recording "Due to heavy call volume your call is being ignored..."  How many times I've said to myself "If my call were important, you'd have more people to answer it"

Well, Capital One has actually begun a policy of offering overtime (with the added pay) to all CSR's who want it in efforts of keeping people on the phone.  They are also offering bonuses to people who stay available (in call queue) and things like that.

Way to go as far as I'm concerned.  Your actually backing up your "too many calls" recording with $$ for your employees pockets. 



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RE: customer service rant. - 10/19/2006 11:06:19 AM   
LuckyAlbatross


Posts: 19224
Joined: 10/25/2005
Status: offline 		Being on the opposite side as an assistant who has fielded calls from clients and customers for a few years, I can share a few stories about over demanding, conceited, belligerant, clueless and annoying customers myself.

But we've all dealt with cashiers who were less than cordial- although I think it's my duty as the customer to thank them for giving me a receipt and bags.

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RE: customer service rant. - 10/19/2006 11:09:15 AM   
MasterFireMaam


Posts: 5587
Joined: 3/1/2006
From: Charleston, WV
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Mavis

nearly posted this in the intolerance thread, but really, it's a rant more than  a qualified intolerance, but ANYone in customer service that doesn't give anything of the sort... 

cashiers that ring you up, take your money, and pass back change without ever having looked you in the face to say hello, thanks, kiss my ass.  Grrr.


Or those who do the above, all the while talking to their people about last friday's events and this friday's plans. If a customer chooses to do this, that's the customer's choice...but the service personnel? Nope. But then, I grew up in a little country store...customer service was important.

Master Fire


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RE: customer service rant. - 10/19/2006 11:09:50 AM   
MistressDiane


Posts: 334
Joined: 2/5/2004
Status: offline 		That's always been a pet peeve of mine as well. If we weren't buying there would be no job.

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RE: customer service rant. - 10/19/2006 11:18:11 AM   
mistoferin


Posts: 8284
Joined: 10/27/2004
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: LuckyAlbatross
I can share a few stories about over demanding, conceited, belligerant, clueless and annoying customers myself.


I don't often have an issue when it's face to face interaction, but I really try very hard to be cheerful and pleasant to people so it seems, for the most part, I receive the same back in kind.

But I am sure that the folks at the phone company probably thought I was all of those listed above by the end or hour 3 hour....yes I said 3 hour!!! telephone conversation last week. And I still walked away from the experience as confused, if not moreso than when I started.

The issue was a simple one really. I changed my service. I switched from the 49.99 plan to the 53.99 plan. Imagine my surprise when I got the bill and it was $176.00. So I called, thinking that an obvious error had been made and that it would be cleared up very quickly. Oh no....no one there seemed to even understand why I would be questioning it. They all kept telling me that it was because I made the changes "mid billing cycle" and that the charges were "taxes and fees". Ok...no problem....what are these taxes and fees? Well, it seems that there is not a human being alive and working at the phone company who knows exactly what these taxes and fees are for.

I finally got one lady to at least empathize with me when I asked her if she went to a restaurant and ordered $53 worth of food, would she be surprised when the bill came and it was 176 bucks. Even though she said she understood where I was coming from, she still couldn't explain the charges.

_____________________________

Peace and light,
~erin~

There are no victims here...only volunteers.

When you make a habit of playing on the tracks, you thereby forfeit the right to bitch when you get hit by a train.

"I did it! I admit it and I'm gonna do it again!"

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RE: customer service rant. - 10/19/2006 11:28:02 AM   
SirKenin


Posts: 2994
Joined: 10/31/2004
From: Barrie, ON Canada
Status: offline 		After all the shit they have to put up with ignoramus customers it is amazing they even hand you the change.

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RE: customer service rant. - 10/19/2006 12:25:24 PM   
LuckyAlbatross


Posts: 19224
Joined: 10/25/2005
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: mistoferin
I finally got one lady to at least empathize with me when I asked her if she went to a restaurant and ordered $53 worth of food, would she be surprised when the bill came and it was 176 bucks. Even though she said she understood where I was coming from, she still couldn't explain the charges.

BTDT.  What gets me these days is so often you call up a place and they ask you to type in your account info, which being a nice prepared person, I always have.  Then you get routed all over and the person who answers still needs the account info!  After a few transfers and repeating what you need, you get dropped...

Yeah we've all had our customer service gripes and nightmares.  But for the most part, I'm supportive and understanding of the person on the other line. 

_____________________________

Find stable partners, not a stable of partners.

"Sometimes my whore logic gets all fuzzy"- Californication

(in reply to mistoferin)
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RE: customer service rant. - 10/19/2006 12:42:05 PM   
SlaveAkasha


Posts: 726
Joined: 9/30/2006
From: Indiana
Status: offline 		I have been on the other side of this sooooo many times, I cringe to think about it.  I always try to be nice to people and smile.  If I go back though and think of all the times I smiled, asked how someone was, or anything of the type, and got back nothing, it's very wearing on a person.  I don't like when someone in cust. service is rude either, but we all have bad days, and we have no idea what is going on in their lives either.  I think sometimes we forget how hard it is to leave everything at home when we are at work.  They have to always have a smile, and be in a good mood, even if their closest relative just died. 
 
Still, even in the worst of circumstances, if the customer was nice to me, I was always nice back, and with a smile.  I do always try to remember though, that this person could have been on their feet, in that same spot for the last seven hours for 5.50 an hour..and that makes me understand a bit more.
 
None of it is an excuse, however..and if you feel it's a constant thing with the same person.. you can always say something to a member of the managment.  If it's a one time thing, just think they might have something really horrid going on, and give them a bit of a break.
 
Akasha

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RE: customer service rant. - 10/19/2006 1:15:42 PM   
MissyRane


Posts: 1032
Joined: 5/11/2005
Status: offline 		oh like the customers..that walk in a restaurant 15 MINUTES BEFORE IT CLOSES and order something that takes AGES to make and DON'T ask for the takeaway "no thanks we're going to eat here" and never mind the ones that enter 5 MINUTES before...just damn!!
but then I became guilty few days ago when I did it heh..I did clean everything up n even brought the dishes to the waitresses so I wouldn't be as horrible customer *puts up an angel face*

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RE: customer service rant. - 10/19/2006 1:22:48 PM   
MizSuz


Posts: 1881
Joined: 1/1/2004
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: LuckyAlbatross

BTDT.  What gets me these days is so often you call up a place and they ask you to type in your account info, which being a nice prepared person, I always have.  Then you get routed all over and the person who answers still needs the account info!  After a few transfers and repeating what you need, you get dropped...


Might I suggest:

http://www.gethuman.com

Or more to the point:

http://gethuman.com/us/


< Message edited by MizSuz -- 10/19/2006 1:24:12 PM >

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RE: customer service rant. - 10/19/2006 2:16:23 PM   
MsIncognito


Posts: 742
Joined: 5/24/2005
Status: offline
quote:

The issue was a simple one really. I changed my service. I switched from the 49.99 plan to the 53.99 plan. Imagine my surprise when I got the bill and it was $176.00.



I can't tell you how many times I had to answer this question when I worked customer support for a cell phone company. Everyone thought they were being overcharged when in fact 95% of the people I tried to explain it to simply couldn't wrap their brain around the fact that they were charged for service one month in advance even if the due date wasn't until the end of the month.

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RE: customer service rant. - 10/19/2006 2:21:06 PM   
mistoferin


Posts: 8284
Joined: 10/27/2004
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: MsIncognito

quote:

The issue was a simple one really. I changed my service. I switched from the 49.99 plan to the 53.99 plan. Imagine my surprise when I got the bill and it was $176.00.



I can't tell you how many times I had to answer this question when I worked customer support for a cell phone company. Everyone thought they were being overcharged when in fact 95% of the people I tried to explain it to simply couldn't wrap their brain around the fact that they were charged for service one month in advance even if the due date wasn't until the end of the month.



Well I wish it was that simple but it didn't have anything to do with advanced billing.

_____________________________

Peace and light,
~erin~

There are no victims here...only volunteers.

When you make a habit of playing on the tracks, you thereby forfeit the right to bitch when you get hit by a train.

"I did it! I admit it and I'm gonna do it again!"

(in reply to MsIncognito)
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RE: customer service rant. - 10/19/2006 2:22:02 PM   
Lordandmaster


Posts: 10943
Joined: 6/22/2004
Status: offline 		Yeah, either that or Comcast.

quote:

ORIGINAL: mistoferin

.....and I was sure this was going to be a thread about the phone company...lol.

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RE: customer service rant. - 10/19/2006 2:28:17 PM   
diamonddreamlove


Posts: 770
Joined: 5/19/2006
Status: offline 		After my husband died i received a credit card bill on a card my name thankfully was not on.  They needed the death cert and proof of will saying they could talk to me.  No problem.  I then explained i did not think my husband had incurred bills after he had died and that they should take the bill under advisement.  They argued it was my problem.  I ssaid i am not paying it.  They said call the companies then and straighten it out.  Well being a well trained sub (ok kind of) i called the first company and it turned out to be a singles dating service..  I explained why i was calling they said you have to pay the bill.  I said but he was dead and did not use the service from this date forward and they said you have to straighten it out with the credit card folks.  I called the card folks who again said they could do nothing about it that i had to take care of the issue.  I said not on this card and i think you will have a very difficult time collecting the debt and i started laughing.  They said this is not a laughing matter and i said you are right my husband is dead and you want me to pay for his continued dating and i just don't think it is my problem anymore although he is burried next to a woman.  I had to hang up then cause i was laughing so hard i was about to pee my pants.  Imagine how it felt to be told to cancel husbands not one but 2 dating services.  Even with our arrangement it was difficult and to be told it was not a laughing matter was more than i could take LOLOLOLOL.  Yes i have a sick sense of humor but then i atleast have a sense of humor. 

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RE: customer service rant. - 10/19/2006 2:31:19 PM   
Bearlee


Posts: 2311
Joined: 10/25/2004
From: South Central CO
Status: offline 		Nope, it had to do with the fact that you were probably already over your minutes…when you wanted to change.  When you want to change your plan ‘mid-billing’; they prorate your minutes used to date.  If you’ve already used more than your plan would allow for the month…at the pro-rated figure they came up with based on the minutes you’d actually used so far…then you’d have overages to pay.  Sad but true.

Had you told them you wanted them to change your plan “effective the next billing date” you wouldn’t have had the problem.

Kinda like the folks who try for insurance AFTER they’ve lost their phones…

At the little store where I work, a guy just left in a huff because he’s new to town and thinks we’re an untrusting lot because I wouldn’t let him walk out of the store with merchandise he PROMISES to pay for…..tomorrow.

<sigh>  I’m a bad customer service person, I guess.

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RE: customer service rant. - 10/19/2006 6:12:07 PM   
Mavis


Posts: 828
Joined: 2/8/2004
Status: offline 		LOL on the new guy in town. 

Actually, i think what started my rant was...  i do cust service stuff,  i have done retail for years,  then i did tech support..  and next week, i'm going back to a CSR job.  i LIKe customers.  They're usually good to me,  i don't have a long list of rudes,  only a long lists of people who didn't get stuff.   

(Like the guy with AOL, afraid to send his friend e-mail at 4 am, for fear "You've got mail" would wake the friends family up.  This was back in the day when nobody left computer logged on because they paid 2.95 an hour.    anyway, no amount of explaining to the guy would get him clear on   No..  you don't need to make a phone call at 4 am, to wake him up.. to tell him to turn the computer speakers down because an e-mail was arriving soon.  He got angry because "we"  the demons of AOL, could not notify his friend for him.)

But mostly, i always think that people take CSR, retail, public service jobs because they basically like people and connect with them well.   But once in a while, you find a retail place where the HR just doesn't seem to know how to choose staff i guess.

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RE: customer service rant. - 10/19/2006 7:34:21 PM   
smilezz


Posts: 2156
Joined: 6/18/2004
Status: offline 		I absolutely agree with you.  I have been in the Customer Service Industry for over 20 years.  I love it...i thrive on it....i love the interraction with people.

The one thing that i have always believed in, no matter what is going on....direct eye contact with the person you are speaking with, interracting with.   I also am a customer..and i will call the person behind the register on their foulness...lack of eye contact....lack of communication...no smile, every time.   It's important that people come back to the place of business.   Most people don't realise that a cashier for instance is most likely the last person a customer will see before leaving a store.  How that cashier interracts with the customer may determine if they come back or not.   If i am not making a good impression on a customer, i am failing in my job.  I am failing my company, i am failing me.

Customers KNOW they have a choice to go somewhere else......they CHOSE to come here (wherever that here may be, insert it), If we have not made an good impression as the last person that customer see's.........why should they come back? 

Ok, i get a bit passionate about this, i suppose i should end here.   LOL!  
(can ya tell i'm a customer service rep?)  *laughs*

Happy Thursday y'all!

~smilezz~


< Message edited by smilezz -- 10/19/2006 7:35:50 PM >

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