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  1. - Top - End - #91
    Dragon in the Playground Moderator
     
    Peelee's Avatar

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    Default Re: Customer service rants

    Quote Originally Posted by darkrose50 View Post
    I am just dumbfounded at the instructions we were given for a PR campaign (again, the second year). Gobsmacked am I!

    Step 1: Call the customer
    Step 2: Ask the customer for their name, date of birth, and address.
    On the bright side, I can't imagine you getting past this step terribly often.
    Cuthalion's art is the prettiest art of all the art. Like my avatar.

    Number of times Roland St. Jude has sworn revenge upon me: 2

  2. - Top - End - #92
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    WolfInSheepsClothing

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    Default Re: Customer service rants

    Oh EVERONE ignores the script, and the directions. They are over the top stupid. Only new people follow them, or new supervisors want you to follow them (likely figuring that they were competently made without reading them).

    Nope this project is going by VERY quickly. I am ~170 in and NOT ONE PERSON has any questions about their policy.

    I did get one guy who had questions about a letter he received from us . . . that I do not know ANYHTING about.

    I think that I angered at least 3/170 people (audibly angry people) that hate that the company calls them all the damned time about everything.

    Now my batting average at selling is HIGH (usually in the top 1-3). I am slower at getting sales numbers than most (at my level, usually #3-6), but last month I was #1 in sales (something rare for me). I do not think that normally I anger people. Calling people to ask them if they have an unprompted question seems to anger some.

    It helped that we got a new manager who does not think that speed is king. Seriously the last manager thought that speed was more important than rate of success. Now that hurt my brain!
    Last edited by darkrose50; 2019-07-05 at 12:38 PM.

  3. - Top - End - #93
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    Default Re: Customer service rants

    Honest question, how do you feel about people who just hang up shortly into it? Because really, if someone claiming to be from a company calls me and then asks me to give them all the identifying information, I'm going to immediately jump to "scam" and either hang up or start messing with them.
    Cuthalion's art is the prettiest art of all the art. Like my avatar.

    Number of times Roland St. Jude has sworn revenge upon me: 2

  4. - Top - End - #94
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    WolfInSheepsClothing

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    Default Re: Customer service rants

    I would hang up on someone so fast if they called me wanting this information. Only an idiot would provide this information on an unprompted call. This (as written) is a test to find idiots!

    If they think it is a scam, then I just tell them that they could call the number on the back of their card if they had any questions.
    Last edited by darkrose50; 2019-07-05 at 09:36 AM.

  5. - Top - End - #95
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    PirateGirl

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    Default Re: Customer service rants

    Quote Originally Posted by darkrose50 View Post
    Step 1: Call the customer

    Step 2: Ask the customer for their name, date of birth, and address
    Wait, this is a thing actual insurance companies are having their people do?

    Whenever I've gotten calls like that, I've always, always assumed that it's a scam. "Don't give out your personal information to people who cold call you, no matter where they say they're from" is basically the telephone equivalent to "don't give your bank account info to someone who's sent you an e-mail telling you that they're a Nigerian Prince". That an actual insurance company would actually want you to do this is insane to me. Maybe they figure it won't tank their reputation too badly, because most people will indeed assume it's a scam by a third party, and not think to reflect it upon their actual insurers...?

    - - -

    I have a question to shoot back at all of you working outbound calls: How, generally, would you wish people who aren't interested in hearing you to react to your calls? Obviously being yelled at is no fun (and I understand a lot of places don't allow you to be the one to hang up, so you have to endure it even though you obviously aren't going to be making a sale), but would you prefer the people you call to just hang up on you immediately, mid-spiel, so you can move on and get more calls in? Would you rather they wait for you to finish, then tell you that they aren't interested, but genuinely hope you have a nice day, to try to balance out the terrible people you get? Would you rather they interrupt with well-wishes to have a happy medium of saving time? Would you prefer they try and joke as they let you go, or do something funny like make a sales pitch back at you?

    As much as I genuinely hate people calling me trying to sell me stuff or tell me about their promotions or 'check how I like the X that I bought from them' or what have you, I'm also sympathetic because I know you guys have a thankless job with probably an uncaring boss and you have to put up with people screaming at you daily when you're just some poor bloke trying to put food on the table. I had a brief stint working customer service and sales (only for inbound calls, though), and that was hard enough on my mental state; I can't imagine what working outbound would be like. So when I get a call from someone offering me something I'm not interested in, what would be the best thing for me to do to make your day a tiny, tiny bit better?
    Me: "Are you like, trying to destroy the world or something?"
    DMPC: "...I'm eleven."
    Me: *suspicious* "Is that a 'yes'?!"
    ―my current PTU campaign

  6. - Top - End - #96
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    WolfInSheepsClothing

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    Default Re: Customer service rants

    Quote Originally Posted by Lettuce View Post
    Wait, this is a thing actual insurance companies are having their people do?

    Whenever I've gotten calls like that, I've always, always assumed that it's a scam. "Don't give out your personal information to people who cold call you, no matter where they say they're from" is basically the telephone equivalent to "don't give your bank account info to someone who's sent you an e-mail telling you that they're a Nigerian Prince". That an actual insurance company would actually want you to do this is insane to me. Maybe they figure it won't tank their reputation too badly, because most people will indeed assume it's a scam by a third party, and not think to reflect it upon their actual insurers...?
    Honest to god . . . C-3PO himself! <Yubnub>

    Our customer service note program says IN RED . . . people have been calling our customers pretending to be us wanting personal information, and we don't do that crap. Then we are told to do that crap!

    The stupidity is so thick that you can cut it with a knife!

    It only takes one idiot to write something stupid. It takes more than one to do it over and over again.

    I am beyond amazed at these instructions!
    Last edited by darkrose50; 2019-07-05 at 02:06 PM.

  7. - Top - End - #97
    Dragon in the Playground Moderator
     
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    Default Re: Customer service rants

    Quote Originally Posted by darkrose50 View Post
    Honest to god.

    Our customer service note program says IN RED . . . people have been calling our customers pretending to be us wanting personal information, and we don't do that crap. Then we are told to do that crap!
    Stupid question, but have you tried bringing this up with management? Like, when they send out the memo to do the calls, do you say "so we should ignore the previous instructions to explicitly not do that?" Preferably in email form so it's in writing?
    Cuthalion's art is the prettiest art of all the art. Like my avatar.

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  8. - Top - End - #98
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    WolfInSheepsClothing

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    Default Re: Customer service rants

    Quote Originally Posted by Peelee View Post
    Stupid question, but have you tried bringing this up with management? Like, when they send out the memo to do the calls, do you say "so we should ignore the previous instructions to explicitly not do that?" Preferably in email form so it's in writing?
    For whatever reason it does not seem to work. Someone keeps writing these horrible procedures, and/or insisting on bat-**** crazy wording. It must be someone trying to cover his/her but by writing in "HIPPA VERIFY EVERYONE ALWAYS, NO MATER WHAT, FIRST THING BEFORE YOU TALK ABOUT ANYTHING" in every procedure to make sure that if there is a HIPPA violation that they will not get fired.

    One disclaimer that we need to read . . . or we could not get paid our bonuses for a month . . . reads (essentially):

    "By agreeing to this LONG statement means that you agree to a salesperson helping you enroll into healthcare, but agreeing to this statement does not mean that you are agreeing to enroll into healthcare."

    It makes me want to cry. Somehow legal does not know that an application for tax credits for healthcare is not an application for healthcare. They screwed it all up, and it makes me want to cry.
    Last edited by darkrose50; 2019-07-05 at 12:32 PM.

  9. - Top - End - #99
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    Default Re: Customer service rants

    Quote Originally Posted by darkrose50 View Post
    For whatever reason it does not seem to work. Someone keeps writing these horrible procedures, and/or insisting on bat-**** crazy wording. It must be someone trying to cover his/her but by writing in "HIPPA
    *twitch*
    Quote Originally Posted by darkrose50 View Post
    VERIFY EVERYONE ALWAYS, NO MATER WHAT" in every procedure to make sure that if there is a HIPPA
    *twitch*

    Sorry, couldn't resist.
    Cuthalion's art is the prettiest art of all the art. Like my avatar.

    Number of times Roland St. Jude has sworn revenge upon me: 2

  10. - Top - End - #100
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    WolfInSheepsClothing

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    Default Re: Customer service rants

    Quote Originally Posted by Lettuce View Post
    I have a question to shoot back at all of you working outbound calls: How, generally, would you wish people who aren't interested in hearing you to react to your calls? Obviously being yelled at is no fun (and I understand a lot of places don't allow you to be the one to hang up, so you have to endure it even though you obviously aren't going to be making a sale), but would you prefer the people you call to just hang up on you immediately, mid-spiel, so you can move on and get more calls in? Would you rather they wait for you to finish, then tell you that they aren't interested, but genuinely hope you have a nice day, to try to balance out the terrible people you get? Would you rather they interrupt with well-wishes to have a happy medium of saving time? Would you prefer they try and joke as they let you go, or do something funny like make a sales pitch back at you?
    I try my best to word it so that it can be said quickly (often they write these scripts like War and Peace) so that the question can be answered with a yes or a no. Usually a “no thank you” is best, so I can get back to annoying other people. The quicker I get done, the more real work (that is in my job description) I can get done.

    Quote Originally Posted by Lettuce View Post
    As much as I genuinely hate people calling me trying to sell me stuff or tell me about their promotions or 'check how I like the X that I bought from them' or what have you, I'm also sympathetic because I know you guys have a thankless job with probably an uncaring boss and you have to put up with people screaming at you daily when you're just some poor bloke trying to put food on the table. I had a brief stint working customer service and sales (only for inbound calls, though), and that was hard enough on my mental state; I can't imagine what working outbound would be like. So when I get a call from someone offering me something I'm not interested in, what would be the best thing for me to do to make your day a tiny, tiny bit better?
    My manager is working on removing my department (sales) from outbound non-sales promotions. This takes time and effort away from selling, and sometimes has resulted in me loosing sales to meet a PR deadline (sometimes the big bosses crack the whip, and say this must get done today). That should NEVER EVER happen. It is crazy stupid.
    Last edited by darkrose50; 2019-07-05 at 01:00 PM.

  11. - Top - End - #101
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    ElfPirate

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    Default Re: Customer service rants

    This keeps being an interesting read.

    And was suddenly reminded of one of those times I was on the other side of things, and talked to a person who must be one of the most underated operator they got.


    I was getting a call from a mobile telephone operator who really wanted me to switch to them. That's not happening. It is especially not happening when a representative form the same company was trying to "trick" my grandmother into switching. It went so far she had new contract papers maield to her. She had no effectively no idea what they were on about.

    So I am on the warpath. They picked the wrong time to be calling me to change. And I told them so. I avoided swearing and going over 120 decibels. Just.

    The callcentre person could clearly tell he wasn't making a sale here. But he also recognized the company reputation was on the line. I could almost hear the tyres of the sales car screaming as he did a sales 180 into the PR disaster prevention lane. He apologized on their behalf, agreed with me that my anger was justified that wasn't how they should have acted, maybe he even promised to further my concerns along.

    I don't know what they are paying one of those operators, I doubt it's enough, but that guy saved their ass that day. I am not changing my service anytime soon, but I'm also not on my way to their hq with a jerrycan of petrol and a match. Or visting thier facebook page with a vengence and lots of free time.

  12. - Top - End - #102
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    PaladinGuy

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    Default Re: Customer service rants

    Quote Originally Posted by snowblizz View Post
    I don't know what they are paying one of those operators, I doubt it's enough
    A friend of mine ran into one of those some years ago.

    Now, he prefered to pay his electricity bill by standing order (SO) - fixed amount per month, paid in advance but under his control. The standard way to pay electricity bills in the UK is by direct debit (DD) - fixed amount per month, paid in arrears and under their control (and the companies are known for saying you are in credit using less than predicted so they are putting your monthly amount up).
    Because he paid by SO (and retained control) he was paying considerably more than the DD customers despite paying in advance, so when he got a random "how are we doing?" call out of the blue he forcefully explain this issue to the telephone rep.

    About a week later he was very surprised (and impressed) to get a call back from the same rep - who had worked out how to get his bill to within a few % of the DD rate, though he did need to sign a new contract. I think my friend asked to speak to the chap's manager so that he could praise him for his excellent service.

  13. - Top - End - #103
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    WolfInSheepsClothing

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    Default Re: Customer service rants

    My department is designed from the ground up with the notion that multitasking is a good idea. Why do one thing well, when you can do three things horribly! Multitasking should be burned with fire!

    Under manager #4 I think we are going to fix this notion.

    The level of inefficiency gives me nightmares.

    -----

    Honest to god question: "What is a calendar year?"

    Honest to god question: you said 100% and $100, what one is it. As if two units can't have the same number . . . she made my head hurt.

    -----

    Customer: <Rambles>
    Me: <Why are you calling?>
    Customer: <Rambles> You helped me before . . . <Rambles>
    Me: <Why are you calling?>
    Customer: Just listen to me ramble.
    Me: <but WHY are you calling?>
    Customer: <Rambles>
    Me: <WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?>
    Customer: <Rambles and offers information that is useless rambling>

    ----

    Customer: I got an email saying that I was active. When was I activated?
    Me: I cannot tell when, it will only show if you are active or not.
    Customer: Can you check to see if I am active.
    Me: If the emails says that you are active, then you are active. But f you want to find out when the enrollment department would be able to tell you.

    -----

    Chamberlain from the Dark Crystal: Ummhumm . . . ummhumm ummhumm ummhumm ummhumm ummhumm
    My ears wanted to bleed.
    Last edited by darkrose50; 2019-08-05 at 01:03 PM.

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