Why do you yell at CSRs?

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vpr

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When speaking to a CSR or Tech Support agent, why do you find the need to raise your voice and say all sorts of vulgar things?

I've worked in Call Centers for a long time now, and I still can't understand where this gets you? Do you feel that by raising your voice and getting angry it's going to get you what you want? Granted, sometimes it does, but most of the time it just puts me, and all the other agents in a worse mood. Have you ever stopped to think of what WE have to put up with everyday? I can't speak for everyone, but I know when a customer is yelling at ME (not the company), i'm not as willing to work w/ them as I would be with a customer that was calm and collective and sincere about whatever the issue is...

When you demand something that we can't provide to you to your liking, it really drives me nuts when a supervisor is requested... I mean for all you know you could be talking to the janitor (yes it's happened on several occasions) for all you know... Granted, you may get them to cave in, but most of the time they're just going to re-inforce what the we've been telling you... The supervisors job isn't to speak to customers...they have other duties they're supposed to be doing.

I'm just venting from a bad day at work... I appologize if i've upset anyone...just venting...

-Vpr

Oh yea, I can't disclose for which company I work for, as last time they somehow found my posts on another forum and the next day I had a final waiting for me...lovely...
 
[quote name='vpr']I'm just venting from a bad day at work... I appologize if i've upset anyone...just venting...

-Vpr

Oh yea, I can't disclose for which company I work for, as last time they somehow found my posts on another forum and the next day I had a final waiting for me...lovely...[/QUOTE]

You just answered your question. The reason they bitch, piss & moan is because they're frustrated with the product they received and where do they naturally go to complain? You got it - CSR. You're a convenient scapegoat for the breakdown of their product. Is it fair? Nope. But unfortunately, that's the nature of the specific department you work in. I've worked CSR and I'll never do that shit again.
 
I get angry when CSR's don't listen...

I had one call that went like this:

Me: "I received the game damaged, the disk came off the spindle and was scatched in transit. It doesn't work"

CSR: "Did you open the game?"

Me: (Still calm):" Yes, I had to to see the condition of the disk"

CSR: "Well, we only accept returns on defective items"

ME: "Well, it's defective; it's scratched and I told you it doesn't work"

CSR: "You've played it?"

ME: (staring to heat up) "Yes, I have and it doesn't work. Besides, even if it did work, I don't want a scratched disk when I buy a new product."

CSR: "Like I said, we only return defective items..."

ME: (Now mad) "I've said it's defective three times now".

I realize they have a job to do, and often it's quite boring. But please LISTEN just a bit. and don't forget, I'm calling not because I want to hear someone's voice, but I need assistance. I don't want to verabbly spar, that's what my woman's for.
 
I prefer to email CSR instead of talking on the phone. I think it's easier for me to write email complaining about my problem politely instead of talking about it over the phone. I think it's easier to 'loose it' over the phone. Just recently I have a lot of problem buying a DVD with Amazon.com's merchant seller. The seller failed to ship the DVD for almost 4 weeks and didn't answer my email asking for the status. I contacted amazon about the problem. But amazon said I have to work out the problem with the seller. It was very frustrating. I can definitely understand why other people would get mad at CSR. Because I was pretty upset too.
 
[quote name='vpr']When speaking to a CSR or Tech Support agent, why do you find the need to raise your voice and say all sorts of vulgar things?

I've worked in Call Centers for a long time now, and I still can't understand where this gets you? Do you feel that by raising your voice and getting angry it's going to get you what you want? Granted, sometimes it does, but most of the time it just puts me, and all the other agents in a worse mood. Have you ever stopped to think of what WE have to put up with everyday? I can't speak for everyone, but I know when a customer is yelling at ME (not the company), i'm not as willing to work w/ them as I would be with a customer that was calm and collective and sincere about whatever the issue is...

When you demand something that we can't provide to you to your liking, it really drives me nuts when a supervisor is requested... I mean for all you know you could be talking to the janitor (yes it's happened on several occasions) for all you know... Granted, you may get them to cave in, but most of the time they're just going to re-inforce what the we've been telling you... The supervisors job isn't to speak to customers...they have other duties they're supposed to be doing.

I'm just venting from a bad day at work... I appologize if i've upset anyone...just venting...

-Vpr

Oh yea, I can't disclose for which company I work for, as last time they somehow found my posts on another forum and the next day I had a final waiting for me...lovely...[/QUOTE]

I've accidentally gotten aggravated with people over the phone years ago - this was because I subconciously felt they were responsible for my grievances and when they put you on hold or aren't understanding a point - you feel as if they are trying to screw with you. It really isn't the case and now I try to be kinder.

CSR really sucks though. Most people are crazy.
 
Simple transference. Just try to remember that it's the product they're actually yelling at.
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That's not always the case. If I'm yelling at you, (hopefully) you have done something to deserve it. Remember you are a customer SERVICE rep. You are there to service the customers needs and uphold the integrity of the company that employs you. Most, (note I say MOST), reps are horrible and have no idea what they are doing.

When I do get a person who actually knows what they are talking about, I generally speak to their manager next to mention the calibur of service I was given. Sadly, this happens rarely... Although I have to say, chik-fil-a has the best drive thru/counter help in the industry :)

I also need to say that if you are employed in a field that requires you to speak over to people over the phone, you should be required to do the following:

Speak english. (Capital one take note)
Understand english. (Capital one take note)
Have basic problem solving skills. (Comcast, please pay attention)
Be able to listen. (Godaddy? Are you listening)
Speak clearly and don't mumble. (80% of crs need to pay attention)
Type. ( I shouldn't need to spell my first name 4 times, which only consists of 5 letters and is fairly common).
Sound at least midly interested in my situation. (Asus is awesome at this)

I could go on and on but what it comes down to is, if you don't like your job (in general) get a new one, but surely don't take your lack of knowledge out on the person that is calling, who in effect pays your salary. But, clearly there are cases where people call bitching immediately, without regard for reason or benefit of the doubt as is the case for the OP, I'm sure. And doing that all day, having people scream at you is not anyone's dream job I'm sure.
 
this was because I subconciously felt they were responsible for my grievances and when they put you on hold or aren't understanding a point - you feel as if they are trying to screw with you. It really isn't the case and now I try to be kinder.
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Sometimes they are. I'm not saying the OP does this, or every CSR rep in the world does this, but I have a friend who has done call center jobs for the past 4 years or so (inbound and outbound). With the outbound calls, he told me flat out that if you yell at him or piss him off in any way he'll stick your number right at the top of the queue again. Someone will immediately call you and you'll get more pissed. But again, this is not something that everyone does.

I do not yell at people who call me unless they do something to warrant it. For example, I signed up for a bank account the day before I went to Los Angeles for E3. The next day I'm chilling on the metro going from the airport to the hotel. I get a call on my cell phone and it's a call center guy. I was told by my friend mentioned earlier that if you say it's a cell phone, they have to take you off the list because it's illegal to call (although someone has told me that recently that has changed, there is still a do not call list).

Anyways, the guy starts talking, introduces himself as some guy from MSR (or some other company). I said "Hey, look I'm sorry I don't have time for this right now. I'm on the subway trying to get to a hotel because I'm out of town. Furthermore, this is a cell phone so please take my number off your list."

The man yells "NO SIR this is *Insert my bank's name*. YOU GAVE US YOUR NUMBER TO CALL." I said "I'm sorry...but you said before you were MSR or whatever. I didn't say that my bank could use my number for anything, and I specifically told them it was a cell phone." He yells back "NO YOU DIDN'T IF YOU HAD THEN I WOULDN'T BE CALLING YOU NOW WOULD I?" So I told him "Great, well now you know it's a cell phone, don't ever fucking call me again" and hung up.

I don't care if the guy had a bad day. I don't care if the guy just had 30 shitty callers before me. You don't treat people like that over the phone. If you are having a rough day, I would assume that asking your manager for a 5 minute cool down period so you don't piss off customers would be acceptable.

Obviously, people on both sides of the phone can be jerks without warrant, and that sucks.
 
I get angry when the call center is a bureaucracy where you just get passed around from
CSR to CSR without resolution. If I have to wait an hour, I'm going to let the CSR know about it. He's gotta tell his management, and why will he bother if I'm Sam Sunshine over the phone.
 
I just got off the phone with Circuit City's India-based Customer Service Center.

Two things; call the HQ in Virginia if you want anything done (800-251-2665), and God Bless America!
 
Most people are assholes because they think they have that right. There are times when anger may be warranted but usually it isn't. I have never yelled at a CSR or any other employee.
 
I was a customer service rep at a publishing company once. For the most part, the callers were pretty good. It might also be a reflection on me though, I can calm most people down.

To me, the worst ones are sales people who make cold calls. Those guys get and deserve the most verbal venom.

People want to call a CSR to solve their problems. People dont want a Sales Person making a cold call to them.
 
I never yell at CSR's, I just sit there and be patient with them knowing they're all hopefully gonna burn in hell for all eternity. I remember once when my Xbox LIVE wasn't working, (there's been numerous times) and I call up the LIVE hotline to try and get it fixed. I was sent back and forth between LIVE, Microsoft, and Linksys 7 times before LIVE told me there was a problem with my connection, (ooo, so that's what troubleshoot meant when it said "trouble with your connection") and there was no way to help me. Turns out the whole time the reatrds had dropped my account around 5 months in, (how this happens with a 12 month subscription I'll never know) and after about 3 days of calling back to try and get someone competent to help me, one of the LIVE guys finally noticed their mistake and fixed it. Never got anything for all my troubles, or their mistake. Hate the bastards, and no Halo 2 doesn't compensate for my lost time. All they ever wanna seem to do is blame someone else and give you their phone number so you can go and complain to them, they're useless.
 
I work for a call center and I go through the same shit every night. Thankfully, unlike my last CSR job, this one WILL allow me to hang up on people, provided I warn the EU (end user) that I will not tolerate their tone/words/attitude/etc. Screaming at me gets you nowhere, people. Absolutely nowhere. And in most cases I think the CSRs are given the ability to end the call. We document it and that's it. If that person calls back or e-mails someone, they can trace the call back, but by that time, we've already documented exactly what has happened, and made it perfectly clear that the EU lost their temper, we warned them, and when they didn't calm down, we hung up. All these people that claim to have had bad experiences are generally biased towards themselves.

When something like that happens, generally the tech will inform the others. If I see another tech saying "xxxxx person is a jackass," that makes me perk up for that name. And if I get that person, I still try to resolve the problem, but if they lose their temper, they just go back into the queue. Since there are nights when the wait might be 20-30 minutes, they only pisses them off even more, but I'm not about to wait on line with someone screaming at me. (Aside: Don't fucking tell me "IVE BEEN WAITING FOREVER" when I answer. I've got a light that tells me how many calls are in queue, and I'm aware of it, so don't remind me and try to use it as a way of insulting me.)

For the most part, maybe 60% of the calls I get go ok. The person responds to what I ask, they aren't asinine, and they do what I tell them. The call ends and the problem is normally resolved.

The other 40% are people who don't do what I ask them, can't understand me due to a language barrier, talk back to me in a rude way, yell at me, or blame me for their troubles. I'll say this - for the most part I'm a laid back guy. But I can't help it (like the OP said) if there are only certain options I can do. I work with computers, and sometimes you have to face the fact that there WILL be times when you'll get a broken peice of equipment. I'm sorry, but all we - as CSRs on the phone - cand do is to confirm it's defective and offer to have it repaired. I can't stress the number of times that people get angry about this and blame me for "poor customer service." Wtf do you expect? Yea, I get the frustration about the product being broken, BUT THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO EXCEPT OFFER THAT YOU SEND IT IN. I can't refund, I can't replace, and guess what - managers and supervisors can't either. It's broken, it's physical. I'M ON THE PHONE HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY. WHAT THE fuck DO YOU WANT?

All CSR positions suck, and I'm talking in a broader field that encompasses clerks (waiters, cashiers, etc). I assue you that 90% of the time, people like us have 1) no power, 2) no authority, and 3) are only doing what is available to us. The waiter didn't make your fucking food, so you can't get mad at him because your steak got burnt. You can request another steak and just accept the fact that sometimes life tosses you a kick in the ass, and you need to make ass-aid from it. Yes, I know that makes no sense, but you get the idea. :p

After being a cashier, a clerk at a fast food restuarant, and two CSR positions, I'm nice to those people. They have to undergo a HUGE amount of bullshit for a menail, thankless job. The main problem with these jobs is that they are the first line of interaction with the company. Furthermore, in the case of CSRs, the only reason people call in is because they have a problem (which, btw, is NOT the way to begin a call - "My computer isn't working" - that's so fucking vague and it doesn't help me), and thus, they are mad BEFORE I even answer. That puts me in a shitty position - someone being mad and already made up their mind to be a fuckhead on the phone before I even begin to try and help them.

It's called (enter Lewis Black) the tough shit rule, and sometimes, guess what, it happens. It has happened to me a thousand times, but being on this side of the fence, I've learned that the person I'm talking to had absolutely nothing to do with and can only suggest what they can. I had a router break like 6 weeks after I got it. Yes, it pissed me off, but I dealt with it and got it replaced, and that taught me a few things about product replacement. Now I keep all my receipts in a safe place and can immediately access anything that might be pertinent to the product. I SUGGEST EVERYONE LEARNS TO DO THIS. Keep your receipts, order confirmations, etc. Print them out, store them safely away, label them, and know where they are at all times. That's your best defense in ALL situations. I would go even as far to say that if you MUST call CSR, have a way of recording the conversation. I don't know if there are any legal things to consider, but I've thought about it in my own defense, and I have an mp3 player with a voice recorder that could do just that.

At some point, people seemed to forget that manufacturing errors happen. We're not much more advanced beyond production methods than we were 50 years ago. SHIT HAPPENS. And it happens TO EVERYONE. This piss poor "woe is me!" bullshit people get these days sickens me. I've had game consoles break, DVDs go back, CDRs not work, a router break, a PDA that can't connect wirelessly, etc etc etc etc. IT HAPPENS TO EVERYONE. LEARN TO DEAL WITH IT.

Asking us for a supervisor is just going to transfer you off to another guy that will say the same thing in the majority of the cases. I can't count the number of calls I've gotten that essentially go:
EU> This looks broken.
Me> (after troubleshooting) Yea it's broken, needs to be sent in for repair.
EU> WELL fuck THAT GIVE ME YOUR MANAGER
Me> Please calm down sir
EU> NO I BOUGHT THIS THING 6 MONTHS AGO AND I--
Me> *click*

You know what the manager will say? "It's broken and it needs to be sent in for repair." It's like people want a second opinion and think I'm lying to them when I tell them there's nothing else that can be done.

And yes, I know this is coming from one CSR and I'm making us look like saints. I know we aren't and I know a lot of us are ill prepared and undertrained. We're all different people and we all know different things. That is NOT a great excuse, but you have to understand that when you're dealing with someone who got little, if any, training, and was thrown on the floor a few days after getting the job, you have to understand that we're going by our best judgements. Tech A != Tech B. I can't help that. It sucks, but the fact is that CSR positions are so strenuously stressful that the turnover is insane. I read an article about India reps even having a 60% turnover rate. Management doesn't give a shit because they know there will always be people to fill in the spots. They just want peopel to answer the phone and try and resolve the call within 10 minutes. Hell, if someone were to just hang up on everyone at that point, my guess is that management wouldn't look twice.

As for warranties and things, your best defense is education and information BEFORE the point of sale. Find out what the warranty is, what may or may not void it, how long it lasts, what it covers, EVERYTHING. Don't call me and whine that you are responsible for shipping costs to the repair center. That's spelled out in plain words 2-3 times in the warranty my company gives out, but people STILL don't seem to see it. Also, don't rely on the stoner at Best Buy for info about anything. If he says something and you still aren't sure, call the company and get the official word.

Look, the point to all of this is that the problems in the CSR industry are widespread and many-faceted. You have dickhead customers, idiot CSRs, apathetic management, and a lot of misinformation running around everywhere. We, as CSRs, can only do so much, and we're not able to fulfill your every wish. If I give you two options, those are the only options. Your best defense is to inform yourself before you buy it, to read all the terms, to research on the internet at review sites like amazon/Cnet/epinions, to google everything, and understand EXACTLY what you are getting into. Furthermore, record ALL your information so that you have the necessary defenses in place to get what you want.

If a tech says something and you don't agree with it, politely ask for a case number, get their name if you can, and hang up. Calm down, contact other people for second opinions, call the call center again. Screaming gets you nowhere and will make it so that no one wants to deal with you.

But please, learn to stfu and be reasonable with us. We're people too, and some of us DO happen to feel bad about the fact that there's nothing we can do. Seen Incredibles? Just like Bob when he's in the insurance company. We've got the higher ups breathing down our necks to practically NOT help people, even when it's an old lady crying her eyes out. I've had college students writing their dissertations and the HD crashes. That's years of work GONE instantly. But I didn't do it, I'm sorry for it, and ther'es nothing I can suggest beyond a new HD. And I DO feel bad when that happens, but there's nothing else I can do. You, in all reality, had every chance to do research prior to everything and back your shit up.

I'll sum all my points up:
1. Yelling gets you hung up on and reps WILL hang up. Some might even fuck with you later on because, guess what, we're people to, and some of us are vindictive little shits and WILL use thier free time to push that sort of evil freedom.
2. Management doesn't give a shit about training people, staffing enough persons to drop the waiting time, OR an angry e-mail from some fucker who is made that their computer is broken, ESPECIALLY when we've offered to fix it. I think the only time you might successfully get a CSR fired is if you can prove they told you something completely explicit, like "why don't you suck my dick," or something similar. But even that is a stretch.
3. CSR positions suck. They suck hard. Everyone should have to work CSR at some point in their life and see just how terrible it is. Cut us some damn slack.
4. To protect yourself as best you can, document everything, keep all your orders/receipts/documentation, get names, write down dates, and record ALL PERTINENT INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR PRODUCTS. Take pictures, write down specific phrases used and told do you, remember what information you gave (name, phone number, etc).
5. READ YOUR fuckING WARRANTIES AND TERMS OF CONDITIONS. DON'T fuckING BLAME ME FOR YOUR INCOMPETENCE IN NOT DOING SO.
6. To go along with 5, you have every chance to call the company BEFORE you purchase the product to get clarification on anything. In fact, I would recommend this before you make any large purchases. Computers, LCD screens, TVs, etc. You have EVERY CHANCE to do research and to find out EVERYTHING PRIOR TO BUYING. THAT IS YOUR fuckING RESPONSIBILITY AS A CONSUMER. Just like when you don't buy rotten bananas at a store, don't get mad if you bought something without finding out how the warranty works beforehand.

And finally, don't assume anything. Just because company A does something one way, doesn't mean your company will. I am tired of hearing "WELL THATS NOT HOW MY FRIEND's (brand) COMPUTER DOES IT, THEY DO THIS...." At that point I stop listening, and when it gets quiet, I tell you the same thing I just said.

CSRs do what they can in the majority of the cases. Yea, sometimes we suck and don't know what to do. Sometimes you get a computer and it breaks in a week. Sometimes you have to pay the shipping. Sometimes no one gives a shit. Sometimes you got informed wrongly by the clerk at Circuit City. Sometimes the place is run like shit. Sometimes a tech makes a mistake.

It happens to everyone, people. It happens to fucking EVERYONE. I'm sorry about the poor state of affairs in the industry I work in. That's why so many people go offshore and outsource - because other countries have people willing to work for nothing. Whiny Americans, say what you want, but you're not happy if it's an Indian with a poor accent or an American with a decent accent telling you the same thing. You're not happy WHOEVER you talk to.

Damn, this turned into a huge rant. And despite all my whining I'll still go back to my job tonight and have people bitch at me. Meh.

The only true answer is to find a way to avoid this sort of shit. I'm still working on that.
 
[quote name='jaykrue']Start a business. You make your own hours and salary.[/QUOTE]

Maybe. I'm in College right now so it's not like I'm in a dead end. I just hate working at jobs that you have to go to that day. I guess I want something more from life.
 
I think your post was awesome Strell. I work as a cashier right now so I know where you are coming from. Cashiers have it bad at times but not as bad as CSRs.
 
CSRs have the easy life. Try being a credit card collector, calling people and demanding money from them, then come talk to me about people and their attitudes. I did it for 3 years, worse 3 years of my life.
 
for starters, the callers need to relax...we live in a instant gratification society, and people need to learn that things don't happen instantly....2nd of all the call centers have to do a better job in hiring, and educating their reps...some of them outright suck
 
[quote name='GuilewasNK']I think your post was awesome Strell. I work as a cashier right now so I know where you are coming from. Cashiers have it bad at times but not as bad as CSRs.[/QUOTE]

back when i was working at Toys R Us, i was covering for someones lunch and working the register. The lady i was checking out was having serious issues with her check clearing so after being on the phone with her bank to see if her check would clear, i finally got her all taken care of then the next broad walks up and goes "i wont be a problem like that lady" so i just nod and kinda smile.

All she has is diapers, so i ring them up
Me: "any coupons?"
Her "nope"
Me: "ok your total is blah blah blah"
she gives me her credit card. i hand her the reciept.
Her: "this is supposed to be 50 cents cheaper!!"
Me: "oh i'm sorry i didnt know, you can go up to CS and they will give you a refund on the money you're supposed to get back."
Her: Cant you just open up your register and give me my money?!?"
Me: "i'm sorry but i cant, only CS can get into my register when i'm not doing a sale."
Her: "you know what? I dont think that lady was the problem, i think YOU'RE THE Problem!"
Me: "ummm okay"
Her: "You shouldn't even be working here!"
Me: "Um lady what the hell are you talking about i work at a fucking toy store... this is the bottom of the goddamn food chain, this is as low as you can go."
Her: "I want to speak to yor supervisor! NOW!"
I call the supervisor on my walkie and he comes over and she goes off saying how i did this and how i should be fired and blah blah blah. My manager looks at me and he goes "you cussed her out?" so i go "im not taking any shit from this broad for $5.15 an hour, as i'm concerned i'm just defending myself... she insulted me first."

Well the lady left and i got pulled in the bosses office and i got written up and got suspended for a week. My manager did say it was one of the funniest things hes ever seen though
 
OTM, that was awesome.

And it perfectly illustrates my rant. That lady had every chance to confirm the price BEFOREHAND, you even asked her for that, she didn't do it.

That's the simplest, most reduced form of the problem at hand. People not fucking paying attention and getting pissed off when they get their ass handed to them.
 
Strell, good report. That is very accurate I think. I have done teh support for Hewlett Packard, sold credit cards, and took survey over the phone. Seriously the worst job that I have ever had.
I really enjoye the times that I was able to help someone. It felt good. I like to help people. But the other times just killed that feeling.
At Hewlett Packard we were allowed to hand up on them if they were swearing or if they threatened some sort of lawsuit. Man I loved that. I just sat their hoping they would curse at me so I could hang the phone up.
But I digress, just wanted to compliment you on your report.
 
[quote name='Strell']OTM, that was awesome.

And it perfectly illustrates my rant. That lady had every chance to confirm the price BEFOREHAND, you even asked her for that, she didn't do it.

That's the simplest, most reduced form of the problem at hand. People not fucking paying attention and getting pissed off when they get their ass handed to them.[/QUOTE]

thats why i got so pissed i even confirmed the price for her, it was her fault that she didnt pick up on it. Then she tries to belittle me over 50 fucking cents... thats not gonna fly. I just didnt care if i got fired because jobs like that are a dime a dozen.
 
[quote name='Strell']OTM, that was awesome.

And it perfectly illustrates my rant. That lady had every chance to confirm the price BEFOREHAND, you even asked her for that, she didn't do it.

That's the simplest, most reduced form of the problem at hand. People not fucking paying attention and getting pissed off when they get their ass handed to them.[/QUOTE]

Having deal with retail for four years of my life, and IT work for the next 9, I've been down both sides of the situation. The huge post by Strell hits it 100% on the head. He's right on every single count he mentioned, and it's why I stick to what he's said as much as I can. I get complimented by reps on the phone, regularly, because I'm not jumping their shit every second I can, or from the get-go, or during the call, as well as being polite, knowledgeable, and understanding. I also compliment them when they do a good job, since, unfortunately, it might be the only one they hear for quite some time.

I will go over their head to the next level of escalation only when I know it's going to do some good. Usually, I can figure that out pretty quickly. When it won't do any good, it's not worth the time to make the fuss.

Unfortunately, there's too many token idiots out there in CSR-type positions, and when you hit one, you know all too well that you have. The person is lucky enough to get dressed on their own in the morning, not counting their job responsiblities. Yes, they're out there, though don't assume they always are.

I've done enough work on both sides of the situation to understand how potentially crappy that the job in that position can be. Don't make them feel worse by being a jackass over nothing.
 
Next time someone bitches about 50 cents tell them he's in the hip-hop isle in Wal-Mart.

I am polite with CSRs. I had been having MAJOR issues with my internet and was on the phone for 70 minutes dealing with a problem that they claimed to fix twice in the last three weeks. This was at midnight when I called. The guy tried everything he could to fix my speed issue but nothing worked. I didn't bitch, I was appreciative that he tried as much as he did. I made a point to tell him that because he seemed more depressed at the failure than I was.
 
From experience I can tell you retail is worse then CSR. You cannot hang up on an idiot customer when they are standing in front of you. Case in point, this was about 10 years ago.

I used to be an asst. mgr at Suncoast. Christmas is hell there. When people don't know what to get someone or they need a gift that APPEARS to have had thought put into it they buy a movie. This leads to a number of problems. Here is one of my finest moments.

I ringing on the broken bitch-ass register, with no scanner only a keypad, a week or two before xmas. (As we gamers know, we can type anything on the number pad faster then you can say it.) I'd rung over 8k on my register alone when this incident occured. It was around 7pm on a Saturday and the mall was hopping and shipment still was strewn over the floor from the previous day.

A woman who stunk like mad dog is before me, buying either the wizard of oz, grease, or gone with the wind I'm sure. She is with her daughter, who was in her early 20s. She writes me a check. Now any seasoned retailer will tell you an alcohol smelling woman writing a check will set off your spidey-sense as much as a car flying at the window to the coffee house you and your girl-friend are sitting at.

So I punch the numbers in and its declined. I try a second time. While I'm waiting I look on the micro-fiche (yes, kids computers weren't everywhere yet) for her name. And suprise, suprise, Gomer she is on there. So straighten my smock cluttered with flair, turn around and say to her "Ma'am I'm sorry but I cannot accept your check at this time. I can, however, accept some other form of payment. Do you have a credit card or cash handy?"

She starts to freak. "What the fuck do you mean you can't take my check? BLAH BLAH fuck BLAH fuck MOTHER BLAH"

At Suncoast you have no power to stand up to the customer, however, it is a free country, so I follow her rant with this:

"Ma'am, I'm assuming you don't want this movie. If you keep yelling at me I'm calling security."

Bitch: "Why aren't you the least bit sorry, who the fuck do you think you are?"
Me: "Why should I be sorry that you have written bad checks here before and they bank wants to stop you from doing it again? I'm calling security."

Now security is a joke. To call the crack staff "mall-guards" would be insulting to mall guards everywhere. They were more like Stadtler and Whaldorf with flashlights and walkie-talkies. So, I pick up the phone, acting like I'm going to call security. Her daughter grabs her arm, begins to pull her from the store and says "mom, don't do this again, just shut up and lets go."

Her mom is SCREAMING at me from the entrance, I hang up the phone, (nodding like I talked to someone), and say ma'am you can't leave security is on its way.

Retail tip #69:
If you want a customer out of the store tell them security is on its way and tell them they have to stay.

So she bolts and the person ringing with me is laughing, I'm laughing and I hear a loud " fuck YOU ASSHOLE!!!!" from the hall. And she starts running, YES RUNNING, back into the store. Apparently she had seen us laughing at her.

She runs the 40 in about 30 seconds or so, so I've got plenty of time to grab the gate pull incase this is about to get ugly. She crests the entrance, yells "I'm gonna rip that goddamn pony tail off the back of your head!!!" (Like I said it was 10 years ago, so bite me. At least it wasn't a mullet...)

She runs past the new release rack and is about 10 feet from the counter; I walk out from behind the counter as she is barreling down on me. When WHAMMM!!!! She trips over a box from shipment and slams her whole blubbering ass right to the ground. Everyone in the store erupts into laughter, even her daughter who is hauling the now bruised, road-rashed, rug-burned carcass of her alcoholic mother back to their 82 Buick SkyHawk.

I got written up for it, because I should've "sympathized more with her issue." And I made up the part about the SkyHawk, but no one will ever know, so don't tell. Also this was the short version. I figured no one wanted to see a half-page of Shaq-fu logos...
 
[quote name='GuilewasNK']Worst job is probably being a teacher.[/QUOTE]

I agree, I hear so many damn excuses everyday. Which is a shame, because most student are bright and want to learn.

Others, will go to great lengths to not do an assignment. Recently, two nimbrods turned in nearly the same paper for class. Did they not think I'd notice? Why do people put so much effort into NOT doing something? It would be easier just to write the shaq-fuing paper!
 
I used to work CSR at a cell phone company. I'd say that 8 out of ten calls started out with the customer being hostile. The big problem I saw with the call center was how it was managed. It was almost designed specifically to piss customers off.

1. Opening script. Better say it correctly word for word or else you get written up. Customer yells and says that they've heard this bull**** from 5 other CSRs? Too bad, better finish the script if you want to keep your job.

2. We HAD to follow a flow chart. Customer says that they already tried this and that? Too bad, we had to tell them to try it again or else we'd get written up. This was INFURIATING to the customers who had already gone through the same 10 steps 5 times before getting to try something different.

3. The customer should be at 9 on the pissed-o-meter by now. This is good it means that as a CSR you're following all the required steps.

4. Give the customer something new to try. Our computer system was extremely slow, changes would take place an hour after the change was made. Try telling a customer to call back an hour and a half later when in their eyes you've done nothing and sent them on their way..

5. The customer will usually start cussing here. Customer will insert some personal threats where needed. OOPS! Can't hang up on them if you want to have a job the next day. We were allowed to tell the customer to knock it off or we would hang up. Of course it was against policy for us to hang up for any reason no matter how many times they cussed or threatened us.

6. Ever get the feeling that the CSR is trying to get you the hell off the phone ASAP? It's true. We got written up if our call average was too high. Let's say that I'm genuinely interested in helping you and solving your problem and you've been civil. Crap, 8 minutes has passed from the time I answered the phone, I've got to get you off the phone NOW so I don't get written up and lose my job.

7. Our computer system was very limited in the options that it resented us. Only about 75% of the time were we actually able to fix the problem with the options given us. The other times we had to send a request to our escalations team. Now this sounds all well and good, but our escalations team had 10-14 days before they would even LOOK at the request and had another 10-14 days before they had to fix it. Ever try telling a customer that it would be between 20-28 DAYS before their problem would be fixed? Some of these people basically live off their cell phones.

8. The customer is usually asking for a supervisor now. Well, there AREN'T any! Maybe the CSR will put you on hold for a minute and then disguise his/her voice. Maybethe CSR willj ust have the CSR next to him/her pretend to be a supervisor. In the off chance that there is a supervisor around, 10 times out of 10 he's going to tell you the exact same thing the first guy did.

9. Closing script. Same deal as the opening script. Word for word no matter what.

10. Did the CSR seem ill equipped or not ready to take your call? Most likely that's because said CSR is still entering info from the last call. If we took more than a couple seconds between calls we were written up. Many times I'd be trying to enter info from the last call while reciting the opening script for the current call. I'm sorry, the call center won't allow me to give you my undivided attention.

I quit that job. I put in my two week's notice and never showed up again. The breaker was that we had 8 call centers handling calls. This allowed us to have no queue and a couple minutes between calls. (Yes sir, I hear you when you say that you've been waiting an hour on the phone, but I know it's BS since there is no queue and therefore you did no waiting) Well one day (a Monday, the day we typically had the most alls due to the call centers being closed on saturday and sunday) they without warning, closed down 5 call centers. This made it so that our queue was ALWAYS at or above 150. Hang up the phone and a new customer is already ringing in. Now not only was the customer angry because of the original problem, but they just spent an hour and a half listenin to the Muzak version of "Mustang Sally" while waiting for someone to pick up.

Needless to say, this isn't the way to treat customers, but a CSR doesn't have a choice. If they sound clueless and don't listen when you say you've tried something eleventy billion times it's not because they're idiots, it's because they HAVE to do it a certain way or they lose their job. Getting angry isn't going to make things happen any faster, a CSR is already trying to get you off the phone ASAP.

The only time that you should expect reasonable help from a CSR at that specific call center is when they're already put in their two week's notice and have nothing to lose.
 
When dealing with CSR issues related to the tech field, I found that calling closer to or past midnight is better if they have 24 hour service. The really good tech guys seem to be night owls and work the graveyard. This has helped me on more then one instance.
 
[quote name='defiance_17']If only it were that simple...[/QUOTE]

It is actually. It takes about $3k to start up a small business out of your home. Once you've been able to establish yourself, it wouldn't take that much more to move into an office space. $3k is what a college student would make in a summer job (hint kaji7p56). When I was in college, I got sick and tired of living in the dorms and I didn't want an apartment where I'd be paying out of my ass so I decided to buy a condo complex near campus as an investment. Mortgage, property taxes, condo fees, and maintanence were about $1200 altogether. Rent was 1800 for 4 ppl (not including me) so I clear about $600 to keep for myself but I usually kept $300 and put an extra $300 towards the mortgage to build up my equity. I bought the condo for no $$$ down and got a pretty good 30 yr mortgage. Basically, I got a condo for free since my roommates were in essence paying for my mortgage. After 2 years, I saw how easy it was to do this so I decided to make it my business. I saved up $3k and started a real estate management business and I've been doing it since. I've had a real job since college but have quit soon after since I was also a peon grumbling how I hate work. Now I make my own hours (I probably work only about 10 hrs a week) and pay my own salary (I give myself a $1 dollar salary since my own company gives me all the benefits that a salary would normally be used for). The low salary also puts me in a lower tax bracket so I don't end up paying that much (if at all). I think I'm probably gonna be a millionaire by age 40. So yes, it IS that easy. It just takes a bit of knowledge, ingenuity, and perseverence.
 
Wanted to make some more comments...

1. JJJJS is right, most of the time CSRs have strict things they MUST abide by, or face termination. This can be a script, whether or not they can transfer/give out another contact number, or even tell you their name. The general rule is that we won't intentionally fuck around with you because we hate our jobs just as much as you hate dealing with us, and we don't want to be on the one with you any more than you do. Hence, if we request something or have to do something a specific way, that's generally beacuse our jobs hang on such menial and insignificant structures.

2. Rabidmonkeys is right. Call LATE AT NIGHT, especially if it is 24 hours. Not only is it slow, but you generally get people like me - nerdy tech types - that will be generally more knowledgable than a dime-a-dozen day crew person. I kind of relish it when someone asks me WHEN SHOULD I CALL IN WITHOUT A WAIT? I tell them about 3 AM because 1) it's true, and 2) I won't be around. >:)

Anyway, tonight was a f*cking TERRIBLE night for me - basically had to deal with a bunch of f*ckers that wanted to blame me for shit I had no handle over. And even when I asked them to calm down, they didn't and continued to insult me. There's nothing quite like the sweet tranquility of putting the f*ckers in their place by hanging up on them. Especially when you know it will piss them off more and have little, if any, negative recourse to your own person. I don't generally take pleasure in knowing I'm pissing someone off, but tonight was an exception. As one of my friends put it, "it's the time of the month for tech support."

To the people that say they are polite - you are in a scarily minute minority, and I, along with several others, are very grateful for that. I hope in time that more people adopt this mentality and begin to realize that we're all humans.

Last thing - I have found that the best therapy for this is to go to my fellow techs and relate the assholes I deal with. Since we generally all laugh at how stupidly mean people are, it's refreshing and lets me vent in a decent manner. Of course, then I come home and play Paper Mario. That also is a good release.
 
[quote name='rabidmonkeys']When dealing with CSR issues related to the tech field, I found that calling closer to or past midnight is better if they have 24 hour service. The really good tech guys seem to be night owls and work the graveyard. This has helped me on more then one instance.[/QUOTE]

That seems to be true from my experience as well.


I also worked at Suncoast for 4 holiday seasons and everything you said in your post about drunk check-bouncer lady is eerily reminiscent. Movies are definitely a favorite default gift which always brings in the idiots.


You guys should check the "Employees of all stores" threads. There are some great stories there.
 
[quote name='jaykrue']It is actually. It takes about $3k to start up a small business out of your home. Once you've been able to establish yourself, it wouldn't take that much more to move into an office space. $3k is what a college student would make in a summer job (hint kaji7p56). When I was in college, I got sick and tired of living in the dorms and I didn't want an apartment where I'd be paying out of my ass so I decided to buy a condo complex near campus as an investment. Mortgage, property taxes, condo fees, and maintanence were about $1200 altogether. Rent was 1800 for 4 ppl (not including me) so I clear about $600 to keep for myself but I usually kept $300 and put an extra $300 towards the mortgage to build up my equity. I bought the condo for no $$$ down and got a pretty good 30 yr mortgage. Basically, I got a condo for free since my roommates were in essence paying for my mortgage. After 2 years, I saw how easy it was to do this so I decided to make it my business. I saved up $3k and started a real estate management business and I've been doing it since. I've had a real job since college but have quit soon after since I was also a peon grumbling how I hate work. Now I make my own hours (I probably work only about 10 hrs a week) and pay my own salary (I give myself a $1 dollar salary since my own company gives me all the benefits that a salary would normally be used for). The low salary also puts me in a lower tax bracket so I don't end up paying that much (if at all). I think I'm probably gonna be a millionaire by age 40. So yes, it IS that easy. It just takes a bit of knowledge, ingenuity, and perseverence.[/QUOTE]

I've considered doing something like that (I have a friend who is doing the exact same thing but on a smaller scale). I'm a film student so I'd probably start up a production company and sell my services to others who want to make movies (here in LA there is no shortage of people who want to make movies but do not have the means). Since I have to buy the equipment for my own films, I'll recoup the costs by filming other people's music videos, student films, etc. I'd also edit the projects with my Mac.

It's not a cash cow but I'd end up getting my equipment for free while getting hands on experience. I'm getting a hard-on just thinking about it. :lol:
 
[quote name='kaji7p56']I've considered doing something like that (I have a friend who is doing the exact same thing but on a smaller scale). I'm a film student so I'd probably start up a production company and sell my services to others who want to make movies (here in LA there is no shortage of people who want to make movies but do not have the means). Since I have to buy the equipment for my own films, I'll recoup the costs by filming other people's music videos, student films, etc. I'd also edit the projects with my Mac.

It's not a cash cow but I'd end up getting my equipment for free while getting hands on experience. I'm getting a hard-on just thinking about it. :lol:[/QUOTE]

You COULD do that or you could start a real estate management company like I did. Once you've gotten enough equity (it'll build up after 2 yrs of college), you can use that as collateral towards funding a production company. It might take a little longer but the real estate business doesn't have much volatility - especially if you get property near a college campus (since you'll never lack for tenants) - so for the most part, it's a touch of financial security that you will have. And after you graduate, think how good it'll look on your resume that you already have 2 companies that you run on your own. It shows that you take initiative and are capable of tackling many things at once (which I'm sure as a producer of a film would almost be a given).
 
[quote name='jaykrue']You COULD do that or you could start a real estate management company like I did. Once you've gotten enough equity (it'll build up after 2 yrs of college), you can use that as collateral towards funding a production company. It might take a little longer but the real estate business doesn't have much volatility - especially if you get property near a college campus (since you'll never lack for tenants) - so for the most part, it's a touch of financial security that you will have. And after you graduate, think how good it'll look on your resume that you already have 2 companies that you run on your own. It shows that you take initiative and are capable of tackling many things at once (which I'm sure as a producer of a film would almost be a given).[/QUOTE]

That is good advice and I will seriously look into it. Thank you.
 
[quote name='kaji7p56']That is good advice and I will seriously look into it. Thank you.[/QUOTE]

Sure no prob. But take heed. Like producing a feature film, it's gonna take a lot of hard work at first, but once you've gotten the routine down, it's easy sailing from there.
 
[quote name='sblymnlcrymnl']Simple transference. Just try to remember that it's the product they're actually yelling at.[/QUOTE]

This may be true sometimes, and this is what the higher ups tell you, but there are a lot of people who throw personal insults, racial slurs, and sexist remarks into their rants...that doesn't do anything to reinforce your comment.

[quote name='rallen']I get angry when CSR's don't listen...
I realize they have a job to do, and often it's quite boring. But please LISTEN just a bit. and don't forget, I'm calling not because I want to hear someone's voice, but I need assistance. I don't want to verabbly spar, that's what my woman's for.[/QUOTE]

I can agree with you, as I hate when customer's don't listen either. For example, on a universal remote, if I told you to press the clear tv button at the top of the remote, it's the 2nd one from the left. Then you respond and say do you want me to press the red tv button or the clear one? What didn't you understand from the way I described it?

[quote name='SkyGheNe']I've accidentally gotten aggravated with people over the phone years ago - this was because I subconciously felt they were responsible for my grievances and when they put you on hold or aren't understanding a point - you feel as if they are trying to screw with you. It really isn't the case and now I try to be kinder.

CSR really sucks though. Most people are crazy.[/QUOTE]

Would you rather listen to dead air, or muzak? I don't know about you, but have you ever listened to dead air over the phone for 20seconds? It feels like a couple mins... I hate when people refuse to be put on hold... If I need to fulfill your request by doing something away from my desk, if I can't put you on hold (and I can't put you on hold without ASKING) then your request is never going to get done, and your just wasting your time as well as mine. I'll normally end up just hitting mute on the phone, hitting aftercall on my softphone, and do what needs to be done...

Also if you're yelling, a common tactic at my place is to "accidently" hit the hold button for a brief moment, come back to the line and say "oops, i'm sorry about that" and immediatly go into what needs to be said or done without giving the customer a chance to speak. It breaks the customer's focus and allows you to interrupt them without interrupting them if that makes sense.

[quote name='rabidmonkeys']That's not always the case. If I'm yelling at you, (hopefully) you have done something to deserve it. Remember you are a customer SERVICE rep. You are there to service the customers needs and uphold the integrity of the company that employs you. Most, (note I say MOST), reps are horrible and have no idea what they are doing.

When I do get a person who actually knows what they are talking about, I generally speak to their manager next to mention the calibur of service I was given. Sadly, this happens rarely... Although I have to say, chik-fil-a has the best drive thru/counter help in the industry :)

I also need to say that if you are employed in a field that requires you to speak over to people over the phone, you should be required to do the following:

Speak english. (Capital one take note)
Understand english. (Capital one take note)
Have basic problem solving skills. (Comcast, please pay attention)
Be able to listen. (Godaddy? Are you listening)
Speak clearly and don't mumble. (80% of crs need to pay attention)
Type. ( I shouldn't need to spell my first name 4 times, which only consists of 5 letters and is fairly common).
Sound at least midly interested in my situation. (Asus is awesome at this)

I could go on and on but what it comes down to is, if you don't like your job (in general) get a new one, but surely don't take your lack of knowledge out on the person that is calling, who in effect pays your salary. But, clearly there are cases where people call bitching immediately, without regard for reason or benefit of the doubt as is the case for the OP, I'm sure. And doing that all day, having people scream at you is not anyone's dream job I'm sure.[/QUOTE]

Good post - I can understand your thoughts...however, your list of rules can also be applied to the customer as well...

Speak english. (If you can't speak english how can I help you?)
Understand english. (If you can't understand me - how can I help you?)
Have basic problem solving skills. (This doesn't apply so much... but you should be able to follow directions.)
Be able to listen. (I talk - You Talk - I talk - You Talk... Get it? Good!)
Speak clearly and don't mumble. (Telephones don't have the greatest connections all the time - I hate repeating myself, so YOU should do the same!)
Type. (ok - this one doesn't apply)
Sound at least midly interested in my situation. (N/A too)

I don't like my job - that's true, but I live in a somewhat small town where there simply aren't enough jobs for the amount of people... the call centers are the only places that will hire anyone (yes I mean anyone) and pay more than minimum wage.

[quote name='RedvsBlue']Simple answer: Who else are we going to yell at if your company is screwing us over?[/QUOTE]

What is yelling at me going to accomplish? I just answer calls, I can't do anything special.

[quote name='KingSpike'][/QUOTE]
Your yelling was deserved - I can understand that. Wellsfargo keeps calling me trying to sell me insurance... Since I work in the field, I know how things go, but you can always tell when they're really trying. Agent calls and asks for me, I answer, they go on about the insurance and how it's free for a certain amount of days and want to confirm some information (allowing me not to talk - another tactic used)... This is referred to as pitching (yes like baseball)... I refuse...they rebuttal... I refuse again... they rebuttal again... I refuse a 3rd time (the magic number) and they end the call... Yelling at the start won't help, because I know they HAVE to do all this and won't get off the phone untill it's done. *shrug* such is life.

[quote name='camoor']I get angry when the call center is a bureaucracy where you just get passed around from CSR to CSR without resolution. If I have to wait an hour, I'm going to let the CSR know about it. He's gotta tell his management, and why will he bother if I'm Sam Sunshine over the phone.[/QUOTE]

Every call center i've worked for has different departments for different calls... Rushing through the menu system won't help you all the time. It's pretty common for someone with a tech question to go through the sales menu because they know they won't have to wait as long, and they figure it's a live person they'll help me anyways -- wrong -- we'll just transfer you to the correct department. Oh yea, do you honestly think the agent is going to tell his management? That's funny - sorry...

[quote name='BLarR']I never yell at CSR's, I just sit there and be patient with them knowing they're all hopefully gonna burn in hell for all eternity. [/QUOTE]

I don't believe in heaven & hell, but thinks for the kind thoughts.

[quote name='Strell'][/QUOTE]
Man Strell, you hit pretty much everything on the head... When you said you have a light on the phone to tell you how many calls are in queue, do you use ASPECT phones by any chance? We used those when I used to work for a company called RMH Teleservices doing tech support for MSN Internet Access (yes, it's a contracted out). The light would glow green if there were like up to 10 calls waiting, then amber for up to 20 calls waiting, then red for anything more. I loved those phones. We also had plantronic headsets they were cooler than my current company. Too bad the managers ruined that job for me.

I did level 1 tech, then I was a team lead for awhile, then during graveyard shift I was doing UK Tech Support (dealing w/ uk customers) as well as regular customers, then I moved to Level 2 (if a level 1 agent couldn't fix it, they'd transfer to us) then they laid us all off. The end. Oh yea and as a Tier2 agent, I had access to a little tool called WUE or WebUserEdit which would allow us to see all details of your account, oh and we could read your @hotmail.com and web-bassed @msn.com email too. Not that I ever did.

At my current employment we use RUMBA and softphone on AVAYA phones (IP Telephony)... I've never had more problems w/ a phone system before. Dropped calls. ghost calls, can't transfer, no beep to indicate a new call coming in, and we have to look at a reader board to see how many calls are waiting - no indicator... Annoying...

[quote name='JJJJJS']I used to work CSR at a cell phone company. I'd say that 8 out of ten calls started out with the customer being hostile. The big problem I saw with the call center was how it was managed. It was almost designed specifically to piss customers off. [/QUOTE]

Man this is true... I didn't quote your whole post, but all of it is true... In my current employment though, I get back to back calls all day every day... I have not time inbetween calls, I can't use aftercall (makes calls not come in while you finish notes) because that will hurt my "productivity". If I put a customer on hold, I have to check back every 2 mins or I have someone ringing my phone. If I use hold it hurts my stats for the day, oh and if i'm taking too long on a call, I have someone standing over my shoulder asking what's taking so long...

Don't forget about your Quality Assurance scores too... I was QA for this current company, that is untill they decided to centralize QA to only a couple of the call centers for all the centers, and what do they do w/ the ones they don't need... They throw us back on the phones... Thank you!

[quote name='rabidmonkeys']When dealing with CSR issues related to the tech field, I found that calling closer to or past midnight is better if they have 24 hour service. The really good tech guys seem to be night owls and work the graveyard. This has helped me on more then one instance.[/QUOTE]

This is the truth - I used to work graveyard when I did MSN tech, because A) they gave me more money, and B) i'm a night owl. My current company has 24hr service, but MY center closes at midnight :(

[quote name='Strell']Wanted to make some more comments...

1. JJJJS is right, most of the time CSRs have strict things they MUST abide by, or face termination. This can be a script, whether or not they can transfer/give out another contact number, or even tell you their name. The general rule is that we won't intentionally fuck around with you because we hate our jobs just as much as you hate dealing with us, and we don't want to be on the one with you any more than you do. Hence, if we request something or have to do something a specific way, that's generally beacuse our jobs hang on such menial and insignificant structures.

2. Rabidmonkeys is right. Call LATE AT NIGHT, especially if it is 24 hours. Not only is it slow, but you generally get people like me - nerdy tech types - that will be generally more knowledgable than a dime-a-dozen day crew person. I kind of relish it when someone asks me WHEN SHOULD I CALL IN WITHOUT A WAIT? I tell them about 3 AM because 1) it's true, and 2) I won't be around. >:)

Anyway, tonight was a f*cking TERRIBLE night for me - basically had to deal with a bunch of f*ckers that wanted to blame me for shit I had no handle over. And even when I asked them to calm down, they didn't and continued to insult me. There's nothing quite like the sweet tranquility of putting the f*ckers in their place by hanging up on them. Especially when you know it will piss them off more and have little, if any, negative recourse to your own person. I don't generally take pleasure in knowing I'm pissing someone off, but tonight was an exception. As one of my friends put it, "it's the time of the month for tech support."

To the people that say they are polite - you are in a scarily minute minority, and I, along with several others, are very grateful for that. I hope in time that more people adopt this mentality and begin to realize that we're all humans.

Last thing - I have found that the best therapy for this is to go to my fellow techs and relate the assholes I deal with. Since we generally all laugh at how stupidly mean people are, it's refreshing and lets me vent in a decent manner. Of course, then I come home and play Paper Mario. That also is a good release.[/QUOTE]

Right again you are? If you don't mind me asking who do you work for if you can say? I can understand if you can't say of course...

We often talk about customers to each other while we're taking calls! Gotta love the mute button :) They only give us 2 15 min breaks, and it takes 2 mins to get to the break room, and 2 mins to get back to our seat, and a 30 min lunch which I normally sit alone away from my team. They get mad at me, but I need to cool down.

Wow I bet this post is going to be long... I have an interview tomorrow for another position, but i'm growing tired of my job... I really really really want to go to school, but I have about a year left of paying off my car - so i'm looking into some more options that would allow me to do so... As of 08/04 i'll be with my current company for the 2 year mark... I have a reputation at work for knowing a lot - I get that reputation everywhere I go, i'm not gloating it's just what happens... They always ask why i'm working there, and state that I have so much more potential and I completly agree, except I need the money and sadly that's what has been holding me back... No degree = bad jobs.

I think all of you for your inputs, and I am glad to hear from some fellow peers w/ other companies :)

On a side note: What do you think of all these Game Design programs popping up? I'd love to do that (or Special F/X), but there are so many different schools offering it now, that it's hard to pick a good one heh.

-Vpr
 
I work at the will Call Office of a Baseball stadium... so it can be pretty similar. I'm essentially customer service for all the people who don't get their tickets. I find that I'm quite good at keeping my cool. all most people need is a strong, calm, reasonable voice to tell them what has happened how they can help themselves (if we cant help them). Thre have been many a times where I have cleaned up anothers persons CSR mess. They'll just leave people waiting on them to simmer... all people need is someone who sounds like they know what their talking about and empathizes with the situation to talk with them straight... no bullshit. If people cant handle that level-headednes... then obviously NOTTHING is gonig to get them to calm down.
 
The problem with call centers is that people are put on hold for long periods of time with elivator music, perhaps if people could call, leave their numbers and have you call them back they wouldn't be quite as pissed off. It's really very annoying waiting 20 minutes listening to shitty music before you even get to speak to someone.
 
vpr:

YES, Aspect phone system ahoy. Same exact thing here. Ours is green for 5 queue or under, amber for 5-10, and red beyond that. I've come in this week and seen it red with 12 calls and red with 28. I can tell that the night won't be fun generally based on that alone. :p

I don't want to say the name of the company in public for my own security reasons. Heh. Thankfully this job allows me net access, so I scan CAG quite a bit of the time that I'm there. My last place gave us NO internet usage at ALL. There was some bs rule about how it would cost the company money and other nonsense like that. What bugged me was the room that I was in was full of cubicles, and there were "sections." So the back right corner was one company, the back left another, etc. And I know for a fact that the other sections had Internet support. On Saturdays, I, being the new guy (FNG, heh), had to work alone. I actually loved those shifts because hardly anyone called in, so I'd bring a blanket and a pillow and take naps, play Gameboy, etc. You could get away with letting the answering service get the phone, and then saying you attempted to call the customer back. But most of the time, I left the lights off (good mood lighting) and got on someone else's computer if they had forgotten to log out, and then I'd surf the net. We also had showers at the facility, so half the time I'd go there, sleep for a few hours, get up, shower, and then leave to go get lunch. Anyone remember the Seinfield where George turns the bottom of his desk into a hideaway bed at work? It was like that.

I'm going to have to post some customer stories later, I'm tired for the night and have lots to do tomorrow.
 
[quote name='Strell']vpr:

YES, Aspect phone system ahoy. Same exact thing here. Ours is green for 5 queue or under, amber for 5-10, and red beyond that. I've come in this week and seen it red with 12 calls and red with 28. I can tell that the night won't be fun generally based on that alone. :p

I don't want to say the name of the company in public for my own security reasons. Heh. Thankfully this job allows me net access, so I scan CAG quite a bit of the time that I'm there. My last place gave us NO internet usage at ALL. There was some bs rule about how it would cost the company money and other nonsense like that. What bugged me was the room that I was in was full of cubicles, and there were "sections." So the back right corner was one company, the back left another, etc. And I know for a fact that the other sections had Internet support. On Saturdays, I, being the new guy (FNG, heh), had to work alone. I actually loved those shifts because hardly anyone called in, so I'd bring a blanket and a pillow and take naps, play Gameboy, etc. You could get away with letting the answering service get the phone, and then saying you attempted to call the customer back. But most of the time, I left the lights off (good mood lighting) and got on someone else's computer if they had forgotten to log out, and then I'd surf the net. We also had showers at the facility, so half the time I'd go there, sleep for a few hours, get up, shower, and then leave to go get lunch. Anyone remember the Seinfield where George turns the bottom of his desk into a hideaway bed at work? It was like that.

I'm going to have to post some customer stories later, I'm tired for the night and have lots to do tomorrow.[/QUOTE]

Ah that scale sounds better - I think that's what it was for us too... I miss the aspect - Release and 04 was break I think - 08 was log out... *shrug* I don't remember them all it's been over 3 years now I think... I remember one time when I was on a tech call for a MSN customer and I was playing bejewled... The customer must have heard me because he/she asked "Are you playing bejewled?" I calmly said no and continued on w/ the troubleshooting...

I forgot to mention that when I was in tier2 our handle time was doubled because they added on the time that they spent w/ the tier 1 rep... If I remember correctly we had to be under 5 min handle time (or 7 mins) so we were pushed to deal end the day with a handle time under 3 mins... It was crazy....

I'd love to hear those stories :)

-Vpr
 
Just a few off the top of my head:

Lady calls in and complains that even when she sent her computer in for repair, we didn't fix it. I check the case notes, which show we received it. We inspected it, found physical damage (voids the warranty), contacted someone at her phone number, and explained it wasn't under warranty due to physical damage, and that there would be charges to get it fixed. At that point a few weeks ago, someone said "just send it back unrepaired since it's just one usb port." So we sent it back. So now this lady is mad because we didn't fix it. I explain all the above to her. She then proceeds to complain for 15 minutes, telling me how it should be in warranty, etc. I tell her she can set up another repair if she wants. She complains another 5, and THEN, at the end of this, tells me "Oh, well, I only dropped the unit a little."

Guy calls in and tells me it's our fault that his computer didn't get delivered to our repair center. Determined that he'd sent it in once, we repaired it, he got it back, it STILL didn't work. We then set up a request for Fedex or UPS to come get the machine, which we inform the customer "they'll come on these days, so be ready." Somehow, he manages to GIVE FEDEX THE WRONG FREAKING PACKAGE. So basically he was calling me to complain about how it was our fault and how we owed him shipping charges.

Numerous calls are people complaining that "the sound isn't working" when they don't check the volume wheel at the front of the machine (clearly labeled as the volume). I get this probably 2-3 times a month.

Someone asked me if I knew their AOL password.

Someone asked me which way a CD goes in the drive ("Oh shits sir, is your drive not vertical? Your machine is all wrong. ALL WRONG. CALL THE DOCTOR. AND THE BOMB SQUAD.")

Some guy asked me how to resize a window.
Some guy asked me how to resize a window.
Some guy asked me how to f*cking resize a window.
What makes this even more priceless is that he failed to hang up the phone afterwards. I don't like taking calls as is, so I took this time as a short break to listen to him. HE STARTED EXPLAINING IT TO SOMEONE ELSE. On the next call I got, I had to ask the person to be put on hold, just so I could teach myself how to breathe again.

Just last night a guy called in and was screaming at me that we didn't send the package to the right address. Apparently this has sort of thing had been going on for the last couple of months, so he's really frustrated. I tried to explain to him that I couldn't do anything about it for several reasons - 1) not my department, 2) we didn't have the package anymore, Fedex did, and 3) the only office that could help on this were already closed. He screamed at me for a while. I stood up (my collegues know this means I'm about to hang up on someone or tell them to calm down) and did calmly say "I need you to calm down, sir." He did for a while, and instead started to insult me directly, saying I wasn't responsible. After my retort of EXCUSE ME?, he continued, I cut him midsentence and said "Sir I will not tolerate you insulting me for a problem I've already told you is out of my hands," and ended the call.

Had numerous calls with people getting mad that their machine can't run Doom 3, Halo, Far Cry, etc. Yes. With 32 megs of ram devoted to an online motherboard graphics card. I AM PRETTY SURE IT CAN'T EVEN RUN THE LOAD UP SCREENS.

Lady calls me and says "I need to change my fax number." I am confused by this, so ask for further information. "I need to change my fax number or my modem won't work." I ask that she contact her local phone company. She says good bye, but doesn't hang up. I mute myself because I'm already laughing. Silence continues for 2 minutes, at which point I hear "WELL? AREN'T YOU GOING TO TRANSFER ME?"

The below are some case notes of mine:
EU was taking pictures on her Nikon....she has "come across something disturbing on the MSN..." IPSMSNAP.DLL....."it says it says 'stop the insanity' and I have been taking digital pictures but I am not going to process them through the lexar media thing that I've got because I don't trust it....I have pictures that I need to give to law enforcement. I have told the FBI that I had this on, I did a recovery a tech suggested, I have no reconnected to the internet because I wanted to remove all this stuff. I wanted to download my pictures but I'm not going to do so because I found this 'stop the insanity' thing that I found in this IPSMSNAP.DLL because I wanted to remove anything that had to do with MSN and anything necessary in the registry and to remove all things that I don't want. I was wondering if there was anything other than Microsoft?"
Troubleshooting: Asked EU "What?" at the end of this. "I'm finding that Microsoft has too many holes in it and I wanted to know what I can do to replace that."

Advised she could do Linux or Microsoft, but that I did not know any information on Linux. She asked me "is this normal?" I asked her I was not sure and that I'd never heard of it.

She then mentioned something about "5 space 5 space .........dot 5 space ........" and did this for quite a while. I asked her where she saw this - she said it was in Notepad. She opened up a file that mentions all of this that is "part of the MSN thing." Asked EU what she would like to do at this time. She asked me if the "stop the insanity" thing was normal. Advised it might be a virus. She said she recovered the computer by "disabling the system restore." She has not added anything except for Lexar media drivers. She has not added other software. She said "what is on there now is supposedly what came on the factory."

She then listed a long list of entries...sounded like registry entries. Explained that this was not really helping with the situation. Explained that we do not have antivirus information - referred to an antivirus company.

She wants to download her camera pictures and then make a CD, BUT she does not want them to "go to the world." Advised if she was not connected to the internet, this could not happen. She then asked about "item that Averatec that pre-installed on the computer." Advised that she could try a recovery again or to manually delete these files.

She then asked me about the RCDs - advised that it is an image file with the drivers, software, etc. Informed that we could not open the image file.

Again advised to speak with an AV company since it could possibly be a virus.

She then started talking about Averatec, HP, etc., and how all of them should be sending a hard copy of what is pre-installed on the machine. Informed her this is what the RCDs are.

She then ended the call.
Click to expand...

Ok I think that's enough for now, I'll get more later. :p
 
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