Call centre rant thread: I want to speak to your supervisor

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Business, Finance, and Careers > Call centre rant thread: I want to speak to your supervisor

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

If you're considering a Call Center job, remember this:

I've been out of the center for almost 2 years. My soul is still decompressing.

# ¿ Jul 30, 2010 03:37

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# ¿ Apr 27, 2024 14:13

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

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# ¿ Oct 10, 2010 17:22

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

Mein Eyes! posted:

Hey phone sales goons, how should I respond to your calls when I'm not interested? I feel bad for the person on the line, and I know its a lovely job, so I usually just say I'm busy, apologize and hang up. Is there anything you poor fucks would rather hear?

"Please put this number on your do-not-call lists." This should be the first thing you say. When I did outbound telemarketing, we were required to take the first response. If someone said "I'm not interested, put me on the do-not-call list." we had to log the call as "not interested".

I worked at Convergys, doing outbound for AT&T Long Distance, and there were two DNC lists, one for Convergys and one for AT&T.

They may need to verify that your number matches the one they called because call forwarding could cause the number called and the number reached to not match, so they may not be the same.

You may need to do this more than once, because companies often pit telemarketing companies against each other, with the one making the most sales getting more of the call volume.

Also make sure your phone numbers are on the state and Federal do-not-call lists.

# ¿ Dec 10, 2010 23:34

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

Harminoff posted:

Legally I think you are allowed to rebuttal twice when offering a single product.

This was one thing I hated in working call center. Using 'rebuttal' as a verb.

I always wanted to do things like "

Personal foul - verbing a noun when the verb form already exists. 15 yard penalty loss of down".

When I left, I wanted to shout from the desktops "REBUTTAL IS NOT A VERB!"

You don't rebuttal, you rebut.

</pedantic>

# ¿ Jun 3, 2011 18:27

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

Fizzle posted:

They eventually basically did this. Once we got the server room dried out it was "Don't mind the smell.. welcome back!!"

I feel sorry for you guys. That place could become Mold Hell, and your bosses probably won't even care.

# ¿ Jul 21, 2011 20:45

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

Cup of Hemlock posted:

"Ben" -> "Dan." Every. Single. loving. Time.

Richard -> Victor. That I can understand, but how does someone who can speak good English mishear "Richard" as "Robert"? They don't sound alike!

# ¿ Jan 27, 2012 05:00

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

Blue_monday posted:

Most of the voice activated IVRs will put you to a real person if you start saying "supervisor" or "manager". Screaming unintelligibly also seems to work.

Some even react to swearing. "Press 1 for this, press 2 for that, to reach a representative immediately, yell GODDAMMIT!"

# ¿ Jan 30, 2012 07:17

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

Boomer The Cannon posted:

JackRabbitStorm posted:

It's hard to show empathy when you're lying through your teeth for the client.

Fixed it.

In sales, it should be:

It's hard to show empathy when you're lying through your teeth for the client, when you have a script that must be read verbatim under threat of being written up.

I worked with one guy who failed a call because the script said "May I please have your email address?" but he read it as "May I have your email address, please?" Instant zero score, even though he successfully converted the call.

rockinricky fucked around with this message at 03:48 on Jun 7, 2012

# ¿ Jun 7, 2012 03:46

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

Null Set posted:

^pretty much that.

It usually comes down to the client wanting to control liability (since the FTC loves to crack down on call centers loving up). If an agent can only read the script verbatim, then any deviations that could cause problems for the company are easily avoided by "the agent had no authority to say anything of the sort, here is the ironclad policy".

It's still a stupid way to manage people, but as noted above, the people running call centers generally aren't the brightest.

Another rule we had at my center had to do with expensive products. We took calls for a carpet-cleaning machine that cost about $700 (rental version is red, buyable one is blue). If a caller asked how much it cost, we were supposed to basically 'dance around' the price question by giving benefits. "Before I tell you how much it costs, let me give some features and benefits first, may I have your ZIP code to see what offers are available in your area?" Bullshit, the offer was the same everywhere, it was a nationally broadcast commercial. The idea being that if the agent gave the price right away, it would scare the customer away.

Thank God I don't work there anymore.

# ¿ Jun 7, 2012 17:19

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

martyrdumb posted:

Nobody should ever have their life threatened over their job. But, it's call center 101 for reps to never give out their last names. I never do this. First name, last initial if they insist on more. Firm but polite redirects if they ask for my last name. This has never failed me.

When I first started my call center job, I was on outbound. The client required us to use our first and last names at the beginning of the call. "Hello, this is <firstname> <lastname>, calling on behalf of <client> looking to see if we can save you some money on your long-distance calls."

Then I got on inbound, where it's first name only.

# ¿ Jun 9, 2012 18:50

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

RedFish posted:

That scares the poo poo out of me. Then again, I used to work in a special department that dealt with "high risk" (aka extra angry/threatening) customers, so people have made some very personal threats against me. What about the security? Do they have security measures in your center, like guards who check the badge you swiped is actually your pic in the system? Our doors set off an alarm if someone goes through it without scanning a badge.

Your story is exactly the reason why I want to slap agents I hear giving out our city instead of just our state. Do you wanna die, idiot? How about you stop telling really, really angry strangers where we are? Do you think they cannot use google and find some dumbass with a public facebook and figure it out?

At the center I worked at, we were required to identify the name of the actual call center company and the city the center was in, but only if the customer INSISTED.

# ¿ Jun 11, 2012 04:22

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

Null Set posted:

^pretty much that.

It usually comes down to the client wanting to control liability (since the FTC loves to crack down on call centers loving up). If an agent can only read the script verbatim, then any deviations that could cause problems for the company are easily avoided by "the agent had no authority to say anything of the sort, here is the ironclad policy".

It's still a stupid way to manage people, but as noted above, the people running call centers generally aren't the brightest.

A lot of it also has to do with consistency. If two agents are taking calls for the same product, for example, ProActiv Solution, and they're using the same exact script, the calls should be the same, as though all calls are being taken by a robot with many different voices. That's why they want the scripts read verbatim, even though some phrasing sounds 'off' (the 'may I please have your email address'/'may I have your email address, please' example I posted above.)

IBM Watson can have that job, for all I care.

# ¿ Jun 11, 2012 05:37

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

Loving Life Partner posted:

What do you guys think of this theory I just came up with? It rings true.

Friend:
So what are the downsides to working there?

Me:
The callers
and the corporate zombie management

Friend: corporate zombie management...what is that?

Me:
like, there's regular people in the top level right? they are real and act like human beings, but you can't have a company composed of people who act like human beings because you'd go out of business in a day, because nobody who calls a company wants anyone to act like a human being, they want the rep to be a machine that does what they want
so the people up top come up with these 'initiatives" and "objectives" to help the make the "call experience" amazing, to 'surprise and delight' the customer
but we in the trenches don't believe that bullshit either, because we actually take calls and have to do whats right
but in the middle, between the top and the bottom, you have the people who have to peddle that bullshit and believe it
they're the zombies

You just described life in a ~~call center~~ "Contact Center" to a T. Not only that, but those who come up with the "initiatives" and "objectives" to produce the "Amazing Call Experience!" more than likely have never taken any calls themselves. Pray that the FISH! Philosophy never enters your center.

# ¿ Aug 7, 2012 21:19

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

foobyfooby posted:

I've just finished my first week of call-center training. I go on the phones next week. It all seems fairly easy and straightforward so far.

We'll see.

What kind of calls will you be taking?

# ¿ Sep 28, 2013 03:20

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

SiGmA_X posted:

5 years at a cell center! You're insane!

I'm even more insane,I did 10 years at a call center. My last day was 5 years ago today.

# ¿ Dec 4, 2013 23:58

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# ¿ Apr 27, 2024 14:13

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

krampster2 posted:

Have worked 2 days now in my new job, today I got swore at for the first time, yay! Some gent called me a gently caress wit which I don't think is very nice or accurate but that's okay. Also had to collect debt from a Vietnam vet and deal with a mother crying about her dead daughter I was trying to contact

Are there ways to deal with my eyes watering up constantly? I have messed up eyes that get all teary from staring at a screen for ages even when the screen is on minimum brightness. Please don't tell me I have to wear silly yellow glasses at work.

One thing I heard of is the 30-30-30 rule. Every 30 minutes, look at something 30 feet away for 30 seconds. This helps to ease eye strain.

# ¿ Aug 12, 2015 04:02

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Business, Finance, and Careers > Call centre rant thread: I want to speak to your supervisor