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

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man thats gross: Sep 4, 2004

froglet posted:

I find repetition helps. Each time they try to reframe the issue so they can try and not pay whatever bill they have coming their way, you just repeat that it was in their contract.
Something along the lines of "when you signed up the terms and conditions were you were to get [introductory rate] for [period of time]. [period of time] has since passed, so we're putting your rate back up. You signed an agreement stating you understood and accepted these terms. Your bill is for [$x] and it's due on [date]" works okay. Sometimes suggesting that you're just a peon who has to obey the rules helps, but I don't know if your calls are recorded or not.

Each time they try to argue it with you, just tell them it's not an argument because they signed the contract, but you can try talking to your manager or whatever to see if they can help you out.

I would do the repetition thing a lot too, depending on the customer. Some people are actually interested in having a reasonable conversation like adults, but when someone asks "But why x?" And you respond with "Because a, b, c, y and []z[/i]" and they reply with "Yeah but why x?", I'm done. Once it becomes clear they won't be satisfied until I basically tell them whatever they want to hear, despite the fact that what they want to hear is impossible, I don't even bother rephrasing anymore. I will repeat the same sentence verbatim until they give up.

I didn't like using the "I am but a humble serf, sire" routine though. In my experience, that was a one-way ticket to "then get me a manager", and in my call centre, that was a one-way ticket to speaking to four different supervisors and three different departments that exist for the sole purpose of taking supervisor calls and still not finding anyone willing to take the call.

# ¿ May 4, 2011 16:53

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# ¿ May 8, 2024 12:43

man thats gross: Sep 4, 2004

dustbin posted:

I found the only drawback of this is if you don't completely understand the customer's question (or they are phrasing it poorly), making repeating yourself very pointless. Feel free to try to ask for clarification when they repeat the question

This wasn't be default reaction. I always made an attempt to re-position or clarify my point and give the customer a chance to respond. But more often than not, it's not a "miscommunication", they simply aren't listening to you, or you're telling them something they don't want to hear so they're giving you a hard time. When it gets to that point, I stone-wall them.

# ¿ May 5, 2011 14:48

man thats gross: Sep 4, 2004

Lord Windy posted:

I hope everything goes well for her

I don't. Racist bitch. You did good work on this one though. I always felt good when I helped a customer by arming them with the info they need to fight someone who was treating them unfairly or not living up to their obligations.

I refused to abide by this kind of racist bullshit though. Like 90% of the call centre are recent immigrants, and I counted a lot of them among my friends. People like your customer made work hell for a lot of these guys, either by being blatantly racist over the phone, or more typically, by treating them with a tiny fraction of the respect they would typically give me, just because I have an anglo name and no accent, regardless of the fact that the other rep might have 100 certs in GSM architecture and networking, whereas I don't even have an A+ and my last job was in the kitchen of a pub.

# ¿ May 6, 2011 14:41

man thats gross: Sep 4, 2004

Brendas Baby Daddy posted:

I don't care how many certs the person has if I can't understand what he or she is saying.

Funny story: This one time, I never had a hard time understanding a single person I work with.

# ¿ May 7, 2011 01:14

man thats gross: Sep 4, 2004

Brendas Baby Daddy posted:

racist

Totally bro I am way over-reacting and playing the racism card over nothing. Not like I've ever had people complain to me about "the god drat pakis" all the drat time or had one guy say to me "thank god, a white person".

# ¿ May 7, 2011 04:49

man thats gross: Sep 4, 2004

Loving Life Partner posted:

RE:
Misinformation, it's pretty easy to get a call pulled at my job if someone is saying they were grossly misinformed and it comes down to dollars and cents. I had an assist rep walk by my desk and stop to tell me he had the pleasure of pulling a call I was on, and playing it for the customer over the line where I gave an explicit and detailed billing change breakdown so there was no way we were on the hook for his overdraft fees, good times.

God I would have loved this. There were honestly like 10 forms, three phone calls, and at least one hand-job involved in getting a call pulled in my centre. It was infuriating to be placed in a "my word against yours" situation over and over and over again. Even when it was noted the customer would just accuse the rep of lying.

# ¿ May 10, 2011 21:51

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# ¿ May 8, 2024 12:43

man thats gross: Sep 4, 2004

Invis posted:

I'm just telling you how our system works. I didn't design it. I'm not saying I agree with it either.

Look all I'm saying is you're arguing a hell of a lot for someone who doesn't agree with the policies of your workplace. Also I'm not sure if you realize repeating "I'm just trying to offer you free information, I'm not even selling anything!" over and over again makes you sound like a sleaze.

# ¿ Jun 3, 2011 20:32

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

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