Stop Abusing Call Centre Workers

ChopShop · 08-11-2010 03:50PM

gbee wrote: »

I'm appalled at the carry on of the 'call center employee confessions'

Best ring a call center to lodge a complaint then.

CrazyRabbit · 08-11-2010 03:51PM

BTW...to those who have ever considered working in a call centre. Don't let this thread put you off.

The first few weeks are extremely tough. Probably the hardest job you'll ever do. But it does get easier with experience, to the point where it might even become too easy.

Customers can be nasty, but the vast majority are usually really nice. I've had some amazing customers over the years who I'd love to speak to again.

You also learn superb problem solving skills, and get much better at understanding consumer pyschology. And depending on the job, you may also become an expert for many applications/operating systems etc.

ChopShop · 08-11-2010 03:54PM

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

But it does get easier with experience, to the point where it might even become too easy.

That was week three of four. I can't remember.

Spacedog · 08-11-2010 03:54PM

Syco = the Randell Graves of tech support!

I called him once bacause my laptop kept crashing, he directed me to a live hermafradic midgit porn video chatroom for technical support...

in fairness those hermafredites had MCSEs and clearly explained the Windows reinstallation procedure.

Thanks Syco!

scientific1982 · 08-11-2010 03:59PM

Worked in a call centre for about 9 months. Absolute **** of a job for ****e money. Its worse on the other end of the phone believe me. If anyone is pissed off with sales calls dont take it out on the operatives, instead ask to speak to the centre manager and give them the bollocking.

scientific1982 · 08-11-2010 04:00PM

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

BTW...to those who have ever considered working in a call centre. Don't let this thread put you off.

The first few weeks are extremely tough. Probably the hardest job you'll ever do. But it does get easier with experience, to the point where it might even become too easy.

Customers can be nasty, but the vast majority are usually really nice. I've had some amazing customers over the years who I'd love to speak to again.

You also learn superb problem solving skills, and get much better at understanding consumer pyschology. And depending on the job, you may also become an expert for many applications/operating systems etc.

Bull****. Its a horrible job and washing dishes for a living would be easier.

onlyrocknroll · 08-11-2010 04:12PM

I think that this is a pretty funny response to call centre workers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hllDWSbuDsQ&feature=related

Seriously though completely agree with OP. It's better for people to work anyway they can than to be on the dole, even if that means a minor irritation to the general public every now and again. What do those idiots who abuse them want, more unemployment and higher taxes to pay for it? If you don't want to talk to someone just say 'Sorry not interested, thanks' and hang up.

When waiters or shop staff annoy them do they say "f**k off and die"? Probably not, easier to be brave on the end of a phone than face to face.

A girl I know works in a call centre and says that everyday people tell her to 'go and get' sexual diseases.

Like "why don't you go and get AIDS?"
or "I hope you get herpes"

Strangest form of abuse that I've ever heard of. Probably tells you about the average amount of wit and sophistication that these people have.

08-11-2010 04:13PM

I worked for the Emergency Services, taking 999 calls, Bloody hell, the abuse from some people was shocking. Weird, considering they were calling for help, some thought it better to curse you out before giving their address. Bizarre. We'd also get the 'Frequent Fyers' talking ****e or heaving breathing down the phone..

Majority of callers are good though in fairness.

Help them as best you can, treat them as you'd like to be treated.

gbee · 08-11-2010 04:19PM

wernstrom! wrote: »

Best ring a call center to lodge a complaint then.

Nope, I'm also saddened that it's meant job losses due solely to BA from call centre personnel.

popzmaster · 08-11-2010 04:20PM

I just recently got a casual job I can't say with what company just in case but on the first day i had someone givin me an absolute bollocking.

But since I'm not a little girl it doesn't really bother me, I'd gladly stand around and have someone scream in my face as long as I'm still getting paid for it, and here we have people upset because people are giving out to them inpersonally over the phone, people who would give out to whoever was on the phone, not even having to deal with them face to face. Stop crying about it. You have a job and your getting paid for it.

gbee · 08-11-2010 04:23PM

scientific1982 wrote: »

, instead ask to speak to the centre manager and give them the bollocking.

last week on a local radio talk in show this exact subject was done for nearly the whole week ..... caller after caller after after caller complaining the they could NOT be put through to a superior.

hightower1 · 08-11-2010 04:26PM

A friend of mine worked for a call center for a major ISP for a while and I s**t you not she took a call one day from a nice woman. She gave her the benfit of the doubt when the woman said initially that she was comfortable with computers so no need to dum anything down, her child had just been given "one of those small laptops" (i.e a netbook)....

20 mins pass and the very basics had alluded this woman, couldnt find a wireless manager program, couldnt locate the start menu, couldnt locate anything in the system tray? Beumused and confused my friend attempted to direct connect using ethernet cable but again this woman couldnt find the lan socket.

Clucthing at staws my friend asks whats the make of the computer and she will try see if there is anything online to try help?

...... Vtech, the woman replied.

20 mins this one had spent trying to get a childs toy online. In fairness how could you blame call center workers having to go through the motions with every caller when this is the type of inteligence they are presented with.

sensibleken · 08-11-2010 04:29PM

I worked in a call centre for a while. Thankfully i was in the buisness section rather than residential but once i had to give a dig out to the complaints department.

Two examples remind me of how to get your complaint dealt with and how not to.

One letter began, no dear... not to whom it may concern, it began 'Ye are a sack of cúnts!'

another had the line. 'what began as a spring of promise has ended in the autumnal dusk of disapointment'

I dealt with the second guy first, and gave him a credit note

IvyTheTerrible · 08-11-2010 04:38PM

I just don't see why people can't be polite (on both sides of the phonecall). If someone shouts abuse at me, you can be garunteed I'll go 20 times slower than if someone is nice. Just basic manners.

Greyfox · 08-11-2010 04:45PM

gbee wrote: »

last week on a local radio talk in show this exact subject was done for nearly the whole week ..... caller after caller after after caller complaining the they could NOT be put through to a superior.

That's because supervisors don't want to take the call so agents have to pretend their in a meeting etc or pretend they will get a call back. It's grand if callers have a genuine complaint but been on hold for 20 minutes or the fact that you havn't got your modem yet or your bill is incorrect is not something that can be passed to a supervisor as these things happen so regularly agents are not suppossed to esculate it

The thing I always hated about the public is they seem to think you have a magic wand at times when instead you've been given the bare minimun of training and often know less about the products then the customer. A lot of times sales have misled them about a deal and then they call customer care and customer care have never heard of such a deal

Also callers are always shocked when they don't get a call back, it's not personal, agents almost never have the time to call people back, were far too busy.

For anybody who calls a call centre you must ALWAYS get the name of who you were speaking to otherwise the conversation pretty much didn't take place.

Taking abuse is part of the job, you have to see the funny side of it otherwise you won't last a week. The thing is once you give abuse to an agent they will go out of their way to be as unhelpful as possible

Greyfox · 08-11-2010 04:53PM

popzmaster wrote: »

I'd gladly stand around and have someone scream in my face as long as I'm still getting paid for it, and here we have people upset because people are giving out to them inpersonally over the phone, people who would give out to whoever was on the phone, not even having to deal with them face to face. Stop crying about it. You have a job and your getting paid for it.

True sure over the phone you have the hold button (an agents best friend) or have the power to terminate the call...or just take your headset off until the noise coming from the headset stops and then talk, you have all the power, it's a million times easier then dealing with someone in person

Mint Sauce · 08-11-2010 04:55PM

I have done the call centre work, the abuse was in the minority, probably less than one in every ten calls, most people were fine and greatful for your time and help.

But when it got nasty, it got nasty, I have been called every name under the sun, english/irish <insert swear word>, <insert swearword> paki, been threatened with legal action, have had the 'HA HA i have your name and writting to your complants dept about you' and when you offered to give the complants address they usally backed down for some reason, been told to F off after they rang me, etc etc etc.

Just had to act calm, 99.9% of its not personal and their just letting of steam.

Snakeblood · 08-11-2010 05:06PM

Gooch2k4 wrote: »

but do we make the product? do we have any direct control over said product? no

Unless you can put me on the line to whoever in UPC keeps making appointments to come out and then cancels without telling me so I lose a days pay, you can take the abuse and like it. I lost more money than you lost will to live, I'd hope.

I am generally very reasonable with phone callcentres, but if a situation is ongoing for 2 months, and I've been consistently misinformed by the company, then I'm going to get angry. Particularly if I start each conversation with a summation of that which has gone before, and am then asked if I want to schedule another appointment, and am told that a supervisor is not available, consistently.

If callcentre staff don't want to be on the frontline of abuse, they can work for organisations that don't appear to be run by imbeciles, incompetents, and morons.

krudler · 08-11-2010 05:13PM

gbee wrote: »

last week on a local radio talk in show this exact subject was done for nearly the whole week ..... caller after caller after after caller complaining the they could NOT be put through to a superior.

Thats because caller after caller after caller after caller demand to be when theres absolutely no need to, they'll be told the exact same thing as the agent did but people wont accept this. Out of all the the escalations I've done I'd say about 10% of them were actually necessary, the rest if just being given the exact same info an agent just told them. And agents are under a ton of pressure to not let calls be escalated to that point, theres nothing more frustrating that having someone screaming to be put through to a supervisor, then you ask the supervisor to take the call and they just tell you what you already know and expect you to go back to the customer with this, it just aggrivates things even further.

People who have a problem with call centre workers should try working in one, you wont last a week.

bonerm · 08-11-2010 05:16PM

phill106 wrote: »

What type of cranky called forced this thread to arise?

I remember working in one in shannon, retail store cards for uk chain stores. UK addresses only, irish not allowed to have cards.
Store rings up, goes through details blah blah.
S= Store M=Me
S:Phone number 003531 blah
M: Is that an irish number?
S: No its a new mobile number over here
Im suspicious but keep on.
M: House number and post code?
S: They dont have their postcode, number is xx
M: Ok, full address?
S: Blah blah address in dublin
M: Sorry, I cant open that account, its an irish address.
S: Oh no, thats in southern ireland, thats part of the uk. Its Northern ireland thats a republic.
M: Sorry, I'm afraid not. Good bye!

So i laugh about it with my colleague for a few seconds, then take the next call in the queue.

S: Hi, You won't believe it, I just tried to open a card for a customer, and the guy on your side tried to tell me southern ireland wasn't in the uk!
M: I would believe it. That was me. Ireland still isnt in the Uk. Goodbye!

Hundred calls in the queue between two call centres in different countries, with 50-100 staff in each place, and i get the same woman

I do support for a hosting company now, and i am amazed at how many IT people do not understand the very basics of networking!
M:

I like the way you abbreviated 'me' to 'm'

Snakeblood · 08-11-2010 05:17PM

Greyfox wrote: »

The thing I always hated about the public is they seem to think you have a magic wand at times when instead you've been given the bare minimun of training and often know less about the products then the customer. A lot of times sales have misled them about a deal and then they call customer care and customer care have never heard of such a deal

Why hate the public because you haven't been trained? Or because the public have been lied to?

alexa5x5 · 08-11-2010 05:18PM

Jake1 wrote: »

I worked for the Emergency Services, taking 999 calls, Bloody hell, the abuse from some people was shocking. Weird, considering they were calling for help, some thought it better to curse you out before giving their address. Bizarre. We'd also get the 'Frequent Fyers' talking ****e or heaving breathing down the phone..

Majority of callers are good though in fairness.

Help them as best you can, treat them as you'd like to be treated.

Yeah I used to get heavy breathers too, what a weird fooking thing to do! And this other guy who would ring, do some heavy breathing, and then say "knickers" "bras" a few times :eek: WTF that was about I dunno. Must of been how the poor bastard got his kicks

krudler · 08-11-2010 05:21PM

alexa5x5 wrote: »

Yeah I used to get heavy breathers too, what a weird fooking thing to do! And this other guy who would ring, do some heavy breathing, and then say "knickers" "bras" a few times :eek: WTF that was about I dunno. Must of been how the poor bastard got his kicks

We had a guy who was obsessed with feet, he used to ring in asking girls what kind of socks or tights they had on and if their feet smelled nice, he was an oddball to say the least. Then there was the guy who said if I didnt give him a euro free credit he'd kill himself, sometimes the crazies help you get through the day. Also as a general rule the later in the day it gets, the more mental people become, someone at 9am is usually calling about a bill or some general issue, someone ringing at 9pm is pissed, looking for someone to chat to or a sexual deviant.

onedmc · 08-11-2010 05:23PM

irish-stew wrote: »

...... the complants address they usally backed down for some reason

Funny when I call to try and get through to the person in the complaints department I get a hugh run-around. Why do want compain etc .....

I wonder is it to do with the fact that I'm trying to sell compaints management software.

scientific1982 · 08-11-2010 05:26PM

gbee wrote: »

last week on a local radio talk in show this exact subject was done for nearly the whole week ..... caller after caller after after caller complaining the they could NOT be put through to a superior.

Yeah thats true too. The managers in the place I worked were a shower of bitches. They would let us get an earfull of customers demanding to talk to a manager. It was a really frustrating job.

scientific1982 · 08-11-2010 05:27PM

And if the customer was getting really annoyed we would just get another operator to pretend that they were the manager. Man im so happy I dont work there anymore.

Cuddlesworth · 08-11-2010 05:39PM

I generally never saw the point in asking to speak to their supervisor. Its not like they actually know what to do most of the time.

Calm logical arguments and clear concise details help greatly. And a simple reminding at the start of the message that you are recording this call but "not to worry, as you do this with all calls as a matter of procedure" makes the world of difference.

hatrickpatrick · 08-11-2010 06:28PM

Problem is, on the flip side, that as a customer who needs tech support it is insanely frustrating when the people you're talking to are very clearly reading lines from a preprepared list and have no knowledge themselves of how the product actually works. If I bought a laptop and it's ****ed up, when I call tech support I'm hoping to talk to someone who actually understands what's wrong with it.

Don't even get me started on the number fo times you'll ring up and be answered by someone whose English is so poor that even if they DO actually understand the problem, there's no way in hell you can understand the answer!!!

efb · 08-11-2010 06:34PM

Customer Service, would you like to address either of those words?

Diapason · 08-11-2010 06:35PM

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

Problem is, on the flip side, that as a customer who needs tech support it is insanely frustrating when the people you're talking to are very clearly reading lines from a preprepared list and have no knowledge themselves of how the product actually works.

Exactly. The GUI interface has ruined customer service, and it p*sses me off every time I come up against the problem. Not all call centres are created equal, of course, and some of them seem to make of employing people with a modicum of intelligence, and then properly training them.

I try not to be rude to call centre workers, but when faced with somebody terminally stupid who simply refuses to listen, it's difficult not to get annoyed. Also, if the call centre is the ONLY way I can contact the company in question, then the call centre worker should expect the worst.

For cold callers I feel free to be as rude as I desire. I'm generally not at all, but it's entirely at my discretion.

Stop Abusing Call Centre Workers

Comments