[MaxDiggity]

Sitting here, doing my thing, BB rings.
I answer the phone:

Me: "Yah?!"
Call Center Guy: "Yes hello Mr. XZY, its call center guy from vodafone"
Me: "It's XYZ, not XZY"
CCG: *yawn* (he really yawned, like a deep yawn when you just got out of bed!)
CCG: "Sorry 'bout that"
Me: "Nvm, what is it?"
CCG: "Say Mr. XYZ, you have been exceeding your data-limit by quite alot lately..."
Me: "Err no, I haven't, never exceeded my limit since the month after I made the contract with you."
CCG: "Well Mr. XYZ, I dont have to convince you that you have been exceeding your limits, I can see it right here."
Me: "..."
CCG: "I could offer you...[fill in uninteresting offer here]"

The problems I have with that is that:

a. If you call a customer, dont yawn on the phone, wtf? He didnt even, like, try to hide it, he just openly yawned..
b. If you give your customer the feeling he is in a police interrogation, you're doing it wrong.
c. (cant stress this point enough) Watch the tone of your voice. I dont care for salesmen calling me in my spare time (esp. when they're withholding their number) if they sound aggressive and rude.
d. Dont be a smartass when you're clearly wrong.
e. It would be really nice if you wouldnt repeat my name 7 times a minute, I know my own damn name.

Who the **** hires people like that?!

Had to get that off my chest, kinda freaked me out.

[Sith_Apprentice]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry 9000 4.6.0.67)

Well outbound call centers don't keep employees well, there is quite a bit of turnover. They usually don't do extensive training because of this. It is more cost effective for them to do a day or two of training and then throw them in the field.

[juwaack68]

Omg, that made me laugh. I could almost hear the conversation, and I agree with you on all points, especially the name thing.

[MaxDiggity]

Originally Posted by Sith_Apprentice

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry 9000 4.6.0.67)

Well outbound call centers don't keep employees well, there is quite a bit of turnover. They usually don't do extensive training because of this. It is more cost effective for them to do a day or two of training and then throw them in the field.

Yeah, I dont mind if the guy calling me isnt trained very well per se.
Just...well, you should have heard it, it was like I had to justify my phone bill on trial or having an audit or something...overall I'm convinced 9 out of 10 people could have done a better job, with or without training.

A customer service call shouldn't leave you with the thought "Oh god, I hope that guy doesn't call me again" imo.
Can't do something like that to a paranoid human being..

To be fair I have to add that before that call I was pretty amazed with VF's CS, friendly personnel at the business hotline helping me -as a non-business customer- out on a sunday night at 4, that's kind of impressive.

[wabbit]

wow wait your telco can legally telemarketer your bb. wow.

[Phranc]

Those guys always leave me with a "shoulda, coulda, woulda" feeling. I shoulda told him xxx, if I woulda had a chance, and I coulda remembered what to say at the time.

[MaxDiggity]

Originally Posted by Phranc

Those guys always leave me with a "shoulda, coulda, woulda" feeling. I shoulda told him xxx, if I woulda had a chance, and I coulda remembered what to say at the time.

Haha, exactly; he also asked me if I was happy with VF's customer service in general, the guys in the shop and the hotlines, after ending the call I figured I should've told him I was happy until I got his call.

[techluvr1234]

Did he really call you Mr. XYZ? If he did, then something's fishy.

[003402]

Originally Posted by techluvr1234

Did he really call you Mr. XYZ? If he did, then something's fishy.

Now that's funny.

I have received a few of these calls and the folks on the other end just sound beaten down, like they don't have a choice. most of these just get screened out...

i can't imagine taking a job like that. You have to know how its going to end, you can only handle so much hate channeled through a phone line.

[mizditz101]

Back when I was living with my grandma, we actually had a sales lady call and basically laughed at my grandma's last name.. and completely butchered it, then laughed again.

Getting it wrong is one thing, and pretty easily forgivable if you're nice about it.. but laughing?! woah.
I can't remember what my grandma did, but I know it wasn't nice =)

This story reminded me of that. It's insane how some of these CSRs act... and telemarketers... sheesh

[Johnny909]

When one of them guys calls me and begins be mispronouncing my last name, I end up either: 1) just hanging up without comment; 2) jerking the guy around until they hang up; 3) put them on hold. Usually it is #1.

[cl2ysta1]

every customer service place i've called lately has some type of script they read to sell you more.

irritating

[techluvr1234]

I've called ATT and it is horrible! the music on hold and what the hold stuff says is terrible! i agree with all!

[Johnny909]

Today's example:
1. Ordered new home services from AT&T, i.e., U-verse
2. Set up appointment time for service person to come do the install and wiring
3. Appointment time 09-20-2008 between 8am to 10am
4. Rechecked calendar, found conflict, contacted AT&T at the number they provided and asked for an installation change to 09-19-2008 8am to 10am
5. Came home and had two messages from AT&T: 1st message, Your request to change your install time has been approved, thank you and have a nice day; 2nd message, about 1 minute after the 1st message, and a different person --- Your request for the change has been denied because we have to coordinate with your current provider to get the phone changed over [AT&T is my current provider].
6. I am getting about ready to cancel everything and keep what I got unless AT&T gets their head out of their stinky rear end.
7. That is all.