Why does Customer Service take things personally?

[Death Metal Moe]

So I finally got a REAL fucking cell phone. I figued I'd jump on this crazy new technology before it became too commonplace. I like to be ahead of the curve.

Anyway, got a pretty nice Verizon phone. I was shocked as shit that my credit cleared, considering I had broken my contract with Verizon like 5 years ago an just paid the collection agency for the bill last week.

Now I don't need my Mickey Mouse "Pay as you Go" phone from Boost Mobile. I go into my online account and surprise, there's NOTHING that can help you cancel online. So I call their 800 number. After about 5 minutes (not bad) I get some guy who is very unenthusastic and saying his scripted statements so quickly that I have to ask him to repeat them sometimes.

When I told him "I want to cancel my account" he got even MORE disinterested and upset. He told me "You can't cancel, you have to just let your account not get paid for 60 days and it's canceled." So I ask him "They take my credit card off the account, I have it set to auto-boost itself so I was never without service or minutes."

Now he's really sounding put out and pissed. He needs my security code on the back of my credit card. Ooops, gotta wait bro, it's in my walet. We do it, I check my account while still on the phone with him, it was done correctly. He mumbles something and hangs up on me.

The question is, WHY in the FUCK do Customer Service people get so pissed off when they get a cancel call? I'm not taking money out of your personal pocket. They get upset like I'm saying "I don't like your service and I don't like you." It's a job,. I'm not asking you for a fucking handjob, I'm just asking you to assist me in doing a simple task and then I'll be on my way. There is nothing more annoying than someone who is miserable to you as they do their job. I didn't tell you to take this job man, you can always go somewhere else.

I've run into this more than once. AOL was famous for making it almost impossible to cancel their service, not sure if that's changed because I haven't had AOL in like 6 years.

Anyone else get this?

[LaBoob]

Aol has changed... I was totally on the defensive when I was cancelling, expecting this big hassle, but they were really nice about it.

The person you spoke to probably gets comissions on how many people they can turn around and get NOT to cancel their account. He's probably not successful too often, which might explain his rude behavior.

[mikeyboy]

It's their job to try to prevent you from cancelling. They have a script response for any reason you might have for cancelling. When I cancelled TiVo service last month, they were bending over backwards trying to keep me as a customer -- explaining how their technology was superior to the cable companies, offering a discount on a HD box, offering a reduced monthly rate if I decided to hook my TiVo box up to another TV.

[Crispy123]

Try canceling a credit card. If your in good standing they will up your limit, give you 0 APR, double rewards, etc.

[ADF]

Maybe he just got chewed out at work or has been dealing with some difficult customers all day. I wouldn't be surprised if they get some sort of bonus for getting people to not cancel their service or a penalty for the opposite. Customer service is a thankless job and, sorry to say, you usually have to pay a premium for quality customer service. For example, customers at high-end stores usually don't have a problem making returns, getting a heads-up on specials, etc. It can be a tough pill to swallow when you're dealing with a difficult customer, but that's why quality customer service reps usually get paid more. I doubt the guy at Boost Mobile is making all that much.

[Zorro]

Try canceling a credit card. If your in good standing they will up your limit, give you 0 APR, double rewards, etc.

..."sir...cancelling a card hurts your credit score.."

[Furtherman]

I recently had to cancel a subscription and as soon as the guy started giving me the script I asked him if he remembered that AOL recording that went around last year with the guy you kept saying "Cancel my account...cancel my account", then I told him I'm recording the call. He was sweet as candy after that and I was off the phone in no time.

[Death Metal Moe]

Aol has changed... I was totally on the defensive when I was cancelling, expecting this big hassle, but they were really nice about it.


I actually had a pretty good experience when I got rid of AOL as well. But the horror that it WAS still lurks in our hearts.

It's their job to try to prevent you from cancelling. They have a script response for any reason you might have for cancelling.

I understand that and wasn't trying to rush him through anything. When you call these customer service lines I understand you're gonna hear a lot of stuff they are told to read, last ditch efforts to keep you, etc. This guy actually didn't keep me on the phone too long, I was just shocked about how his mood instantly changed when I said "I want to cancel."


Maybe he just got chewed out at work or has been dealing with some difficult customers all day. I wouldn't be surprised if they get some sort of bonus for getting people to not cancel their service or a penalty for the opposite. Customer service is a thankless job and, sorry to say, you usually have to pay a premium for quality customer service. For example, customers at high-end stores usually don't have a problem making returns, getting a heads-up on specials, etc. It can be a tough pill to swallow when you're dealing with a difficult customer, but that's why quality customer service reps usually get paid more. I doubt the guy at Boost Mobile is making all that much.

And I am sympathetic to their situation. I deal with people on the phone all day. Over 75% of the people who call me don't even know what they need, don't have measurements of RV parts they're looking for, don't have model numbers of appliances they need parts for, etc. I understand how annoying customers can be. But I called with a VERY simple transaction, except for the 10 seconds it took me to get my credit card I had all my info for him and all I ask is that someone not give me a fucking attitude while I am having them do a job for me. I don't think it's too much to ask that you are passibly courteous while doing a job.

And also, it's not just one guy who may have been yelled at for taking a long smoking break, it's happened before with other companies both with myself and family and friends I've spoken to.

[donnie_darko]

i was a supervisor in a call center, most call centers are full of people who don't want to be there. Many are barely over minimum wage, which i'm gonna guess "boost" mobile would fall in that category, probably outsourced to some third party who takes there calls as well as many other companies.

most people hate their jobs, and want to get away with as little as possible....i've gotten used to it...so should you.

[Death Metal Moe]

i was a supervisor in a call center, most call centers are full of people who don't want to be there. Many are barely over minimum wage, which i'm gonna guess "boost" mobile would fall in that category, probably outsourced to some third party who takes there calls as well as many other companies.

most people hate their jobs, and want to get away with as little as possible....i've gotten used to it...so should you.

Sorry, I never will get used to it or accept it. Ya know how I get by each day at work? I make the best of it. I make friends with the people I work with, I joke around, but I don't let the whole thing get me down. Because guess what. ANY job is gonna suck after awhile, so just suck it up.

I am as understanding as possible but when you don't do your job properly you are going to get a little attitude back from me.

[donnie_darko]

oh i'm not saying you can't get an attitude, just dont let it surprise you.

The fact that you were able to get what you got done means a lot, the stories i could tell... and the sad thing is its just the stuff that people were caught doing, though every call is recorded they are not all gone through (of course) most QA departments are less than 1% the size of the rest of the center, if the call isn't randomly selected for scoring or if you don't successfully bring the issue to a supervisors opinion, most bad calls go unheard by anyone.

I remember once we had a young man put a member on hold for 25 minutes as he watched anime on his computer, the member actually held for that 25 minutes.... we had screen capture of the entire call.

and to be honest he was one of the better, more positive employees.

[Death Metal Moe]

I understand your point. And I didn't make this thread because I was surprised in the least, just kinda wondering why they're like they are and wanted to hear if anyone else wondered the same thing.

[DiabloSammich]

oh i'm not saying you can't get an attitude, just dont let it surprise you.

The fact that you were able to get what you got done means a lot, the stories i could tell... and the sad thing is its just the stuff that people were caught doing, though every call is recorded they are not all gone through (of course) most QA departments are less than 1% the size of the rest of the center, if the call isn't randomly selected for scoring or if you don't successfully bring the issue to a supervisors opinion, most bad calls go unheard by anyone.

I remember once we had a young man put a member on hold for 25 minutes as he watched anime on his computer, the member actually held for that 25 minutes.... we had screen capture of the entire call.

and to be honest he was one of the better, more positive employees.



Hey, donnie, are the recorded calls only kept until they are or aren't pulled for QA, and then destroyed/erased, or are they kept somewhere indefinitely in case there is a request in the future?

[walking joint]

phone center jobs SUCK!!!! i had one for a mutual fund company and it burns you out fast. and this was probably one of your better paying phone jobs. its the same calls/complaints which you personally have no control over, but many callers react like its you who did it. and just because you sound that way on the phone doesn't mean once you are off the line i won't turn to my friend and start joking around. the phone calls are more of an annoyance. the first year i was a really good rep and pretty much helped anyone, but that feeling went quick after that and i found a new job sometime in the next year.

[ChimneyFish]

Another question kind of along the same lines.

In any kind of reatail store(especially grocery), is it usually company policy to hire the grumpiest, "I can't believe you're actually going to make me work" attitude having bitch-ass people you can find????







"Just asking!!!!"

Lilll Lilll!!!!

[underdog]

It's their job to try to prevent you from cancelling. They have a script response for any reason you might have for cancelling. When I cancelled TiVo service last month, they were bending over backwards trying to keep me as a customer -- explaining how their technology was superior to the cable companies, offering a discount on a HD box, offering a reduced monthly rate if I decided to hook my TiVo box up to another TV.

You canceled tivo? What the hell is wrong with you?

[Death Metal Moe]

Another question kind of along the same lines.

In any kind of reatail store(especially grocery), is it usually company policy to hire the grumpiest, "I can't believe you're actually going to make me work" attitude having bitch-ass people you can find????







"Just asking!!!!"

Lilll Lilll!!!!



Those are the kinds of people I fucking hate. You can make the most of any situation and by keeping a somewhat positive frame of mind it helps pass the time a little faster. Also if you're friendly you may strike up a quick conversation with a customer and that keeps you and them in a friendly frame of mind.

Miserable fucks just fuck themselves all day. Because I'm gonna deal with your cranky ass, be pissed for a few seconds that I have to deal with you and then go back to normal in my car after I throw my music back on and forget about you until I think of posting about it or something. You were a miserable cunt for your entire 6 hour shift that felt like 9 because of your horrible attitude. Eat a bowl of dick.

[donnie_darko]

diablo, the majority of call centers keep them indefinitely, some of the older centers i know of have a ten year cap, then some will just store em just in case.

i remember we had a group of girls, if a customer would ask for a sup they'd just forward them to another rep who would pose as a supervisor....which really was hilarious when we listened to the calls.

when you have positive experiences with customer service reps that should shock you, and you really should see if there's any way to formally compliment that person, most people just don't see a benefit when the only time people comment on their work is when its negative.

[Death Metal Moe]

Word does get around about positive experiences. I've steered a few people towards Nintendo because if my stellar experiences with the customer service.

I got a Nintendo DS that took a shit, they sent me a replacement and it did the same thing. The 3rd one is still with me a couple years later. Each call to Nintendo Customer Service was a joy. ENGLISH speaking people who could help me with my problem, courteous and quick.

The guy I work with was hesitant to get a DS but after hearing Nintendo dealt with all my problems professionaly, went out and got himself and his girl a DS for Christmas. So it does pay off.

[LaBoob]

You canceled tivo? What the hell is wrong with you?

haha you took the words right out of my mouth!

[topless_mike]

they suck because they cant swallow.

[Death Metal Moe]

they suck because they cant swallow.

Well with a little more "training" they could satisfy a lot more callers.

[mendyweiss]

http://http://images1.comstock.com/Imagewarehouse/CR/SITECS/NLWMCompingVersions/78339/78339-03DG.jpghttp://http://images1.comstock.com/Imagewarehouse/CR/SITECS/NLWMCompingVersions/78339/78339-03DG.jpg
THis guy Moe wants service !!!! SHivam Sundarym Bitch !!
One day I'll learn to post a fuckin picture properly !!! I Suck

[underdog]

Word does get around about positive experiences. I've steered a few people towards Nintendo because if my stellar experiences with the customer service.

Holy shit, I couldn't agree with you more! My Wii is fucked up and dealing with their customer service was a fucking breeze. Nintendo has the best CS I've ever had to use.

[topless_mike]

Well with a little more "training" they could satisfy a lot more callers.

:wub: you

[hexy68]

..."sir...cancelling a card hurts your credit score.."

is that really true??...i have a few i'd like to get rid of but i have a great score right now

[cougarjake13]

So I finally got a REAL fucking cell phone. I figued I'd jump on this crazy new technology before it became too commonplace. I like to be ahead of the curve.

Anyway, got a pretty nice Verizon phone. I was shocked as shit that my credit cleared, considering I had broken my contract with Verizon like 5 years ago an just paid the collection agency for the bill last week.

Now I don't need my Mickey Mouse "Pay as you Go" phone from Boost Mobile. I go into my online account and surprise, there's NOTHING that can help you cancel online. So I call their 800 number. After about 5 minutes (not bad) I get some guy who is very unenthusastic and saying his scripted statements so quickly that I have to ask him to repeat them sometimes.

When I told him "I want to cancel my account" he got even MORE disinterested and upset. He told me "You can't cancel, you have to just let your account not get paid for 60 days and it's canceled." So I ask him "They take my credit card off the account, I have it set to auto-boost itself so I was never without service or minutes."

Now he's really sounding put out and pissed. He needs my security code on the back of my credit card. Ooops, gotta wait bro, it's in my walet. We do it, I check my account while still on the phone with him, it was done correctly. He mumbles something and hangs up on me.

The question is, WHY in the FUCK do Customer Service people get so pissed off when they get a cancel call? I'm not taking money out of your personal pocket. They get upset like I'm saying "I don't like your service and I don't like you." It's a job,. I'm not asking you for a fucking handjob, I'm just asking you to assist me in doing a simple task and then I'll be on my way. There is nothing more annoying than someone who is miserable to you as they do their job. I didn't tell you to take this job man, you can always go somewhere else.

I've run into this more than once. AOL was famous for making it almost impossible to cancel their service, not sure if that's changed because I haven't had AOL in like 6 years.

Anyone else get this?


ive had this same problem with many of the credit cards i used to have that when a 0% offer would come in i would transfer my balance and call the old card and cancel

also dell has a ton of employees like that, even the higher ups

[PapaBear]

is that really true??...i have a few i'd like to get rid of but i have a great score right now
I think it is true in many cases. Not only that, but some CC companies will cancel YOU, if you never carry over a balance, which also hurts your credit score. They're all Nazis.

[Kris10]

phone center jobs SUCK!!!! i had one for a mutual fund company and it burns you out fast. and this was probably one of your better paying phone jobs. its the same calls/complaints which you personally have no control over, but many callers react like its you who did it. and just because you sound that way on the phone doesn't mean once you are off the line i won't turn to my friend and start joking around. the phone calls are more of an annoyance.

It will burn you out REALLY fast. I've been working in a call center for a utility company for 10 yrs this year and most days it good but some days I really want to to hurt someone. I started in the collection department dealing with deadbeats who don't pay their bills and are shut off for non payment and now I am faced with appliance service customers and billing issues who suck as well. I really can't tolerate old people who think because they are senior citizens they desire priority service over a customer who called the night before to schedule an appt for the same issue. For the most part it is a thankless job, but there are the few customers who do recognize that I am there to assistance them and I do go out of my way majority of the time to resolve their problem. But as long as I get a paycheck I try not to complain. I get paid very well.

[drjoek]

So I finally got a REAL fucking cell phone. I figued I'd jump on this crazy new technology before it became too commonplace. I like to be ahead of the curve.

Anyway, got a pretty nice Verizon phone. I was shocked as shit that my credit cleared, considering I had broken my contract with Verizon like 5 years ago an just paid the collection agency for the bill last week.

Now I don't need my Mickey Mouse "Pay as you Go" phone from Boost Mobile. I go into my online account and surprise, there's NOTHING that can help you cancel online. So I call their 800 number. After about 5 minutes (not bad) I get some guy who is very unenthusastic and saying his scripted statements so quickly that I have to ask him to repeat them sometimes.

When I told him "I want to cancel my account" he got even MORE disinterested and upset. He told me "You can't cancel, you have to just let your account not get paid for 60 days and it's canceled." So I ask him "They take my credit card off the account, I have it set to auto-boost itself so I was never without service or minutes."

Now he's really sounding put out and pissed. He needs my security code on the back of my credit card. Ooops, gotta wait bro, it's in my walet. We do it, I check my account while still on the phone with him, it was done correctly. He mumbles something and hangs up on me.

The question is, WHY in the FUCK do Customer Service people get so pissed off when they get a cancel call? I'm not taking money out of your personal pocket. They get upset like I'm saying "I don't like your service and I don't like you." It's a job,. I'm not asking you for a fucking handjob, I'm just asking you to assist me in doing a simple task and then I'll be on my way. There is nothing more annoying than someone who is miserable to you as they do their job. I didn't tell you to take this job man, you can always go somewhere else.

I've run into this more than once. AOL was famous for making it almost impossible to cancel their service, not sure if that's changed because I haven't had AOL in like 6 years.

Anyone else get this?

Does it piss you off when some one doesn't want their meal supersized when you offer it to them?