I believe everyone should be made to work retail for at least a short while, so maybe they would know what it’s like to have rude customers and then not be one.
There are a number of jobs that you cannot pay me enough money to do: customer service is one of them.
By the time people get to you, they are already upset with something. Their frustrations are exacerbated by getting carpal tunnel syndrome by punching buttons on the telephone menu system and the 45 minute hold time because the company is too cheap to hire enough agents and get a 21st century answering system.
People confuse customer service with the board of directors for the company. The agent is there to enforce policy, not make it. Agents are given very limited authority to fix your problem and have probably been given minimal training to do their job. As for tools, even big companies like AT&T require their agents to log onto multiple systems to analyze your case.
I’ve visited a call center once and saw the deplorable working conditions under which the people worked. People were all but chained to a phone booth. The conditions probably violate the Geneva convention and this was in the United States.
So when I call, I try to be positive and even cheery. I attempt to be the bright spot in their day. If I thought I could get better results by yelling and screaming, I’d try it, but most of the time that doesn’t make sense. Instead we often have a pleasant and even humorous conversation.
When I really need results, I go out to the investor relations web page for the company, find the name of the CEO and send a USPS letter to him (yes, him – most of the time it’s a man). I usually get a call from the corporate headquarters. Sometimes it works, Lowes hardware has changed one of its policies as a result of a letter I wrote. In addition to complaining, I often include suggestions for improvement.
when i first heard about the “kasuhara” (customer harassment) law being mooted in japan, i thought it was a law to prevent harassment of customers. but, no, it turned out to be a law meant to keep customers from abusing retailers’ employees. given the precipitate decline in simple courtesy these days, i suspect that the law might overburden the police… ☺
seanfear 13 days ago
I agree.
TStyle78 13 days ago
I have been doing Customer Service for 25 years.
FreyjaRN Premium Member 13 days ago
Agreed.
jmworacle 13 days ago
Agreed plus sainthood….
Doug K 13 days ago
Is there someone that she knows that has had to work in customer service who was not compensated?
PraiseofFolly 13 days ago
The problem is that some customers demean customer service people as low-ranking “servants” in a royal chain of command.
exness Premium Member 13 days ago
I believe everyone should be made to work retail for at least a short while, so maybe they would know what it’s like to have rude customers and then not be one.
kaycstamper 13 days ago
Does she know of a real customer service in today’s world? Not AI or a BOT…
CorkLock 13 days ago
Happy Father’s Day all. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen. Extra for Walt.
dflak 13 days ago
There are a number of jobs that you cannot pay me enough money to do: customer service is one of them.
By the time people get to you, they are already upset with something. Their frustrations are exacerbated by getting carpal tunnel syndrome by punching buttons on the telephone menu system and the 45 minute hold time because the company is too cheap to hire enough agents and get a 21st century answering system.
People confuse customer service with the board of directors for the company. The agent is there to enforce policy, not make it. Agents are given very limited authority to fix your problem and have probably been given minimal training to do their job. As for tools, even big companies like AT&T require their agents to log onto multiple systems to analyze your case.
I’ve visited a call center once and saw the deplorable working conditions under which the people worked. People were all but chained to a phone booth. The conditions probably violate the Geneva convention and this was in the United States.
So when I call, I try to be positive and even cheery. I attempt to be the bright spot in their day. If I thought I could get better results by yelling and screaming, I’d try it, but most of the time that doesn’t make sense. Instead we often have a pleasant and even humorous conversation.
When I really need results, I go out to the investor relations web page for the company, find the name of the CEO and send a USPS letter to him (yes, him – most of the time it’s a man). I usually get a call from the corporate headquarters. Sometimes it works, Lowes hardware has changed one of its policies as a result of a letter I wrote. In addition to complaining, I often include suggestions for improvement.
DawnQuinn1 13 days ago
They were not compensated ENOUGH !!!
paul GROSS Premium Member 13 days ago
Reparations.
assrdood 13 days ago
Every job, no matter what, is “customer service”! One way or another.
kunddog 13 days ago
and all the customer service people are saints?
ladykat 13 days ago
YES!
pheets 13 days ago
Yes.
YulanaLow 13 days ago
It calls for hazardous duty pay.
cuzinron47 13 days ago
So they should get more rupees?
gopher gofer 13 days ago
when i first heard about the “kasuhara” (customer harassment) law being mooted in japan, i thought it was a law to prevent harassment of customers. but, no, it turned out to be a law meant to keep customers from abusing retailers’ employees. given the precipitate decline in simple courtesy these days, i suspect that the law might overburden the police… ☺
El-Kabong 13 days ago
No one has to work in customer service. No one has to work at all.