My company also is all still domestic.
Work frustration
- Thread starter Sophie74656
- Start date
That's why I had a problem with the requirement to push additional products and services at the end of every call unless the customer was very unhappy. I don't like having extra stuff that I don't need or want shoved down my throat hence not liking to do it to other people.
Even when it's not off-shored people still make the complaint it is. Rogers (big Canadian telco) has outsourced it's call centre work true - but all the call centres supporting them are in Canada. The company I worked for not only did Rogers but in another city did Bell. Also being an Australian living in Canadian with accent that sounds very English (father was born in the U.K), I had some customers wonder where I was located.
I worked for a major international pharma compnay for about 13 years. In the last few years, they outsourced their own internal IT support for employees.
It's all about $$$$, but I could never see where they saved a ton of money.
It's all about $$$$, but I could never see where they saved a ton of money.
A ridiculously large portion of my job consists of not being able to do anything while I am waiting for other people to do theirs. Which is why I can post from work so often.
This thankfully does not apply to my current boss, who, while she is often out of the office on important business, is also always available when needed. Not so, these others. Phone calls are not picked up. Emails go un-responded-to.
I just now got a response from the support email of a company whose software I MUST use for my job (even though I think it's clunky, and I know a better, easier program). I've been trying to get someone at their company since FEBRUARY.
Was the response "I can help you, here's what to do?" NAH. Was it even "we don't support that PoS anymore?"
No, it was "See the manual." YEAH, AS IF WHEN THIS POSITION WAS DUMPED IN MY LAP IT ACTUALLY CAME WITH THE MANUAL AND NOT JUST "HEY, YOU'RE DOING THIS NOW!"
Mostly I blame upper management. Yes, we SURELY need to hire a $150K consultant to tell us why physical enrollment is down in the age on online degrees and people getting shot in the off-campus housing, so let's make sure we're chronically understaffed in our clerical department by firing 5 more secretaries and admin assistants to make up for it! The people we have left can SURELY do it all! We won't even have to pay for training because they'll pick it all up from the bitter, angry people we just laid off who will be so happy to help!
(When they moved me from my last position, they had to give my old duties to SIX people to pick up the slack - and they failed to.)
This thankfully does not apply to my current boss, who, while she is often out of the office on important business, is also always available when needed. Not so, these others. Phone calls are not picked up. Emails go un-responded-to.
I just now got a response from the support email of a company whose software I MUST use for my job (even though I think it's clunky, and I know a better, easier program). I've been trying to get someone at their company since FEBRUARY.
Was the response "I can help you, here's what to do?" NAH. Was it even "we don't support that PoS anymore?"
No, it was "See the manual." YEAH, AS IF WHEN THIS POSITION WAS DUMPED IN MY LAP IT ACTUALLY CAME WITH THE MANUAL AND NOT JUST "HEY, YOU'RE DOING THIS NOW!"
Mostly I blame upper management. Yes, we SURELY need to hire a $150K consultant to tell us why physical enrollment is down in the age on online degrees and people getting shot in the off-campus housing, so let's make sure we're chronically understaffed in our clerical department by firing 5 more secretaries and admin assistants to make up for it! The people we have left can SURELY do it all! We won't even have to pay for training because they'll pick it all up from the bitter, angry people we just laid off who will be so happy to help!
(When they moved me from my last position, they had to give my old duties to SIX people to pick up the slack - and they failed to.)
I heard an anecdote wherein an executive included a string of profanity in the middle of a thick written report just to see if anybody would notice, since nobody actually read the thing even though he had to provide it all the time. As expected, nobody noticed.Kor[/QUOTE
I never read my emails at work unless it's from one of my two direct supervisors
I worked in a call center in the USA.
A young woman called in with an "Indian" accent.
Then she proceeded to tell me that she was so glad she got an American on the phone because the people with the stupid Indian accent were so stupid it annoyed her.
I just laughed. ( didn't want to get fired)
Just proceeded with whatever she needed etc.
pretty much the same thing when a guy called in with a total southern hick accent.
He said that he felt bad for me having to deal with people that sounded like him all day.
The call center sucked but mainly it was the management that made it suck.
Some of the customers were assholes but most were okay.
A young woman called in with an "Indian" accent.
Then she proceeded to tell me that she was so glad she got an American on the phone because the people with the stupid Indian accent were so stupid it annoyed her.
I just laughed. ( didn't want to get fired)
Just proceeded with whatever she needed etc.
pretty much the same thing when a guy called in with a total southern hick accent.
He said that he felt bad for me having to deal with people that sounded like him all day.
The call center sucked but mainly it was the management that made it suck.
Some of the customers were assholes but most were okay.
Dish network.Where was this? I might have been one of those assholes
Very possible, I had DISH for many years
As you know, they continually raise the rates for existing customers so they can offer great deals to new customers (really, they all do that crap). I threatened several times to dump them if it continued. It continued, I dumped them. I haven't had "TV" in almost 2 years and I don't really miss it.
Of course I've told stories from both ends in the current-running Things that frustrate us all thread:
https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/things-that-frustrate-us-all.254815/
But I hear/see more than I mention in that thread.
For example, at a local library I hear stupid crap all the time; sometimes I don't need to hear the customer to know what idiots they are, just hear the librarians speak. Examples:
Librarian: "Hello, blahblahblah library, how can I help you?"
Pause to listen to the question.
Librarian: "Ma'am, you just called an hour ago asking for the same phone number. Yes. You called an hour ago; I was the one who answered the phone. Yes. So, you want the number again?"
Librarian: "Hello, blahblahblah library, how can I help you?"
Pause to listen to the question.
Librarian: "Sir, you already called earlier looking for that book title and it's not in our system."
Pauses to listen.
Librarian: "Yes, I was the one who looked it up. Anything else I can do for you? All right, have a nice day."
About an hour passes and the phone rings."
Another Librarian: "Hello, blahblahblah library, how can I help you?"
Pause to listen to the question.
Another Librarian: "Hold on while I look that up..."
Librarian: "He just called an hour ago; it's not in our system," over hearing the conversation..
(Yes, apparently some people think asking a different librarian will yield different results from the computer)
Then not too long ago I was on the end as a costumer who was making a mistake. I initially thought the cashier had not given me the correct money back, that some kind of issue had happened. I said something before I got out of line and shortly thereafter I realized my miscalculation and admitted to it. That should have been that, but the cashier continues with some stupid line like, "Oh, I wouldn't make that mistake, I'm really good at math."
Sigh.
Okay, just let me figure out I made the miscalculation and don't say anything, but instead she said that. I don't feel like ripping her in public, so I just think to myself as I walk away:
"Okay, you're really good at math? So, why aren't you teaching it? If you have a degree, why are you working at Wal-Mart? If you're such a mathematical genius, you should be working at NASA and not as a Wally world cashier."
https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/things-that-frustrate-us-all.254815/
But I hear/see more than I mention in that thread.
For example, at a local library I hear stupid crap all the time; sometimes I don't need to hear the customer to know what idiots they are, just hear the librarians speak. Examples:
Librarian: "Hello, blahblahblah library, how can I help you?"
Pause to listen to the question.
Librarian: "Ma'am, you just called an hour ago asking for the same phone number. Yes. You called an hour ago; I was the one who answered the phone. Yes. So, you want the number again?"
Librarian: "Hello, blahblahblah library, how can I help you?"
Pause to listen to the question.
Librarian: "Sir, you already called earlier looking for that book title and it's not in our system."
Pauses to listen.
Librarian: "Yes, I was the one who looked it up. Anything else I can do for you? All right, have a nice day."
About an hour passes and the phone rings."
Another Librarian: "Hello, blahblahblah library, how can I help you?"
Pause to listen to the question.
Another Librarian: "Hold on while I look that up..."
Librarian: "He just called an hour ago; it's not in our system," over hearing the conversation..
(Yes, apparently some people think asking a different librarian will yield different results from the computer)
Then not too long ago I was on the end as a costumer who was making a mistake. I initially thought the cashier had not given me the correct money back, that some kind of issue had happened. I said something before I got out of line and shortly thereafter I realized my miscalculation and admitted to it. That should have been that, but the cashier continues with some stupid line like, "Oh, I wouldn't make that mistake, I'm really good at math."
Sigh.
Okay, just let me figure out I made the miscalculation and don't say anything, but instead she said that. I don't feel like ripping her in public, so I just think to myself as I walk away:
"Okay, you're really good at math? So, why aren't you teaching it? If you have a degree, why are you working at Wal-Mart? If you're such a mathematical genius, you should be working at NASA and not as a Wally world cashier."
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Now why is it that Germany can achieve this, but Canada can't? Or do you mean that all your telemarketing calls originate in Germany?yep. Customer service people are humans - many customers forget about that.
However, there are the black sheep as well: cold calls are strictly forbidden here in Germany, yet I keep getting tons (some even in the night!). I keep a log and report them to the authorities. Takes a week or so and then their phones get very suddenly switched off
I keep my phone off the hook on weekends, because that's when most of the scam/telemarketing calls are inflicted on us. I'm on the National Do Not Call list, but that's not enforceable outside of Canada and the CRTC does diddly-squat about the scammers located in India. They claim they can't find them, which is pretty interesting since it was possible for the CBC reporters to find them.
I am so tired of calls from somebody pretending to be "Mike" or "John Mackenzie" who has a thick Indian accent and wants to sell me home security or fix my computer or threatens that the RCMP is going to arrest me in the next hour if I don't buy $$$ in iTunes gift cards to pay my supposedly outstanding tax bill.
If I need after-hours tech support for my internet, chances are that my call will end up in a call center in the Philippines. The agents usually do manage to be helpful, once the problem is understood. Sometimes that can take awhile, though.
Yep I've seen something similar work in retail
Customer: "Do you have X in stock"
Me: "No Sorry we are sold out, it might be next in on Y date or time"
See's them asking another member of staff as if it's going to get a different response. Look I don't always have to go into the magic back area where all items are held, I might have already checked for another customer and thus know we don't have any, I might have already checked to see if we had stock because I noticed the gap or I sold the last one because I knew we only had X in stock. If I wasn't sure I would be more than happy to go and check so I can sell it and make money for the company, but it's wasting my time and your time for me to go into the back to check for something I know we don't have just to come back and tell you we don't have any.
Sometimes people can be difficult to understand with various accents. I had one guy cann with a very heavy accent and then he told me he couldn't understand my northern accent
I guess people think they'll get different answers from different people. Suprisingly often I'll get someone call and i will answer all their questions and then 10 minutes later they call back and ask the same questions again thinking they have someone else.
BUTVery possible, I had DISH for many years
As you know, they continually raise the rates for existing customers so they can offer great deals to new customers (really, they all do that crap). I threatened several times to dump them if it continued. It continued, I dumped them. I haven't had "TV" in almost 2 years and I don't really miss it.
The grest deal is only for 6 months, then the price changes to regular price
Then
The customer calls to cancel
Then
We got to tell them the price to cancel!
When I was living in the country I really enjoyed Dish, because they let me put my service on pause. I only really used television to watch Game of Thrones, so I'd pause for eight or nine months, then I'd activate for a few months and use HBO, then I'd put on hold again. I had to pay $5 a month but I felt it was worth it so I was getting my value. Dish never changed my prices on me, and I had just a secret hidden package that cost $20 a month and an extra $10 for HBO, and their service was always so friendly and helpful. I don't use them anymore because I live in a real civilized area and have streaming cable, but I'm thankful for service Dish had for me when I needed it.
BUT
The grest deal is only for 6 months, then the price changes to regular price
Then
The customer calls to cancel
Then
We got to tell them the price to cancel!
I always understod there was an introductory price, then a "regular" price. It's when they up the "regular" price every 6 months after the first year. They use the "but we have to pay for everything" excuse, but give new customers the great deals.
Insurance companies are the same way. I switch between 3 or 4 car insurance comanies every year to year and a half, just because they'll keep raising my rates to make up for shitty and uninsured drivers.
Really? GEICO hasn't change my rate like ever.
Really? GEICO hasn't change my rate like ever.
I had Geico for years, and my rates started creeping up and up. That's what got me started on the rotation of companies. No tickets or accidents at my end to explain it, though it might be about where one lives, which is also no excuse.
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