I work at a call center. I know, I know. But you do what you have to do to pay the rent. I’m not here to bitch about rude callers. I knew what I was signing on for when I took this job. This is more of a public service announcement. After working in this industry for a couple of years, I am convinced that customer service is a myth. Customer wrangling is a more honest term for what I do. I’m sure there are exceptions, but for the most part, companies don’t want to give you anything if they can avoid it. The call center system is designed to keep you, the customer, at a disadvantage. And I am trained to make/save the company money at your expense.
Having said that, I want you to know that I am secretly on your side. I do have some influence, and I can sometimes fudge little details to get you a better deal. Believe me, I am doing everything I can for you, within the narrow avenues available to me.
Remember the old adage, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. If you’re nice to me, I’ll be nice to you. Contrary to what most people seem to think, you will usually get further by being calm, reasonable, and polite, than you will by being angry and rude. If I got caught fudging the date on your proof of purchase, it could cost me my job. Why would I take that chance if you open the conversation by barking at me? You should also be aware that, while I am on your side, my manager is not. My manager is firmly on the company’s side. That’s why he’s the manager. So demanding to speak to my manager is usually less likely to end in the outcome you want. Instead, talk to me calmly, and listen to me carefully. I will often drop little hints as to how you should answer my questions. All these calls are recorded, so I have to be careful, and you have to be attentive.
In conclusion, dear customer, I want to help you. But you have to work with me.
—Thank you for calling…
This article appears in Apr 23-29, 2009.
I have done this with bill people – been really nice and it does work. sometimes just telling the customer service people that your mad at the situation not them and your sorry they have to be the one you want to vent on helps to take some of the sting out. At the end of the day all we all want to do is look back and say yup it was a good one.
True…but at the end of the day you look back and think of the bad calls rather then the good calls because they stand out more.
A cust sets the tone during the first 5 seconds of a call
cup half empty or half full. It’s all in the outlook. I prefer to try and think half full, not always easy. I try and remember the good calls made. When calling someone I do try to improve their day too but still get the help required. frustrating most days but I do try.
I agree fully with the OP here. I also have worked for a call center similar to the one OP is talking about. People seem to think the “squeaky wheel gets the grease” which is true in some cases. But when your dealing with someone whom has no interest in “bending you over” being understanding and attentive is by far the way to go. We can make exceptions for you on most occasions, it often however gives us a lot more work to do. The odds of me taking on more work than I need to to fix a problem that is often the persons fault is much greater when they are kind and understanding. If when I answer they start belittling/bitchin at me when I had nothing to do with what went on, fuck em… i could care less if they get their money, if in fact they are even entitled to it. Someone who explains clearly, accepts it may have acctually been their fault, I would often go out of my way to try and find a loophole to help them out. Being a bitch gets you nadda…
please read ” Your Call is Important to Us: the truth about Bullshit” by Laura Penny. She is a Prof at KINGS and she wrote this book. It’s most eye opening.
It basically details how customer service is a PR stunt by coporations so they can appear to care. Its an expense to them they would rather do away with. She cites a few examples of how employees are graded on their ability to deal with FEWER customers rather than more. She makes the argument that if my call was indeed important i wouldn’t be listening to a recoding right now telling me that, i’d be speaking with someone. Most customer service reps are trained to make people go away as fast and as cheaply as possilbe and not to find resolution to whatever problems they may have.
Good book.
EVERYTHING any organization does is a PR stunt.
Yet PR is still so undervalued within the CEO suite….boggles my mind, really.
We’re Fighting!
….just kidding 😉
You’re lucky that you’re not in a call centre that sees “customer service” as sales. LL is right, customer service is all about getting rid of the issue, or better yet, passing it onto someone else. I worked at a bank call centre for a year, and let me tell you, they’re all about giving you the power to refund service charges (which is probably the number 1 complaint) and get them off the line so you can sell a mortgage refinance to the next guy.
Man, I don’t think I could take the call centre mentality…..
much too volatile when dealing with idiots.
I-D-10-T errors all the fucking time…..
to those with infinite patience… I salute you.
Oh shush, LL! 😛
Seriously, PR is all a bunch of bullshit. It’s all about dollars and cents and getting rid of you as quickly as possible. The best CSRs can get you off the line without solving your problem but making you think they have. Anyone who thinks PR has a noble purpose hasn’t studied it. It’s all about pulling the wool over your eyes and getting something out of you in the process.