"Sorry the system is down"

caLLous

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My only concern with call centres is that they provide assistance in sorting out a problem I may have with one of their products/systems. Whether they're in Plymouth or Pakistan doesn't matter and in my experience (especially with the support department of the EFTPOS system we've just had upgraded at work, who are really pissing me off as I write this post) they're just as good/bad as each other.
 

nath

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Will said:
I'm not sure about that, nath. They are selling products that will be provided in the UK, so the TPS may have some leverage. Someone would have to call them to ask though.

Well, I've called BT a number of times asking them to deal with it, and that's what they told me. I've been signed up to the TPS for some time and it's not stopped the calls. I looked in to contacting OfCom but their website lists a whole bunch of things to do and it'd take bloody ages. It'd be worth it, except each call I get is from some different company so stopping one wouldn't make much difference >:|
 

Gumbo

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Yup, your patience wears thin after a while, we get maybe 4 or 5 a day at work, then another couple a day when I get in after work. Normally now I just say fuck off and hang up, I only really try to wind them up if I am bored and have the time to do so.

If you could be polite and say, 'Sorry I'm not interested' 6 times a day for weeks on end to these bastards, you're a better man than I.
 

caLLous

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I'm really crap at in this sort of situation. I'll usually just let them rant on for about a minute about how they could make my life that much better with their new product and then either say the person they need to talk to is on holiday or just tell them we're not interested. Nine times out of ten it's a company ringing on behalf of a mobile phone operator, and they're just bollocks.

A reply I started using a couple of weeks ago is for them to ask how much I'm currently spending on my mobile per month and then I'll tell them, they'll say how expensive it is and how I could save shedloads with them and I'll say "Yeah but I'm loaded so it doesn't bother me". It shut the last guy up a treat. :D
 

Cyfr

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I tell them im registered to some special thingie and it's ilegal to make these sales calls, and they say sorry and hang up :(
 

mank!

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nath said:
Quite right, but I think the point mank was making was that it's pointless and lame to take it out on the poor sod who happens to be manning the desk. It's not his/her fault that the systems are buggered.

Well, not really what I was saying because I've never been within 100 metres of a call centre.

I was referring to where I last worked in a pharmacy. A few days in November last year our computer fucked up and we couldn't access the drugs list and stuff so we couldn't process prescriptions. Some people went totally fucking spare over it despite the fact there's another pharmacy about a five minute walk down the road, yet somehow it's my fault the computer's not working. They can still buy everything OTC wise, we just can't dispense POM meds. Also in the time I worked there, we closed for lunch about five times. Every single time, despite warning people about an hour before they come to collect their prescription then moan because we can't hand it over or they'll come in just after we've closed - never for more than half an hour - and kick up a fuss, moan like a child who has had their sweets taken away and just act like a ****.

Believe me, I'd rather the computer was working and the tech support people didn't sit around on their arses than get shouted at by morons like Tom.

I know this is a bit off topic but it really got on my nerves and is one of the reasons I quit, I loved the job but fucking idiots who have no patience or respect for you just wore me down totally. It's bad enough being shouted at by customers at work, but it's fucking pathetic coming on the internet and moaning about it. Mind you, Tom did write it.
 

mank!

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I left my job a couple of weeks ago. I'm looking for a job in another pharmacy nearer home.

Why?
 

caLLous

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The only way you can have a job where you don't get shouted at by customers is if your job role doesn't involve dealing with customers.
 

Wazzerphuk

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I have found sometimes stern (semi shouting) speaking is needed at call centres. I've had a nightmare recently with various call centres (all which have been UK based, nerrr) and been asking different questions... only to get the scripted answer of the question before. Asserting your seriously disgruntled nature gets them off their scripts and normally you'll get somewhere. Failing that, it's amazing how fast a problem can be fixed when you ask to speak to their supervisor...

The main problem with call centres? The fact that normally there is some kind of problem that needs dealing with at a call centre. Like stated, most call centre workers are students and people in-between jobs. So they don't give a fuck about $random's problem and don't care if it is resolved, and therefore go about acting like bored dickheads when you're after perfectly simple requests or the company to even perform their duties properly.

Good call centre operatives don't work with scripts, and sound like they want to help you. The rare times I have spoken to anyone nice at a call center I've felt really good about the proceedure, even if it hasn't gone well. A little kindness is required in dealing with people's problems!
 

TdC

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I do third-line support for BigCompany, which means only scary problems that nobody wants to touch get through to my dept. Every day I thank baby Jebus that there is a callcenter/helldesk and two layers of operational support between me and the "customer". The few times I've actually had direct dealings with customers I've found them to be uninformed unintelligent impolite gits who made claims and demands of me that tended to have nothing or very little to do with their original problem or incident ticket. When I have a call that entails exactly what is in the ticket, then it's made by a technical dept, and usually not a user. enough of this though.

I regularly call a number of helpdesks/callcenters regarding my work. Usually this is about broken/breaking hardware or software that is behaving strangely on my systems. Recently, say since a year ago, I found that a certain vendor has added a layer between myself and them. This extra layer severely gets on my tits because in the past a single call would have me talking to an engineer within minutes and we would solve the problem or make an arrangement for a field engineer to come onsite within the space of a single phone call. Now there are two or three calls and perhaps some emails before the problem can be resolved and this irks me. I understand that the extra layer exists for the same reasons that I have a helldesk and two operational departments, but I miss my interaction with the engineer. Problems were solved quicker and more could be done in the good old days than today.

Doesn't the argument seem flawed I hear you think? No, it's not. I am a highly skilled (cough) technical person who's skillset is on a par with my counterpart at the company I'm calling. I would not call them unless something's happened that I can not solve, which automagically makes the problem of interest to the other party. In this fashion we are actually helping each other. I do not want to talk to a lower line about such problems, I want to talk to the man himself. On the other hand, if I've forgotten my workstation's password then I don't want "the man", I want someone to tell a security officer to reset my password nothing more nothing less.

lastly, if you ever are on the phone with me and you lose it and get nasty then there will be hell to pay. I'm a reasonably professional person, and as such I expect and give professional courtesy to any and all. If it's not returned then our conversation will end very quickly. Oh, and if I tell you my workstation crashed and I'm "just booting it up now" it's a pack of dirty lies tbh. I'm just buying time to finish my coffee ;)
 

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