A glimpse inside the world of customer service reps.

https://www.propublica.org/art...source=pocket-newtab

I will never understand the mindset of someone treating their employees this way.

I worked as a dispatcher for the resort transportation system.
Dispatchers were told to hang up at the first four letter word.
Difficult people who insisted that I transfer them to the manager were transferred to a phone at the bottom of the gondola which would be answered by a a
clueless lift operator.
I "forgot" to send buses to abusive drunks or sent them a bus that would take them in the wrong direction and make them late for the wine tasting.
Work can be fun.

quote:

Originally posted by CHAS:
I worked as a dispatcher for the resort transportation system.
Dispatchers were told to hang up at the first four letter word...

I have noticed that frequently when I let loose a swear word while in a voice mail queue (after being misdirected, given incorrect information by the recorded voice, whatever), it will lead me immediately to a "live representative"

What I was seeking in the first place! (Don't know if this still works but it's worth trying if you're unable to reach a real person.

I confess this article among other info has given me more forbearance when dealing with the (ever so many) poor English speaking reps I get lately.

I've learned that one is able to immediately request a "native English speaker" as soon as encountering a heavily accented CS rep (Filipino, Indian, whomever, whose command of the language sounds unpromising.)

They will cheerfully transfer you (might mean a few minutes wait, but well worth it), resulting in a greatly abbreviated call leading to speedy problem resolution.

(Otherwise, as you must have experienced, you can spend ages on a call about a problem that doesn't fit into a simple niche).

If I forget this rule and get trapped into trying to solve your issue with the first CS rep, they seem to hang on and on. However much you plead later for a transfer (to a supervisor, for example), they refuse - persevering in what is too often a lost cause.

I like to think the other approach avoids incurring a penalty to the first op you get. (And I see from this article that indeed, they get demerits if they themselves fail to solve the presenting problem.)

I don't know if you have read about (or worse still, seen the movie about her) the tragic rape-death of the young Indian girl attacked on a bus in Delhi some years ago. (One of the only such cases where the attackers were finally brought to justice - if there is any justice for such sadistic crimes.)

The backstory was revealing and heartbreaking - and pertains here. Her impoverished family paid everything they could for her to attend medical school (even selling their small inherited family plot).

She herself worked nights in a CS telephone answering office while attending school in the day. I picture her workplace as one of those huge echoing offices where your helper's heavily accented voice is almost drowned out by the myriad other voices in the background.

Her attack occurred as she was returning from a celebratory movie out the night of the day she finished her arduous studies. (She only succumbed at least a week later, having had her very intestines ripped out when they set upon her - her hospitalization was followed in the national news).

Whenever I find my frustration rising as I struggle to work with a young Indian CS rep to resolve my problem despite the cacaphony and (often) prior disconnects - I think of this young doctor.

That's why I do my damnedest to get a transfer right away, before lashing out at what may be just such a hard-working person struggling under impossible circumstances.

I sure wish companies wouldn't "economize" at the expense of desperate employees and put-upon customers, pitting them against each other!

Your experiences are interesting and enlightening, Amanda. Your empathy for what amount to complete strangers is admirable.

My primary thought when reading that article was how lucky I've been to never have had a job I couldn't find some pleasure in doing.

The consistently most helpful call center people I have occasion to deal with are those of my Medicare Advantage plan insurer, Highmark Senior Health Company. They always seem willing to get answers to my questions, immediately if they can or by a return call if necessary, and take all the time necessary to be sure they've dealt with whatever I've called about. I'm willing to tolerate some wait time on hold, imagining that they're providing some similar service to some other client.

Big Al

quote:

Originally posted by markj:
I will never understand the mindset of someone treating their employees this way.

I totally agree. There is a ton of research out there that supports the idea that employees who are treated well will treat your customers well. Employees that are treated poorly will "take it out" on your customers.

It's a stupid, outdated and idiotic approach to work.

We've done some work for call centers, and the people who work in those places are an interesting bunch. It seems to be where you go to work if you have too many piercings/tattoos to work other places. Landlords aren't crazy about renting to these companies because their workforce alarms other tenants.

Not to say these guys are dumb; as a group they are not. A lot of them are very bright and make a nice living, especially the ones who work in sales for businesses like cable companies. What they all complain about is how limited they are in what they can and can't say, and how awkward some of the scripts are.

I try to avoid calling in for service if I can, but I will say some of them are getting better. My cable company (Spectrum) does a particularly good job.

Not phone customer service, but kind of related...

I just had an Amazon purchase delivered by a guy who wasn't your typical Amazon delivery guy. Much older than the usual twenty-somethings and moving a bit slowly. Offered to hand me the package rather than doing a drop and run.

I got the usual "your package was delivered" email soliciting feedback. I almost always ignore them, but decided to click on "Yes, it was great!", which took me to the Amazon page where I could click on a bunch of things like "Friendly" "Respected property". I picked a couple of things and clicked Submit. Message came back that my comments would be shared anonymously with the driver.

I think these people work their butts off, and I have to think that any attaboys or ohshits figure into their performance review. I think I'm going to submit positive reviews on a regular basis when they do a good job. Takes less than a minute and might mean something to them.....

I remember when they had to revise their service rep satisfaction surveys. Rating 1 (terrible) to 10 (excellent) had to be changed to 1 to 9 because 10 on a phone keypad registered as a 1.

quote:

I think I'm going to submit positive reviews on a regular basis when they do a good job.

At some point during the pandemic I actually noticed those Amazon delivery review things and decided I would always submit a positive review (unless, you know, there was a problem). It's got to be a horrible job (the stress of getting all the deliveries done in time etc.) so I generally always click the top star and then click through, usually "respective of property" "on time" and one other....