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Post by Taildragger on Apr 2, 2020 12:18:53 GMT -5
I had to clear up some stuff with my bank so I called them.
Of course, I first had to penetrate several robot voice layers while they checked my identity and determined "how may we help you today?"
Then, once I stumped the robot, they transferred me to an actual, living being.
But, as usual in these situations, you start at the bottom again, with a human who knows very little and has no power to make decisions.
Eventually, she said she would have to "reach out" to a supervisor for clarification and would I "mind being put on hold?", which, of course, whether or not I "minded" was irrelevant.
Then we got to the part I find the most irritating: the "on hold" "music": it's like listening t'friggin' Kenny G. through a string and a paper cup. But you have to stay close and endure the misery, soakin' up ol' Kenny, so you don't miss it when she comes back on the line or she'll think you've given up and will hang up on you, leaving you to start the whole process over from the beginning.
GAAAAAAAH!!!
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Post by Auf Kiltre on Apr 2, 2020 12:25:50 GMT -5
Seems to me on initial contact you connect with someone who at first sounds capable. But the farther you get into detail you discover English isn't their first language and the communication becomes more tedious.
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Post by Taildragger on Apr 2, 2020 12:38:07 GMT -5
This lady didn't have an Indian accent or anything, she was just clearly at the "bottom of the totem pole".
I used to run into this at work when they "streamlined" our technical assistance resources at my last job. I repaired computer-controlled, electro-mechanical equipment. I was reasonably good at it, but they had a tiered help line" I could access when I got stumped. I usually needed fairly sophisticated information, but had to plod through the whole chain: level #1: "did you try unplugging it and then plugging it back in again? Oh...you did...OK let me forward your call"...and so on. I'd typically waste 10 or fifteen minutes working my way up to somebody who actually knew anything useful.
"Streamlining", eh?
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Post by Auf Kiltre on Apr 2, 2020 12:46:53 GMT -5
I shared this before but it is so good it merits repeating. I worked for an entity that spun off from Pitney Bowes, at first called Imagistics, then bought by Oce who in turn was bought by Canon. During one of the transitions our technical support center (a very capable one in the US) was relocated to somewhere in Central America. I sat not 5 feet from our service VP who said "the transition will be seamless".
In the first week a high profile 24/7 printing operation called and reported that there were sparks coming out of their printer. The technical support person in the seamless call center replied "Okay, when you remove all the sparks and still have problem, you call back".
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Post by rickyguitar on Apr 2, 2020 12:47:05 GMT -5
Most irritating g thing? Jump through the hoops and get NO help.
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Post by Leftee on Apr 2, 2020 12:51:13 GMT -5
I won’t use telephone support unless I have no other choice. I’ve had pretty good success with online chat support, etc.
Nobody wants to staff phone support any more.
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Post by gato on Apr 2, 2020 13:02:23 GMT -5
After 30 minutes of misdirection and repeating the problem:
"Okay, let me connect you with someone who handles that."
Click .... click .......hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
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orrk01
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Post by orrk01 on Apr 2, 2020 13:10:56 GMT -5
It's bad enough when they leave you on hold for 30 minutes before you get the chance to talk to an actual human being but, to add insult to injury, they interrupt the 'on-hold music' every minute or so to remind you that "your call is important to us..." Grrrr.
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Post by Auf Kiltre on Apr 2, 2020 13:15:41 GMT -5
I got familiar with a number of our domestic call center reps and was clued in on a little info. The call center will be measured by the length of hold time, so if you ever hear what sounds like someone finally answering and then putting you back on hold, they're resetting the clock.
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Post by oldnjplayer on Apr 2, 2020 14:54:05 GMT -5
Most obvious is they often do not help
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matryx81
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I think I know the reason but I can't spell it.
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Post by matryx81 on Apr 2, 2020 15:15:06 GMT -5
I won’t use telephone support unless I have no other choice. I’ve had pretty good success with online chat support, etc. Nobody wants to staff phone support any more. As someone who spent a chunk of time working at various call centers, I agree with this wholeheartedly. I can't speak for all of them, but IME they do not give you much authority to assist/do anything. I suspect it is because since they already have your money on the front end of sales, they aren't interested in assisting on the back end known as customer service. This may explain some of what Taildragger has described running into on these calls. It can be frustrating on both ends of it. The streamlining and seamless business is probably just that - for the bean counting end of it. |
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Wrnchbndr
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Formerly Known As: WRNCHBNDR
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Post by Wrnchbndr on Apr 2, 2020 15:38:25 GMT -5
I was gonna reply with, "The accent". But honestly I recently had a few good encounters with telephone assistance. Actual real people who really wanted to help me out. ...and I tell 'em so. I would die a slow and painful death if I found myself unable to make a living and being forced into sitting in a chair with a headset.
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Post by Leftee on Apr 2, 2020 15:43:31 GMT -5
I was gonna reply with, "The accent". But honestly I recently had a few good encounters with telephone assistance. Actual real people who really wanted to help me out. ...and I tell 'em so. I would die a slow and painful death if I found myself unable to make a living and being forced into sitting in a chair with a headset. In that situation my death would be sudden and quite loud. |
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Post by Taildragger on Apr 2, 2020 16:08:18 GMT -5
This may explain some of what Taildragger has described running into on these calls. It can be frustrating on both ends of it. One thing I don't do is rag on the person on the other end of the line. I understand that the problem is the system and those who designed it. In a way, the operators are as much victims as the callers.
I've worked in jobs like that, where the root of the customers' complaints were due to things completely beyond my control. I just had the misfortune of being the person that was available for the disgruntled customer to vent at (unlike the person who actually caused the problem).
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JDC
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I STILL say: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"
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Post by JDC on Apr 2, 2020 16:35:10 GMT -5
I've used a site called GetHuman .com, before. Don't know how good it is, anymore, but it used to offer multiple contact numbers and/or methods to employ in order to avoid going through seven tiers of prompts before getting a "real person". Also had a free call back service so, if the wait time was long, you wouldn't need to listen to MUZAK for the duration. Just put in your number an (ostensibly) you'd be called when it was your "turn" in the queue. gethuman.com/ |
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Post by Joe Potts on Apr 2, 2020 17:04:19 GMT -5
Most of the time, it would be difficult to name something that ISN’T irritating about such calls. Yes, the music is usually part of that.
On rare occasion, the call goes well, you’re helped quickly, and the angels sing when you’re done. But usually not. Discover, for example, seems to have much better than average help centers.
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