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Stuff We Feel Like Bitching About
Stoic Joker:
I dont know about you all, but if someone approaches me an angry/aggressive/abusive manner, I'm naturally going to take that as an attack, and get defensive or attack back. That's human nature (I think). Their job only allows one option there. I can completely relate to their position.
-tomos (June 09, 2014, 10:28 AM)
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I think the truth (as with most things) lies somewhere in the middle. I'm totally fine usually when I call. I relate my position and problem in rational terms- it's just better for communication. But when someone tries to jerk me around with a script, or not wanting to escalate if they can't take care of it, and not even wanting to admit the problem... well, sometimes a less reasoned approach is called for.-wraith808 (June 09, 2014, 10:41 AM)
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:D :Thmbsup:
MilesAhead:
... so I did what any sensible person would do when faced with senselessness. I backed away. I didn't turn my back on him, but I backed away slowly. And only after I was gone, did I start to breathe again.
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That's hairy. I've never been there. There is a Transit guard I see all the time. I've dubbed him Nomar for the former Red Sox player Nomar Garciapara. He wears these leather gloves all the time. I'm hoping it's to hide a skin disease on his hands and not because he's a gun nut. I've only said Good Morning passing by. He seemed sane when replying. I'll hope for the best. :)
MilesAhead:
I've done the customer support thing a couple of places. The person taking the incoming call is totally considered a flak catcher. Usually you are hamstrung by a procedure as they like to take warm bodies, give them a bit of training, and stick headsets on them.
Even if you have skills you have to go by the numbers. Sometimes you are able to help the customer fix an easy problem or send them a disc etc.. Anything complicated has to go to an analyst, if the customer can avoid being fobbed off.
Some things most customers don't know or realize:
The flak catcher is not involved in the decision making process. But the flak catcher may not point this out to the customer. The only reason I can fathom for this policy is that management enjoys leaving the flak catcher's ass hanging out. One example.. the customer wants to know why XYZ Corp. has such a stupid policy.. the only truthful response the flak catcher could make is to point out that he or she is never invited to the XYZ Corp. Board of Directors meetings where such reasons are discussed. Also forbidden is to note to the customer that even if the flak catcher was given a reason to justify said policy, it's probably a lie. Management is not going to justify itself to low level employees. So usually the justification varies from some good sounding PR to some explanation deliberately designed to insult the intelligence(see above about leaving the flak catcher's ass hanging out.)
Most of these setups where the flak catcher works incoming calls, (s)he does not get paid when using the rest room, coffee machine, water cooler etc.. (s)he gets paid when the computer tracks that the flak catcher is available to take calls or is working an incoming call. So although it might seem logical to the customer to ask the flak catcher to call back with some bit of information, the customer is unknowingly asking the person to work his case off the clock. Again, the flak catcher is not allowed to inform the customer of such details(ass hung out yet again.)
One easy way to dump a customer(if you don't care how pissed they get as in your supervisor may be the one suggesting it) is to ask if they are running any third party software on the computer. As idiotic as it seems, in this circumstance always answer NO. Often you being willing to lie that brazenly will silence them long enough to give you whatever it is you're supposed to get.
Now and then, once in awhile, maybe on the eighth day of the week, the flak catcher gets to solve a real problem for a really nice person. But it's no accident the turnover in that position is high. No worry about quarterly reviews since most don't last a quarter. Those who stick it out and perhaps can avoid must of the losing calls due to family connection, or "juice" may end up being promoted to team leader or analyst.
40hz:
@Ren - I still don't see what subjecting somebody (who often lacks any real authority) to a barrage of obscenity and spleen is going to accomplish. Maybe it's cathartic for some people to vent. But I usually find I feel far worse, after having lost my temper, than I did before. So I guess this is one of those YMMV things.
I'm not trying to say outrage is never justified or needed. But to adopt it as a default policy or 'game plan' strikes me as being counterproductive in the long run. Shock only works once or twice on most people. Then the psychological calluses start to form. After that, a caller's aggressive or abusive behavior rolls off the back like a cold drop of rain - an unpleasant sensation perhaps, but little else.
Most of my life's experience seems to tell me you can: get whatever you want - or - say whatever you want.
But not both.
At least not when dealing with the most people. ;)
wraith808:
Most of my life's experience seems to tell me you can: get whatever you want - or - say whatever you want.
But not both.
At least not when dealing with the most people.
-40hz (June 09, 2014, 04:15 PM)
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But when the better option isn't available, you can at least get it out of your system.
Godaddy is still telling the client that they don't support wordpress. When I gave her clear instructions on what to say and she quoted verbatim that it had nothing to do with wordpress... it has to do with php.
I'm on the verge...
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