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CConverse
join:2006-01-31
Syracuse, NY
1 edit | When you go to the grocery store.... Let's think... A grocery store checkout is a good "reality" version of a checkout. People wait in lines (or a "queue") to be serviced.
Do you haggle with the checkout lady over the price of a gallon of milk, or a pound of beef? Do you insist that she should sell it to you for $1 instead of $2.99, repeatedly despite the fact that she has no way of changing it? Do you take 5 minutes of her time (and everyone else behind you in line) to complain to her that you waited 10 minutes to be rung out, and that you're so disgusted with the customer service that you're going to shop elsewhere? Do you stop to tell her the names and rep id's of everyone that checked you out before her because you want to complain to someone about what a crappy job they did? Do you take the time to do all this even though that rep is powerless to do anything about it? Do you do this even after you watched the person in front of you waste your time doing all the same things? Because this is the kind of time-wasting things that customer service reps put up with every day.
I work for AT&T (please don't hate me) as a customer service rep. My average call is 8-9 minutes long. Usually it only takes about 2 minutes to do what I need to do with the customer's account, if I do all the talking. So guess how much time of that call goes to "letting the customer vent"? You got it...
So when you get that message that "we're experiencing heavy call volume" message and you're told the wait will be 20+ minutes, it's probably more likely due to the fact that everyone in front of you in line is taking your precious time with all their useless complaining, and not even letting the agents do their jobs.
Edit: finished an unfinished sentence
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UNLESS Someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to change...
It's not
-The Once-ler
From The Lorax by Dr. Seuss | |
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KrK
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join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
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| Re: When you go to the grocery store.... said by CConverse  :So when you get that message that "we're experiencing heavy call volume" message and you're told the wait will be 20+ minutes, it's probably more likely due to the fact that everyone in front of you in line is taking your precious time with all their useless complaining, and not even letting the agents do their jobs. Then they need to hire more agents... Also, 6 minutes of venting? Sounds like AT&T really must piss a lot of people off. Unfortunately, the only time people usually need to speak to someone is when something is wrong, so I imagine most of the time you've got people who are upset about something calling in.... but not always.
Even so, for companies to leave messages saying "Use the automated system or call later" and then hangup is really crappy customer service.
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"Regulatory capitalism is when companies invest in lawyers, lobbyists, and politicians, instead of plant, people, and customer service." - former FCC Chairman William Kennard (A real FCC Chairman, unlike the current Corporate Spokesperson in the job!) | |
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CConverse
join:2006-01-31
Syracuse, NY
| Re: When you go to the grocery store.... Our department's hold times average under 60 seconds, it's not a matter of staffing. We have to staff like we're therapists. Usually I can fix whatever's wrong, but I'm not supposed to interrupt people so I have to listen to them vent before I even get a chance to do anything.
My point is that we're service people. We're no more important to at&t than a cashier is at a grocery store. Imagine if everyone acted toward cashiers in person like they do to service people on the phone. My position on the floor is to be flexible. I am management when they need me to be management, I am service person when they need an extra agent or two to help clear the queue. I am also a customer. I see it from the top down and also from the ground up.
And it's not just at&t pissing people off. Imagine if everyone acted toward cashiers in person like they do to service people on the phone. People vent to me about gas prices, the cable company, their financial situation, their brother or cousin or ex who ran up their Dish bill by ordering porno flicks, that they only will have $.83 for groceries for the month (personally I'd take food over internet but I guess that's just me), how they are handicapped or elderly or a Vietnam Veteran or a single mom or someone who just got out of jail or an important businessperson who lost millions because your residential internet service was down... people will go on all day with their problems if we let them. Many, many people.
People complain sometimes that we apologize too much. Agents are trained to "express empathy" whenever a customer is upset about something and we can do nothing about it. Even if it has nothing to do with at&t. Ironically enough, what agents are supposed to do if you're complaining that we apologize too much, is to say "I'm sorry." So instead of complaining about it, it would be far much more productive to just to let us know what it is you need done, or ask what you would like to know.
I do agree about the hangups. It should simply inform them at the beginning that it may be 1/2 hour to an hour hold time.
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UNLESS Someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to change...
It's not
-The Once-ler
From The Lorax by Dr. Seuss | |
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