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 |
