I pit telephone customer service

The BBQ Pit
1

Oh, there are so many ways I could rant on this issue, but I’ll focus on one point. Why do we have to go through all the convolutions of inputting our account number, phone number, zip code, specific problem area, etc, ad nauseum … either through the telephone keypad or some sort of voice recognition … only to finally reach a rep that doesn’t have any idea what we input and makes us repeat it. I mean really … what’s the point? Is it a delaying tactic so we don’t notice how long we’re on hold? It’s not working. :mad:

Does anyone here program those systems? Why does the entered information never make it across to the reps that need it? It’s not just a glitch; it’s always that way. Why collect the information at all if it’s not recorded? For me at least, it just means I start the interaction a little pissed off.

2

Pick any of the following reasons:

1.) Because the purpose of the automated system is to get you to the right person. Those buttons might keep you from getting to, say, billing disputes when you’re calling to add service. Or, if you’re calling regarding a product, to the people handling the right product. My guess is that some of these systems might actually relay to a rep, but most of them probably scan for keywords or something. So. . .entering in that information might save you from having to be transferred later.

2.) Security verification. For complex transactions, they’ll want you to verify with an actual person. This makes it easier to pull the call if there’s a dispute.

3.) Idiots. Half the people screw up their account number. And. . .not all screw ups might lead to “no account found.” You might end up with the wrong account number entirely coming up. Or something on the account on file might be wrong; in that case, having the customer give the information to a human being helps.

4.) The rep might get the information, but may still need to verify it. I work in a financial-based call center. About half the time, the account information pops up on the screen. This allows me to have a decently good idea of where I need to be looking, what systems I need to go into, what pages I need to have up, etc. But. . .I still have to ask the caller for an account number, and am to instruct the caller that the information entered into the system is for routing purposes only (and it is–not all people in the center might serve that particular product).

5.) Some problems ay be able to be solved via an automated system. While this isn’t really an issue where I am, this is an issue when I call customer service for, say, my computer or my router. And if you have to wait less time to get it solved, that’s good for everyone involved.

IME, #2 and #3 are the main reasons, in that order. And that’s for good reason; if something happens and the call has to go to legal, we want to be damn sure that we have our asses covered regarding security. Admittedly, this is less of an issue when you’re calling about your broken iPod. . .but it’s still there.

3

Thanks, that’s a very detailed and well-thought out answer. It somehow fails to answer my question though.

Here’s a scenario: Please enter your account number through your touch tone phone. beep beep beep beep. Dial thru to rep. Can you verify your name please? Greg Charles. Yes, Mr. Charles, how can I help you?

That’s the way it should work. I’ve 1. got to the right person, 2. verified my info for security, 3. eliminated any possibility that I fat-fingered in the wrong account number, and 4. same as 2.

As for 5., yes if my issue can be resolved via the automated system, I’m perfectly OK with that. If not, I expect the rep to have a history of what I’ve done so far. The thing that really annoys me about it is how simple that should be, but how rare it is. This isn’t rocket science. It’s just pure laziness that they don’t create a system that actually works.

4

One reason I have to verify that info again is that if the phone you are calling from is not the number on your account the info is not going to ani-pop for me. About 1/3 of the calls I get are from a different phone number.
And also if someone else who had your phone number before you was also a cust. the info I’m looking at might not be yours. If that happens I might accidentally post your payment to someone else’s account and neither of us wants that to happen.
The main reason is for security yours and ours.

5

That still doesn’t hold up well enough legally. What if you were calling in to company XYZ, but really thought you were calling in on company ABC? Or you have multiple accounts?

I know–it’s completely idiotic, but things like this can and do end up going to legal, can end up going to state regulatory agencies, can end up biting a company or a representative in the ass. I’ve personally seen situations where the fact that an account number wasn’t verified has given an otherwise ridiculous case a leg to stand on.

The purpose of a system like that is to control call flow, not to eliminate time with the representative. It benefits you indirectly in terms of service speed and efficiency of call routing; that’s its purpose.

Note, however, that I’m only able to speak for call centers in security-critical industries (again, in this case, the financial industry). When I call Comcast, for instance, they usually have my information up already, and don’t ask me for it again.

6

You know, if I can actually get through to a rep, I don’t give a shit if they ask me to recite the first six chapters of a Dostoyevsky novel. I am happy to give it, so long as I don’t have to say anything else to an automated system that doesn’t understand English.

7

Well, I agree with RNATB. It’s nice to finally get to a rep, but then being asked for the same information I just provided is irksome. Often they have to transfer you anyway, and the new person doesn’t have any idea who you are and makes you run through the dance again.

The only place that pulls up my information simply based on my phone number is my pizza place. That’s not what I’m asking for. I’m also not asking for companies to open themselves up to a law suit. Just don’t make me input my account number and confirm address, phone number and whatnot through the voice system if I have to do the exact same thing as soon as I get through to a person.

8

To the service reps…I don’t think that most people are mad at YOU, personally. I think that your customers are mad at the system that makes us jump through hoops. I can understand, and even agree with, a couple of confirmation checks. However, I don’t like having to confirm every last bit of info when it’s not a high security risk. I get mad when the system calls for such procedures, and I understand that the person answering the phone almost certainly doesn’t have any choice but to follow the script.

Having said that, most of the service reps that I deal with are polite, knowledgable, and can solve my problems quickly. I reserve my ire for those who tell me that I MUST unplug my router, and insist that it’s the only way to reboot my internet connection…and then, when I tell them that I have mobility issues and cannot get to the router cables (this is true, by the way, I really can’t get to the area where my husband has decided that we must keep all the wires and connections), miraculously find another way to get me back online.

9

If you don’t enter it, you might not get to the right person. Transfers are more annoying to more people than entering account information.

If the representative doesn’t verify it, they open the company up to liability. Even if you entered it into the system.

If the representative verifies it by reading what appears in the system, they risk releasing account information to the wrong person. Even if it’s just an account number, people get ticked over less.

That being said, our system doesn’t have you confirm the address or the phone number via an automated system; you do that with a person. You DO have to give your account number and part of your social twice, though. Again, that’s for routing, and for access to the automated system, which can handle simple requests.

Confirming the address twice is kind of overkill. Since it doesn’t route you, I’d say take it out. How do they even have you do that to a recording? :confused:

EDIT: To respond to Lynne. . .the absolute worst is when the automated freaking SYSTEM tries to give you the idiot instructions. And won’t skip through. Yes, I restarted the router. Yes, I reset the modem. No, I don’t need to hear you tell me how; I already did it. If that was gonna work, I wouldn’t be effing CALLING you. Let me press fucking zero already.

10

They do work sometimes. A while back we had to call Sears for a fridge repair.It was all voice recognition, and the next thing I know it’s asking me to confirm that they should send a rep to my address (which they already had correctly on file from about 7 years ago) at such and such a time. The whole thing worked flawlessly, without involving any of their humans until the guy showed up to tell me my fridge was a goner. :frowning:

11

When I worked as a manager at a pizza place another chain in our area took the phone number from the caller and then gave them the address to verify the information before sending out the pizza. It turns out that the man calling was an abusive ex who used their verification system to get his wife’s address and then he went to her house and stabbed her to death. There are all sorts of reasons for a company to make sure that you are who you say you are before telling you anything or making any changes to your account with them, ranging from legal liability to your personal safety. It is a pain in the butt, but the consequences of them not verifying your information could be much, much worse.

12

I hate this too, but…

I recently called a customer service line where the automated voice explained nicely to me that “This information is used for call routing and is not available to the representatives. For security purposes you may be asked again for your account information.” (or something like that).

Somehow that took the edge off of it a bit for me.

13

Voice recognition sucks. Suppose you’re trying to make a quick call about your gas bill from work…would you rather YELL your answers into the mouthpiece, or just punch in the account number?

Rather insidiously, at least according to a book I read last year when researching a school project, they may actually be trying to make you give up and go away. You notice how eager many CSR systems are for your account number, even when it’s not relevant to your question? They do evaluate customers based on costs expended and revenue generated, and treat more profitable customers preferentially. This does make business sense, I suppose, but if you’re the type who never agrees to upsells, you may find yourself spending more time on hold.

My other beef is that so much customer service work is outsourced and offshored that the first person you talk to rarely knows anything, and you are generally put on hold again while they themselves call somebody to ask them your question.

14

Here’s a thought: Give me a human being right off the bat and let the human being be responsible for getting me to the right person.

15

I’ll jump through whatever hoops are needed but when the menu that I need isn’t there…or the voice recognition doesn’t understand what I’m saying; I want to be able to hit zero and reach an operator.

Zero should be the default for a representative. Always. Once you’ve been in automated hell for 15 minutes, you deserve a live person.

16

How I’ve always suspected it works.

…you put in your account number. System doesn’t really give a shit about you. Puts you in the general queue and you need to repeat your crap.

…someone important puts in their account number. They get transferred straight past a queue to someone who speaks English as a first language and isn’t reading from a script.

-Joe

17

. . .then you’re going to wait on hold twice. Once for the first human, and once for the second. That’s not any more efficient.

18

Fewer keystrokes for me, and I’m not convinced that my two holds would take longer than the obstacle course + whatever other wait time would be. I can’t prove it would be more efficient, but I can state with confidence that I would prefer it.

19

IF the two of you are able to communicate in the first place. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to ask to talk to someone else because I couldn’t understand the thick accent of the first human I got in touch with.

20

Try being on our end I talked to a Cajun guy one day for 20 min. still have no idea what he said. We have an international language bank for all world languages, but most people no matter how bad their English insist on talking to an english speaking rep. I fully understand the saying “It sounds like Greek to me”
One reason for having the system transfer you to the right place rather than a person is cost. It costs DTV nothing to have the system tranfer you, It costs them around $8 to pay a human to do it. Guess who ends up paying in the long run. That’s also why we are required on every call to educate you on self help through the web site, so we can talk ourselves out of jobs.