This is not my fucking day!!!!

The BBQ Pit
1

Why is it that every fucking customer I get on the phone today had to be a complete jackass with a giant oak branch stuck up his ass. I am trying to be lil’ miss sunshine, but do they give a shit? NO!!! It seems that everyone who spends a little bit of cas on a electronic device expects it to wok 100% of the time. They don’t expect this of their computer, or their Dishwasher, or any other fucking electronic device. I get one 80 year old grumpy-ass man who decided to scream that he has spent “xxx” amount of money and it should be perfectly working. sorry!!! Get off your damn high horse and don’t expect me to be your floating angel above you. I am doing the best to my ability to help your scum sucking ass!!! What should do is hang up on you! The next guy is some condescending brit with a oak tree up his ass as well (must have been on sale at CompUSA). He wanted his device before he went traveling this week. sorry!!! Did that suffice? NO!!! He had to be snobbish and prig-like. Freaking pansy ass freak!The lsat guy wanted a damn miricle to happen under my fingers as I typed or something. “I understand that one of our dept’s can do that process, sir, but it screws up the system if I do it” OK, yeah, sure, I’m making up little fantasies in my head just to piss off my customers. Uh-huh, I like to be yelled and whined at.

*** ALL I WANT TO DO IS PLAY MY SIM CITY, AND HAVE YOU LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!!!***

2

Why are you mad?

Because they want what they paid for to be of good quality?
Because they treated you badly?
Because they are cutting into your SIM time (you can play SIMS at work???)

Please re-adjust your rant and be more specific, so I can disagree with you as is required (see pit etiquette, page 4)
Thank You

3

I understand their frustration, but do they really think I’m not going to help them as best I can? Do you really need to take out the frustration on me. I’m not your wall to punch! All electronics have a percentage of failure. Ours is below that average! Do you expect a fairy electronics mother to grant you wih only perfect devices? Everything has a fault, so you can get off my ass and grow a bit of patience!

I listen to your shit everyday, for 8 hours. I am trying to help, back off!!!

4

I can only play Sim on the weekends and at nights, when call volume is down. Otherwise it would interfere with calls I take. I turn it off when someone rings in.

5

So it is the way they treat you that has you pissed?

What kind of company lets you play SIMS at work?

What is wrong with the products?
I didnt realize there was an expected percentage of failure…I usually expect stuff I buy to work. I dont give the CS people shit over it, but maybe your company isnt doing enough for these people.

Dammit - we need MORE info!!!

6

It is not authorized playing of sim at work. It is just more relaxed in the evening time. Less management who cares.

As for electronics, there is always a average of 7% of failure rate. Whether from shipping damages, hardware failure, network failure etc.

these units are having a networking error. I’m not able to say the company name or product online, due to contracts signed. The networking error cannot be fixed without replacement of the unit. It takes us 3-7 days to ship them a unit due to more contracts. I can’t do anything about that. That is corparations. I can credit $$$ and will if I think it is justified. I did offer $$$ today to these people being mean to me.

I don’t think, just because your electronic unit isn’t working, you should have a tantrum at me. Most people try to produce a good product and don’t try to rip off people. We don’t want bad refrences from cusotmers. We will do what we can wthin our means. But don’t curse and rant at me until I feel like shit!

7

I think the frustration is due to the fact that you are the only face of your corporation that these people can talk to. It is not your fault that the product they bought is defective, but they can’t speak to the person whose fault it really is. (manufacturer, quality control person, shipper, whatever)

It seems natural to want to tell someone when they have made a mistake. I feel the same way, but the way companies are organised these days you can’t. You only get to seal with the phone staff.

I have the same problem with my job. We are the first line of defense.

I’m not suggesting that these people should be allowed to act like they do - they are still being assholes.

To be honest though, I can’t see a solution to the problem.

8

I think everyday is fucking day.

9

Do you have to follow a script? Because you might try a new tactic: agreeing with them. Saying things like, “Wow, that does sound frustrating. It sure doesn’t make us look good, does it? I’m sorry about that. Let’s see what I can do to start to correct the problem.” I’ve been on both ends (the bitcher, and the bitchee) and from both positions I’ve seen it work. It sort of takes the winds out of the sails of the complainer. He/She doesn’t expect you to agree with them.

10

I stand and applaud Cranky: That attitude WORKS! It defuses the situation and puts you on their side. I too have been on both sides and sometimes, when you are the complainer that is really, well, soothing. It helps. It brings me back down to solving the problem, not just bitching about.

Also, having worked in customer service, it gets across to the person that I’m on their side. I’m not there to defend the product, I’m there to help them.

It really is about 90% attitude I think, in how well we work togther on things.

11

<muttering>
Wanna bet?
</muttering>

They not only want their gawddamned computer to work 100% of the time, they want it to sing “Happy Days are Here Again”, sprout legs and dance a jig for their entertainment pleasure, clear up the heartbreak of teen-age acne, and fix that unfortunate problem with the I.R.S. automatically, despite the fact that Junior just spooned the better part a jar of Smucker’s Raspberry Preserves into the power supply fan grill and the floppy disk slot. (“But the computer was HUNGRY” quoth Junior)

Fenris

12

Waaaah. That wasn’t your fucking day? My day yesterday consisted of waking up at 3 AM with chest pains, fever, congestion, and an all-around shitty feeling. And I can’t get back to sleep. At 8 AM, the cat comes in my room to vomit cat food on my bed. At 11 AM, I call to make a MD appointment. I sit around for 5 hours waiting for a call back as to when they’ll fit me in- I finally go to the emergency walk-in where I wait for another 90 minutes before I see a doctor who tells me I have pneumonia. When I get home, I have a letter from the IRS stating that I underestimated my taxes and now owe them close to $500 with interest and late fees.

I’m so fucking sorry that you can’t sit on your ass and play Sim City on the job.

13

I used to run a correction center. One thing I had to do sometimes was demand urine specimins from the residents if I thought they were high or drunk. So, there I am, alone, asking them to help me prove they’re breaking the rules so they can be sent back to prison. You want angry people???

So, I feel fairly experienced in the area.

As Cranky suggested, agreeing with the person is one quick way to de-escalate the situation. They are expecting you to defend the product (and your quotes about “we screw up less than others with similar products” and “do you expect 100% perfect” qualify as defenses). This won’t work. The customer doesn’t really care that this is the first time ever for a mistake, it’s ** their ** thing. So, agree "Yes, that ** would ** be upsetting. what can ** we ** do to make it up to you? and, instead of explaining “it’s not my department” try “Let me forward your call to the best person to rectify that situation, but, please call me back if you aren’t satisfied” this last part can be important, since in many cases, you’re dealing with years of frustrations to try and rectify problems. I can recall situations where I called to rectify an error from a company and spent an hour of MY time, repeating the same thing over and over and over again, getting cut off, or put on a phone menu that you couldn’t get out off…

Keep in mind, too, that while you ** are ** being paid for your time, the customer isn’t. they’ve purchased your product, determined it didn’t work properly, so not only do they NOT have the thing they wanted, they now have to waste some of THEIR time trying to get the situation fixed, through no fault of their own.

One other tip. when other’s raise their voices, lower yours. start talking very clearly, slowly, enunciating each word and being careful to only use polite terms. “excuse me, sir, but in order to rectify the situation, I need some information from you. If you would be kind enough to tell me the model number of the device?” goes alot better than “Tell me the number dammit”…