Work rant. Fuck this.

The BBQ Pit
41

[QUOTE=Beware of Doug]
Rule No. 1: The customer is always right.
Corollary to Rule No. 1: The boss is always right.
[/QUOTE]

Result of Rule #1 and its corallary: The best people you have will leave, you will have high turnover, high training costs, and poor customer service for the customers that are desireable from technicians that aren’t as good - eventually gain a reputation as a company that has poor customer service. This will effect your sales over the long term. When you decide to turn this around, after multiple focus groups, lots of market research, you will have such a reputation that you will have no choice but to relocate your tech support department because no one will work for you. But, unless you take care of it quickly, it won’t matter anyway and you will wonder why your once successful business model is now sending you to bankruptcy.

42

[QUOTE=kayT]
I sympathize with the OP and I know it’s not fun to be cursed at over the phone. However, it is not abuse. You can hang up. You can just let their words flow over you like water and when they pause for breath you can repeat the things you just told them. They can’t reach you; they can’t hit you; they can’t even see you. Abuse is a lot more up close and personal. The person cussing on the phone is just raising his own blood pressure; don’t let him raise yours. Like Trunk said, don’t take it personally if it’s not personal.
[/QUOTE]

Nope. Not legally either (though I am not a lawyer). It is abuse. It just isn’t physical abuse.

Let’s take sexual harrassment for an example…a form of workplace abuse. It can be dirty jokes or a guy with a pinup calendar on his cube wall. Or it can be (and I agree that this is more aggregious), someone grabbing you. But the fact that it can be worse doesn’t mean that the dirty jokes aren’t inappropriate and abusive.

We can have the same conversation about racial issues in the workplace. Just because you aren’t getting lynched for being a black man taking a white man’s job, doesn’t mean that racial slurs aren’t abusive in the workplace.

43

[QUOTE=kayT]
I sympathize with the OP and I know it’s not fun to be cursed at over the phone. However, it is not abuse. You can hang up. You can just let their words flow over you like water and when they pause for breath you can repeat the things you just told them. They can’t reach you; they can’t hit you; they can’t even see you. Abuse is a lot more up close and personal. The person cussing on the phone is just raising his own blood pressure; don’t let him raise yours. Like Trunk said, don’t take it personally if it’s not personal.
[/QUOTE]

I have to disagree with you here. Though I don’t really see it as abuse personally, the overall situation is less than satisfactory. If some guy is having a bad day and is desperately, childishly hoping to fix his problem by whining and personally blaming me for the issue, that doesn’t matter a whit to me. Let him rant and rave and get it out of his system. If nothing else, I’m helping to deflect the rage from his poor underlings that have to deal with him face-to-face. (At times, I wish we could require the clients to speak to us in person. That may end some of the shit-slinging.)

Part of the problem is this. The Corporate Office of the company is pushing for lower average talk times, calls per hour, etc to more efficiently save their stores from themselves. Quality is the keystone in any service industry, but efficiency is the mortar that holds it all together in maintaining profitability.

So in the case of Douchebag Manager, I not only sat and listened for 20 minutes to his ranting and personally blaming me for not bending time and space to his will (yes, he was blaming me personally for refusing to magically correct it), my overall numbers are starting to tank. The stated target for talk time is 8 minutes. So already he’s close to what should have been 3 calls. Again, if a store wants to call and launch into a 30 minute tirade before settling down to take care of the problem, no skin off my ass. Gives me a great story for the nearly daily mental-health meetings at the bar with my co-workers. What the biggest problem is, is that I not only deal with overgrown children, but I hear about how the numbers related to the calls are higher than they should be. Because I’m wasting time putting up with that shit.

Don’t get me started on spending 15 minutes (4x this month already) trying to speak pigeon-Spanish just to get someone to tell me what their store number is. I get punished because someone refuses to learn conversational English. Seperate rant, but related to the assinine policies. Anyway.

I spoke to a few other friends and have some good leads. If nothing else my wife and I spoke and decided if it comes down to it, I’d leave town to establish elsewhere while we sell the joint and she moves in with her mom to save the money to permanantly move. We can just switch to her health plan and deal with whatever comes up. There are millions in much worse situations , so keeping that in mind the inconvenience doesn’t seem so stark.

Thanks again for all the good words and reminding me my little slice of hell has already been visited by many. Small consolation, but strangely comforting nonetheless. I used to be the type of person that would pack a few bags and move at a moment’s notice. Being married and a bit older, though, I like stability in my life. Maybe it’s time to throw caution to the wind and just do something for the sake of doing something different. It’s not like I’d be breaking new ground, many have done it successfully. We’ll see what happens.

44

I was going to bring that up - in Nevada verbal harassment is a crime, be it in person or over the phone. That gave us at my place of employment something to hold over the heads of the particularly bad ones (few in number though they were).

[QUOTE=Lissa]
duffer, I know your pain. I worked for almost a year in a job where an upset customer was always the fault of the employee, regardless of the real circumstances. I was a cashier in one of the big chain retailers. If I believed in an afterlife, I would tell you that I’m certainly going to heaven, because I’ve already had my hell on earth.
[/QUOTE]

This is why I rarely display my aggravation at any stores unless it’s obviously the employee’s error (like when the lady at K-Mart just…stopped taking care of me and started taking care of the next person in line, for no reason…THEN I showed my irritation). I’ve worked at a few chain stores and so unless it’s the employee’s fault, I try really hard to be polite and understanding, because I know that 1) I’ll get better customer service for it, and 2) Sometimes a decent customer makes all the difference in a horrible day. Ya’ll would LOVE to have me as a customer.

~Tasha

45

[QUOTE=tashabot]
I was going to bring that up - in Nevada verbal harassment is a crime, be it in person or over the phone.
[/quote]
This may be one reason few businesses relocate to Nevada.

As featherlou pointed out upthread, corporate culture today is adversarial. If verbal harassment must be accepted passively from customers, presumably it must be positively welcomed from management.

The best and brightest have their innovations and brilliant strategies; how are the rest of us to rise if not through intimidation?

46

[QUOTE=tashabot]
This is why I rarely display my aggravation at any stores unless it’s obviously the employee’s error (like when the lady at K-Mart just…stopped taking care of me and started taking care of the next person in line, for no reason…THEN I showed my irritation). I’ve worked at a few chain stores and so unless it’s the employee’s fault, I try really hard to be polite and understanding, because I know that 1) I’ll get better customer service for it, and 2) Sometimes a decent customer makes all the difference in a horrible day. Ya’ll would LOVE to have me as a customer.

~Tasha
[/QUOTE]

I do the same even when I’m ultra-pissed about something. If anyone wants a tip to ensure anything that can be done will be done, try this.

When I call a customer service center with a complaint (major, not simply that a payment was overlooked or the like), I try to tell myself that going off the edge isn’t going to do anything. When I get connected to someone I immediately state that what I’m calling about is agitating me, that the person I’m speaking with had nothing to do with it, and if I do get upset/angry it’s not at them, but rather because they just happen to be the person that got the call.

THis has always worked well as the person I’m talking to realizes I’m not blaming them for the problem, but that I’m trying to get it resolved and have gotten frustrated enough to call. Almost universally, I’ve gained the favor of whom I’m speaking to, and usually get the issue resolved in a satisfactory manner. Sometimes I get someone who is also having a bad day and is tired of listening to complaints and takes solace in the disconnect button, but most often the people I talk to understand I’m not blaming them, but rather calling because it’s the only number available.

When I’ve just plain had it with the company, I immediately ask for a supervisor in a calm tone and explain the same to the supervisor. It isn’t the supervisor’s fault either, but depending on the complaint, why waste the time of the front-liners when they’ll just need to send me to a supervisor, anyway? Again, I understand that the people I talk to are contracted for the complaints. They had nothing to do with what the problem is.

I’m telling you, though, when you have to call and voice a complaint, stating at the outset that you’re upset and if it seems you’re being confrontational, it’s because of the situation, not because of the person you’re talking to.

I’ve found that so many reps face abuse every day they really appreciate an upset client that states outright that they’re upset with the company, not the person they’re talking to. The rep is often so appreciative to deal with an upset customer that isn’t taking it out on them, that they’ll do anything possible to rectify it.

A bit off-topic, but in the future I’d suggest everyone try that approach. Gain empathy without slinging blame and you’d be surprised what can be accomplished.

47

So, duffer, you haven’t said yet what your company’s escalate safety valve is. Do they have a policy under which you’re allowed to escalate a call and make it the problem of someone with the tools and the authority to handle the problem (even if, as in this case, the only available option is to find someone to register the feedback that the tools are, in the customer’s opinion, inadequate to the situation at hand)?

Me, I never send a call elswhere without getting the customer’s permission to do so (and I do count myself fortunate that my position does not absolutely require a final resolution to every call – I also count myself very poorly aid, FWIW).

48

:smack:

And poorly paid, if it comes to that.

49

[QUOTE=Brain Wreck]
I have to take a bit of a contrarian position on this one. As a front-line call center tech, you don’t take a firm position with customers and you don’t try to convince them that they’re fucked. You explain to them exactly what their options are, and what your options are (which you did). If the customer can’t deal with reality at that point, escalation procedures should take over. In an ideal call center, it should be possible to escalate a problem repeatedly until it gets to someone who has the authority to either fix the problem or tell the customer to get stuffed. You don’t have this authority, so you need to be escalating instead of fighting the customer, or you will find your ass fired. That’s life in the big city.

If your customer handling process doesn’t have an accessible escalation procedure, then I’m sorry for you, and you should leave that job if you can. This will be but the first of many similar heartaches for you. (or maybe not so many, by the sound of it).
[/QUOTE]

I’ll agree with this too. NOT because I think it’s right, but because it’s in your best interest. That is what the bigwigs get paid for. The best, for you, solution to this would have been to get the customer off of the phone, and YOU back on with normal customers.

Do you have managers who can take over calls? I think in this situation a little white fib would have worked wonders, along the lines of “I’m sorry sir, I wasn’t here then, but let me transfer you to someone who was…”.

Once you’re off the line with him, don’t you have to answer the next call in your queue? And don’t the calls queue up in the order in which they were recieved? So that even if they send him back around, wouldn’t you likely have several more calls to take before him?

I no longer work in a customer service oriented field, (Thank GOD!), but I had great success simply playing the idiot when faced with arrogant “you will fix my problem” (even if it’s unfixable) assholes like this.

If he did get sent around to you, you could just play it off like the other person made an error in sending it back through.

Or, there have been plenty of calls that I’ve taken where I simply held the phone away from my ear, didn’t say a word (you wouldn’t be able to get a word in edgewise once they go insane anyway), and simply very softly repeat “yes sir, I do apologize”.

It is NOT fair, or right that they should be able to get away with abusing you like that. But it sounds as if your choices in this matter are to play ball, or to walk on principle.

50

Sounds like you’ve mastered the art of blaming other people for your problems. Congrats!

51

[QUOTE=Rigamarole]
Sounds like you’ve mastered the art of blaming other people for your problems. Congrats!
[/QUOTE]

:confused:

He was blaming the guy for screaming so loudly at him, that it caused the phone communications to break up, how is that “his problem”?

Sheesh, you’re a little out of touch with reality, or even bothering to read the OP.

52

I feel your pain.

I used to work (many moons ago) as a customer sales (not service) rep at the local phone company. I had everything from people calling in to move their phone service to their new address to people asking what that 8 cent charge on their bill was for. Everything from death threats (I don’t know what that guy was thinking, as I knew where he lived, not vice versa) to introducing a customer to a friend of mine, resulting in their marriage.

What ended it was a combination of getting a job offer in my field, and the constant pressure on sales. Had to try selling on “every appropriate call.” They never could explain what an inappropriate call was…phone turned off for nonpayment? Try to get them to buy a phone and put it on a credit card. Argh.

Miserable job. I’m always polite with service people, seeing as anyone I talk to at a megacorp is going to be some poor working stiff, not one of the bigwigs who set policy. That’s left to the MBA’s who’ve never worked a damn day on the line.

53

[QUOTE=CanvasShoes]
:confused:

He was blaming the guy for screaming so loudly at him, that it caused the phone communications to break up, how is that “his problem”?

Sheesh, you’re a little out of touch with reality, or even bothering to read the OP.
[/QUOTE]

I knew I should have added the quote so you could see exactly what I was referencing. Let me make it very clear:

(emphasis and bracketed text mine)

Frankly, I would never want anyone with this sort of attitude (which would be the “other people cause my problems, woe is me” attitude) working for me in a position that required any real leadership or responsibility, so I don’t see how this guy had anything at all to do with your promotion (and even if we say he did, he probably did your boss a favor).

54

I’ve had a soap opera going for the last 2 months concerning a 401(k) rollover, and it involves incompetent gits at both the roll out plan and the roll in.

Over the last 2 weeks, the people at the roll in have been the target of my wrath, but the problem there has finally been resolved. After following this thread, I called them last night, asked for a supervisor, and told her that I’d been an asshole but wanted to say that the matter is resolved and to thank everyone involved.

She was pleasantly surprised that I took the time to do that…

55

[QUOTE=Rigamarole]
I knew I should have added the quote so you could see exactly what I was referencing. Let me make it very clear:

(emphasis and bracketed text mine)

Frankly, I would never want anyone with this sort of attitude (which would be the “other people cause my problems, woe is me” attitude) working for me in a position that required any real leadership or responsibility, so I don’t see how this guy had anything at all to do with your promotion (and even if we say he did, he probably did your boss a favor).
[/QUOTE]

Well, I’d apologize to you for complaining about something that quickly spiraled out of control because he decided it was going to, but I won’t

BTW, if we ever have a management position open up, I’ll let you know. You’d be perfect for it.

56

[QUOTE=Rigamarole]
Frankly, I would never want anyone with this sort of attitude (which would be the “other people cause my problems, woe is me” attitude) working for me in a position that required any real leadership or responsibility, so I don’t see how this guy had anything at all to do with your promotion (and even if we say he did, he probably did your boss a favor).
[/QUOTE]

Well, if duffer ever needs a job at the dollar store, I guess he’s SOL.

57

[QUOTE=duffer]
Well, I’d apologize to you for complaining about something that quickly spiraled out of control because he decided it was going to, but I won’t
[/QUOTE]

That’s the whole point. You’re in control. Your job is to take control of the situation, and it just doesn’t seem like you did that.

58

[QUOTE=2nd Law]
<snip> That’s left to the MBA’s who’ve never worked a damn day on the line.
[/QUOTE]

I think that part of the education process for anyone who will ever be in a position of any authority should be to work a practicum of no less than six months at an entry-level job in their field (or, heck, in any field - get a good taste of what it feels like to be a grunt before you become a general). I think you would see an amazing amount of problems disappear in the workforce if this happened.

59

[QUOTE=Rigamarole]
That’s the whole point. You’re in control. Your job is to take control of the situation, and it just doesn’t seem like you did that.
[/QUOTE]

Um, douchebag, if I may bend your ear for a moment. I did take control of the call. I got the theme back to sympathising with him and offering an option to talk to someone familiar with the equipment causing the problem. Even though we both knew there was nothing that could be done. I knew he knew there was no “fix”, he just wanted to rant and take his frustration out on the first available person. It would have been the same no matter who answered the call. (As evidenced by the next 2 calls. Pay attention.) That call could easily have gone in so many bad directions had I not made the Hurculean effort I did to keep it from getting out of control. I started taking it personally, I knew I was starting to take it personally, so I flat-out stated that any more yelling would result in ending the call. After that, the call became tolerably civil.

Wait, go back and read that. Based on your posts, you’ve probably skipped it. I did take control of the call, in a professional manner, and suffered for taking control of the call.

If you’re not a manager of a restaurant in the Columbus area, you should send a resume. You seem to be the only one that can top the assholishnes of that prick.

And I seriously pity anyone that has to work for you.

60

[QUOTE=Rigamarole]
I knew I should have added the quote so you could see exactly what I was referencing. Let me make it very clear:
<snipped>

Frankly, I would never want anyone with this sort of attitude (which would be the “other people cause my problems, woe is me” attitude) working for me in a position that required any real leadership or responsibility, so I don’t see how this guy had anything at all to do with your promotion (and even if we say he did, he probably did your boss a favor).
[/QUOTE]

Frankly, you are an ass.

I’ve been in similar situations. I have worked in mulitple call centers. At the last one I worked at I was the escalation point in a large call center. I was the end of the line for escalated calls. My word was law and there was no one else to speak with. I took over 1500 escalated calls, we tracked them. There are times when people call and want the impossible done. They refuse to understand the statement “That is not possible” no matter how nicely you phrase it. They seem to think that screaming at the person on the other end of the phone will change the law of physics (or laws passed by Congress*) and make whatever they want done possible.

Every call center I have ever worked at has had a policy that customers cannot scream at employees. Every call center I have worked at had a policy that if the customer was screaming or cussing at the employee, the employee could warn the customer to stop using that type of language or the call would be disconnected. It is standard policy. Writing someone up for not letting a customer screaming at them is not only stupid, if your employees hate coming to work they aren’t going to come to work for very long, it is also a good way to take away all the power the rep has and ensure that every single pissed off customer gets escalated to the manager. If the reps are going to get written up for telling a customer that he cannot scream at them, why even bother trying, just let him scream at the manager instead.

Most managers realize that their employees are valuable people who deserve respect. Thank god I don’t work for you.

Slee

*I had a couple hundred escalated calls where the caller was asking for something that was against the law. I would explain that it was illegal. They would just yell some more. I would tell them “If I were to do what you are requesting, I could be arrested, tried and sent to jail for up to two years” and then cite the relevant law which I ended up memorizing because read it so damned often. They still kept on screaming. Some people seem to believe that wishing (or in this case screaming) will make it so. They are wrong.