Anyone else get annoyed with phone companys who leave you on hold with that music nobody likes and that message your call is important to us please hold . Had to phone 2 companys one after the other and both used this system just to say all calls are answerd within a few rings. then when you get annoyed they can cut you off as offencive.
I may be mistaken about this, but I believe it's illegal (in the USA) for customer service to cut you off unless you are being verbally abusive. You can report such transgressions to the Better Business Bureau, subjecting the offending company to a moderate fine.
However, I have no evidence (anecdotal or otherwise) to back up this claim. It's simply what I've heard...give it a try.
We in England do not have this system to my knowledge . But just to clarrify its the complaint together with the hanging on the phone. drives me mad the music is always poor and the automated message turns up the blood pressure just to get you going. So when you speak to a opperator you are by this time losing you temper. I do agree you should not use abusive terms to anyone .
The most annoying and stupid thing I've heard when ringing a company was "If you want to continue Press 1"!!!
And how annoying are unsolicited 'cold calls' from company's that arrange finance on say a computer you buy (and who you haven't even dealt with) asking if you want to discuss financial planning. I usually say "just a minute" and then leave the phone off the hook. How do you deal with unwanted calls?
Originally posted by ianpickeringI had one last week, rang me in the middle of my tea asking me if I suffered any accidents in the last 2 years, I asked him for his home telephone number and said I would ring him at home while he was having his tea to discuss this. He was not best pleased.
How do you deal with unwanted calls?
Originally posted by stokerI've worked in a call centre for about a year before, and believe me, it's just as frustrating to be on the other end of the phone. They have a big red board, telling you how many agents are available, how many people are on hold, and how long they've been on hold for. Sometimes when we were short-staffed people would be on hold for 10 minutes or more, meanwhile, you can't actually deal with each call any faster than normal, because that would be bad customer service. So, you deal with each call in the 3m 45s allotted (yes, they have targets) and then you hang up, hold your breath, and wait to get shouted out by some poor bugger who's been on hold for 15 minutes.
Anyone else get annoyed with phone companys who leave you on hold with that music nobody likes and that message your call is important to us please hold . Had to phone 2 companys one after the other and both used this system just to say all calls are answerd within a few rings. then when you get annoyed they can cut you off as offencive.
Personally I relished the days when people would swear and be abusive at me, because I could cut them off then - you have to remember that the person who picks up the phone at the other end is just as frustrated and short-tempered as you are by this point, and (more or less) always manages to remain civil when being bawled out for something they have no control over.
It's a tough job working in a call centre, so remember, if you're nice to them when you have a complaint to make you usually get a lot further than when you're angry, at least you did if you ever got me on the other end 😉
joe
Originally posted by kyngjwell said there are allways two sides to a story remember this everyone.😉
I've worked in a call centre for about a year before, and believe me, it's just as frustrating to be on the other end of the phone. They have a big red board, telling you how many agents are available, how many people are on hold, and how long they've been on hold for. Sometimes when we were short-staffed people would be on hold for 10 minutes or more, mean ...[text shortened]... further than when you're angry, at least you did if you ever got me on the other end 😉
joe
Having been on both ends of the phone here are my top tips
Calls to you house
Listen patiently, ask questions & seem interested in buying the product keep them talking for about 20 minutes so that they think they have got the sale, then drop into the conversation that you are currently unemployed due to medical grounds........
Calls to phone centres
Never swear or be abusive as they will cut you off & if your not happy with what the other person is telling you then speak to their boss. Keep going up until you speak to somebody who can sort out your problem.
but if you also want to have fun at the same time....
Start off with the basic problem and ask them what they are going to do about it or what they think about it. Then keep butting into the conversation halfway through their explaination & repeating the basic problem but from a slightly different angle each time (e.g. Bad service, staff incompetance, lack of training, lack of management, unprofessional attitude, waiting times, number of times cut off/ can't get through/ not called back/ number of people spoken too, customer being always right, valid customer over the years, promises broken, items not explained). A couple of years ago I kept the manager of a furniture store on the phone for 1 hour with this technique a couple of days later I finally got my missing draw handles in the post.