[Shaun]

Originally Posted by lostandconfused

yes i agree someone isnt going to be so upset without a reason, but if the customer wont tell the CS agent what the problem is, as they are demanding to speak to a manager then there isnt anything you can do,

The customer is asking for a manager as generally they think the way they have been treated by one of your colleagues is disgraceful. Either they've been cut off, fobbed off, or they've had to call again as the agent hasn't done their job. I personally if this sort of thing happens to me want the individual monitored and retrained/reprimanded - you should too as it'll make you life easier. Can you honestly say that if the customer tells you about their issues you're going to report a colleague of yours to the management for what possibly could be the sack?

the main reason a manager wont take a call without knowing what the reason is 99% of the time the agent can deal with it,

The customer doesn't want that - they don't trust you IME because the previous agent wasn't trust worthy - and why should they? Trust is earned - that's why I used to give them my full name and contact details so they would begin to trust me and allow me to help them.

i take a lot of calls a day and quite a few of those start the call with i want to speak to your manager,

Have you ever asked yourself why?

most people are fairly reasonable and once you have found out what the problem is, sorted it etc as you said give my name extention number they are happy, i rarely have to escalate a call, but many customers feel that speaking to a supervisor will get the problem sorted quicker.

But why is that? is it because the previous experience with your company was poor? IME it is.

but if a customer wont give you any information after all reasonable efforts to talk to the customer. what do you do?

Have yo never had to call a company several times to get the job done and on the third attempt just thought - bugger this I want someone in charge to sort this, I've got better things to do than explain this for the third time?

If you've not then you're very lucky.

I'm one of the most polite people you'll meet but I won't suffer fools gladly any more, I've wasted too much time on them in the past. I'll be the best customer until I get treated badly then I'll insist on a manager to get things done - why should I be put out because someone in a company messes my account up with them? I shouldn't I'm the one paying - this is hoe most people are becoming now.

pass the call to a colleague, (generally it would be someone that has been there for a long time and would know as much as a manager anyway) and say they are a supervisor

So the customers' been messed about - potentially lied to before, has no trust in you because of it, which is why they want a manager and you think lying to them again is going to improve the situation?

the only other option would be to release the call

Who do you work for again - just so I know not to buy from them, if they teach you to release calls you can't handle I don't want to have anything to do with them. Your company should have robust processes in place for calls like this - generally they can be turned into a positive experience for both the customer and the company if a train competent manager takes the call on. Releasing them just makes things worse for both parties.

you cant help they dont want you to help

Again - why should they trust you to do what others probably haven't?

also from a previous post, why should a customer be allowed to shout at anyone when they call a company?

In all fairness shouting doesn't fix anything buy some people when they feel helpless don't know what else to do - a good agent should be able to resolve this.

You took the job on as did I when I worked in call centres and being shouted at occasionally is part of the job - you represent a company that by it's very nature will **** some people off. You're paid to clean the mess up - being shouted at is part of that process.

does it get your problem sorted quicker if you shout at someone?

I don't personally, but yes it does I've found as the company knows your annoyed.

yes your probably frustrated and upset but that doesn't give you the right to shout at anyone.

But it does give you the right to ask for a manager higher up who can take ownership of your problem and investigate your issue and fix it.

if i were to call you up and scream and shout down the phone, i'd bet you wouldnt be too pleased about it,

Pay me a decent wage for the hour and you can shout all you like - that's the job.

yet it seems ok to do it to someone that is employed to help you because they are working for a company that has ballsed up your bill/installation etc

Again I don't shout but I would be very angry and I probably would ask for a manger if you were the second person I'd had to call to get the one thing done. Again the issue is with your incompetent colleagues or rubbishing processes.

---------- Post added at 17:02 ---------- Previous post was at 16:45 ----------

Originally Posted by KaySquirrel

Not sure why it makes such a difference to some people, but the change in attitude and manners when they deal with a manager (even one who sends 'em back to 1st line) is staggering.

It's because they feel they now have someone who will take them seriously after being messed about for so long and sort their problem with the minimum of fuss - something they should have expected from the first agent before they had to call you.

Obviously this trust is mis-placed in your company as the manger by the sounds of it doesn't give a stuff and just fobs them back onto the 1st line agent.

If the manager took ownership of these issues and traced the problem and fixed it then you should get al ot less complaints - happier customers and a lot less work for the managers.

It really isn't the customers fault your companies messed up but they are expected to put up with it and explain themselfs for the second, third or even forth time as the previous agents haven't done their jobs. Hardly fair. -you're getting paid for being there the customer isn't

I envy those blessed individuals who have worked CSR/tech support jobs and have been lucky enough never to have been shouted at, sworn at,

They don't exist as this is what the job is about.

or had death threats made against them

[1]Did your boss terminate their account with you and inform the police? That was the process at all call centres where that happened that I've worked in.

because Mr. Client didn't understand a bill, or was unable to locate the Start button on their own computer despite being self-proclaimed computer experts.

Did you not realise that a support job involved dealing with idiots? I didn't think it was an IT industry secret. Again it's part of the course in your job. I'm not saying it's right but it is.

Or whose clients have only been irate because the company was actually at fault, and not because of an error or misinterpretation on their part..

A good agent should be able to identify if this is the case and show them where the problem is with tact so that they don't feel stupid but don't need to call again over such things. I'm sure you do this but there's no need for it to be a problem - it's part of the job. If they feel stupid next time they won't call they'll just go else where.

However, just as you will find drivers who are rude/inconsiderate for no damn reason, you will sometimes get clients who feel entitled to abuse the individual answering that toll-free/freephone number for no rational reason.

This is where the release button comes into your job - or it did mine. If they have no real reason for a complaint tell them so and say your goodbye - BUT only if they have no real reason - not being able to deal with their issue isn't a valid excuse.

Unless.. all those 'We will prosecute people found to be verbally or physically abusive towards our staff' signs that you see.. oh, EVERYWHERE, are really there just there for decoration?

Did you manager do as I said over the death threats? (See [1])If not then yes they are I'm afraid. A sign means nothing unless you enforce it.


I really think that people who work in call centres need to get over the "them and us" mentality that is forced on them by so many company's (I experience it myself from British Gas). 99.99% of customers are just trying to get a job done the same as you are, and really don't want to get messed about - if your company messes them about then try and help (I'm sure the posters here do) - they don't want to be on the phone complaining the same as you don' want to be there listening to it.