Okay so I’m not sure if this belongs here or in /r/CallCentres because it’s not a transcription, I’m kinda venting, but this is essentially a retelling of a call I just took. So. If I should move it, say the word.
Background: With my company, not everyone can do cancellations. We have a team of phone agents who are allowed to do it, and we’re not any higher than the other agents, we just had training they didn’t. So when cancellation requests come up, we pretend to be managers and handle the cancellation. However, we have no way of transferring calls, just the “ticket”. So if someone gets a call who can’t do a cancellation, they have to find a cancellation agent who’s available, who then leaves their desk and takes the call at the first agent’s desk.
Since we don’t want non-cancellation agents doing the actual cancellations, I essentially go through the script, and then the other agent “assigns” me the member’s ticket. This just means it has my name on it and it shows up as an alert on my computer, then I go back to my desk and make all the necessary changes, type my notes, and submit them.
This one member called who was already mad about stuff that, to her credit, was reasonable shit to be mad about. Then she said she was gonna wait on the line for the cancellation confirmation email, but I explained to her that I actually couldn’t send it until after the call ended. At this point, she blew up, yelling at me that she was a computer programmer and that her phone number has nothing to do with “the system” (she said that sarcastically) and told me that I was just trying to get her off the phone, that she was going to write bad reviews about us, blah blah blah. And she had been cutting me off through the whole call already, so I kinda lost my cool too.
I cut her off, which we’re not supposed to do, since our members are mostly just old people who have a certain idea of what respect should be, and told her, “[Customer Name], you can write whatever kind of reviews you want, you’re absolutely free to do that if that’s what makes your experience with us worth your time. I majored in computer science too, so we both know every program is going to be different and some are just more convoluted than others. I’ve done all I can for you today. I’m sorry for any inconvenience, but your account has been cancelled per your request and you will no longer be receiving any products from us as requested. I can 100% guarantee that you will receive a cancellation confirmation email in the next few minutes, but you’re going to have to wait until the call has ended because my system will not permit me to do a whole lot while the call is still going. Have a wonderful day.” And then I hung up before anything else, which is also something we’re not supposed to do (unless it’s really out of hand).
Writing it out, it doesn’t really sound that bad, but holy shit, being on the phone with her was the WORST. I’m an angry-crier too so even though I was pissed off I just looked like an embarrassing crybaby at the other agent’s desk after finishing the call.
Yeah, you were a progammer, huh Debra? You know every computer system in the world Kathy? That’s great, why don’t YOU clock in and do my job for me, Helen! Since you apparently know so damn much.
submitted by /u/shorthairednymph
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