Are you mean to customer service reps?

So I used to have this conversation with other reps and I was always surprised that they would be super rude and mean to other reps from other companies. Sometimes for discounts but mostly for stress relief. I got to say, I’m the opposite. I’m very calm and emphatic on the phone with reps. That doesn’t mean I’m going to settle for them not resolving my issue but I understand their position and when I escalate I’m nice about it like “you know what John, I think it’s time to talk to a supervisor. But I really do appreciate all you’ve done”

BUT

When a rep is rude, That’s when it goes down. I’m still nice but I won’t tolerate disrespect. I’m like “Ok John, I don’t think it’s appropriate what you just said or your tone. I know it’s a frustrating job but that’s no reason to speak to me that way. So get a supervisor now”

For example, I went to visit my mom in PR last year, she was having an issue were the WiFi in the home wasn’t going past one room. Due to the walls being concrete and the internet being 8mg (yep you heard right, talk about living in the Stone Age). Anyway, we go to Costco and buy a WiFi extender for like 150 bucks. I set it up and it’s not working, I can’t even get a wifi signal while I’m sitting next to it.

So I call customer service.

Turns out their based in India (no judgements)

I get this one rep, nice dude. But he tells me the issue is we have a unsecured IP but if we buy a 200 dollar security package they’ll get it working. So I’m like yeah that’s not going to happen. Why should I pay 200 bucks more to get something I paid 150 bucks for to work. We go back and forth a bit. Again nice guy. But I ask for a supervisor because I know there is only so much I can do.

So i get this “supervisor” (could be a lead for all I know) and I go back and forth with him. Why should I pay 200 more for a “security package” if I paid 150? I mean I bought this to work not to not work and have you charge even me more. He gets irritated (I can tell his tone is loosing it) so we start talking tech terms like VPN, Ethernet, etc. He’s swatting those down. Then he says

“Look sir, I was a technician, so I know more than you do”

Excuse me? No thats not going to fly. So I’m like yeah, I’m done with this conversation. So I ask to speak to someone higher, 15 minutes on hold my mom and wife tell me to hang up. I don’t want to but I had to.

I e-mailed and tweeted Netgear and got no where, so I just left a negative review on Amazon on their product with my experiences. Now when I get anyone asking question about the router I write about my experience and to not buy it. Killed 5 sales so far.