Please Don't Abuse Call Centre Staff Who Work For Energy Companies

loobylou2

Hi everyone

I'm sure that nobody who uses these forums would ever do this anyway, but could I just ask that if people are contacting an energy company with a complaint regardless of the rights and wrongs of the situation could they please try to refrain from being abusive to the person on the other end of the phone who is probably trying to only do their job and help them sort the problem out.

I work for an energy company and have done for several years now but I was actually reduced to tears by an abusive customer this afternoon!!!! Not a particularly pleasant experience. Nobody is saying that Energy Prices are cheap or that the Energy Companies do not on occasions make mistakes but having a go at the person who is trying to help sort the problem out at a time when everyone is struggling because of the Credit Crunch is quite frankly counter productive and there is no need for this kind of thing happening.

Sorry for the rant but I do hope that people using this forum when contacting energy companies do remember that they are talking to a person on the other end of the phone, who probably has similar worries and concerns to their own!!!!

Magentasue

So long as call centre staff speak clearly and answer my questions, rather than say 'I understand' and then read off a screen, I am usually very nice to them. Often nicer than they are - some can sound quite tired beore you even start!

I have great admiration for people who work in those places and strive to do their job well - I hope you can forget about the person who was rude to you this afternoon and have a lovely weekend.

loobylou2

Thanks Magentasue. I'll try to. As I said I've worked in the energy industry for over 6 years now and have got used to receiving a certain amount of abuse from customers, its part of the job and you usually learn to laugh it off but the customer this afternoon was particularly vicious towards me and there was simply no need or excuse for it!!! She really did leave me feeling very shaken and upset!!!!People might like to know that people like myself who work for energy companies still have to pay their own energy bills and don't receive huge discounts from the energy companies despite working for them but we do try our best to help our customers reduce their bills as much as we are able to despite what people may think of us!!! We're human too you know!!!

flowerscotland

aww huni, sending loads of ((((hugz))))) your way. I work in a call centre too, but for a bank, and Ive had loads of abuse too, its horrible isnt it :mad:

A guy even commented on how he didnt trust me as I had a scottish accent, last night :eek:

I always nicam stereo the customers - in one ear and out the other :rotfl:

Now there are times when they are so personal to you that you are unable to do this, but just think about at the end of the day you are better than them, they have no life, they dont even have the guts to say this to someone face to face, they have to call up and do it

superstylin

Hey looby. sorry to hear you had a bad time of it. I work on a helpdesk for a facilities management company so I know just how you feel. We regularly get calls from people who seem to think it's our fault that their room is cold or that their door lock doesn't work. Just once i'd love to be able to say what I'm actually thinking to these people. When they ask 'what are YOU going to do about it' I'd love to say 'I'M gonna do bu**er all because I'm not a b*****y engineer/builder, if you're nice to me I might put it on a priority! Now BEG!'

loobylou2

Hugs to you too!!! Its awful when that happens. I really sympathise. I'm in Yorkshire and so speak with a Yorkshire accent which sometimes draws comments!!!! I'm still not sure what my voice had to do with the customer running up a huge debt on her account or the fact that she wasn't paying enough to cover her gas usage though!!! ( am starting to see the funny side of this now as she did in fact complain about my voice, although she refused point blank to allow me to try and explain and resolve the problem!!!) What do you do when someone phones with a query which they want you to solve and then refuses to allow you to give them an explanation or to try and resolve it for them???? The mind boggles sometimes..........

Poppycat

I dont think call staff have a easy job tbh. Sure they can be a pain when they ring up but no one deserves abuse accept maybe the scammers

superstylin

Poppycat wrote: »

I dont think call staff have a easy job tbh. Sure they can be a pain when they ring up but no one deserves abuse accept maybe the scammers

I have to say despite working on a helpdesk, the cold callers (outbound) do still annoy me. I just think the whole concept is rude. I'm never very amused when people ring to sell me things. Having said that though I'm never abusive towards them as I understand they're just some poor sap (like me) who's trying to make a living!

loobylou2

I know and I take your point about coldcallers. I often end up apologising to customers whom they've managed to offend because I work in an inbound call centre and customers sometimes get through to me when they're phoning to complain about them. Am going to bed now because TBH its been a very long week and I'm working tomorrow. Would just like to say though that if my post tonight just makes one person stop and think before they abuse someone who works in a call centre then today won't have been such a disaster after all!!!!

Poppycat

I know what you mean. I just hang up straight away as soon as there is silence, I then put number in address book on phone and then assign a melody to it a horrid tune so I know next time not to answer it really works too


You cant blame the staff though I bet many are on low wages some maybe get bonuses, we all have jobs we dont like and I dealt with customers that are abusive before and so as OH and you just have to smile and rise above it.

superstylin wrote: »

I have to say despite working on a helpdesk, the cold callers (outbound) do still annoy me. I just think the whole concept is rude. I'm never very amused when people ring to sell me things. Having said that though I'm never abusive towards them as I understand they're just some poor sap (like me) who's trying to make a living!

Vestra

OP, I'm in the same situation as you and over time have had it all, I have recieved personal death threats, people threatening they know where I work and will come to our offices and get me, the only thing is I have all their details, a recorded phone call and a number for the police.... police never did anything in the end.