Bad customer service or just bad customers.

Money-Saving-King

crispy_chris wrote: »

Then don't offer a fictional call back. It's not rocket science.

Maybe they're only human & are overloaded with work & forgot.

It's not rocket science to figure that out unless maybe you're lucky enough to do an easy job not massively effected by staffing budgets.

And why do people like you come up with rocket science? Is this your career? I can imagine that sort of industry is a lot less stretched than people in retail due to nowhere near as much competition so can spend a lot more time over things. It just makes people who say it's not rocket science blatantly like they're trying to be clever when they obviously haven't thought something through.

Money-Saving-King

crispy_chris wrote: »

Absolutely, I don't get wound up about it, I just calmly refuse one when a callback is offered.

I fully acknowledge the people I speak to are human, and treat them exactly as I'd like to be treated. It's just that when they offer me a callback, I know they won't do it.

How come you can't tell the difference between being overloaded with work & lying?

duchy

CHRISSYG wrote: »

Exactly ! We get customers like this sometimes who think they are gods gift to retail ,they get the exact same treatment as everyone else ,but for every "perfect" one there are some genuinely nice and pleasant ones.

Indeed for every customer with the talent to behave as if their head is firmly placed up their backside there are many more who are normal and decent. The same is true of CS staff, people don't remember the calls where everything goes well or maybe they just don't mention them as it doesn't give them anything to moan about !

My company email or text a short questionnaire to customers after every call. All go directly to their line manager so anything extreme gets followed up to agents.

As for callbacks. I've lost count how often I've confirmed the number to call with the customer agreed a time to call (usually a slot of an hour) and when you call there's no answer......and no voicemail either.

I don't agree that the unpleasant customers get the best service though. If I have a customer who is good to deal with I am far more likely to tell them about any special deals they may qualify for etc than some arrogant pain who I just do what I need to do and move on. (I work in tech support so passing on extra offers isn't something I'm required to do just a nice add on). I'm also far more likely to try a callback again later if the customer is decent rather than rude rather than just leave a note on the account. People reap what they sow in life.

crispy_chris

Money-Saving-King wrote: »

How come you can't tell the difference between being overloaded with work & lying?

As an end user there is no difference.

crispy_chris

Money-Saving-King wrote: »

loads of totally irrelevant stuff about rocket science

It's a phrase. It means "it's not hard".

Happy to help.

System

'The customer is always right' phrase grates me. Customers shout this out to grab attention, even though they are wrong.

I was at a supermarket checkout. Customer had a £10 off £60 coupon to use. She it came to about £63. The coupon was not accepted as she bought a mobile phone top-up voucher which does not count towards the £60 and is listed on the back with other things that don't count.

The cashier explained that she needed to spend about £1.30 to get £8 off. Most customers are fine with this and grab 1 or 2 items without issues. I have done it myself and went down the nearest aisle and pick up a pack of kitchen roll etc.

This customer kicked up a right fuss with abusive language saying she has spent the £40, so why can't she have her money off. A manager was nearby and heard the shouting. The cashier was calm, explaining that top up vouchers don't count. The manager said the same thing and pointed the list of excluded items.

The customer then left the store leaving shopping at the checkout after swearing at the manager and yelling 'the customer is always right'.

This left staff having to put the shopping back, cancel the phone credit - that is a PITA to do from what I heard, cause longer queues as the cashier was crying and needed to leave the shop floor to regain composure. As I was behind the customer, joining a till next door as cashier was free, I was able to be the witness.

bluenoseam

The average conversation surrounding "the customer is always right" doesn't end well, it often ends with that customer being told they're actually wrong! I think we've all had moments where customers spout that line and it's all you can do to bite your tongue and say in a professional manner that in this instance that's not the case. I get that it's all to provide an aura of customer importance, but ultimately that's a false sense of importance. It's kinda like that old "do you know who I am?" line, everyone knows it's stupid, everyone knows it doesn't end well, but it's still used - it denotes a lack of intelligence & awareness.

Also the people who refuse to speak to front line staff to deal with something, yep, you know that for everyone who pulls that maybe 1 in 10 gets the result they were after. 9 out of 10 managers will listen to their staff member & decide to back up their member of staff 100% - the way it should be. When that happens with me the first line to the more senior member of staff out of earshot "the customer's being an idiot and demanding to speak to a manager as I apparently can't help them".

powerful_Rogue

bluenoseam wrote: »

It's kinda like that old "do you know who I am?" line, everyone knows it's stupid, everyone knows it doesn't end well, but it's still used - it denotes a lack of intelligence & awareness.

I had someone say that at the airport once. I replied with "According to your passport your name is John Smith"

Was met with laughter from passengers that overheard and a slightly embarrassed passenger.

Powered_By_Pies

geerex wrote: »

I appreciate the props for my earlier comment, but you really can't call people morons when you can't spell microcosm.
Sorry, that's just the way it is.

I can. I did. Get over it.

Money-Saving-King

crispy_chris wrote: »

It's a phrase. It means "it's not hard".

Happy to help.

You say that but you're just making assumptions that they have nothing else to do than call you back.

crispy_chris wrote: »

As an end user there is no difference.

There is obviously a difference, surely that's not rocket science to figure that one out!

Crispy_chris perhaps you should read this post particularly the bit I've highlighted in bold.

duchy wrote: »

I don't agree that the unpleasant customers get the best service though. If I have a customer who is good to deal with I am far more likely to tell them about any special deals they may qualify for etc than some arrogant pain who I just do what I need to do and move on. (I work in tech support so passing on extra offers isn't something I'm required to do just a nice add on). I'm also far more likely to try a callback again later if the customer is decent rather than rude rather than just leave a note on the account. People reap what they sow in life.

I can imagine if people don't call you back all the time there's probably a reason for that!