Get off the phones

shaun_from_Africa

IvanOpinion said:

Do you know whose fault that was?  Was it Trespass or the delivery firm?  Was it Trespass being slow to fulfil?  Stuck in a Trespass warehouse awaiting collection? Stuck in a delivery depot awaiting direction to the next hub?  Stuck in the final hub awaiting delivery?  There are many points of failure and maybe Trespass were just as frustrated as you.

As a customer, it doesn't make any difference to me whether a delay in delivery is down to the retailer that I purchased from or the delivery agent used by that retailer. The simple fact is that my goods are not getting delivered within the promised timescale and as my only contract is with the retailer, it is them that is ultimately responsible and the sooner that retailers and their customer service agents realise this, the better it will be for everyone.

IvanOpinion said:

As I said earlier there is expectations and there is reality?

If something is written into the contract by being stated in the T&C's then what is wrong with wanting those contractual terms to be stuck to? It is not an expectation, it is a legal right.

It's not really that hard to understand. If a terms in a contract can't be met, change that term before the contract is entered into. 

IvanOpinion

swingaloo said:

IvanOpinion said:

swingaloo said:

After reading through those 6 pages Im glad you are in I.T and not actually in a customer based role. I spent 22 years working in call centers, many years taking calls and many years as a supervisor and then manager. The behaviour you describe from both your 'friend' and from yourself  is extremely unprofessional. What an insulting way to treat customers. People do get angry and frustrated when held in a queuing system but a good call taker will be able to show empathy for the person and probably turn the call around without too much effort.  Yes there are people listening in for training or monitoring purposes sometimes but again it speaks volumes that you refer to it  as 'eavesdropping'.  If I hadn't read your extended monologue regarding your wife/marriage/dogs etc, etc, etc I would think you were just immature.

Do you feel better for that? See 24, 42 and 43.
Since working with call centres, I have gained the utmost respect for the agents that man the lines.  I could not do the job so you will be pleased to hear that I am also glad I do not work in a customer facing role - as would any callers I would have to deal with, because I have no idea how call centre workers take so much unwarranted abuse.  It is for the same reason that I could never man a Samaritan line - I am guessing '!!!!!! just get on with it' may not be a good response.

I accept that you may have worked in a call centre, but your little rant (accepting this is the rant board) makes it clear that you have absolutely no understanding of the technicalities of those centres (despite claims of being a manager).  Explain to me how I treated "my customer" in an insulting way - you don't even know who my customer is, so how can you tell.  My customer expects me to resolve issues, which is exactly what we did.

I have never claimed to work for a call centre so if 'eavesdropping' is not the correct call centre lingo then fill yer boots (i was just using a dictionary definition).  Being an empathetic sort I would never resort to nit picking at someone on using an incorrect term when talking to me about IT.

I have no issues with being called immature, I would fully admit to it (it helps me let off steam and it keeps me young, nurturing my inner child).  It is also one of the traits that keeps me in gainful employment in an industry where age can be an issue.  I am however guessing you meant that as an insult - tut tut, note to self: must check the board rules on that.

Now point me to an example of where we (as a team) did not behave 100% professionally (taking into account my diatribe is obviously written light heartedly which is definitely way over the head of those that just want to troll).

Oh dear,, an example of where you as a team did not work professionally!  You need to ask.
A manager who says 'We don't need people like her'. He hasn't really understood the concept of a call center at all has he. Even your thread title 'Get off the phones' says a lot. Its a call center, there to take calls from people, some of whom are lovely, some not so.   If the woman's rant went on for 7 minutes then I he needs to manage and train his staff properly. If the customer was really abusive then no call taker should have to take that and should have been trained how to end the call politely but any call taker who cannot placate an angry customer within 7 minutes is either not cut out for the job or needs further training. Both of which your 'professional' manager should have realised by now. But to see these callers as 'Wasting his call center's time', that's professional? By the way, I don't have to know your customer to know how they were treated was insulting and the fact that you cant see that for yourself is astounding.
By the way, my reply was just that, a reply, as it is a open forum and if you don't want replies then why post. Im not even sure if your opening post was real or just an excuse to come across as superior to others. As other posters have pointed out your story does change from time to time.

The post went totally over your head didn't it.  Maybe that is the difference between a manger who knows his staff are giving them his all and is frustrated  because he actually cares for his staff and cannot do more to help them, versus someone that claims to have had managerial experience but was probably only doing a job.  Someone with any kind of professionalism and managerial experience would not draw conclusions when it is obvious they have not, and cannot get, all the facts -  'How to be professional 101'.

Nobody insulted anybody.  You are desperately clutching at straws trying to make insults out of comments that were nothing more than comments, not insults (unless comments like 'that was a bit rough' and 'that was uncalled for' have developed into an an insult in some fantasy world I am not aware of - even the strongest comment (that I can recall) 'that was some serious attitude' was factual not insulting). The customer was treated by the agent with 100% politeness and professionalism - see point 18.  Again I will point out she was not my customer.

BTW, I haven't complained about your post - you are being unnecessarily aggressive, and are making most of what you are complaining about in your own mind and justifying that under some pretence I have changed the story.  The reality is that you are having comprehension issues, but I have always been willing to answer questions if asked.  Some of your comments lack any depth of understanding of call centre reality and water bottle conversations, plus you have shown zero empathy to the abuse that agents take, which is actually making me doubt your claimed experience, but so far I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.

IvanOpinion

shaun_from_Africa said:

IvanOpinion said:

Do you know whose fault that was?  Was it Trespass or the delivery firm?  Was it Trespass being slow to fulfil?  Stuck in a Trespass warehouse awaiting collection? Stuck in a delivery depot awaiting direction to the next hub?  Stuck in the final hub awaiting delivery?  There are many points of failure and maybe Trespass were just as frustrated as you.

As a customer, it doesn't make any difference to me whether a delay in delivery is down to the retailer that I purchased from or the delivery agent used by that retailer. The simple fact is that my goods are not getting delivered within the promised timescale and as my only contract is with the retailer, it is them that is ultimately responsible and the sooner that retailers and their customer service agents realise this, the better it will be for everyone.

IvanOpinion said:

As I said earlier there is expectations and there is reality?

If something is written into the contract by being stated in the T&C's then what is wrong with wanting those contractual terms to be stuck to? It is not an expectation, it is a legal right.

It's not really that hard to understand. If a terms in a contract can't be met, change that term before the contract is entered into. 

Both very good points and in normal times I would 100% agree with you.
However following your line of argument, most contracts have force majeur clauses in them and therefore could it not be argued that, very generically speaking, a company triggering the force majeur, due to a pandemic, may be acting within the terms of their contract?  

I know that probably only a court can decide that (since I assume the reason for any such triggering would need to be scrutinised on an individual basis to check its validity or otherwise - I think, but could be wrong, it is based on whether or not it was avoidable or any more could have been done).

Again I would argue that there are 'rights' and then there is reality.  Supply chains are fluid, and will probably become even more fluid at the end of this year.  

IvanOpinion

PS: Am I the only one that remembers that pretty much everything came with the T&C of 'please allow at least 28 days for delivery' - and as a kid, waiting for the x-ray specs or sea monkeys that I had ordered by saving up Bazooka Joe comics, it seemed like an eternity.

Barny1979

IvanOpinion said:

PS: Am I the only one that remembers that pretty much everything came with the T&C of 'please allow at least 28 days for delivery' - and as a kid, waiting for the x-ray specs or sea monkeys that I had ordered by saving up Bazooka Joe comics, it seemed like an eternity.

and having to send a cheque or postal order for the item you were ordering in the first place

shaun_from_Africa

IvanOpinion said:

PS: Am I the only one that remembers that pretty much everything came with the T&C of 'please allow at least 28 days for delivery' - and as a kid, waiting for the x-ray specs or sea monkeys

An American site but I'm sure that the goods were the same:
https://medium.com/lisa-hix/sea-monkeys-and-x-ray-spex-collecting-the-bizarre-stuff-sold-in-the-back-of-comic-books-f38b514d108

swingaloo

Well we will have to agree to differ, The clue is in the name 'Customer Service' its a role you are either cut out for, or not A good manager will always be able to help his or her staff and a way to start would be to lead by example. However would you want a call center full of call takers who are happy to mock the customers? 
You seem to have a strange idea of what constitutes aggression but I'm leaving it there.  

IvanOpinion

swingaloo said:

Well we will have to agree to differ, The clue is in the name 'Customer Service' its a role you are either cut out for, or not A good manager will always be able to help his or her staff and a way to start would be to lead by example. However would you want a call center full of call takers who are happy to mock the customers? 
You seem to have a strange idea of what constitutes aggression but I'm leaving it there.  

Agreed   
I am definitely not cut out for customer service (but since being involved in some call centres I gained a lot of respect for those that are) (see 24).  Just to be clear at no point was there any 'mocking' of a customer ... for some it was surprise at the sudden change of attitude (it really was like a light switch), and for me it was 100% concern for the agent (see 18) but she had remained calm, focused and professional throughout the ordeal.

IvanOpinion

Out of interest there is a site I go to for light relief at times that gives various anecdotes from customer service personnel (although I think some are what they would have liked to say rather than what they did say) 
https://notalwaysright.com/

I hope posting that is not against any of the forum rules.

IvanOpinion

shaun_from_Africa said:

IvanOpinion said:

PS: Am I the only one that remembers that pretty much everything came with the T&C of 'please allow at least 28 days for delivery' - and as a kid, waiting for the x-ray specs or sea monkeys

An American site but I'm sure that the goods were the same:
https://medium.com/lisa-hix/sea-monkeys-and-x-ray-spex-collecting-the-bizarre-stuff-sold-in-the-back-of-comic-books-f38b514d108

That's the ones - can you see that advert for sea monkeys passing today (especially when you realise they are basically just tiny shrimp)