Today was customer service day. No, not me doing the service, but me getting "serviced." Sounds lurid, but it's not. I called Verizon, because our DSL wasn't working right. Typical problem.
1) I call Verizon Business and go through their phone system. The person says that our phone number doesn't show up on their system. We are a Verizon customer, even though I'm at GR1 and we're a business.
2) I call the Verizon number, and they say that we're not a business customer. I tell them, we are a business, and our conversation goes no where. They have a hard time understanding and repeating our phone number. I'd say, we're at 310 478 1819. Then they'd repeat "310 478 1998?" I'd repeat it, then they say "301 478 1819." I correct them, then the person says, "no, I didn't say that." They transfer me to a tech guy. The tech guy must have been in India. He couldn't figure out how to spell my name. That took 2 tries and he eventually says that he can't help me. Our account is under a different name and the addresses I gave them don't match the account. BS.
3) I call the Verizon number again, this time, I get a smarter guy who says you're definitely business. So he transfers me to a tech guy. This tech guy is a bit smarter and says, our modem is broken, just ask the service people for a new one. That simple? So then I get tranfered and the person says, oh, you're a business customer. I get tranfered, and then they say, oh you're not a business customer. So then I'm back to the regular Verizon, then a smart guy tells me that we're a business customer, but our DSL isn't a business DSL, and he takes care of us. Sort of. Now we don't have service for 5 days while we wait for a new modem, new service, new everything.
There's more steps in between. I looked at my notes and had 5 different phone numbers, and I know I dialed each of the five. Can you believe it?
So now the rant: There's people out there who are customer service people. Don't they know that we (the customer) is the reason why they even have a job? (maybe not, read on). This sounds mean or cruel, but let's add more to it. This is the phone company. I am a customer of the phone company. Each bad service example meant another tranfer to another employee. It took at least 5 maybe 10 to help me. So I'm one customer, and there's 10 people helping me. Something is wrong. What's up with the untalented customer service people? Why can't they help? Before you think I'm a jerk, read on. So, think of it this way, the customer service people all have phone service. So that means they're like me... the "we" in the second sentence. They're basically service people who service themselves. So why won't they help themselves better? If they stopped to think of this, maybe:
1) they'd be out of a job. They suck, so they actually have a job. The more they need to tranfer a customer, the more people it takes to solve a problem.
2) the world would actually be slightly better if the customer service people took care of people like they'd take care of themselves. A basic thing that seldom get done.
1) I call Verizon Business and go through their phone system. The person says that our phone number doesn't show up on their system. We are a Verizon customer, even though I'm at GR1 and we're a business.
2) I call the Verizon number, and they say that we're not a business customer. I tell them, we are a business, and our conversation goes no where. They have a hard time understanding and repeating our phone number. I'd say, we're at 310 478 1819. Then they'd repeat "310 478 1998?" I'd repeat it, then they say "301 478 1819." I correct them, then the person says, "no, I didn't say that." They transfer me to a tech guy. The tech guy must have been in India. He couldn't figure out how to spell my name. That took 2 tries and he eventually says that he can't help me. Our account is under a different name and the addresses I gave them don't match the account. BS.
3) I call the Verizon number again, this time, I get a smarter guy who says you're definitely business. So he transfers me to a tech guy. This tech guy is a bit smarter and says, our modem is broken, just ask the service people for a new one. That simple? So then I get tranfered and the person says, oh, you're a business customer. I get tranfered, and then they say, oh you're not a business customer. So then I'm back to the regular Verizon, then a smart guy tells me that we're a business customer, but our DSL isn't a business DSL, and he takes care of us. Sort of. Now we don't have service for 5 days while we wait for a new modem, new service, new everything.
There's more steps in between. I looked at my notes and had 5 different phone numbers, and I know I dialed each of the five. Can you believe it?
So now the rant: There's people out there who are customer service people. Don't they know that we (the customer) is the reason why they even have a job? (maybe not, read on). This sounds mean or cruel, but let's add more to it. This is the phone company. I am a customer of the phone company. Each bad service example meant another tranfer to another employee. It took at least 5 maybe 10 to help me. So I'm one customer, and there's 10 people helping me. Something is wrong. What's up with the untalented customer service people? Why can't they help? Before you think I'm a jerk, read on. So, think of it this way, the customer service people all have phone service. So that means they're like me... the "we" in the second sentence. They're basically service people who service themselves. So why won't they help themselves better? If they stopped to think of this, maybe:
1) they'd be out of a job. They suck, so they actually have a job. The more they need to tranfer a customer, the more people it takes to solve a problem.
2) the world would actually be slightly better if the customer service people took care of people like they'd take care of themselves. A basic thing that seldom get done.
posted by gr @ PERMLINK: 11:40 PM
5 Comments:
I agree, I think in the last 10 years I have had 1 positive customer service experience. I bought a Linksys wi-fi extender unit and there is no love for the MAC at Linksys. The manual has I think one page on Mac support. Called tech support in Malaysia or India to get it working. The tech I got was great, at one point he came back on the phone breathing heavily after putting me on hold. I asked him if he was okay and he told me he was running around on the tech floor trying to find a solution to my problem from other coworkers... wow.
Don't get me started with Time Warner Cable, their solution to everything is to turn the cable or modem off and back on.
Here is the problem: the customer service people hate their jobs, and hate helping so. So they don't help you. They just want you to hang up and go away. The only way to improve customer service is to get people to care about their jobs. That's obviously not happening at most companies. I want to scream when I have to call SPRINT. Sometimes id rather pay double the phone bill, than have to call their customer service. Maybe that is their point.
HOW DO SPELL THE NAME ERIC IN JAPANESE I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW FOR MY TATTO THANKS LOTZ LOVE YA
Weird... ask any Japanese student. it's quite easy.
http://www.stockkanji.com/Names+in+Japanese/Names+E/Eric+(ER-ik).htm?osCsid=671de9384acf26314ccee115c0554c3c
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