First of all let me say there have been a few occasions that I have been in this situation with things that I have purchased and gone defunct just after the warranty. To call a company and be directed overseas to a country that does not understand the English language that is spoken in America and try to explain what I want is exhausting. The reel that runs through my mind is the person that I am having a conversation with has been trained to read a script and has no clue what I am even talking about, and every time I have another question, the pause, then another scripted answer. I have learned to ask to speak to supervisors when I am having trouble communicating with the person I am speaking to and if that does not help ask for another supervisor. There are many companies that are using out of country call centers and I wonder what the savings really are for them, do most people just become so frustrated and give up and lose out on what they need to accomplish. Just having conversations with people that I know that are in these same situations some give up and some threaten to fly to India and wreak havoc on their county, it seems to be always the one that screams the loudest that gets what they want.
I have been on the other end of the situations with a dissatisfied customer staring at me with flames flaring out their nostrils, not even sure what they are even mad about, again the one that screams the loudest gets what they want, and children learn this at an early age. Most of the time I would just wait until they are through screaming or ranting and calmly ask, “now what can I do to make this all better for you.” Most were not sure what to say because they expect me to be a big bully and not let them have their way and most of the time they were not sure how to handle me being calm with them. I would take great pleasure in allowing them to walk away thinking they got their way, when in actually I just followed the rules, which allowed them to think they got what they wanted.
There were occasions that customers were sent away angry and threatened to call my supervisor, I would simply give them the number and encourage them call. This was always the last resort when I knew without a doubt that I would be right because they had the information that allowed me to be right, I like being right.
I am not the best crook and my mother calls me Fort Knox, because I do not divulge information I have been given, I would hold what I have been told to my grave. I have been likened to a “you just think you are all that,” no I have to do what is right for me and look at myself every day, regardless if I like it or not it all comes out in the end, nice guys can finish first.
So to answer the question what would I do in this situation; I do not know what I would do if I was the employee without knowing how things work at this company. I do know that I would do all I was allowed with what the company would allow me to do. As for being the caller, I have been that caller on a few occasions, just keep asking for the supervisor and many times I get what I want, and it didn’t take a scare tactic.
Fort Knox:
ReplyDeleteThis was great! Well-written and thoughtful. It is hard on both sides of the fence. I know how frustrating store polices can be, and, as the employee, you are caught in the middle. It's tough because you, as the customer, are tired and it seems like such a fight to get something simple accomplished. Yet, the employee has to do whatever to keep his or her job. Extra credit given.