Getting even with customers

[despondent]

Woman Gets Cable Bill With Derogatory name (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/nasty_bill;_ylt=AqVVT_JvDqFrYjmMWeX_H23tiBIF;_ylu= X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl)


Wed Aug 17, 8:30 PM ET

LaChania Govan said she got bounced around by her cable company when she called to complain. She made dozens of calls and was even transferred to a person who spoke Spanish — a language she doesn't understand.

But when she got her August bill from Comcast she had no trouble understanding she'd made somebody mad. It was addressed to "Bitch Dog."

"I was like you got to be freaking kidding me," said Govan, 25. "I was so mad I couldn't even cuss."

Govan said the only thing she did to Comcast employees that might be considered rude came after a few dozen calls when she felt she was treated shabbily. "I did tell them, 'You know what, it has to be a qualification to work for your company that you have to be rude,'" she said.

Govan said she talked to a supervisor and he offered her two months free service, which she turned down.

Finally Wednesday, about two weeks after she got her bill, somebody from the company left a message on her answering machine in which the caller apologized.

Comcast officials said it shouldn't have happened.

"We only use the actual customers names on the bill," said Patricia Andrews-Keenan, a Comcast spokeswoman.

Company officials went through the records and identified two people who were involved with the name change and fired them, Andrews-Keenan said. It's unknown why the employees did it.

In another case, Peoples Energy customer Jefferoy Barnes started getting letters addressed to "Jeffery Scrotum Bag Barnes."

"I had no bad words at all. I guess the earliest letter is dated in May and from then on up until now my name has been listed as Jeffery Scrotum Bag Barnes and I have no idea why."

Barnes said he received an apologetic call from a company official. He also has contacted an attorney to determine if he can take legal action.

A Peoples Energy spokeswoman called the letter inexcusable.

[weeone]

"I was so mad I couldn't even cuss."


Well, that says it all. She was evidently speechless.

[tobedawg]

Fucking Classic!!! :D

It's Sad that this Bitch Dog was offered 2 months free service..

[kgray]

"Jeffery Scrotum Bag Barnes."

that's my favorite :)

[DLDude]

If i ever got a letter like that i'd probably bust out laughing. That's just hilarious. I think they should do this with all mail

[teribl sob stry]

If i ever got a letter like that i'd probably bust out laughing. That's just hilarious. I think they should do this with all mail

totally.

terrible 'who were you making out with at the bar this week?' sob story
123 main st.
cincinnati, oh

[spinx]

"Jeffery Scrotum Bag Barnes."
.


what a peach... :D
think that will make me chukl all day1

[afterdinnerman]

That is so weak and totally passive aggressive. What is their rationale for sending those bills out? Do the CSRs really think that the offending customer would say, "Gee, reading that some random guy called me a bitch dog makes me realize how horrible I've been to those working in the salt mines. Time to change my ways."

What should be addressed, instead, is the absolute inability of these CSRs to mediate and resolve any sort of problem which is their employers responsibilty to teach (well, it should be.) Or, God forbid, this CSR could take out a book from the public library and read up on conflict resolution.

During my public service days, I was fortunate enough to take a conflict resolution course and it proved to be effective with the lion share of hostile clients. All it takes is a bit of time, effort and patience and in no time, that Bitch Dog or Scrotum Bag will calm down. These people forget that Customer Service is part of their title and that clients react this way because they are used to getting the brush off by them.

This is not to say that there aren't some bonifide assholes out there who get off abusing people in customer service because they are out there and they always seemed to be named Glenn or Don.*

* apologies to cool cats named Glenn or Don.

[Slar]

The CSR could take out a book from the public library and read up on conflict resolution. During my public service days, I was fortunate enough to take a conflict resolution course and it proved to be effective with the lion share of hostile clients.Can you recommend some books, you gigantic assbag, that you liked?

[spinx]

Can you recommend some books, you gigantic assbag, that you liked?

assbag...i like that to!
"Jeffery AssBag Barnes."
yeh that works... ;)

[afterdinnerman]

Can you recommend some books, you gigantic assbag, that you liked?

Dear Valued Reader,

Your question is very important to me and will be answered in the order in which it was received. Please hold the line and the next available Afterdinnerman will respond to your query as soon as possible.

Average wait time is 3 hours, 21 minutes.

Thank you.

*cue soothing advertising music*

Afterdinnerman industries are devoted to giving his customers a wide range of poorly thought out posts, off the cuff 'witticisms' and endless babbling about foreign hip hop or how the Stone Roses debut belongs as a chapter in most every major religious publication (except for those freaky Scientologists). Here at Afterdinnerman Company, we look forward to assisting you in any way possible with your question. Your satisfaction is of the highest impor...

Dear Valued Reader,

Your question is very important to me and will be answered in the order in which it was received. Please hold the line and the next available Afterdinnerman will respond to your query as soon as possible.

Average wait time is 3 hours, 42 minutes.

Thank you.

*cue soothing advertising music*

actually, my books are at home and i'm not sure of the titles. let me hit you back this weekend if you are really interested

[Slar]

actually, my books are at home and i'm not sure of the titles. let me hit you back this weekend if you are really interestedDammit, I keep pressing the # key but nothing happens! Yeah let me know what you got so I can send some copies to George Bush.
Thanks!

[aqualou]

That is so weak and totally passive aggressive. What is their rationale for sending those bills out? Do the CSRs really think that the offending customer would say, "Gee, reading that some random guy called me a bitch dog makes me realize how horrible I've been to those working in the salt mines. Time to change my ways."

What should be addressed, instead, is the absolute inability of these CSRs to mediate and resolve any sort of problem which is their employers responsibilty to teach (well, it should be.) Or, God forbid, this CSR could take out a book from the public library and read up on conflict resolution.

During my public service days, I was fortunate enough to take a conflict resolution course and it proved to be effective with the lion share of hostile clients. All it takes is a bit of time, effort and patience and in no time, that Bitch Dog or Scrotum Bag will calm down. These people forget that Customer Service is part of their title and that clients react this way because they are used to getting the brush off by them.


have you worked in a call center? it's a crap job that pays the least qualified people the least amount of money and give them the least amount of training. conflict resolution course? ha! these cheap ass companys don't really give a shit. they're worried about bottom line and that's it. if they did, they wouldn't be shipping record amounts of jobs to india (like Dell) where i have to ask "excuss me, i didn't catch that" every other sentence.

ps: the csr with a thick accent calling himself "roscoe" isn't getting my confidence.

[afterdinnerman]

have you worked in a call center? it's a crap job that pays the least qualified people the least amount of money and give them the least amount of training. conflict resolution course? ha! these cheap ass companys don't really give a shit. they're worried about bottom line and that's it. if they did, they wouldn't be shipping record amounts of jobs to india (like Dell) where i have to ask "excuss me, i didn't catch that" every other sentence.


Yeah, I worked 2 months for one (summer job), worked fast food for 4 years and the public desk at a library for 5, in addition to almost 4 years dealing with research scientists with immediate deadlines at P&G, so my customer service experience has run the spectrum. But, even at the tender age of my early 20's, I realized that if I was going to be doing that job for any length of time, maybe I should figure a way of handling it without just pointing the finger at the customer. People react in certain ways because they have come to expect lousy customer service and, my point was, until the CSRs and corporations starting taking their job seriously, then dealing with upset clients is going to the norm.

But, it doesn't have to be. I know you're right, though, that most companies don't give a toss about customer satisfaction and many have set up policies to ensure that a customer with a problem will be given as much stick as possible. I guess, in that case, it is up to the person dealing with the public to find a way to make their job tolerable and knowing how to defuse a situation is one of them.

[dragonflier]

It would seem that everyone (customer and CSR alike) needs to watch "Clerks."

[rudegirl]

It would seem that everyone (customer and CSR alike) needs to watch "Clerks."

that movie is the only thing that saved my sanity working retail. that and empire records. ;)

[Ikyoto]

Woman Gets Cable Bill With Derogatory name (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/nasty_bill;_ylt=AqVVT_JvDqFrYjmMWeX_H23tiBIF;_ylu= X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl)


I had no bad words at all. I guess the earliest letter is dated in May and from then on up until now my name has been listed as Jeffery Scrotum Bag Barnes and I have no idea why."

Barnes said he received an apologetic call from a company official. He also has contacted an attorney to determine if he can take legal action.

A Peoples Energy spokeswoman called the letter inexcusable.

What a surprise....I bet this guys life was so turned over by getting a bill that said Jeffery Scrotum Bag Barnes, that he needs to take legal action (read: he's just wants fucking free money) Nevermind that it's been going on since May and there is no noting of him doing anything about it pervious to legal action. I loath people who sue or persue "legal action" for stupid shit like this...all that damn time and money wasted cause some dumbass kids put scrotum bag in his name....

If this happens to me yeah I'd be pissed, but hell, I think the people getting fired for it is repayment enough...then after that, name would be back to normal...the world keeps spinning, and life goes on..

[teribl sob stry]

that movie is the only thing that saved my sanity working retail. that and empire records. ;)

then you might know this........did the guy from the hold steady do that song sugar high for the movie? i've always wondered since i heard the hold steady on woxy... :confused:

[rudegirl]

then you might know this........did the guy from the hold steady do that song sugar high for the movie? i've always wondered since i heard the hold steady on woxy... :confused:

nah, it was this guy from the movie.
HOOOOWWWLLL (http://www.coyoteshivers.com/)

[teribl sob stry]

nah, it was this guy from the movie.
HOOOOWWWLLL (http://www.coyoteshivers.com/)


huh. they sound an awful lot alike. thanks for clearing that up. ;)

[Shlep]

Actually, I've worked in a couple call centers, the first one being the Sterling, VA home office of National Electronics Warranty, which I believe has since moved to Great Falls, Montana 'cuz-- you guessed it-- it's cheaper there (I believe the CEO and top officers remained in Virginia). Though the job was shit, as call center jobs are, I had two weeks of training prior to starting which included learning how to deal with people on the phone, especially irate assholes. I've applied that training at every job I've had since that involved the use of a phone, and found it invaluable.

Conversely, I am routinely shocked at how godawful many CSRs are when it comes to dealing with people. I attribute this to lack of proper training; a good and effective phone manner is not intuitive.

As for putting "hilarious" profanities on a customers' bill and using that to "get even:" it's pathetic. It doesn't get anyone even with anyone; the customer will still be an asshole, call back, and berate someone else. It hurts the company as well; for starters, they'll be forced to go into full-on ass kissing mode to avoid a potential public relations fiasco, and bad word-of-mouth is damaging to a company.

If you hate your job that much, quit.

[Handy Smurf]

that movie is the only thing that saved my sanity working retail. that and empire records. ;)
I'm sorry but when you try to apply that movie to the real world you realize how completely full of shit it is, particularly Randall...and this is coming from someone who has worked retail and many other shitty jobs and likes the movie. For those whimsical little daydream moments you have throughout the day, it works.