Customer service

[irrationalrobot]

When I was in customer service, I thought I was good, but a lot of people I've shared stories with thought that I was somewhat mean or abusive.

The Daily WTF chimes in with an all-time classic in tech support: read the Un-Fix subheading.

Sir? I personally salute you. (The Zebra guy, from the first subheading... is probably just a petulant

Comments

[gommyommy]

I did Tech Support for ten years. I've dealt with a woman who tried to type "a-s-t-e-r-i-s-k" when I asked her to type "*", another whose scanner stopped working because the dog had knocked the power cable out of the wall, and a company trying to operate an entire factory via a laptop and wondering why it was slow. I learned that there are just some people I cannot get along with no matter how hard I try, but there are other people who hated all the other techs except me.

I can imagine that when you were in support, even if your words were harsh, you were cheerful about it, and those people needed to whacked upside the head with a reality stick.

[irrationalrobot]

I can imagine that when you were in support, even if your words were harsh, you were cheerful about it, and those people needed to whacked upside the head with a reality stick.

Best moment in airline reservations:
[walking customer through picking some dates, times, and a happy fare]
Me: So we can guarantee this with your credit card...
Customer: But wait, wait. What happens if the plane crashes?
Me: Well, Ma'am, you'd die.

The conversation went a bit farther than that, but she did eventually buy the ticket.

[shadowdaddy]

I think if I had dealt with you on the phone i'd have absolutely loathed you. However, given I've only heard things secondhand, I can but hold you in the highest regard for even *trying* to deal with being on the receiving end of a CS call. I simply couldn't do it.

I recall a story which I hope you revel in and tell the boys nightly:
Idjit: "I've been disconnected four times!!!"
irrationalrobot: "Make it five." *click*

[irrationalrobot]

I wish I could claim that one as mine, but it actually happened with a guy sitting right next to me. What really made it work was the flow of the thing... to borrow your quote:

dude: Thank you for calling Vanguard airlines, this is Rick, how can I help you?
Idjit: I been hung up on fahve times!
dude: Make it six, sir. *click* Thank you for calling Vanguard airlines, this is Rick, how can I help you?

For one of my own- we noted that no matter how often we answered the phone clearly and slowly, no one ever listened to that first phrase, "Thank you for calling Vanguard airlines, this is irrationalrobot, how may I help you?"

So we experimented.

"Thank you for calling hangnail airlines, this is irrationalrobot, how may I help you?"

"Thank you for receding hairlines, this is irrationalrobot, how may I help you?"

"Thank you for staining drainlines, this is irrationalrobot, how may I help you?"

Inevitably, the response was always the same: "Is this Vanguard?"