The worst kind of SC- the employee abuser

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

King of rage

Last Saturday I get a call from a guy who must have had some kind of anger serum injected directly into his veins. You know those calls you take and as SOON as the person starts talking you know it's going to be a doozy? Yeah, that.

Me: Thank you for calling <red checkmark>, what can I do for you?
SC: DON'T TALK SO FAST I CAN'T UNDERSTAND YOU!
Me: <repeat greeting more slowly>
SC: My name is Jim Smith, phone number 555-381-9243. I dropped my phone and cracked the screen. I understand I'm not eligible for an upgrade, I don't mind paying for a replacement but I need this ordered right away.
Me: Not a problem, can I get your password please?
SC: Not until you tell me where you're located,
Me: I'm in Florida, sir. (Not actually true, but close enough)
SC: <pause>...1234
Me: Ok, so to make sure I understand, you damaged your S5 and you want to purchase a replacement and you need it quickly.
SC: THAT'S WHAT I JUST TOLD YOU!
Me: I understand, I just wanted to make sure I heard everything correctly.
SC: Are you DEAF or something?
Me: No sir, I just like to make sure I my information right.
SC: <groan>
Me: Ok, we can certainly get that phone ordered for you--
SC: Yes you can. And you will ship it to me express at no cost to me. I won't be able to pay for the phone for another week so charge it to my bill.
Me: I will check to see if that's possible sir. Ok, the total cost of the phone is $399.
SC: Fine, charge it to my bill and remember, priority shipping on your dime. I will NOT pay for shipping.
(setting aside that fight for the moment, I do see that we might be able to charge it to his bill but only with manager approval)
Me: I understand sir, just give me a moment here.
SC: WHY?!
Me: I see here we might be able to charge it your bill but I need to clear it with a manager first.
SC: No you don't. Either you do it or you don't. This is not complicated.
Me: It's not sir, but I still need approval to do this.
SC: Why are you WASTING MY TIME? (Note: at this point we are about 5 minutes into the call)
Me: I am trying to take care of this as quickly as possible but I do need approval for this.
SC: NO YOU DON'T!! IT'S SIMPLE, JUST DO IT!! I WILL NOT BE MADE TO WAIT!!
Me: Sir, I know you want this done quickly, I get it. And I'm doing my best to--
SC: No you're NOT! If you were doing your best that order would have been done FIVE minutes ago!
SC: Once again sir, I need-
SC: I WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS INCOMPETENCE! EITHER YOU DO IT OR YOU DON'T!
Me: Without approval, I can't do it but--
SC: FINE, WHATEVER. I'M NOT WASTING ANY MORE TIME ON MORONS LIKE YOU. IF YOU CAN'T DO IT THEN PISS OFF. I DON'T HAVE TIME TO WAIT FOR THIS!! *click*

While looking at the his account, I note something interesting, there are plenty of supervisor calls but hardly any credits/freebies given. It appears this guy is not a credit seeker, just a perpetually angry person who calls in and harasses reps like me again and again. And we're not talking just being angry, it was clear by the records that he absolutely badgers some of our employees (especially those he deems "foreign"[note his earlier concern about where I was located]).

In fact, he was flagged for excessive calls in which he continually abused and harassed employees...9 months ago. It's clear from the records that he hasn't stopped since. Corporate really is doing us a disservice by not "firing" people like this.

Also, a quick one.

Wi-fi disconnection

Ok so you called me because your wi-fi isn't working, but you're currently in a place that does NOT have wi-fi.

Hmm, something's not right here...

[icmedia]

I just had a customer the other day who was mad that she wasn't able to connect to WiFi at home. Upon further inquiry, it turned out that she does not, in fact, subscribe to any Internet service provider, she just thought that her WiFi would work anywhere, freeing her from the costly bonds of her data usage limit.

Of course, I was treated to a 15 minute tirade about how I was "ripping her off," because, "what do I pay you all this money for, then?"

[XCashier]

While looking at the his account, I note something interesting, there are plenty of supervisor calls but hardly any credits/freebies given. It appears this guy is not a credit seeker, just a perpetually angry person who calls in and harasses reps like me again and again...

Jeez, what an asshole. How horrible does a person have to be? Yeah, it would be nice if Corporate would fire this customer, but Corporate only sees $$$ and the guy does pay for his mistakes. He just likes to yell and bully and badger and figures he has the right to do that with what he's paying.

Dude needs a ride in the Chipmobile:

[Evannah]

The man's a bully. He set out to hurt your feelings. He probably gets a lot of pleasure out of being a mean-spirited, angry jerk.

[emax4]

When he said "Either you do it or you don't" repeatedly, I would have said, "ok then. Based on your abuse tactics, i'm not doing it..." Customer gave you a choice, so QA cant ding you over that one.

[Dreamstalker]

Upon further inquiry, it turned out that she does not, in fact, subscribe to any Internet service provider, she just thought that her WiFi would work anywhere, freeing her from the costly bonds of her data usage limit.

Some towns/cities have municipal wifi, but I believe you still have to subscribe (I had to do that here for a week or two when I was petsitting and the client's wireless network wasn't working).

[MoonCat]

That's the kind of person for whom I lose my cheerful, happy-to-help-you voice, and go into Do-Not-Fuck-With-Me voice: "Sir, it is company policy that I must get manager approval for this. You can hold while I get the approval that I am required to get, or we can end this call right now, your choice."

Don't know if you're allowed to do anything like that. I just refuse to put up with abuse anymore, but I know some companies don't support that.

I wonder if this guy was afraid you wouldn't get approval so he thought if he made a fuss, you could skip that step?

[raudf]

From what I see, the only one wasting his time is him. In the time he argued with you, you could have already spoken to a sup, gotten the approval or hand off to the sup and been done with him. It's people like this that you wish you could charge for wasting your/company's time.

Also, sounds like he also needs to chill out, but I'm pretty sure he's probably one of those guys that snores... angrily.

[Android Kaeli]

That's the kind of person for whom I lose my cheerful, happy-to-help-you voice, and go into Do-Not-Fuck-With-Me voice: "Sir, it is company policy that I must get manager approval for this. You can hold while I get the approval that I am required to get, or we can end this call right now, your choice."

A co-worker of mine has that kind of tone with people. She's all super cheerful and happy to help the majority of the time, but hell freezes over every time someone gets on her bad side. And you really don't want to get on her bad side, either, as it's very, very, VERY scary. I have seen her go from all sunshine and unicorns and rainbows to dark and evil and back the fuck up now before I rip your body apart with my bare hands and WILL get away with it in less then ten seconds.



There are people who really need to chill out. Waiting a couple of minutes more won't hurt.

[otakuneko]

SC: No you don't. Either you do it or you don't. This is not complicated.
Me: It's not sir, but I still need approval to do this. Please hold. *takes off headset, signals manager*

Hey, if he's gone by the time the manager gets there, ain't my fault.

I did that kind of thing when I was a tech support rep for red checkmark DSL/fiber services. Look, custy, I need to transfer you/consult a manager/whatever, and I'm going to do it over your protestations, and you will be glad I did, so shut up and wait.

[wolfie]

Yeah, it would be nice if Corporate would fire this customer, but Corporate only sees $$$ and the guy does pay for his mistakes.

Corporate only sees INCOMING $$$. If the guy is paying $50/month, and each month he spends 2 1/2 hours on the phone abusing a rep who costs the company $20/hour (not a wage of $20/hour, which is unlikely in a call centre - a cost including employee's cube's share of building rent, equipment costs, payroll taxes, etc.), then his tirades are costing the company the full amount he's paying, so he's a zero-profit customer. Of course, the resources he wastes by harassing employees are paid from a different "silo" in the company, out of sight of the beancounter who sees the incoming $50/month.

SC: I don't mind paying for a replacement but I need this ordered right away.
Me: Ok, we can certainly get that phone ordered for you--
SC: Yes you can. And you will ship it to me express at no cost to me. I won't be able to pay for the phone for another week so charge it to my bill.
Me: I will check to see if that's possible sir. Ok, the total cost of the phone is $399.
SC: Fine, charge it to my bill and remember, priority shipping on your dime. I will NOT pay for shipping.

WTF? He wants the fastest (read: most expensive) shipping option, but doesn't want to pay for it, and wants to get the phone BEFORE paying for it? Your employer definitely needs a policy of "equipment paid for before shipping". I can understand having basic (read: cheapest but slowest) shipping option being free, but anything else needing to be paid for. He doesn't want to pay for priority shipping? "OK, sir - if you need it right away but aren't willing to pay for priority shipping, you're welcome to pick it up at $Location_on_the_other_side_of_the_country_from_wh ere_you_live."

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

When he said "Either you do it or you don't" repeatedly, I would have said, "ok then. Based on your abuse tactics, i'm not doing it..." Customer gave you a choice, so QA cant ding you over that one.

Well I wouldn't have been dinged for going against policy, but I probably would have for that kind of response to the customer. Of course, we are supposed to be sugary nice to all the customers in most any circumstance.

I wish I was lying.

WTF? He wants the fastest (read: most expensive) shipping option, but doesn't want to pay for it, and wants to get the phone BEFORE paying for it? Your employer definitely needs a policy of "equipment paid for before shipping".

We actually do, but for some accounts with good pay history and tenure, we do allow phones to be charged to the account...with approval.

Charging phones to the bill used to be pretty common, but well, you can guess what changed that.

[Pagan]

Customer gave you a choice, so QA cant ding you over that one.

Wanna bet?

That's the kind of person for whom I lose my cheerful, happy-to-help-you voice, and go into Do-Not-Fuck-With-Me voice: "Sir, it is company policy that I must get manager approval for this. You can hold while I get the approval that I am required to get, or we can end this call right now, your choice."

Don't know if you're allowed to do anything like that. I just refuse to put up with abuse anymore, but I know some companies don't support that.

I wonder if this guy was afraid you wouldn't get approval so he thought if he made a fuss, you could skip that step?

I briefly worked for a contact call center for the Blue Death Star. We weren't allowed, no matter what they called us, how they talked to us, even if they threatened us, to hang up on anyone. As a matter of fact, if the customer asked, we were required to give them our full name and where we were. No, nope, nuh-huh, that's not happening. The reason the higher ups didn't see them having our full names as a problem? "Well, they're not going to get in a car and drive here and do something!". You wanna bet? There are some nutballs out there that would do just that.

[MelindaJoy77]

As a matter of fact, if the customer asked, we were required to give them our full name and where we were.

That's weird, when I worked for a call center for a whirly appliance corporation, one of the first things they told us was that we were not to give out our last names under any circumstance, and if the customer demanded a sup for this reason then we were free to send the call to a sup. For exactly the reason that you never know what kind of crazy person is calling, and they just might decide to show up at the call center.

[Argabarga]

As a matter of fact, if the customer asked, we were required to give them our full name and where we were. No, nope, nuh-huh, that's not happening. The reason the higher ups didn't see them having our full names as a problem? "Well, they're not going to get in a car and drive here and do something!". You wanna bet? There are some nutballs out there that would do just that.

And the winner, of the "most out-of-touch with reality" award in customer service goes to... *drum roll* ........ THESE GUYS!