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One of the quickest ways to get on my bad side if you're a customer is to start assuming you can control me.
A few examples:
"You WILL do this!"
"You ARE going to credit me..."
"I'm not asking you, I'm TELLING you!"
And of course the one that became the title of this thread.
It started off simply enough. Guy's phone stopped charging two months out of warranty. Master reset? Didn't work. New battery? Didn't work.
Not a problem he has insurance and the line is upgrade eligible to boot, so if he wants a phone, he's got some choices.
Unfortunately this guy wants the one choice he can't have...
SC: "You said the warranty expired two months ago?"
Me: "Yes, it ended on <date>"
SC: Well I started having problems with my phone BEFORE that and I really think that should be taken into consideration here.
Me: Did you call us about it at that time?
SC: No, because I was hoping I'd be able to put up with it, but now it's gotten worse and I need something done.
Me: I understand where you're coming from sir but think about this: You decide to pay your bill with a check, you fill out the check a week before your bill is due but don't send it off until 3 days after it's due. Since the payment arrived late even though the check was filled out you'd still be charged a late fee.
SC: This is different!
ME: (of course it is, of course you're special!) Not really sir. You never contacted us before your warranty was up even though the issue was present. How can we fix a problem that we didn't know existed?
SC: That doesn't matter. I had the problem before my warranty was up and I'd like to get a replacement.
Me: Ok, well as I said earlier you do have several replacement options available..."
SC: I want to get a replacement WITHOUT PAYING.
Me: Well that does limit your options. The reality is Red Checkmark is not a phone manufacturer. The warranty policies are set by those manufacturers, in this case Samsung. We aren't allowed to make any exceptions to the policy. (Not technically true, but he doesn't qualify for an exception so no point even going there)
SC: Well I don't pay Samsung hundreds of dollars a month, I pay it to you!
Me: And we appreciate your business but you must realize Red Checkmark does not control everything relating to your phone. Samsung tells us it's a 1 year warranty, then it's a 1 year warranty. No exceptions.
SC: Nobody at all can make an exception for me?
Me: The only ones who would be able to would be Samsung, it's their policy, they can bend or break the rules if they wish.
SC: Fine, what's Samsungs number?!
Me: <gives number>
SC: Ok, here's what going to happen: I'm going to call them and try and get this taken care of. IF they can't do anything for me I am calling Red Checkmark back and you will personally take care of this for me. Do you understand?
Me: I'd just like to mention--
SC: Do you understand? Yes or no?
Me: Yes, I understand.
SC: Thank you. *click*
I figured Samsung wouldn't do anything for him and expected that to be the end of it.
Fast forward to the next day and I get an email from a customer service Supervisor saying SC called back and (true to his word) wanted to speak to me and could I pretty please call him back ASAP.
So I asked my manager what I should do and she advised me to call him back.
This gets better. Before I called him, I reviewed the account notes from the past 24 hours only to discover he'd spoken to our retention department who had offerd him a FREE SIII. And by free, I mean straight up free. No cost, no contract, no nothing. He DECLINED. Why? He has an S4 and he doesn't want to downgrade.
So he was referred back to me. *sigh* Here we go for round 2....
Me: Sorry for the delay in getting back to you Mr. SC, I had training this morning. I take things didn't go well with Samsung?
SC: NO. Those people are the dumbest, most useless customer service reps I've ever dealt with. They could barely speak English and just kept reading the policy over and over. I spoke to a supervisor and he was a moron too. So, as promised, I'm back here with you.
Me: Indeed you are. I'm looking at the notes here and it says you spoke to our relations department who said they could give you an SIII?
SC: Yes and I said no. I have an S4, NOT an SIII. I should not be expected to put up with an inferior quality phone.
Me: Well sir, the SIII is in fact an excellent device and if I may say...
SC: No you may NOT. I don't want an SIII, I want an S4....or an S5.
Me:
SC: An S5 is out of the question. If they offered you an SIII that's probably going be the best we can do. That department has more power than any other to do such things. Think about it this way sir, a $500+ phone for free is a pretty good deal.
SC: You just don't get it do you? That's not what I WANT.
Me: Ok, let me recap this quickly and see if I understand what you want: Your S4 has stopped charging, we weren't able to fix it. You're out of warranty. Samsung didn't help. We offered you an S3, you said no because you want an S4 at no cost.
SC: Yes.
Me: You are not willing to accept anything besides an S4 at no cost?
SC: NO.
Me: Ok, what I may be able to do is...
SC: No, no, no. I don't want to hear "maybe", I don't want to hear "might", I don't want to hear "possibly". You WILL make this happen and if you can't, then let me please speak with someone who can.
Me: Of course sir, please hold for a supervisor.
My supervisor shut him down. I checked on the account notes a few days later. He went back to retention again. Again they offered him an SIII. Again he said no. The day after I see port out requests on all of his lines. Apparently he's off to bother one of our competitors. Good riddance. .
A few examples:
"You WILL do this!"
"You ARE going to credit me..."
"I'm not asking you, I'm TELLING you!"
And of course the one that became the title of this thread.
It started off simply enough. Guy's phone stopped charging two months out of warranty. Master reset? Didn't work. New battery? Didn't work.
Not a problem he has insurance and the line is upgrade eligible to boot, so if he wants a phone, he's got some choices.
Unfortunately this guy wants the one choice he can't have...
SC: "You said the warranty expired two months ago?"
Me: "Yes, it ended on <date>"
SC: Well I started having problems with my phone BEFORE that and I really think that should be taken into consideration here.
Me: Did you call us about it at that time?
SC: No, because I was hoping I'd be able to put up with it, but now it's gotten worse and I need something done.
Me: I understand where you're coming from sir but think about this: You decide to pay your bill with a check, you fill out the check a week before your bill is due but don't send it off until 3 days after it's due. Since the payment arrived late even though the check was filled out you'd still be charged a late fee.
SC: This is different!
ME: (of course it is, of course you're special!) Not really sir. You never contacted us before your warranty was up even though the issue was present. How can we fix a problem that we didn't know existed?
SC: That doesn't matter. I had the problem before my warranty was up and I'd like to get a replacement.
Me: Ok, well as I said earlier you do have several replacement options available..."
SC: I want to get a replacement WITHOUT PAYING.
Me: Well that does limit your options. The reality is Red Checkmark is not a phone manufacturer. The warranty policies are set by those manufacturers, in this case Samsung. We aren't allowed to make any exceptions to the policy. (Not technically true, but he doesn't qualify for an exception so no point even going there)
SC: Well I don't pay Samsung hundreds of dollars a month, I pay it to you!
Me: And we appreciate your business but you must realize Red Checkmark does not control everything relating to your phone. Samsung tells us it's a 1 year warranty, then it's a 1 year warranty. No exceptions.
SC: Nobody at all can make an exception for me?
Me: The only ones who would be able to would be Samsung, it's their policy, they can bend or break the rules if they wish.
SC: Fine, what's Samsungs number?!
Me: <gives number>
SC: Ok, here's what going to happen: I'm going to call them and try and get this taken care of. IF they can't do anything for me I am calling Red Checkmark back and you will personally take care of this for me. Do you understand?
Me: I'd just like to mention--
SC: Do you understand? Yes or no?
Me: Yes, I understand.
SC: Thank you. *click*
I figured Samsung wouldn't do anything for him and expected that to be the end of it.
Fast forward to the next day and I get an email from a customer service Supervisor saying SC called back and (true to his word) wanted to speak to me and could I pretty please call him back ASAP.
So I asked my manager what I should do and she advised me to call him back.
This gets better. Before I called him, I reviewed the account notes from the past 24 hours only to discover he'd spoken to our retention department who had offerd him a FREE SIII. And by free, I mean straight up free. No cost, no contract, no nothing. He DECLINED. Why? He has an S4 and he doesn't want to downgrade.
So he was referred back to me. *sigh* Here we go for round 2....
Me: Sorry for the delay in getting back to you Mr. SC, I had training this morning. I take things didn't go well with Samsung?
SC: NO. Those people are the dumbest, most useless customer service reps I've ever dealt with. They could barely speak English and just kept reading the policy over and over. I spoke to a supervisor and he was a moron too. So, as promised, I'm back here with you.
Me: Indeed you are. I'm looking at the notes here and it says you spoke to our relations department who said they could give you an SIII?
SC: Yes and I said no. I have an S4, NOT an SIII. I should not be expected to put up with an inferior quality phone.
Me: Well sir, the SIII is in fact an excellent device and if I may say...
SC: No you may NOT. I don't want an SIII, I want an S4....or an S5.
Me:
SC: An S5 is out of the question. If they offered you an SIII that's probably going be the best we can do. That department has more power than any other to do such things. Think about it this way sir, a $500+ phone for free is a pretty good deal.
SC: You just don't get it do you? That's not what I WANT.
Me: Ok, let me recap this quickly and see if I understand what you want: Your S4 has stopped charging, we weren't able to fix it. You're out of warranty. Samsung didn't help. We offered you an S3, you said no because you want an S4 at no cost.
SC: Yes.
Me: You are not willing to accept anything besides an S4 at no cost?
SC: NO.
Me: Ok, what I may be able to do is...
SC: No, no, no. I don't want to hear "maybe", I don't want to hear "might", I don't want to hear "possibly". You WILL make this happen and if you can't, then let me please speak with someone who can.
Me: Of course sir, please hold for a supervisor.
My supervisor shut him down. I checked on the account notes a few days later. He went back to retention again. Again they offered him an SIII. Again he said no. The day after I see port out requests on all of his lines. Apparently he's off to bother one of our competitors. Good riddance. .
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