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What NOT to do when you call a call center...
Okay, I just got my first call center job a couple weeks ago. So far, not too too bad. Customers are sucky, sure, but the people I work with are great, so that makes up for it. I am still in training, so I'm not on my own yet, but will probably be tomorrow. (I can't make any hints of what type of call center, because anyone who has any tiny bit of knowledge of this company will know exactly who I work for, and this company's customers tend to hate it - mostly because of what type of company it is, lol.)
Okay, so I'm still training, so I'm sitting with someone (B), but I'm taking all the calls and doing everything, she just makes sure I say the right thing. It was about 8:40p, 20 minutes before I get off, and this call ended up being my last for the evening. (BTW, our account numbers are the customer's telephone number.
This lady calls in, I verify her name, and ask for the passcode on the account. Without that passcode, I can't do anything, not even tell her the balance. And only the actual account holder can make credit card payments, the system won't let anyone else pay. I look through the notes on the account (which it amazes me how many people don't think we have any way to communicate with the next person who takes the call), and see her name, so I think maybe she's just wanting to know a balance, but I still need to verify a passcode. She can't verify it. She comes pretty close with one, but it's still not it. I ask who the lineholder is, she states herself. I ask if it was ever in anyone else's name, nope.
She asks if she can just mail in a payment, and reads off an address. I'm looking at the lady I'm sitting with, because that address isn't one I recognized. Then she says it's from when it was (other company we merged with). I asked what the date was on the remit slip. She says APRIL 2007. At this point, I was trying not to laugh while asking her to hold, turned to B and say "Does she know what year this is?"
I put her on hold again to look more through the notes again. I see that she originally had the account, but somewhere along the line, the person whose name is on there now took it over. Then suddenly the first lady's name starts showing again, with the note unable to verify passcode. Nobody had ever gone any further than that, but B is very customer service-oriented, so we kept at it.
Reading the notes, it showed where the second person had faxed in proving she owned the line.
I got back on the phone, and said, "Ma'am, this is not your line."
Her answer "Yes, it is. I've had it for years."
Me: Ma'am, this account hasn't belonged to you since December 2007 when you got a new phone number.
She continued to argue that that was her line, and that she needed to make a payment.
Me: You can't because it isn't your account.
Her: Yes, I've used it before.
Me: I see that it WAS once your line, but it isn't anymore, and hadn't been since you changed your number in December 2007. YOU do not owe anything on this account. Besides making a payment is there anything else I can help you with?
Her: No, I just want to pay this off so I can open an account with my new number.
Me: YOU do not owe anything. <Gave instructions on how to set up her new account.>
I still don't think she understood why she didn't need to pay, but seriously, if someone were to tell me that I DON'T owe anything, I say thank you and good bye.
Sorry this ended up being so long, I just thought it was funny. If it doesn't make as much sense as it should, sorry, I'm tired.
Okay, so I'm still training, so I'm sitting with someone (B), but I'm taking all the calls and doing everything, she just makes sure I say the right thing. It was about 8:40p, 20 minutes before I get off, and this call ended up being my last for the evening. (BTW, our account numbers are the customer's telephone number.
This lady calls in, I verify her name, and ask for the passcode on the account. Without that passcode, I can't do anything, not even tell her the balance. And only the actual account holder can make credit card payments, the system won't let anyone else pay. I look through the notes on the account (which it amazes me how many people don't think we have any way to communicate with the next person who takes the call), and see her name, so I think maybe she's just wanting to know a balance, but I still need to verify a passcode. She can't verify it. She comes pretty close with one, but it's still not it. I ask who the lineholder is, she states herself. I ask if it was ever in anyone else's name, nope.
She asks if she can just mail in a payment, and reads off an address. I'm looking at the lady I'm sitting with, because that address isn't one I recognized. Then she says it's from when it was (other company we merged with). I asked what the date was on the remit slip. She says APRIL 2007. At this point, I was trying not to laugh while asking her to hold, turned to B and say "Does she know what year this is?"
I put her on hold again to look more through the notes again. I see that she originally had the account, but somewhere along the line, the person whose name is on there now took it over. Then suddenly the first lady's name starts showing again, with the note unable to verify passcode. Nobody had ever gone any further than that, but B is very customer service-oriented, so we kept at it.
Reading the notes, it showed where the second person had faxed in proving she owned the line.
I got back on the phone, and said, "Ma'am, this is not your line."
Her answer "Yes, it is. I've had it for years."
Me: Ma'am, this account hasn't belonged to you since December 2007 when you got a new phone number.
She continued to argue that that was her line, and that she needed to make a payment.
Me: You can't because it isn't your account.
Her: Yes, I've used it before.
Me: I see that it WAS once your line, but it isn't anymore, and hadn't been since you changed your number in December 2007. YOU do not owe anything on this account. Besides making a payment is there anything else I can help you with?
Her: No, I just want to pay this off so I can open an account with my new number.
Me: YOU do not owe anything. <Gave instructions on how to set up her new account.>
I still don't think she understood why she didn't need to pay, but seriously, if someone were to tell me that I DON'T owe anything, I say thank you and good bye.
Sorry this ended up being so long, I just thought it was funny. If it doesn't make as much sense as it should, sorry, I'm tired.
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