Verifying customer email addresses - good customer service? WRONG!

[Peppergirl]

Short but amusing:

As a point of good customer service, my co workers and I typically ask for an email address at the end of a call, or verify the one that's in the record. This is important because we send them a copy of their e-ticket receipt.

Most customers appreciate this.

Until now.

We recently acquired the account of a major US sports team. Not the players, but the administration.

An email went out to all of us last week from our management stating that we are not ALLOWED to ask for, or verify email addresses of the admins that call the reservations in. The explanation given was that this is a "MAJOR HOT PET PEEVE", and yes, that is a direct quote, caps and all.

The kicker? The email address of the two admins that caused this shit-storm are NOT in each record. We actually have to go look them up in the main company profile, or put a sticky note on our monitor with it.

Seriously, if this is all they can find wrong with us, I'd say we're doing pretty damn good. What kind of pitiful existence do you have to have to bitch about something so petty and stupid?

[Getoutofmylobby]

Sometimes through our reservations system we'll get requests like "ACCOUNT IS DIRECT BILLED, DO NOT ASK FOR ANY PAYMENT" right above requests like: "BILLING FOR ROOM AND TAX ONLY, NO INCIDENTALS." Which directly contradicts what is above it and also what the customer is told. So they check in expecting to just get a key and leave and here we are asking them for a credit card for incidentals.

Its the little piss offs like this that makes customer service awesome huh?

[Peppergirl]

Sometimes through our reservations system we'll get requests like "ACCOUNT IS DIRECT BILLED, DO NOT ASK FOR ANY PAYMENT" right above requests like: "BILLING FOR ROOM AND TAX ONLY, NO INCIDENTALS." Which directly contradicts what is above it and also what the customer is told. So they check in expecting to just get a key and leave and here we are asking them for a credit card for incidentals.

Its the little piss offs like this that makes customer service awesome huh?

I am painfully familiar. I get screamed at at least once a shift by a customer who was told they'd have direct bill, only to find it wasn't done.

I feel your pain. I can only imagine how they act in person when this happens.

[Ironclad Alibi]

As a point of good customer service, my co workers and I typically ask for an email address at the end of a call, or verify the one that's in the record. This is important because we send them a copy of their e-ticket receipt.

An email went out to all of us last week from our management stating that we are not ALLOWED to ask for, or verify email addresses of the admins that call the reservations in.

So, the sports team admins do not want email copies of their e-ticket receipts? That's how I interpret their demand.

[Peppergirl]

So, the sports team admins do not want email copies of their e-ticket receipts? That's how I interpret their demand.

Oh, they want them, and IMMEDIATELY. We're just not 'allowed' to ask for them or verify them.

And by IMMEDIATELY, I mean just that: When they hang up the phone, they expect it to be delivered to their email (that we're not allowed to ask for) within 5 minutes. Nevermind that it takes at least 10-15 minutes (on a good day) to get through QC and issue the ticket. Minor details.

[Red_Dazes]

People...

People will ALWAYS find something to bitch about and SOMEONE else to take stuff out on.... its.... how...they...are.....

I guess...

[hotelnpa]

Just asking someone to put their make and color and license plate number on the reg. card results in suckiness too!

But I understand what you go through. We get people who REFUSE to give out their email address and will spew over it for a couple of minutes. A simple "No" would suffice.

[Hon'ya-chan]

Well in this day and age, some people are so freaking paranoid over giving out Personal Info, it's put all us in the Customer Service Trade in the crosshairs.

I can't begin to tell you the ways people will get angry with you over not being able to find their "Store Card" or howcome they didn't get the e-mail with that coupon, etc. and part of the problem is the persons chicken-scratch writing a/or verbal ability is what the cause. Many times, we're forced to put the card sign-up application into a "Can't ID" Bin (which then is thrown with the other records for "Secure Disposal" every month) because either the person didn't write their e-mail legibly a/or have even given us the phone #!! Phoning them is not an option because of one dickhead who threaten to kill another store employee which prompted our DM to issue a notice to not call people about the card for verification a/or clarification purposes. And later on when they come back and get angry at us for not getting that coupon, only then they find out either the info they gave was wrong, or we "assign" blame on someone else due to human error.

But I understand what you go through. We get people who REFUSE to give out their email address and will spew over it for a couple of minutes. A simple "No" would suffice.

Oh god, this is slowly quickly becoming one of my pet peeves. If you don't want the card, just say No. Don't give me a thesis paper over the fact that your from Uzbekistan or it's against your religion (yes, I got that reason once) or your only type of plastic you'll take is some soy-based one.