But sir, how do I know you're the customer and not someone else?

[greensinestro]

Working in a call center, I love the customers who won't provide any pertinent information to look up an account, yet these are the same people who bitch about the fact that someone else may have called in and was given information on their account without someone verifying it first!

Well, this is what customers wanted, so own up to it.

[MadonnaC]

We have just been told we have to verify all the information first - and yes, they moan when we ask them to verify.

Look, I know it's only info about a washer, but would they be happy if someone gave us a phone number, and we stated all their information, even better than using reverse lookup?

[Trisnic]

The one I love the most is "but I just have a simple question"

[friendofjimmyk]

My favorite question is "Do you really need to know that" when I ask them to verify their address for me. Some will say "Well, you have it in your system!"

I KNOW! But do you know? What if you aren't you?

[greensinestro]

Yes, many people see it the way I do. Working in the phone industry, I can cite my favorite customer regarding this. This woman wanted to disconnect her phone service, but every time she called in, she refused to provide any of her information, such as the last four digits of her social or her entire address. She went through six people before getting to me, and I refused to be the one who gave in. Today, she still has the phone account active, yet now it's been shut off for non payment, plus the account is now in a collection agency's hands, all because she won't provide her information.

What gives here anyway? When she had the phone connected, she provided all of that information, so what's made her not want to provide it now? Fine, if you don't want to provide your social, that's understandable (although those are really not private at all). But when you get a hard head like this who won't even verify her address, that's where the problem comes in.

As I said before, this is what customers wanted, and now they hate what they demanded. "You can't have your cake and eat it, too" as the phrase goes. Or, as the Unabomber once said, which cost him his freedom, "You can eat your cake and have it, too."

[greensinestro]

The one I love the most is "but I just have a simple question"

"Okay, sir! In order to assist you, I need to verify the last four digits of your social, your year of birth, the year you got married, your blood type, and any communicable diseases you may have."

[MCSledgehammer]

I was working in a call center for a while for a cell phone company(you folks are brave, brave people.... i lasted about a month), and this guy wanted me to take down his email address and send him some info about plans. From my home. The following ensues:
Me:
D: Dude with a serious social skill deficit

Me: I'm sorry sir, I cannot take your email address home with me. All of our plans are detailed on our website.
D: Well, why not? That's the kind of customer service I expect!
Me: First and foremost, because it's illegal.
D: You just know all the laws, don't you missy?? (*Kill Mode Activated*) Do you know WHY that law is in place? *being patronizing as all get-out*
Me: It's to keep me from taking home your phone number, address, credit card number, bank account information, social security number and family member's names. All of which i have on the screen in front of me. (Not ALL of that information was there, some of it was embellishment, but a disturbing portion of that list is the dead truth... Good thing for him I'm an honest soul.)
D: .......
Me: Anything else I can assist you with today, sir?

This was about the time I realized I needed to find a new job. I guess I can see why customers might not want all that info out there, but you gotta trust somebody sometime...

[Primer]

If I initialize the phone call, heck yes, I expect to have to give out some information. What burns me are the ones that call ME and want ME to verify MY information! No, I don't think so.

If you call me, you had darned well better be able to tell me, correctly, who you think you're calling, because I am not volunteering that info!

[Spiffy McMoron]

My personal favorite is when people want to special order something in, and then wonder when I need a name or a phone number! You kinda wonder if they've ever been a victim of credit card fraud...

[Imogene]

Used to love the morons who'd call into Chesterfield, ask me about a particular movie, and, when I said "We have none in stock, but we can order it for you..."
They'd launch into their credit card number like they had it memorized. I'd have to stop them, and add, "... if you come into the store..."

These would be the same people who would rigorously scratch out all but the last four digits of their credit card number on our signature slip as well. I just know it. Listen, either you want your credit card info safe from me or you don't. Either way, I am NOT going to risk a job I'd worked at 5 years for what would've only been a mindless joy spree from a credit card tha wasn't mine, and I had no info on...

[greensinestro]

Follow up to this one....I had a woman who called in, the account was not under her name, yet she insisted and demanded I provide the username and password for our on line bill pay service. It didn't matter what I told her, such as how this was for security issues and that the treatment being provided would be the same if it was her account and some unauthorized person was calling for her private information.

After this lady went through four more reps, she finally gave it and put the actual account holder on the phone to get this information. But, what really got me was in the notes, it turned out we have over and over told this "roommate" of this customer that we cannot share private information if she is not authorized on the account, plus it was later shown that the actual account holder requested that we not provide any information or make changes for the roommate.

Makes you wonder why these people live together, doesn't it?

[Enjis]

When my roommate married and moved out, I wanted to have all of our utility info moved to my name instead of hers (she had opened all the electric, phone, gas accounts)
But, tho I had paid all the bills with my checks, and my name was on the title to the house, it was NOT on the accounts.
So, I had to get my friend's SS number and everything to call in, pretend I was her, and switch over everything.
It worked, but I felt SOOOOO naughty!

[Kara]

These are always fun calls.

SC: Why do you need that information?
ME: For your own protection.

SC: You have it there in front of you!
ME: You're right, I do. It's right here. I'm looking at it now. All I need for you to do is give me information I already have, and if it's the same information I'm looking at, I'd be happy to help you with _

SC: But it's my account! Why do I need to give you that?
ME: Because I don't know you personally, and I can't just let anyone calling in with your number getting into your account.
SC: But that's absurd!
ME: So if someone called in and they said they were you and that we should just take their word for it and they go in and order phones or make changes to your service, then that would be okay with you?
ME: Of course not. But you shouldn't have to ask me for my SSN when I'm the one calling.

SC: I don't ever give my SSN, to anyone.
ME: You gave it to us when you activated.
SC: No I didn't!
ME: Yes you did. If you hadn't we couldn't have run the credit check required to activate service. I don't even need the entire number, just the last 4.

SC: Let me talk to your supervisor.
ME: Sure thing. Oh, but s/he won't be able to access your account until you verify with him/her either, but I'd be happy to transfer you so s/he can tell you this.

[greensinestro]

Some utilities are easier than others. My brother's ex-girlfriend had put the electric in her name, and after she moved out, he was easily able to get it done. In fact, he did it within a couple of days being she later on had tried to disconnect it. Also, being I worked for Bellsouth, she had also tried the same thing with the phone, which was in his name, and fortunately, I had already noted on his account not to provide any info or make changes by her, at his request.

In my last posting, I had noted this because we lately are getting customers who want info on others, such as "I keep calling and it's busy, yet I KNOW FOR A FACT that they have call waiting on their phone!" These are the same customers, however, that have no idea about their own service, but always know more about someone else's.

[greensinestro]

Got another one of these today. This rude, nasty lady from Miami called to change her e-mail address and the password, and when I asked her to verify all of her account information, her response was "You have it there! Why do I need to tell you what you're seeing?" My reply was the fact that she showed to be calling from a different telephone number, plus it was for her own security.

There was a good reason this woman would not verify her account. She was about to have her service shut off anyhow, as what happens each and every month, for not paying the bill. The way she was acting, I really wanted to do it right then and there, but I held my ground.