You need to do something about that TV station! They're not showing it my way!

[greensinestro]

Cable and satelite TV is the worst thing to be working in anymore. As I've stated in an early post, people are more upset when it comes to being without their television than without their phone service. However, when a TV network does not show something the way the customer wants, the TV call centers are the first ones to receive the complaints.

We had a guy in Hobe Sound, FL who called in almost every day about his high definition TV. Although he would tune in the HD channels, the shows themselves are not in HD unless the program advertises it. Well, every time this man tuned in to the HD channels and saw normal TV, he would call in demanding we fix that for him. The notes always showed the same thing, that the program is in HD if the station advertises it, and that just because you're on an HD station does not guarantee HD programming is what will air. I'm sure he's still alive today doing this.

Or, how about the ones that file a complaint because the football game they were expecting is either blacked out, or the tennis match they were supposed to watch shows basketball instead? Oh, I hated these calls. It got so ridiculous that customers would actually call us when the President of the United States would barge in during a broadcast of their show, wanting us to get rid of him! Come on!

What's amazing is that these people don't give up after one time. They continually do it over and over again. Don't they use common sense?

[BlakeMP]

Don't they use common sense?

Sadly, no.

[Worker-Intellectual]

Oh, I hated these calls. It got so ridiculous that customers would actually call us when the President of the United States would barge in during a broadcast of their show, wanting us to get rid of him! Come on!

Well, to be fair, at this point, a lot of people want to get rid of him...

[Tria]

Well, to be fair, at this point, a lot of people want to get rid of him...

Hey, stop reading my mind!

[pbmods]

You could have some fun with these customers.

Me - "Well, sir, the reason why the show you don't like is airing is because you buy the wrong products."
SC - "Huh?"
Me - "It's quite simple. You see, television is funded by advertising, and the type of show that airs depends on the demographics of the expected audience. Since advertisers are going to be the most interested in this information, it follows that if advertisers don't expect you to buy the products they advertise when your show is on, then they just won't air your show. So, if you want your favorite shows on, you need to find out what products are being advertised during those shows, and then buy those products in massive quantities."
SC - "Oh."
Me - "And don't forget; your cable box works best when underwater."

[BlakeMP]

LMAO -- Ah, and you just KNOW it would work on some of 'em, that's the best part.

[DesignFox]

That's ok. Send 'em to the malls to consumer whore it up... I like being employed

[jb17kx]

pbmod's comment about the underwater box reminded me of a Scott Adams/Dilbert tip on tech support:

Basically he said that you can give somebody the most outrageous advice if you phrase it as a question.
I.E.: "Have you tried immersing it in vinegar?"
"Would it work if you held a large magnet near it?"
That way, they still think it is valid advice, but you can cover yourself later by saying that your were only musing/asking if they had and thus caused problems.

[Will-Mun]

Don't they use common sense?

You frequent this site and still ask this question?


This is bizzare, really. This is like being pissed off at a web site, and calling your ISP. How could someone really think that the cable/satelite PROVIDER is responsable for the NETWORK broadcasts? You don't like Bush showing up on your TV? (Honestly I just change the channel when that moron shows up), then call Ted Turner, not a poor CSR.



.....Hm. Scratch my comment, I'm sure people who find Web Sites that bother them DO call their ISP and complain.

[friendofjimmyk]

Don't they use common sense?

You're kidding, right?

I've been thinking that when you have a customer service environment, call center or service desk, customers need to take some kind of quick survey that would indicate the level of common sense they posses. Then there would be different places for them to go where they would best be served.

[greensinestro]

You frequent this site and still ask this question?


This is bizzare, really. This is like being pissed off at a web site, and calling your ISP. How could someone really think that the cable/satelite PROVIDER is responsable for the NETWORK broadcasts? You don't like Bush showing up on your TV? (Honestly I just change the channel when that moron shows up), then call Ted Turner, not a poor CSR.



.....Hm. Scratch my comment, I'm sure people who find Web Sites that bother them DO call their ISP and complain.

I work in technical support, so I know what you're saying on this subject. I had a man yesterday with that issue. He could access anything he wanted, but could not access E-Bay, so I dealt with his wrath. "I'm losing tons of business because you people can't fix that site!" Yes, sir. I'm the one who did this to you. And, yes, I personally host E-Bay's website and decided to close it down to piss you off.

[ShockQueen]

"I'm losing tons of business because you people can't fix that site!" Yes, sir. I'm the one who did this to you. And, yes, I personally host E-Bay's website and decided to close it down to piss you off.

Oh, don't EVEN get me started on this one. I so can't stand these EC's that pay for a residential service, yet expect all the perks of a commercial one. Just a bunch of cheapies that don't want to pay for it, yet bellyache every time some little thing goes wrong.

Oh, and can we get the manufacturers to install breathalizer equipment into the new line of cable modems? As soon as you're too tipsy, it disables itself.

[TNT]

Oh, and can we get the manufacturers to install breathalizer equipment into the new line of cable modems? As soon as you're too tipsy, it disables itself.

I'd be out of a job if that happened.

Edit: Actually, I'd be busier than ever... when the cable modems are disabled... they'll be calling me in all their drunken glory.

[greensinestro]

Update to this one

Forgot to mention the people who would call in pissed off that the football game they're showing is blacked out, and we're talking those who were having parties at the house. I had a lady once who called, told me everything they did in the house to get ready for this party, then was mad because we couldn't get the game on the air for her. It was as if the cable companies control this type of thing. If it is opted to black out the game, it's not under the control of your cable provider. I can't imagine what this lady did next being I shortly afterward quit working at Adelphia. She probably demanded a credit toward her bill to compensate on all the party supplies.

[ShortTemperHatesStupidity]

I've been thinking that when you have a customer service environment, call center or service desk, customers need to take some kind of quick survey that would indicate the level of common sense they posses. Then there would be different places for them to go where they would best be served.

OOOoOOOoooooOohhh I like that idea. Do it like a teleprompter to weed out the stupids:

"Welcome to company XYZ telephone service. In order to assist you, we have a few questions we'll need you to answer.
If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you?
Press 1 for yes and 2 for no..."