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This friday was a very slow day. Not a lot of calls, not a lot of paperwork. Who was I to complain though? It was friday, and the weekend was getting closer and closer.
Then it happened. The phone started ringing and wouldn't stop. Of course, this had to occur at 4:30, and of course, we close at 5. Great.
For the most part, it wasn't so bad. My first call was a woman who wanted new service, and couldn't make up her mind on what package she wanted. Only one package fit her price range...but it didn't include all the channels she wanted. She was stuck on getting digital (which she kept mispronouncing...she some how managed to slip a k in...digikal). Finally get her set up, and as I am finishing with her I notice that I have a new VM, another call waiting, and am handed a paper note with a phone number to call someone else.
Say it with me...arg!
Anyway, hang up with digikal lady, and there is a call backs (a call back is an option callers have, they press a certian number while waiting in queue, and the system grabs their number and will automatically dial them back once the line frees up). I press the key to get the call to dial through...and it hangs up. Ok...try again...same thing. A coworker mentioned that she was having the same problem. I clear the call back out of the system, and she goes to call the woman back the old fashioned way. I check my VM, and turns out that the woman who left it was also the woman mentioned on the note I received. This is good...right? Only one call to return, and then I will be out the door. By this time it was close to 5...maybe a few minutes. I tell my coworkers that I have to return the call, because the woman had technically called before close, and I don't want to have to call her on monday when she would be all crabby.
So I call.
And I regret it.
The woman was already crabby. She told me that she called in the morning and no one returned her call. Sorry...but it helps to call the correct line to set up new service. Pretty sure she had called the tech support group.
Anyway, so I start explaining the packages and pricing. The company that handles the programing had recently changed their prices and packaging, and wouldn't you know it, this woman had the old information. So I explain the changes, we decide on a package, and I started to get her information.
And then the fun really began.
I think I have mentioned it here before, but with our satellite packages, you need to either put the access fee on auto billing, or prepay it for one year. This rarely goes over well.
I explain her options, and ask which way would she like to go. Of course she replies with neither. Then the following occurred:
SC: Well, I don't like giving my credit card out. If I pay the money in advance, and I cancel in 6 months...then what?
ME: In that case whatever is remaining of your prepaid will cover any early cancellation fees from us.
SC: Thats not what I asked. Do I get the money back?
ME:...(grr)No, the money covers your early cancellation fees.
(By this time it was well past five, and my boss was locking up the office. When he saw me, he was shocked that I was still on the phone. By the look opn my face, he could tell that my call wasn't going well, so he sat down to listen in).
SC: So basically you guys get your money no matter what?
ME: Do you want to go with the prepaid then?
SC: Didn't you hear what I asked?! Answer my question!
ME: (Thinking...well, duh! We are a business. We need to make money to stay open. What is she...new?) Well, we use your early cancellation fees to cover the costs that we incurr when you cancel early.
SC: Well, its just a lot of money. (let me point out here that this woman lives in one of the richest areas in our community)
ME: (frustrated and wanting to go home) Well, you could always not sign the agreement, and just pay for the receiver yourself. They are $100, and you won't be locked into any time frame. However, if you do sign the agreement, you get the receiver for free, so you end up saving money in the long run.
SC: Oh, so then you get $100, plus my $130 for the year.
ME: No. When you buy the receiver you don't need to prepay or anything. We just send monthly bills.
SC: I know that. So you get my $100 and my $130.
ME: Yes, I guess if you stay on service for a year we would end up with both, but if you are planning on staying on for a year you might as well sign the agreement and save the $100.
We ran around in circles like this for the entire conversation. I finally get her set up and on the calendar. I hang up, and my boss tells me that I did good...he could tell that I had to bight my tongue more then once. That was so true...I can't count the number of times that I had to hold back from telling this woman that I was suppose to be heading home and had called and stuck around to help her...but hey...I did get some overtime out of it!
Then it happened. The phone started ringing and wouldn't stop. Of course, this had to occur at 4:30, and of course, we close at 5. Great.
For the most part, it wasn't so bad. My first call was a woman who wanted new service, and couldn't make up her mind on what package she wanted. Only one package fit her price range...but it didn't include all the channels she wanted. She was stuck on getting digital (which she kept mispronouncing...she some how managed to slip a k in...digikal). Finally get her set up, and as I am finishing with her I notice that I have a new VM, another call waiting, and am handed a paper note with a phone number to call someone else.
Say it with me...arg!
Anyway, hang up with digikal lady, and there is a call backs (a call back is an option callers have, they press a certian number while waiting in queue, and the system grabs their number and will automatically dial them back once the line frees up). I press the key to get the call to dial through...and it hangs up. Ok...try again...same thing. A coworker mentioned that she was having the same problem. I clear the call back out of the system, and she goes to call the woman back the old fashioned way. I check my VM, and turns out that the woman who left it was also the woman mentioned on the note I received. This is good...right? Only one call to return, and then I will be out the door. By this time it was close to 5...maybe a few minutes. I tell my coworkers that I have to return the call, because the woman had technically called before close, and I don't want to have to call her on monday when she would be all crabby.
So I call.
And I regret it.
The woman was already crabby. She told me that she called in the morning and no one returned her call. Sorry...but it helps to call the correct line to set up new service. Pretty sure she had called the tech support group.
Anyway, so I start explaining the packages and pricing. The company that handles the programing had recently changed their prices and packaging, and wouldn't you know it, this woman had the old information. So I explain the changes, we decide on a package, and I started to get her information.
And then the fun really began.
I think I have mentioned it here before, but with our satellite packages, you need to either put the access fee on auto billing, or prepay it for one year. This rarely goes over well.
I explain her options, and ask which way would she like to go. Of course she replies with neither. Then the following occurred:
SC: Well, I don't like giving my credit card out. If I pay the money in advance, and I cancel in 6 months...then what?
ME: In that case whatever is remaining of your prepaid will cover any early cancellation fees from us.
SC: Thats not what I asked. Do I get the money back?
ME:...(grr)No, the money covers your early cancellation fees.
(By this time it was well past five, and my boss was locking up the office. When he saw me, he was shocked that I was still on the phone. By the look opn my face, he could tell that my call wasn't going well, so he sat down to listen in).
SC: So basically you guys get your money no matter what?
ME: Do you want to go with the prepaid then?
SC: Didn't you hear what I asked?! Answer my question!
ME: (Thinking...well, duh! We are a business. We need to make money to stay open. What is she...new?) Well, we use your early cancellation fees to cover the costs that we incurr when you cancel early.
SC: Well, its just a lot of money. (let me point out here that this woman lives in one of the richest areas in our community)
ME: (frustrated and wanting to go home) Well, you could always not sign the agreement, and just pay for the receiver yourself. They are $100, and you won't be locked into any time frame. However, if you do sign the agreement, you get the receiver for free, so you end up saving money in the long run.
SC: Oh, so then you get $100, plus my $130 for the year.
ME: No. When you buy the receiver you don't need to prepay or anything. We just send monthly bills.
SC: I know that. So you get my $100 and my $130.
ME: Yes, I guess if you stay on service for a year we would end up with both, but if you are planning on staying on for a year you might as well sign the agreement and save the $100.
We ran around in circles like this for the entire conversation. I finally get her set up and on the calendar. I hang up, and my boss tells me that I did good...he could tell that I had to bight my tongue more then once. That was so true...I can't count the number of times that I had to hold back from telling this woman that I was suppose to be heading home and had called and stuck around to help her...but hey...I did get some overtime out of it!
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