EVERYONE in customer service needs to read this!

[Lyger]

...

How unbelievably asinine. I bet we're going to be flooded with horror stories before this day is through. Why, CNN? I trusted you!

[Witch of Endor]

The CBC ran an article on its website last week about how to get what you want from the businesses you deal with. But they emphasised repeatedly to never, ever lose your cool or get abusive. It makes you look unreasonable and less respectable in the eyes of anyone you're trying to convince, and the front-line people rarely have no power to make the decision you're asking for anyways.

[RentalRacer]

Missed it?

From the link I see they posted that on Thursday 2/22 about the upcoming Friday show. Is it safe to assume that they meant Friday 2/23?

Even if thats the case, it was still a sucky thing to spring on us.

[Banrion]

CNN is launching Fight Back Friday, encouraging viewers to do whatever it takes to fight the "evil" companies out there and not take "No" for an answer. Whether disputing a bill, wanting something free, or whatever it is they think they are entitled to, the article advises people to "talk to as many people as you can until you get someone who sounds like they are willing to help you."

I read the article, but I am failing to see where it tells anyone to be unreasonable, demanding and entitled. The things the article addresses are things that are major points of fraud and scams. It does not say anywhere to be an ass hat, and does not advise consumers to demand things that they don't deserve. And the word "FREE" is not even used in the article, so I really don't know where the "wanting something free" bit comes from.

As far as the calling back thing goes, if I get someone on the line who is showing a blatant disinterest in helping me you are damn right I am going to hang up and call back. I worked in a call center for 3 years and just like anywhere you have the good reps and the bad. I was frequently the one picking up the pieces of a lazy co-irker, because someone got a hint and called back instead of letting the lazy one make a bigger mess.

[Jewels]

You know, I think I saw the story on friday. They basically gave ways to get out of a contract with your cell phone without being charged an arm and a leg.

[NightAngel]

Well, good thing that it's over and we all survived, eh?

The article was posted Thursday the 22nd of February.

The article really isn't that bad you know. It even tells the consumers to be polite in one spot. It says "ask" not "demand" and it deals mostly with cel phone contracts and how not to get scammed by someone you hire to do contract construction.

[greensinestro]

Doesn't something like this just fuel the fire already burning in most customer's bodies? Won't this encourage people that it's all right to be nasty, rude, ugly, and downright irrational just because you're being billed for something that you always had to pay for?

Wouldn't this be like encouraging people to go out and burn down a nearby forest just so we can see how dangerous it is to play with matches? Or how about proving a nuclear plant is dangerous by going out and causing a nuclear meltdown yourself?

Come on!

[Boozy]

It's not gonna be that bad, guys.
The series has likely been inspired by recent stories about certain communications conglomerates - "Comcast tech falls asleep on client's couch", "Guy tries in vain to cancel AOL", and my personal favourite, "Verizon doesn't know the difference between cents and dollars." These are all stories involving sucky employees, suckier management, and corporations that have simply gotten too big for their britches.
I can't see CNN viewership being interested in a story about someone getting "screwed" out of their free can of soup because their coupon expired. I suspect there will be some valid complaints.
I understand that you can't stop truly sucky customers from tuning in and picking up pointers...but I've never been one to blame the media for bad personal behaviour.

[ShortTemperHatesStupidity]

I do think that although this article targets specific industries, that this inevitably will trickle down to the unsuspecting and unprepared industries as well. I agree that it will make some SC's feel entitled to be SC's... unfortunately.

So here's what I wrote to them:

"How can you be so irresponsible as to advertise "Fight back Fridays"? Don't you know that there are plenty of nasty, rude, "entitled" customers who make the lives of retail/CSR/public service employees hell every day? It's one thing to say that yes, if there is legitimate wrong-doing to escalate it, but to suggest that all customers are being wronged and should fight back is simply irresponsible journalism. Perhaps you should do a piece on all the guff we take as public service employees?"

[Kara]

Hmm, the article turns out to be perfectly reasonable and not quite as bad as what we were told this morning. Odd they waited until Monday to let us know about it. Oh well, efficiency of management is a complaint for another board.

I suppose the big concern will be the morons who interperete calling in about their "billing issue" to mean "any charge you don't feel like paying" rather than something that is legitimately wrong with your bill and no one will take you seriously (hey, I work with 700 people just in this one call center and stupidity happens).

I remember a few months back some big news channels in California were running a story on how to get out of a contract (for legit reasons like moving to an area of no coverage or changes to your service that you don't agree with) and people totally missed the point of it. One guy asked me what happens if he moved to an area of no coverage. I asked him where he was moving and I'd check the coverage, and he wanted me to tell him where we don't have service and that was where he was moving. Too bad for him he needed to provide proof of residence

It's kind of like the California Bill of Rights for wireless phone users. If a California customer disputes any charge at all, and they don't accept our explanation of the charge, we are legally required to forward the dispute to a supervisor for further research. We thought this was going to be a nightmare, but all that ended up happening is we email a sup, then they call the customer back the next day and tell them the charge is valid and they still don't get a credit.

I guess the egg is on my face for starting a needless fire. But in my defense the company left out a few minor details that would have been handy to know. I did a search of cnn.com and found nothing at all about the story, and since our info said they were "going to" run the story, I figured it hadn't happened yet.

Not that I won't jump at a moment's notice if war ever does break out between customers and customer service

[BookstoreEscapee]

Should have reminded her of the white people who gave their lives to get her ancestors OUT of slavery...and my great grandparents came from Sicily 100 or so years ago...I don't think they were involved in the whole slavery thing....just a thought.

[greensinestro]

CNN and the rest of the media causing an uproar? I find that shocking. You know, I worked with a lady who was African American and hated anyone and everyone that had white skin. I'll never forget the lady who asked her why she hated white people so much. It was because white people enslaved her ancestors. And, the following question was, "Were you alive 150 or so years ago and have emotional scars from that? I think not!" And, it shut her up at least in the office, although she still hated anyone that was white.

So, why does Al Sharpton care that his ancestors were slaves to ancestors of Strom Thurmond? Is he going to dig up Thurmond's corpse and beat it to death? Was Al Sharpton alive during the Civil War and is carrying around the emotional scars of that era? It's a way to have the camera on your for thirty seconds.

Just like the question of why 18 lawyers need to be present for the disposition of Anne Nicole Smith's body. Does it take this many for one to get a divorce?

[greensinestro]

Should have reminded her of the white people who gave their lives to get her ancestors OUT of slavery...and my great grandparents came from Sicily 100 or so years ago...I don't think they were involved in the whole slavery thing....just a thought.

Sorry, I deleted my post by mistake.

I watch what I say at work and anywhere, particularly when it comes to this issue. When this other lady said this to her, it was a safer thing for her to do it than for a white person to do.

But, you're right. Abe Lincoln was against slavery, and he was white.

[Format C]

I read the article and I will have to side with CNN on that. They are giving reasonable suggestions in the article.

[Lace Neil Singer]

However, since when have genuine SCs cared about reasonable suggestions? They will see what they want to see.