People Who Bully Call Centre Employees

  • Thread starter Thread starter Phil Waters
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It's almost certain that it wasn't Vodafone who called you. The calling companies are almost always independent companies licensed to sell the supplier's products and services. They will have obtained your number in a variety of ways, not necessarily from your mobile phone service supplier. Many of them are based overseas to get round any restriction you may have placed on receiving cold calls.
 
Originally posted by gamla_stan@Aug 16 2006, 06:59 PM
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Unless you're trying to place an antepost double on Japanese horses for middle distance group one races Warbler! :lol: [/quote]
At least your lot took the bet. Ladbrokes didn't. In fact I'm still waiting for an account card and statement from the magic sign 6 months after having agreed with myself to consider betting with them again
 
I always apologise before starting a rant, i explain that I know that it is not their fault but as a representative of the company they will be the target of my ire.
I am amazed at the number of people who demand to speak to the manager. I am a manager of a retail store and 95% of the times that a customer wants to speak to me it is an incredibly minor complaint such as the one I had today :-

Them - "do you have a clean ashtray please, this one is dirty"
Me - "sorry, all of the others are being used"
Them - "well that is disgraceful, I'm not using a ditry ashtray!"

Let me at this point say that there were no fag butts in the ashtray, just a few remnants of ash.

I just wanted to say, "you are going to put dirty and disgusting cigarette remnants in it, why does it have to be clean????"

Is this really any reason to complain to the manager?
 
Originally posted by Desert Orchid@Aug 16 2006, 06:46 PM
Wouldn't an explanation of the seriousness of the situation (to the sales agent) caused by his/her ill-considered action and asking them to put themselves in the customer's (and installer's) shoes (but not at the same time, obviously), and asking them to go over how they should react in future not help both the employee and the employers in this instance?
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Speaking from experience of ntl, no, it wouldn't help. The sales agent would continually repeat the same error because they don't want to tell someone they can't have something or because they can't be bothered or for some other equally invalid reason.

In fact, my girlfriend has been employed by a contractor of ntl, specifically to pass back errors such as this (where the lack of space hasn't been noticed by fuckwits), amongst others. Her frustration at the lack of response from agents, salesmen, agents and salesmens managers and managers of managers is immense.

ntl are a shower of fuds.
 
I've just had to add a call barring service for any 'private' / 'witheld' numbers because I have been bombarded with unwanted sales calls these past few weeks - during the evenings and weekends as well as normal office hours. It's reduced a few but those companies using non-BT lines and overseas call centres can still get through.

They're easy to spot, though, as there's always a 2 - 3 second delay after I answer the phone as the call connects, so I now simply put the phone down. I find these calls invasive, time-wasting and if I could find a way to ban them all, I would!
 
I often say, 'Can you hold on a minute, please?', put the receiver down and walk away for a few moments. The line is usually dead within about 30 seconds.
 
:lol: Nice. I might try out that one, but say "Your call is important to me. Both my hands are busy at the moment, so please hold the line while I make myself a cup of tea and a ham sandwich."

Songs: I put call barring on a couple of years ago, and for Mum when she lived in her flat. The worst of it for elderly people is struggling to get to the phone when they're bad enough on their pins, then finding it's an empty line or someone trying to sell them cut-price kitchens. It's worked really well, but I'm also ex-directory and have the free and the paid telephone preferences services on board, too! If anyone gets through, it's a bleedin' miracle!
 
Speaking of Vodafone, I phoned them up to tell them I wanted to change my mobile from contract to pay as you go. Helpful lady in customer services told me I would have to give 30 days writing in notice and gave me the correct dept, the address etc. I sent off the letter on the Tuesday. Wednesday lunchtime, I get a call from the " do not let that customer leave under any circumstances" dept. The guy kicks off by telling me he used to work in the Liver building on the Mersey. He throws in a few attempts at jokes ie. he was a liver bloke and not a liver bird. Proceeds to attempt a crappy scouse accent ( sorry Paul, but it sounded more Brummie ), and that his mate who lives in Bootle keeps inviting him up for a few drinks but he "doesn't fancy getting a pool cue round the head". During all if this, he is trying to make me offers to stay on contract, and no matter how many times I repeat no thanks, I just want switching to pay as you go, he insists I would be stupid to do so as he could save me money.

I eventually just hung up on him.
 
As far as im concerned, they are just people doing their job & trying to get by in life. Atleast their out their doing somethign rather than nothing! i always listen to whatthey have to say, if their selling something i ask myself if i really want it. if i dont then i politley say thanks, but no thanks. and most of the time its just surveys, & i know from previous experience that they get paid per survey. So a maximum of five minutes of my time, can ensure they meet their targets and in turn earn a living. its about give & take for me. no matter what line of work you are in everyone needs to buy & sell. trouble is 95% of the population are selfish & stupid!
 
I didn't feel that way, jft2005, when i was in the stands at Goodwood as the last few were going into the stalls for the Stewards' Cup and my phone rang. It was a Dutch based salesperson trying to persuade me to upgrade my mobile. He didn't get the caring five minutes you advocate, I'm afraid.
 
:lol: :lol: :lol: That should come under "Great Times Not to Make a Phonecall"! along with those who called during the World Cup, the Derby, the Grand National, etc.

A polite 'no, thank you' is likely to have no effect at all on telephone sales people. In the end, you put aside social niceties and cut them off. I don't consider it rude in putting the phone down on callers, any more than housewives used to shut the door on the persistent door-to-door salesmen of yesteryear. The modern telephone salesperson is the equivalent.
 
In answer to Brian and Jon, I'm sure had I let him carry on it was heading that way. JFT, the call had gone on for over ten minutes, and I must have said no thanks, just change to pay as you go at least a half dozen times.
 
i was referring to phone call son my home telephone line, mobiles creates a different scenario. but I would have asked them to call back another time or simply not answered if i was about to watch a race!

in reference to Dave G, i have never come across a cocky one like you did. but i would expect the person to respect my wishes, if i have said no once then they persisted again i woudl have to hang up. fortunately i havnt had one of those yet!
 
I have to say the phone regulator has done a good job in Ireland. I was on a billpay mobile with Vodafone, but don't use the phone enough to justify the minimum charge. I walked into a Meteor shop and asked them to switch it to pay as you go Meteor. Five minutes later I was walking out with a new phone, same number, different service provider, different payment scheme, and all contacts lists transferred.

There is also a little calculator on the regulator's website which tells you which service provider and payment plan you should be on given your usage, if you take the time to fill it in.

A Final Bill from Vodafone arrived a couple of weeks later with a please come back letter a week afterwards. I never even had to contact them to end the service(this would be different if you were "in contract").
 
Simmo is correct in his post above regarding the sales agent. He does not to be the one who delivers bad news so he keeps silent about it.

Meanwhile, Mr Customer is awaiting his telephone line being installed....
 
Originally posted by Songsheet@Aug 17 2006, 08:00 AM
I've just had to add a call barring service for any 'private' / 'witheld' numbers because I have been bombarded with unwanted sales calls these past few weeks - during the evenings and weekends as well as normal office hours. It's reduced a few but those companies using non-BT lines and overseas call centres can still get through.

They're easy to spot, though, as there's always a 2 - 3 second delay after I answer the phone as the call connects, so I now simply put the phone down. I find these calls invasive, time-wasting and if I could find a way to ban them all, I would!
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this works for most calls, and if you do get one slip through just mention to them you are registered with TPS and watch how quick they get off the line :)

http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/
 
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