Call To Customer Service Nightmare
I got an email message today from my cell phone company, giving me my current balance, etc, etc...and long story short, somehow the idiot who sold me my new Razr over the Christmas holidays...added a new line to my account, making my total balance much higher than usual.
Needless to say, I was angry...not only because of the hassle of such a predicament, but because now I was forced to call customer service to remedy the problem.
The first thing (after 10 minutes of needless menu choices..."Press one if you're feeling happy today." Just kidding) the customer service rep wants me to do is to verify my account information...asking me for my last 4 SSN and my cell phone number. Both numbers, unfortunately for me, begin with the number 7, which is one of my problem numbers since it begins with an "S".
For the phone number, I began with the numbers after the area code...hoping I'd be able to toss in the area code as an afterthought after saying the rest of the numbers. Sometimes I can trick myself into being fluent that way.
Didn't work.
She asked me three times for the area code. When I finally got it out...she said I had to give her the number all over again. I was so frustrated, all I could do was laugh...and then I started over.
Verifying my last four of my SSN was also a problem, so instead of giving the last four, I gave her the entire number. She seemed annoyed at my inability to follow directions.
I think I also alarmed her with my hesitations, because she had me verify some other information before allowing me to address why I had called or giving me any information about my account. by this time, I was annoyed enough that I could speak pretty fluently for the rest of the conversation, even though, over all, I was less fluent than I normally am.
Damn, I wish these company's would invest in having 9-5pm LIVE CHAT services on their site. It's much easier and less intrusive on your day than a phone call. AND it caters to people with speed impediments.
5 comments:
Yes, that's the worst when the Customer Service Reps seem skeptical that it's really me because I hesitate or use a bunch of "ums" to get out the information.
At least you got to press the buttons on the menu. Our cable company has switched to voice selection only, so you have to say not just a number but a phrase like "bills and payments" or "repair." The number of times I've heard the system say "I'm sorry. I don't understand" is ridiculous.
And it wasn't until a few months ago when I heard my husband call information (411) and get the automated system to actually find a number for him that I realized the automated system works. I always end up being transferred to a live operator.
Sorry to go on, but the phone is my biggest problem.
I hope they sorted out your account after all that.
Best wishes,
Sophie
Yeah, that "I'm sorry, I didn't understand you," is very annoying. We should contact the ACLU! Yes, the phone is the worst. Recently, my son had to have a hair appointment for a photo shoot coming up...and he told ME to call the place. He KNOWS that making cold calls is the worst, so I get annoyed when he asks. Calling his school is the worst, because the attendance lady is already very rude...I actually went in and had a conference with the asst. principal over her. Got results, too.
Hi. My name is Randy - 27 - and a stutterer.
I can relate to those experiences no doubt. Very frustrating. So much so that I sometimes just have my wife speak to these people as she is not only fluent but extremely gifted in communication. I don't want that to happen all the time but when I know its going to problem I let her do the talking. Anyways sometimes when making these customer service calls they say,"Your call will be recorded to ensure the quality...". So when the employee picks up I usually say,"So this call will be recorded for quality assurance"? and They say, "yes". It puts them in a position where they have to treat you with respect or they could lose their job.
I have a severe stutter, and when I need to make a call (and before I start the conversation/inquiry), I tell the person on the other end of the line "I'm speech-impaired, and take longer to talk." Works every time, and I'd recommend this because it saves me from so much potential hassle, disrespect, and misunderstanding.
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