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Lawguy's avatar

I am remembering an old Bloom County Cartoon where Opus gets mad at a service rep on the phone, I think airline, and hangs up and calls another. The same voice answers and says something like: "Ha we've bought them too." So plus change.................?

Am I too nihilistic or just too old?

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Darren Madigan's avatar

There is another very real factor in shitty customer service, though - customer entitlement. Most people genuinely believe it's okay to bully and traumatize the poor asshole they finally get on the line. They think that's their absolute right, as a customer.

I'm here to tell you, having worked at many call centers - there's always a grey area. There's always a sweet spot between what I can do and what I am required to do. There's always a place where I can decide "yeah you're cool I'm going to really lean in and get you taken care of". Or, alternatively, where I can decide you're a garbage person and I quote the standard script at you until you get off my phone. (I personally would never deliberately hang up on you or transfer you to Wales, but accidents can happen.). Customers don't want to hear it and I'd never say it out loud at work, but callers have much more control over the kind of service experience they have than they want to admit or take responsibility for. Speak to me pleasantly and with respect and you will be astonished what I can do for you. Start out screaming "YOU FINALLY FUCKING ANSWERED THE PHONE WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE" and you're gonna have a bad call. Also, heavy sighs and phrases like "well is there anyone else there who knows how to do your job" are going to get you sent to someone's voicemail, too. Be nice. We're people too, and you hacked your way through that nightmare phone tree because you need us.

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