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I answered the phone at the Yeshiva where i work, i answered pleasantly and business like, the caller did not greet me and started complaing about something vociferously, whatever the issue was i am not the cause of the problem i am just picking up the phone as a plain ole underpaid Yeshiva worker.
Please dont project on me the anger (wether justified or not) that you have with my orginization, I have done nothing to you if you have an issue with the administration say so and i will forward the call to the higher ups.
I solved this mans issue with nary a thank you (it was really a very minor thing) and i told him in the future when he calls to act civilly towards me.I’ve had many experiences like this in the past and it is really very unsettling.
thanks for venting. the customer service telephone line i answer, we get the exact same as you described. it services the general public and is not religious or race specific.
I used to be “mechanech” the callers…(cheerfully,of course)
“You meant to say thank you,right?”
“Oh,I’m sorry did we just get disconnected?”(after being hung up on)
(sing-song)”What’s the magic wo-ord?”
Sadly, that’s the way it is in customer service in general.
I used to work as a customer service rep for a major electronics company. I can guarantee you that whatever went wrong with your order — the item’s broken, the wrong item was packed, the product didn’t do what the manufacturer said it does, the salesman made an error in describing the product — whatever it is — I didn’t do it. I’m here to *help you* fix the problem, and yelling at me doesn’t make me want to go “the extra mile” for you. I understand you have a legitimate complaint and that you’re upset that your order did not go as planned, but taking it out verbally on me will do you no good.
Thank heavens I no longer do that.
The Wolf
I know what u mean.. some ppl think whoever answers the phone is a nameless no one whos job is to ensure they hang up the phone happy..good for u that u told him how to speak with u..
The best way to handle rude callers is to tell them “if you need a few minutes to calm down I can put you on hold and get back to you”. No one wants to be put on hold so that should stop them in their tracks. Once they stop talking you can say, “please don’t raise your voice at me. If you can calmly tell me what your issue is, I will understand you better and help figure out how to help you or to whom I should forward this call.
I think putting an agitated person on hold is useless,unless they are about to do 5 mts. of yoga.
JUST LISTEN for a minute or two!!
Then,AFTER they’ve diffused some of that steam….
I’m sorry about that.Let’s see how I can help you here…hmmm.
Whatever you do,try not to make them repeat their story 3 or 4 times–it won’t help them calm down.
FWIW, I’ve always found that Eclipse’s advice worked best. When you see that they’re determined to rant and yell, let them blow off the steam and just don’t take it personally.
Absolutely do not give mussar — especially if they have a legitimate grievance (even if it’s not against you personally). Your job as a CSR is to fix your customer’s problem, not lecture them about the proper way to call a call center (although there have been plenty of times that I was sorely tempted to).
The Wolf
Eclipse, the only problem with allowing the other party to vent a minute or two is that if you are doing that all day, you feel like a shmatta after an hour or two of work and you don’t want to continue. A person needs to either have the patience of a malach or learn some helpful tools to take control of these bad situations.
eclipse & aries
I like both of your approaches.
When I am that agitated and call Customer Service, I immediately tell the rep the following: I apologize in advance, because I am very upset, and I KNOW that my complaint has nothing whatsoever to do with you and is not your fault. But I am really angry about X,Y, and Z, and you are the one answering the phone
I want to give you an unusual example OF SUPERB SERVICE.
Many years ago,I wanted to get a headstart on all the Rosh Hashana,Yom Kippur,Sukkos cooking.So I ordered the meat and chicken I would need.Keep in mind a sizeable family,ba”h,with a chance of siblings.
It wasn’t often I was “permitted” to possess the Food Stamp Card to shop properly,but on this sunny day,hurray!,he trusted me.
Or so I thought.
Now I was always careful to QUICKLY unpack all the groceries and put them away BEFORE he came home,so he wouldn’t criticize each item and YES,make me RETURN things,etc.
Well,the meat order was supposed to come bright and early in the morning….instead it arrived right before he did.
Needless to say,there was an explosion!
To hear more,tell me you wanna hear the rest!
When I am agitated, I call customer service and yell at them. I always feel better after I hang up. Once in a while I call random yeshiva offices. Today I called a yeshiva to yell. The guy who answered was very nice and it felt good after I finished yelling at him. I don’t even know which yeshiva it was, I just call random ones.
It’s not more L.H.–it’s loshon tov.
After being told I overspent and that we were “going to be eating pareve from now on”,I called the butcher shop–
AND HERE IS MY POINT—
I was in an extremely agitated state of mind at that point.I was neither talking calmly,nor serenely.
“You brought the order late!It’s all warm and drippy!How can I use it?”
Do you know what the wise butcher said to me?
A LESSON FOR EVERYONE.
“Mrs…..,you are usually so pleasant and polite.If you are this upset,don’t worry,bring back the ENTIRE order,and we will give you full credit”.
The Goq – You have to understand that they are not in any way yelling at *YOU* personally, rather they are for whatever reason, upset at the place or person you are representing! Do you agree that they have the right to yell at the person that has faulted them? You are just *In Place* of that person, don’t take it personal, thats what you were hired for!
He listened to the words,to the tone,and used a little seichel.
I have often wanted to thank him for a kindness that saved my sanity and from being further abused that day.
I am thanking him now.
Good luck following parallel conversations!:)
eclipse
Thanks for that line.
btw Rabbi Miller sais these high-paid $200/hour cheery-smiley-voice of sales reps or whatever are there for a reason. We have alot to learn from them. Just, we’re paid from Someone Else!
what line?I said a whole megila which scared everyone away!
Aries,you and I used to agree on everything,remember?
Funny how it’s behind you,but it also follws you around!
It must be your cold and my bronchitis. Lets get better on all counts.
eclipse:
The main line – “Mrs…..,you are usually so pleasant and polite.If you are this upset,don’t worry,”…
Ah! Abuse. Part and parcel of the world we live in. Try being a student in a medical center. You get abused from both sides. Sometime you get abused from the people on top of you and sometimes from the patients. Did I tell everyone yet that your local hospital isn’t your 5 star hotel? Phone and TV service are extra.
aries2756 –
“The best way to handle rude callers is to tell them “if you need a few minutes to calm down I can put you on hold and get back to you”. No one wants to be put on hold so that should stop them in their tracks. Once they stop talking you can say, “please don’t raise your voice at me. If you can calmly tell me what your issue is, I will understand you better and help figure out how to help you or to whom I should forward this call.”
I don’t know if your advice is good for customer service, but I think it’s great advice for someone who has an abusive spouse, either man or women.
You remind me of the time when I was on the receiving end of this type of abuse. I was called by my then-boss and royally reamed out for about ten minutes before I could get in a word edgewise. First of all, the verbal abuse to which I was subjected, was not for any wrongdoing or incompetence on my part. I had been given specific instructions on how to handle a certain situation, followed them to the letter, and the boss forgot that he had instituted a new policy, the one which I was following correctly.
Finally, I got the opportunity to speak, and told him calmly, “I am terribly sorry that you feel so upset, but you have no right to verbally abuse me at any time, but especially on my day off (did I mention it was my day off and he was bothering me at home?), and even more especially, regarding a policy change that you youself instituted. When you feel you can speak to me with the simple common courtesy that I have always shown to you, please feel free to call me back.” And I hung up. He called me back ten minutes later, ABJECTLY apologetic, having realized that I was correct, and that he could have caused me to quit the job (which at that time would have been disastrous for him, and he knew it).
Health,what if you come in using their “retort” as YOUR OPENER?
Example:
Patient:One minute,John,I think the janitor is here,hold on.(points to you)My trash can’s overflowing ag–
Intern “Health”:(big smile)Hello,Ms.Kubakhazibokov,and how are you enjoying your stay in our lovely 5 star hotel?
Patient:(sits up a little straighter)Oh…fine.I didn’t get the food I picked from the menu-
Intern “Health”:I’ll tell you how to fix that in a minute.Now would you like 5 star phone service for 5 dollars a day?Or…
Patient:5 dollars????!!
Intern “Health”:(continue smoothly)Or…2 star service,which is free,but basically means the phone will not ring,anddd…(huge smile)if anyone wants to call you?Well,they will need to send you a postcard instead.
eclipse – They do charge for phone service; someone might say I misled them about prices. Oh, I do know how to answer back, but can’t be anything even remotely sarcastic because they will complain. Just look how many people Complained in the CR under the title “Good experiences in the Hospital”.
Do you think I would have stood a chance of passing from my superiors? I would have been chucked so fast, before I could even say “Jack Rabbit”. I once, during a JOB I had, not saying what, I came into a nursing home and the nurse said “the pt. hemorrhaged & died”. I said- out of disbelief -“What! The guy died from a little bleed?” She called the company. They called me into a meeting -they wanted to fire me. They didn’t want to hear that it was a shock reaction, not sarcasm. Anyway, they didn’t fire me, but put me on probation.
the goq – Are you dissagreeing with me that you were not hired to direct the callers?
a client cursed at me yesterday because i told him i wouldnt have his information ready when he needed it….should I have hung up on him?? I was unsure about what to do so I just ignored him and remained calm while he went on one of his ramapage rants, what do you think I shouldve done??
ps this client has been inappropriate with me in the past and i have told my boss but she doesnt know how to deal with him, i made it very clear where the lines are drawn but now hes turned the other way and is mean rude and obnoxious.
cshapiro-i dont know the right way to deal with a client in business.. but i feel like screaming: u should absolutely NOT have to tolerate that kind of behavior!! not ever!! hang up that phone!!!!!!
Health,sorry no help,but I had fun writing my little play anyway!Wow,probation!So howcome soooo many docs still have horrible bedside manners?
cshapiro,I once had the same question as you re:that gender either “loving” you or “hating” you–it was explained to me.
Simply put:Once spurned,it can literally go 360degrees the other way–fast.
CS is being nice to clients and resolving, not being a mechanech. It is understood when they are upset at the company, they call the company, and you represent the company, so being yelled at is a part of the package. Your job is to be pleasant, LISTEN, apologize for the issue and calmly try to help. If being nice is too much for you, if you take it personal, if you feel you DO NOT represent the company, the job is not for you.
CS is restoring client trust in company – How would you do it? certainly not by a chinuch approach…
oh i def dont take it personally in fact i think its helped me build character. hes just one of those clients u can never please, ur always wrong and hes always rite!!!!
Never hang up. Its wrong.
In business, its a good way to lose your job. You want customers to treat you well? maybe at the Airlines Club at the Airport. Other jobs, typically, clients approach can really range.
you will always meet bosses who are unreasonable, clients who are unreasonable. Survive. with grace is even better!
Certainly a charachter builder, aka as “middos”.
When I am that agitated and call Customer Service, I immediately tell the rep the following: I apologize in advance, because I am very upset, and I KNOW that my complaint has nothing whatsoever to do with you and is not your fault. But I am really angry about X,Y, and Z, and you are the one answering the phone
Oomis, I think we are twins separated at birth. I do the same thing. 🙂
haifagirl, Oomis… triplets… I do the same 🙂
haifagirl
Member
When I am that agitated and call Customer Service, I immediately tell the rep the following: I apologize in advance, because I am very upset, and I KNOW that my complaint has nothing whatsoever to do with you and is not your fault. But I am really angry about X,Y, and Z, and you are the one answering the phone
Oomis, I think we are twins separated at birth. I do the same thing. 🙂
Posted 1 hour ago #
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always here
Member
haifagirl, Oomis… triplets… I do the same 🙂
I’m trying to understand this; how does apologizing in advance excuse rude, obnoxious behavior?
Daas Yochid~ I do not indulge in “rude, obnoxious behavior”. first I explain I know it’s not the person to whom I’m speaking’s fault… then I give them the reason for my call. I try to speak with a smile on my face, & sometimes throw in light-hearted comments cuz I know whatever the problem is, it’s still not the fault of whoever answered the phone. but obviously, I have to get my point across to address the situation. one can be upset, but certainly not uncivil & rude.
I too catch myself and apologize for being so frustrated and angry and say ” I don’t mean to yell at you I am just so upset, I know it is not your fault but…… can you help me out?”
As far as the rude client is concerned the only way to deal with him is to tell him “excuse me, please understand that yelling at me and abusing me is still not going to make this happen any sooner. If I could miraculously have it ready for you sooner believe me being rude to me would not be the best way to make that happen. And if you continue to yell at me you will leave me with only two options one to put you on hold for a few minutes to allow you to calm down and regain your civility or two to consider this conversation over and hang up.”
That would be like throwing a bucket of cold water in his face.
Many years ago I worked for an accounting office in Boro Park. This one client called in and started to throw his weight around. He wanted to talk to the boss and I politely asked who he was. He blew up and started yelling at me, you don’t know who I am? I am so and so and how do you not know who I am, I am your most important client, on and on and on. When he finally calmed down I said “Well Mr. “X”, you might be the most important client and you might be a client here for 10 years, but I just started here last week and I have yet to learn all the clients so do you really expect me to know who everyone is already?” That humbled him in zero to 60. He was so apologetic, after that each time he called he introduced himself and asked how I was doing.
eclipse – “Wow,probation!So howcome soooo many docs still have horrible bedside manners?”
They have bad manners because they have been abused and are burnt out. Ya’know it’s like the guy/gal who was abused as a child and then they repeat the same thing to their children. Even though I’ve been abused, I try to make it a point not to abuse others.
The buck stops here!
The Goq – Yes you are right, you do not deserve to get yelled at. However the callers are not yelling at you, and therefor I would not consider it that you are getting *abused*. When the caller is yelling it is not at you, and you should not take it personally, they are merely yelling at the person you stand for! If the person you work for faulted the customer calling in, the customer has all rights in being upset at the person tha faulted them, thus being they are just giving you the message to pass on to the higher ranks!l
I do not indulge in “rude, obnoxious behavior”.
I’m glad to hear it; sorry if I misunderstood you.
Daas Yochid~ it’s all good 🙂 .. another expression for the ‘teenage words’ thread?, lol
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