Customer ... Service???

[Diggin It]

This is another one of those general rant threads y'all hate me for.

I'm getting really, really, REALLY tired of trying to get customer service. It doesn't seem to matter which company or store, or whether you call, 'chat' or try to email. It seems they all employ the same levels of useless idiots. If you manage to get somebody 'live' and lay everything out in detail for them including order or item numbers, they ask stupid, unrelated questions. If you get somebody on the phone, you have about a 1 in 4 chance of being able to understand them, regardless of where they're based.

 

[kthompson]

I sell health insurance. We do a good bit with one company who all their service people are in their home office building. We have not heard any complaints on them, rather we have customers tell us how good they are.

Know another major company who people like the product but leave it for how terrible the customer service is. They use customer service reps outside of the US but it not saying that is the total issue with their poor service.

 

[deserteagle71]

Just went through that with Amerigas, trying to contact them to get my propane tank (their tank) filled. Called their local number just as I've done for many, many years. This time I got to listen to a 5 minute spiel on coronavirus and how the local office is no longer allowing walk-in customers. Then it went on to tell me if I wanted to arrange for a propane delivery to go on line. Finally, right at the end of this long dissertation I was told that if because of my problem I needed to talk to a real person to press 8, which I did. That connected me to an Amerigas call center somewhere in California....guess I need to buy my own propane tank and get away from Amerigas.

 

[rekees4300]

This is another one of those general rant threads y'all hate me for.

I'm getting really, really, REALLY tired of trying to get customer service. It doesn't seem to matter which company or store, or whether you call, 'chat' or try to email. It seems they all employ the same levels of useless idiots. If you manage to get somebody 'live' and lay everything out in detail for them including order or item numbers, they ask stupid, unrelated questions. If you get somebody on the phone, you have about a 1 in 4 chance of being able to understand them, regardless of where they're based.

Very few people grow up wanting to be a customer service rep. That job is stressful and low paying. Most are doing it as a last resort to make a living.

 

[Alan W.]

Its gotten so bad lately that I will call a companies customer service center before I buy their product.
If I cant understand them its a no go. Same with extended hold times.

 

[Big Barn]

It is a thankless, low paying job dealing with faceless, verbally abusive, entitled clientele for the most part.

 

[ruffdog]

My wife and I have recently had a good run of VERY good customer service. It has been nice for a change. :cloud9:

 

[Oldpath05]

Flo gave me great customer service on a UTV insurance payment this summer, I was pleasantly surprised.

 

[Citydude]

I guess I’ve never experienced bad customer service on the phone. I always greet them and ask how their day is going before I inquire about a product.

Maybe try to connect with them first before going straight to the issue?

 

[Jstpssng]

I guess I’ve never experienced bad customer service on the phone. I always greet them and ask how their day is going before I inquire about a product.

Maybe try to connect with them first before going straight to the issue?

A) By the time you finally get through all of the stupid messages, get transferred and have to listen to static and elevator music for ten minutes; with the occasional interruption to tell you how important you are to them; then have to give the same account number, blah, blah, blah, which you already gave to a stupid computer 20 minutes ago; sometimes it's hard to be pleasant.
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B)Plus they are graded on how many calls they turn around, so really don't have a lot of time to make small talk.

 

[Oldpath05]

I didn't give the hi's, hello's and hows the world treating you with all the other pleasantries, just my name rank and serial number with a straight forward question to Flo and her associates and they gave a straight forward answer of yes we can and will, in well spoken english. So great customer service should start with the company 1st and thats how they get great customers, if not then you end up with everyone buying 15 different color tractors............

 

[Citydude]

A) By the time you finally get through all of the stupid messages, get transferred and have to listen to static and elevator music for ten minutes; with the occasional interruption to tell you how important you are to them; then have to give the same account number, blah, blah, blah, which you already gave to a stupid computer 20 minutes ago; sometimes it's hard to be pleasant.
>
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B)Plus they are graded on how many calls they turn around, so really don't have a lot of time to make small talk.

You have cable TV? . I’ve experienced that as well. A couple of times with our local cable company.

 

[Citydude]

I didn't give the hi's, hello's and hows the world treating you with all the other pleasantries, just my name rank and serial number with a straight forward question to Flo and her associates and they gave a straight forward answer of yes we can and will, in well spoken english. So great customer service should start with the company 1st and thats how they get great customers, if not then you end up with everyone buying 15 different color tractors............

Flo is in the tractor business?

 

[Oldpath05]

Flo is in the tractor business?

I would say Yes and in a bigger way then one might think and IF you have your tractor insured by her and chipmunks love the the taste of your tractor wires............ In my case it was a side by side.

 

[shovelmike]

I would say Yes and in a bigger way then one might think and IF you have your tractor insured by her and chipmunks love the the taste of your tractor wires............ In my case it was a side by side.

I think all kinds of critters are going to snack on our wires due to environmentalists insisting that insulation be made of soy.

 

[Oaktree]

Just went through that with Amerigas, trying to contact them to get my propane tank (their tank) filled. Called their local number just as I've done for many, many years. This time I got to listen to a 5 minute spiel on coronavirus and how the local office is no longer allowing walk-in customers. Then it went on to tell me if I wanted to arrange for a propane delivery to go on line. Finally, right at the end of this long dissertation I was told that if because of my problem I needed to talk to a real person to press 8, which I did. That connected me to an Amerigas call center somewhere in California....guess I need to buy my own propane tank and get away from Amerigas.

I have Amerigas, and aside from their prices being maybe 10% higher than some of the other providers have had no problems with them.
A few years ago a shopped around for another provider, but they all insisted on an inspection, and refused me because my HW heater was "improperly" vented. Amerigas said it wasn't strictly to code, but since there are no building codes in my town they let it slide.

Before you go the route of buying your own tank, make sure there is a provider that will fill it. Many will not fill a tank they don't own.

 

[Oldpath05]

I think all kinds of critters are going to snack on our wires due to environmentalists insisting that insulation be made of soy.

I'm putting the blame on chipmunks because they are what I been seeing a lot of this year.....

 

[fried1765]

I'm putting the blame on chipmunks because they are what I been seeing a lot of this year.....

I store nothing outside!
I leave vehicle hoods open.
I leave Decon packets (plenty) everywhere when I leave for the Winter.

Intentionally left a barn door open overnight, two weeks ago.
Mr. possum must have moved in - discovered possum poop.
Before I could trap him, I began to smell him.
It STILL is NASTY in there!

 

[k0ua]

Yum Yum, Soy based wiring tastes GOOD!.

A few days ago, I went thru the customer "service" run around with Suddenlink. (cable provider Altice) I listend to the crap recordings, and went to India or somewhere in the far east a couple of times and they were in a different department or something so I got transfered around. I finally arrived to a female customer service rep near Dallas Tx. She was GREAT!. She was VERY helpful, Very easy to understand, and very personable. After she made the changes I wanted to my service (not able to do this by myself online, because you can add some services, but cannot remove any) She tried to "upsell" me in a pleasant way to try their (Altice mobile) mobile phone service. I told her no, but we chatted for a while longer, mainly because I enjoyed talking to her because she was so darn personable, that I did learn more about the service.

And it would save me money over the current Verizon service I have now. So last night I went online and signed up for Altice mobile's $20 a month unlimited service. Of course I needed a phone that will do GSM and not CDMA, but I was needing a new phone anyway as my 7 year old Motorola is pretty long in the tooth, and the battery is about shot. I was smart enough to buy a dual mode phone so I could run back to Verizon (CDMA) if I needed to.

I will never do the "rent to own" thing again from the carriers and pay for an expensive phone over a period of years when you can buy a nice phone from Amazon, unlocked for $129 and be done with it. Dual mode Motorola G7play. And you are free to choose what ever carrier you want to choose.

So long story short, not all customer service reps suck. Most do. But every once in a while you get a delightful one.

 

[Oldpath05]

I store nothing outside!
I leave vehicle hoods open.
I leave Decon packets (plenty) everywhere when I leave for the Winter.

Intentionally left a barn door open overnight, two weeks ago.
Mr. possum must have moved in - discovered possum poop.
Before I could trap him, I began to smell him.
It STILL is NASTY in there!

Cant be worst then a skunk I had 4 years ago, it took a year for that to go away, luckily he didn't get me, close but that only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Since 2013 in the warm months I always parked the Rhino under the deck, never had a problem til this year.