I usually ask them where they're located, just as a curiosity. Probably because at Christmas we got to call grandma and grandpa, say Merry Christmas, and hope to hear them say the same thing back before dad grabbed the phone away and handed it to the next sibling because long distance was so expensive!
Many of the agents from the U.S. aren't much better. I've never watched the Simpsons and have no idea who Apu is,but I seem to always get someone whose first language is Ebonics, or has a thick southern drawl that is all but unintelligible. I'm sure these jobs don't pay very well, so they have to take whoever they can get.
Not just that, but most of the time when someone calls they're already upset about something. As I mentioned above, these aren't very desirable jobs for the most part so they're not going to attract the best and brightest. And as you noted, a lot of customers can be difficult to deal with, understand and try to figure out what the actual problem is.It is also exceedingly difficult to find people with the work ethic and enough f's to give about customers. Sometimes, though, customers make it hard. I certainly don't want anyone to suffer from having my mom as a customer.
A good policy in general. Throwing a tantrum rarely produces the desired results.
but that's not the customer service rep's fault. And their coverage improves every year.
I can't understand a single word the CS person is saying.
I had problems with my taxes ONCE. I claimed my kid when she should have claimed herself for the first time, so when she went to file, she couldn't. I'd already gotten my refund.I can from experience say that Cub Cadet has EXCELLENT customer service. Dremil tool, Moen, Bennet, Canada Air, Boston Scientific, Google, TD Ameritrade, all my local hardware stores, my local power utility, and Flav-R-Pac also have great CS. And while ducking and hiding, I will say that the IRS also has excellent customer service.
The "less than useful" customer services I've run across include; DELL, HP, Expedia, Hot ticket, Century Link, Kodak, Auto Zone, Microsoft, Facebook, and Tracfone: The worst two players being, Tracfone and Expedia.
Had the opposite problem. Oldest's 1st year in college, he filed on his tiny income and got a refund. Never told us. We file and get kicked back. We explained the problem to him and he re-filed without claiming himself. We gave him his lost refund back. The difference in our tax rates was significant. He had lived with us for over half of the year. We could have claimed him longer, but just adjusted withholding going forward.I had problems with my taxes ONCE. I claimed my kid when she should have claimed herself for the first time, so when she went to file, she couldn't. I'd already gotten my refund.
So I made an appointment, got all worked up about going to jail, etc.
Went in, told them what happened, they showed me how to file an amended form, figure out what I had to pay back, and that was pretty much that. Kid filed an amended return, and got what she should have.
Of course, this was all pre-pandemic and the IRS had an open office here in town.
Some interesting reading....
Rebuild IRS With Hiring, Training, More Pay, Appeal to Service
The IRS has lost about 20% of its full-time workforce since 2010. Reversing that trend will take a commitment to hire employees faster, train them better, offer them higher salaries, and appeal to their sense of public service, writes NTEU President Tony Reardon.news.bloombergtax.com
I feel for you. the outfit that does my tractor tires also does light truck and car tires and their guys are always careful. They sell new tires too and I buy my replacement tires from them.
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