However, the drawback is that these call centres are extra stringent on call statistics over customer service and they are often un-unionized. When a company contracts out like this, the company loses control over its company image. When quality becomes a statistic, quality is thrown to the waist side. Supervisors are so concerned with their stats that they close their ears to what is happening on the floor. One example was an agent who made it her own policy to refuse to talk to people with poor English. She actually would tell the people with accents that she could not understand them and for them to get someone who can speak English properly to call in. Of course, supervisors would walk by and not say anything because if it was not a monitored call it does not affect their stats. However, do not think it is a lax workplace. Working is like being incarcerated. Every single washroom break is accounted for and every single second you are on site is monitored stringently.
Now I know not all people speak the best English. When I first started, I thought immigrants would be the hardest to understand. However, they never lose weird terms to describe things. The people in the southern US are harder to understand then anybody else. Terms like y’all and saying their trying to find an ink pen. It is especially hard when they start talking first when their mad and you have no idea what their trying to talk about. However, I never offended people and re-phrased statements in order to help them. Rude agents are a huge issue. Often they are people who take everything personally. Somebody says his or her cell phone sucks it is not my problem. I never raised my voice when someone criticized the company because I kept myself separate from the company.
The biggest problem for AT&T Wireless is their dealers. People go to the stores and whenever they access someone’s account, every single imaginable feature is added to their account. Insurance, text messages, roadside assistance, voice dial are all charges appearing on their accounts for features they never asked for. Surprisingly car dealers beat out cell phone reps as having worse integrity.
The worst call I got was from some guy who quickly discovered that I was Canadian. When I found out, I was Canadian he demanded to talk to an American who could speak proper English. I told him that was not going to happen because if I transferred him to the queue chances are he would get a Canadian. He wanted to talk to a supervisor. I said the supervisor would be a Canadian.
Most people have a stereotyped idea of Americans that they are arrogant and do not respond to common sense. This job proved that correct. They want lower taxes but they still want assistance when they get into trouble. When they got a high bill its not their fault – its our fault because we didn’t phone them up to tell them they were going over their minutes. When they drop their phone into the river – they want a free phone because we gave them a free phone last month. When they use their phone outside their home coverage area, it is also our fault because we allowed the phone to work which charged them roaming charges. Some people brag about low US income tax but they get the people on every single conceivable hidden tax. In NY State, they have an 8% sales tax on cell phone bills and something called a gross receipts tax, which is another state tax that collects 8%. Its only purpose is that they do not want to have a 16% state tax. NY residents pay approximately 25% of their cell phone bill to the three levels of governments.
As far as cell phones themselves go, Nokia is the most durable and Motorola’s are good if you want to get a new phone every three months. Nokia is the world’s best selling phone and some of the phones call last up to four years. If the Nokia phone were a Canadian political party, it would be the liberals. The conservatives would be Motorola. The Motorola is plagued by problems. The phone’s antenna could break off; it just might decide not to turn on, or the buttons could fall off. The only certain thing is you will have to get a new phone in three months just like the conservatives who constantly have to change their name. The NDP would be the Samsung. The Samsung phone is gaining new ground for its fresh new look but its unproven. The Bloc Quebecois would be the LG phone. The only reason ATT sells this phone is the merger with Cingular. The phone sucks and if the Bloc holds the balance of power, they could ram many things down our throats. The greens would the blackberry. Like the Blackberry, that has a ton of new features and has revolutionized the cell phone industry the Green has done the same thing in Canadian politics. Only a small portion of the market owns a Blackberry right now just like the greens.
America has the worst cell phone system in the world. Whoever owns a tower has the consumers at their mercy because they can charge people up to $0.69/minute for using their towers. Their still stuck on TDMA or digital which forces them to get more dropped calls and unable to use data features on their phone. 74% of mobile users in the world are on GSM but USexceptionialism keeps them on the older system. Most sub-Sahara Africa countries have more reliable cell phone coverage. Evidently, US politicians prevented GSM towers from being expanded in the past year because the French invented it. In Iraq, they tore down GSM towers and erected TDMA towers. This was not done because Saddam built them but because Americans need to use their inferior phones. Never mind that 100% of Iraqi mobile users use GSM. Nevertheless, we must remember the USwas a liberator in Iraq.
Here are my Top 10 most memorable calls:
1. One American found us I was Canadian and he went into a whole rant about how America is not pure evil. He said we look bad from the outside and he knows we must think they are all psycho. He said he wanted me to know that they have people of different colours and religions who live in relevant harmony.
2. The craziest customer I ever got is one who phoned up and said he suspects ATT sends secret signals to the phone after it is a year old to drain the battery. He told me how he came to this conclusion. His phone’s battery strength is zero if the battery is in the phone for longer than 18 hours. He said he took the battery out of them phone and when he put the battery back into the phone it was fully charged. I called my tech department and after they put me on hold, the rep came back with laughter in the background. He asked me if I get other freaks like this and he had to tell a few people. One thing the guy should have considered. If we did secret signals to his phone why would we tell him.
3. Often you are stuck on the line for two hours with people who are whining about their bill. My most memorable is some lawyer who refused to pay out of principal. He said he has a $700, 000 house but he is not paying his $150 bill because he received poor reception during the past month. Apparently, it was for only two weeks and he agreed to pay half the bill.
4. Another guy phoned in because he went over his minutes. He agreed to add more minutes with an extension. However, I did not offer credit towards the bill because he appeared to be happy. However, when he hung up the phone call was not disconnected and I heard him mumble “bunch of assholes”.
5. The hardest thing to do is to extend their contract. I was talking to a guy about the promotion options. He seemed calm and was willing to extend. But I heard his wife screaming in background not to extend contract unless he gets credit. When he said, he was going to do it anyway I heard a struggle and him saying do not do that. The call was disconnected.
6. I pulled up an account and the password was mywife69. I kept a straight face when I asked for the password. But when the guy said it with the biggest smile I had to press the mute button.
7. Wife calls in because she does not want a certain number appearing on her bill. She said her husband is going to kill her because she said she would stop calling her. She was ready to do anything. I cancelled her paper bill and setup an online account to view her bill. Clear cheater.
8. Policy changes often too. One time we had to read one of the following opening statements not written by people who actually interact with real people. There was one may I provide you with 100% customer service today, and how may I satisfy your needs today. As a joke, I used that phrase to answer a few calls. The first caller was speechless and said uuuumm never mind, and then continued with the call. The second time I did a chick was on the other line. “Well I called about my wireless bill but now I feel hot.” But I did not try adding the word wireless or handheld in their. “How many I satisfy your handheld needs today.” In a few days after numerous complaints and escalations from customers, everything was back to normal.
9. A woman called her voicemail and someone else on the phone. I told her to dial her own number. But she must have misdialed and started yelling at this guy to get off her voicemail.
10. A poor student came home to Dallas during Christmas. He used his cell phone for over 5000 minutes but Dallas was not part of home coverage area. All the minutes were charged $0.89/minute. That is $4000 and someone probably declared bankruptcy by now.
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