Bitch it out Thursday.
Yes, I chose a job in customer service. Yes, part of the job entails dealing with irate customers. Yes, I know when they are yelling at me I shouldn't take it personally. Now that we got all that out of the way...
Insurance is a highly regulated industry. My company has additional regulations and procedures on top of that. I'm at the forefront of the battle that sometimes ensues between company and customer. The messenger often gets shot at.
Yesterday a Customer X gave me a verbal beat down over the phone. I have no problem getting what I deserve when I foul up. I'm human, it happens. I'll apologize profusely to a customer while they lash out about my short comings. However I get annoyed when the customer is clearly at fault but feels the need to put it all on me. Customer X can't pay her bill. I'm empathetic, but not my fault. Customer X wants to cancel her policy, but doesn't have the paperwork from DMV that we require. I understand her frustrations, but once again not my fault. Customer X screams, yells, belittles me. When I try to offer an explanation Customer X lectures me for not listening. When I stop talking she gets angry at my lack of response. Finally Customer X requests to speak with my boss because "She's the only one out of all of you with any sense in her head." Fine by me. I was fighting the urge to hang up on her at this point.
I was fuming because I am pretty sure a synonym for customer service is not toilet, so stop shitting on me.
Today is a new day. I have said my piece. Time to move on. Thank you.
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About Me
- ElbieNy25
- "Scars are proof that we were brave enough to fight the battle and strong enough to survive it"-me 2008 Unfortunately/fortunately I have many scars from life, but I'm still here. I've been writing for over twenty years and just recently finished my first manuscript entitled "The Journey". I love peopl; they fascinate me with their stories, quirks, and mysterious ways.
5 comments:
I can see the frustration that would accompany such a job. How often do you get your tongue sewn back in? Once it is bitten off do you fight the urge to mail it to the lucky recipient whom you just finished talking to? That would be a hard job for me. Sometimes I have a sailors mouth and have to censor myself around people and my kids. Some days I feel like I could talk like the Rejectionist. Love it! I wish your tongue luck and hope it heals up for another round.
When I landed in current my position, I thought it was payback for what a b*tch I was for the many times I played the role of the customer. I was the one always demanding to speak to a supervisor, before the poor soul on the other end of the phone could even finish their greeting. If nothing else I have learned patience for the rep attempting to help me. I'm also in a heavy regulated industry. I've found what works best for customer x is, "Thank you have a nice day." That phrase has brought me the response more than once of, "F*ck you!"
Five years in tourism. Trust me you haven't seen idiots til you've worked tourism. I swear there are boxes at the airports in foreign countries marked "check your brain here".
At first I used to get annoyed, then I decided they weren't worth it, so I would smile at the customer and listen and imagine them being the target of nuclear bombs, getting run over by 18 wheelers and having explosive diarrhea, among other things. It made my smile even bigger. Customers would actually praise me for being so pleasant. If they only knew...
LMAO!! Well you know I do customer service as well...I OFTEN remind people that I have not created the situation that they are in and therefore I know that they are not angry at me and should respect me enough to allow me to answer their questions and assist them by providing whatever information I have that can help them resolve their issue or need.
I worked as a customer service representative for a furniture and appliance company for six years. I think everyone should have to do a mandatory customer service/ waitressing internship in order to finish high school.
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