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113 Comments
- thcobbs, on 10/10/2007, -0/+56You mean, watch how fast they turn you over to a collection agency.
- barryiggins, on 10/10/2007, -2/+39it must suck living in a call center.
- ladon86, on 10/10/2007, -0/+26And how fast your credit rating plummets!
- TheSavant, on 10/10/2007, -2/+24And what these CSR people don't seem to understand is WE are just regular people. Except we are paying for their service and not getting paid by their company. When we are treated like crap and made to jump through fiery hoops to get any sort of help, we don't care if you are a "regular" person. We don't care if you have three kids and go to church. If you do things that make life hard for us, we will make life hard right back. We do it because we have to. If we don't use strong language we get walked all over. So, in conclusion, we don't care how life is on "the inside". Treat us with the respect we deserve and help with our problems. Do your job.
- bytecolor, on 10/10/2007, -0/+18I canceled my service with DirectTV, before my year agreement was up. I REPEATEDLY asked them to bill me the penalty fee. No dice. Instead, I got relentless harassment calls and letters. Here's one of those letters I recieved in September of '06.
Dear ...,
I realize its been a while since you purchased your DirecTV system from me, and just recently my supervisor gave me a notice that I will be docked in my pay soon because you disconnected, or downgraded your DirecTV service. I know that when we spoke I informed you and you agreed to the 1 year of service that was required and you had to sign a 1 year agreement with DirecTV when they came out to install the service. What I did not tell you is that I lose wages if you disconnect or downgrade your service to below the Total Choice package before the one year is up.
If there is something I can do for you or if there is a mistake, or you forgot about that agreement please let me know or better yet reconnect your service as soon as possible. I don't make a ton of money and can't afford to lose any of it.
Thanks so much for your help,
Josh Alberto - exec721, on 10/10/2007, -0/+15Retention practices suck. As a call center rep, however, I've gotten exactly the opposite scenario. When a customer calls to close their account, I could give a ***** as my bank doesn't necessarily force me to try and retain the customer. So I get right down to business and close their account with no hassle or objection (Not even a "sorry to see you go"). Yet somehow, this approach also seems to piss some people off. Some people get off on the fact that a company wants their business, and they use that notion to try and intimidate the rep into doing what they want. I can't tell you how many times I've heard, "Well, I'll just close my account if this is how its going to be." Then when you say, "Ok, I understand. I can certainly help with that, would you like a cashier's check for the balance in your account?" Then all of the sudden, their tones changes to, "Well I don't want to cancel it right now, but this stinks!" I've even had a customer call back and complain that a rep was too passive about closing his account and that he didn't make him feel important. Go figure, some people just can't be satisfied.
- BasharTeg, on 10/10/2007, -0/+14My wife is actually the manager of a call center for the company we both work at. Fortunately, our company has a goal of *very* high quality of customer service. We do have training to try to retain customers who are having issues, but it usually involves figuring out if they're cancelling because they don't understand how to use or setup the product properly, in which case we want to save those cancellations by setting up the product for you for free. If you really don't need the product anymore, we cancel it. We don't track how many employees fail to save cancellations numerically, although we do audit recorded calls to see where we think the CS rep could have done more to attempt to resolve the customer's problem. It's a delicate balance to try to retain customers and still not give people a hard time cancelling. However, we know if we treat people right, some of those who cancel our service come back to us. If the CS rep were to intentionally fail to cancel an account when requested that would result in a write up and repeat offenses would probably involve termination.
Now, from the consumer perspective, here's what I have to say about CS reps and telemarketers. You often hear this crap about how "CSRs are real people" and "telemarketers are people too." Yes, of course they're people. But when they're executing the duties of their job, they're acting as agents of a company. So when you're being paid money to be a bitch to me on the phone and not cancel my account, at that moment, you're an agent of ***** Corp, not a poor single mother trying to put clothes on her children. It would be the same as if a company paid you to run around urinating on peoples' cars. I wouldn't feel sorry for you because you are forced to take such a job, I would be pissed off because you're urinating on my car, and getting paid for it. One of the worst complaints I hear from CSRs is that people yell at them for things they can't control, because it's the company making those decisions not them. Well, guess what? I can't talk to "the company" (unless you're willing to transfer me to them) so all I can do is talk to you. You, the paid agent of the company, whose job it is to listen to my complaints and give me some kind of resolution.
When a company is being crappy, there are two ways to get the message to them. The obvious way is to stop giving them your money. Well the ***** who refuse to cancel your account have you by the balls there until you start doing chargebacks on your card. But the other way is to talk to the agent of the company and express your frustrations. That's your right as a consumer, because you gave that company your money, and they are using that money to pay these agents of the company.
I swear this is like a waitress at a restaurant wanting everyone to only order side salads so she doesn't have to carry so much food. Trashmen are people too, but they still have to sort my garbage at the depot. It's called your job. It sucks, I know, and I feel for you that you have a crappy job. But you shouldn't take the job if you're not willing to do what the job entails. - notque, on 10/10/2007, -0/+13I know people who have worked in places who explained the same thing. Worked in a company that did that as IT for them. Hell, For that matter worked at a health care company and heard horror stories there akin to sicko.
Don't listen to people who say this doesn't happen. It is all too common. - xtmno3, on 10/10/2007, -0/+12"You also know that they never fire anyone despite how badly they might want to."
Not true. I used to work in a call center during high school and people got canned all the time. - stronglikedan, on 10/10/2007, -2/+14Man...call me crazy, but I still don't care. Just cancel my damn account or find a job that you don't whine about.
- hokie47, on 10/10/2007, -0/+11I tend not to sign up for anything unless I can cancel it online.
- sshack, on 10/10/2007, -0/+10Customer service is not a cost. It is part of your product.
Most companies have third rate products. This extends to their customer service. - Rikkochet, on 10/10/2007, -0/+9Email them MP3s and then tell the RIAA they're pirating music.
Let 'em kill each other by attrition. - Flipperbw, on 10/10/2007, -14/+23Don't pay the bill. Watch how fast they cancel your account then.
- reed311, on 10/10/2007, -0/+9Huh? Did you even read the article? It was written by someone who worked in retention.
- GMorgan, on 10/10/2007, -0/+8That is precisely it. Just because management are arseholes doesn't mean I am going to accept people getting in the way. In fact this insane belief is what keeps this sort of practice going. People should not tamely accept it. You don't need to be rude but you should fiddle about the point either. Being direct is not rude, in fact it is better for them because they know that they are wasting their time with you.
- LogicBomB, on 10/10/2007, -0/+8Wow. This is why I'm not shy in the slightest to force the person on the other end to do what I'm saying. I use very plain english and will escalate as needed.
"I'd like to cancel my movies package"
"why?"
"never use it"
"Can I perhaps suggest you..."
"no thanks, please cancel it"
"Are you aware..."
"yes, please cancel".
I then check, and if it's not cancelled exactly as they say, I call back, demand a supervisor, and tell them to refund me or I'll get my credit card to kick-it back to them (This is bad as every company is only allowed so many of these before they can no longer accept that card as payment).
I also always get the names they give me - real or not. Sometimes it helps, expecially if you repeat their name a few times to let them know you have it. If they did give you the real name, they'll make sure what they tell you is true. - meldroc, on 10/10/2007, -1/+8I used to work in a call center. Thankfully, I didn't work in the retention department (in Orwellian fashion, called the Loyalty department) there, who's client is a well-known cell phone company. I did know a lot of people who did work there. It's insanely stressful work, mainly because of the quotas of saves you have to meet, and because almost every single customer you talk to is pissed off.
Jobs like that literally damage your health. I've know people who've ended up with ulcers, migraines and serious clinical depression. The job's that bad. I absolutely refused to work that account. - OswaldKenobi, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7I've worked retention. The article is spot on. Point out the inaccuracies if you're going to make a comment like that.
- SicklyTea, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7I love it when corporations resort faux begging.
- ziffel, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7Amazing that it has come to this. Corporate greed in this country has spiraled completely out of control.
- GMorgan, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7If somebody intentionally slowed me down I'd go over their heads to management. 30 minutes isn't a solution, it's capitulation to stupidity.
- picaro, on 10/10/2007, -3/+10Canceling Netscape dial-up was the biggest PITA. The Indian service rep *begged* me not to cancel. You could hear desperation in her voice. I insisted. She lied and said she canceled the account and gave me a fake confirmation number. Netscape charges my checking account for 6 months of internet I didn't order ... and overdraws my checking account. >.<
After much arguing they reversed the charges... but I was stuck with the overdraft fees. - way2muchsense, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6Time/Warner Cable was the worst I've ever experienced. I got sick of the cable TV going out every time three flakes of snow were seen in the sky above Central New York, so I cancelled my account with them and went with DirecTV. After going through the usual rigamarole about "why do you want to cancel (let me count the reasons - got half an hour to kill?), "OK, sure, your account is cancelled," they told me IN PERSON while I was turning in my equipment. Then I got another bill. Ordinarily, I would just not pay the thing, and eventually everything would work out, but I had automatic billing to my credit card, so the money was already gone.
I called them to ask why, if my service was cancelled, and I had turned in ALL my equipment, and had a receipt stating as much, would I be getting another bill. They assured me it was because the bills had already gone out (a lie), they were having trouble with the switchover from Adelphia (a half-truth), and that I would be getting a refund soon (another lie). Then I got billed again the following month.
I called them again, and asked them why I was still being billed for service I cancelled TWO MONTHS AGO. The nice lady on the other end said, "hmm, can you hold for a minute," and cut me off. I was hopping mad, and I wasn't about to let this go, no matter how much time I burned up, and no matter how many people's feelings were hurt in the process. Time/Warner Cable owed me $145, and it took at least five or six calls over the next four months to get it back. Is customer retention (or retention of two billing cycles worth of their cash) worth generating horror stories like this? - SocialPoison, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6haha... a guilt trip? That'd encourage me to cancel more than anything!
- Serenikill, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5I work at all a call center (for Time Warner Cable) and all this rings very true. It is really surprising the pressure you get that is passed down... and surprising how stupid some call center employees are.
- ziffel, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5My suggestion, whenever possible, find out the method of cancellation before you sign up for a service that requires monthly fees. I won't sign up for anything that requires that I speak to a CSR to cancel. If you can sign up online, you should be able to cancel online.
- vertinox, on 10/10/2007, -1/+6Unless of course they get bought out and remove the cancellation page.
- TheMidnight, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5Canceling is usually not too bad for me. I usually have to tell them a couple of times I want to cancel, skipping over some offers like discounted temporary rates or a "vacation" rate depending on the service, but they will generally cancel after about five minutes. I've only run into a couple of places (AOL and my cable company) where it took me a half-hour of insisting to get canceled. AOL, of course, is notorious for this.
- Novagenesis, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5Call centers like to pop up near low-employment areas. They pay better than most crap-jobs.
They also tend to have an 80% turnover rate.
Having worked in a call center and knowing several people who have worked in call centers, I guarantee that people are doign whatever it takes to make their numbers high enough to keep the job. - Pauliver, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5"Cancel the account. Cancel the account. Cancel the account. Cancel the account. Cancel the account. Cancel the account."
- smallestmills, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4I totally agree with you. If working in a call center sucks, then get another job. The company's ***** policies are the ones who are at fault, not the customer. The customer trying to cancel their account has learned their lesson, which is why they're trying to cancel. They should not be penalized by having to take thirty minutes of their time to argue with a CSR over which button to press. The Company should admit that the problem does not lie within the CSR's ability to retain the client, but in the fact that the client is wishing to cancel the account in the first place.
- profOblivion, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4Credit cards; cable/satellite TV; land/cellular phone; Internet access; any time you have a service and want to (for example) switch to a different provider.
- mt066, on 10/10/2007, -2/+6I'll save you the trouble of reading the article.....blah blah CSRs are heavily encouraged to retain customers blah blah blah
- anonadmin, on 10/10/2007, -2/+6No SH*T!
I set up an EarthLink account, could not get it to work (Crappy windows system kept blue screening when I installed the software)
Called and canceled the account. Still billed (Had to give a CC when signing up)
Called and canceled the account. Still billed
Called and canceled the account. Still billed
Called and canceled the account. Still billed
Called the bank and canceled the card and had a new one issued! They can not bill a card that does not exist!
Now they have there collection agency calling my cell phone 3 times a day. I tried to explain that #1) This is a per-minuet cell and the can not call it. #2) I canceled the account and I am not paying it!
They will only accept the statements providing that I send it to them in writing. My response "Ok what is your address?" To which I am told that they can not give out there address. "So how do I pay you?" CC over the phone or the bank and routing number.
It has been 4 month and they still call me 3 to 4 times a day. All for a lousy $19.00
So Canceling the account does not work and canceling the payment/card only gets you harassment. - lonesomewolf, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5When I cancel on line I take the second step of replacing my credit card number of file with a MasterCard test number. The number makes it through most software verification processes but it can't be used to "charge my account" at some later date (which does happen with some companies from time to time).
Here are some test numbers for various cards.
http://www.crazysquirrel.com/finance/test-cc.jspx - cawpin, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4All you have to do is tell your bank that the charges were unauthorized. They aren't allowed to hold you responsible.
- ManyAsOne, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4AOL is so notorious for this that there are (or at least, were) class action lawsuits against them in several states over it. After several months of futile attempts at cancelling, my family and I finally had to threaten to join our state's suit before they finally stopped billing us for our terminated account.
- bytecolor, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4I have the letter right here in my hand. It came to me by way of the US Postal Service. If by false you mean attempting to regain a customer under false pretenses, then yes... it's a false letter.
- spelunker, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4When I did CSR work, the people in the cancellations department (internally called "saves") were always under lots of pressure to keep retention up. But, it was sorta part of the job; people who signed up for saves knew what they were getting into, and if you did well, you were rewarded well.
Okay, so it's stressful, but I don't see how you can expect anything else from a telemarketing job. Being a cop is stressful, too. - pop1, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Q: "what do you do when your numbers are low for the month: cancel Suzy Q.'s account and risk being fired, or sweep it under the table and be able to pay for your kids' school clothes?"
A: You just cancel the account, of course. I'm sorry, but anything else is just dishonest. - Thepirateking, on 10/10/2007, -0/+330 minutes on the phone is enough to make me want to start breaking things. I hate calling tech support or any other call centre. I just want my issue resolved. If I'm canceling my account it should be as simple as finding a real person (sometimes a feat in itself) and telling them "my acount number is XXX-XXXXX-XXX my name is XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX and I want to cancel my account. This should take no more then 10 minutes tops.
- klpowell, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3That is really true. I work IT for an inbound call center our CSR's are paid well they have great benefits plenty of bonuses and most are very happy with their jobs. We also fire people quiet often for not obeying policy's and any other call center I have heard of does the same. CSR's are not minimum wage jobs they are for the most part a living wage job. I did it for 6 months before being promoted to IT so i can verify that.
- mikalveli, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Lawsuit. I would be contacting my attorney to at least get them to write a letter stating that you are pursuing legal action. Most of the time that is enough to get them to leave you alone. However, I am pretty sure that if the circumstances have gone down as you describe, you probably have a pretty good case as long as you have kept notes, documentation, etc.
- georgetds, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3I do my best to not get angry and the poor person I call about my problems, but I work at a low paying job too, and if billing problems are costing me money and I am being tricked and lied to about my account, I loose patience pretty quick. I think I need to start recording all my phone calls to places such as these. If nothing else, when I get the jerks who offer no help at all, who insist that there is name is just "Bob" and have no employee number, case number or supervisor, I can at least have ammo to help with my next call.
- roberto_deneero, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Regardless of how bad these companies are, the genius of the market system is that eventually the market figures out how to do things better or dissolve these poor performing companies all together. Open source will kill off plenty of software companies with horrible customer service. Google will soon buy up crap ton of analog frequencies that TV stations are vacating for digital freq's and we'll say bye bye to all poor AT&T, Comcast, Roadrunner, etc customer service. It may take time, but these idiots just put themselves out of business. It's simple - people like to do business with people they like to do business with. Create problems for customers with that "we got em cornered" mentality and soon enough the market will find a way to put you out of business. As the information/internet age progresses, the speed of market life cycles increase and have greater oppty's to put these jerks on the street begging for change.
- GMorgan, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3The point is if you put pressure on the idea then eventually practices are going to change. What is really needed is a list of companies that aren't idiots about people leaving. By supporting the companies that aren't going to waste your time you can force the others along.
Tamely accepting it is not an option. It is an anathema to civilised society to have to jump through bloody hoops every time you want to cancel something. The only sane way is not to tolerate it (to kick up a fuss with management indirectly if needed, black list scummy companies, whatever) and as a result force a change. - haggie, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3use credit card, claim the charge was unauthorized, chargeback to vendor, account cancelled.
what the hell are you morons whining about? - niczar, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3This is weird. Why not just send a certified letter? Keep the receipt, obviously. The few bucks it takes more than cover my time on the phone.
- ae6ai, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3Most of these services are paid by a credit card, if you encounter this type of issue, simply contact the credit card company and explain the problem, they will then get you money back from the time you called to cancel the service.
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