Who's more important to make happy.

Our client surveys customers that reach our center and judges us based on how satisfied they are. One key indicator, and I mean KEY is if we are able to handle every issue the customer has on one call. Mind you 50% of the calls we get have to be transfered, not because we don't know how to take care of the issue, but becuase we are not allowed and don't have the capabilities to finish the issue. Oh yeah, did I mention that at least 7 out of 10 callers that reach us are already mad.....go figure. We are a specialized department that was originally supposed to handle 1 issue. Now we have to handle as many as possible. Not to mention the blind transfers we get from other depts to our center for issues we can't handle. How 'bout this one. When we try to call other internal departments to finish an issue, "let me put you on hold so I can ask my superviser"........"Thank yo for calling, this is Joe Rep"....."Hello, Joe Rep, this is your supervisor, I was just speaking to department x and they transferd me back to us. You can go ahead and hang up." That's right, I was blind transfered back to my department...TO MY OWN REP. One of the managers say not to blame other departments for our score going down, but it's really hard not to.

Time Zones and old people

I had a customer I was speaking. You know the kind, that want something done NOW. The funny thing about this customer was 1st of all, she was old and had a cell. The second thing is that she didn't know what time it was where she lived. She wrote down everything I mean EVERYTHING. The call that would normaly take 5-10 minutes took about 20. It finally got to the point where she was asking for the time, so she could write it down. The particular procedure we were doing was time sensitive. Here's the dialoge to the best of my memory. Be sure to keep reading the punchline is in the dialoge.

Customer: What time is it currently

Me: It's currently 3:00pm central

Customer: So that's 2:00pm here

Me: Actually, it's 4:00pm your time. Tennessee is in the eastern time zone.

Customer: I know, but Tennessee is split into two time zones.

Me: Yes ma'am that's correct. You live in eastern portion however. Knoxville is considered EST.

Customer: Exactly, so that's 2:00pm here since we're an hour ahead.

Me: You're right, you are an hour ahead so that would be 4:00pm.

Customer: But 2 comes before 3

Me: Do you have a watch or a clock you can look at?

Customer: Yes, but my eyes are bad and I can't see the numbers

(at this time I hear her husband in the background)

Hustband (with a hick accent): Go on get off that phone, quit pesterin dem people over der. It's 4:00 you old blind bat.

*click*

The call ends.

"I'm Sick I can't make it to work today" pt. 2 (sorry had to vent)

Right now is not a good time to talk to me if you're an agent on my team. Not that I don't like them, I'm just pissed at some right now.

Last month I had 102% attendance which is awesome. As of today, I've got 3 agents that called in / left early because they didn't feel well, 1 because her baby was teething, and 2 that left so they can play WOW. Some are griping because of a schedule change we had. We used to work Fri, Sat, Sun, and Mon. Then went to Thur, Fri, Sat, and Sun, and back to the previouse because of call volumn.....Basically, someone made a boo boo, it happens. We work 4 ten hour shifts so we are basically working 50 hours straight and getting paid for 40 on this check. TOUGH We have people on the oil rigs that don't see their families for weeks even months at a time. We have Soldiers that are risking thier lives every day, some making less than my agents are. YET, some people can't STAND sitting in the AC everyday, talking to people, in a cushy job. "It's too hard." "I don't feel well." "I don't want to work." Well then GO home, GET a newspaper, and find a NEW job that lets you work from home. Quit acting like a baby. If you or your spouse can't take care of a baby that's teething, STOP HAVING THEM.......

~Drew