Cingular Reps - Where Stereotypes Come From!

if you here something from a cc rep that sounds wrong, hang up and call back, 9 times out of 10 the next person will be more helpful and knowledgable.

You catch more flies with honey, asking for a manager doesnt get you what you want where I work....it gets you less....15 million calls doesnt get you more......it gets you less.....as does no patience...and calling people liars......no one sets a customer up to lie to them get real....if the policies change and they don't know it it isn't intentional.....you get what you get in this life sometimes its good sometimes bad....take a breath and go on from there....but do so in a manner that doesn't knock an entire company full of hard working reps.....these people get chewed on every day ....how many times has a customer called in to say,
"Hey we think you are great!!" In a word? Never. There has to be give and take......ying and yang.....
Of course this will never happen because all the customer care line seems to be is>>> 1-800-hear me-b*tch.

It looks like this forum has come to escalation (calls that CSRs must forward to their managers - clerical positions that routinely involve coaching and payroll - if any subscribers are interested.) I spent years as a CSR, and got burnt out. Bear in mind, (reps) no one is EVER going to call in and congratulate us when their call goes through with perfect clarity. (Callers,) please understand, we are human beings who only seem to talk to people having the worst days of their lives, or have chosen to try and make this the worst day of OUR lives - (maybe someday I'll know why my mother has anything to do with someone's service in New Jersey, and why the acts she and I are supposed to perform are an appropriate solution!) All wireless companies train their employees well. Things change very fast, though. 99% of any firm's reps will do their best for you - it's what we pay them for. The remainder never last long. Read your bill carefully. Compare it to old ones. Call in if something isn't right. But please be courteous, and not ask why, as a California resident on a "Local" plan, calls made from Florida incur roaming and long distance charges.

One: the poster "CellBoob" would NEVER recieve a hint of scorn or sarcasm by any rep I work with.
Two: the poster "CellBoob" appears in many forums, asking the same questions, recieving the same answers, complaining about the same user-related issues, and continually tying up CSR time over the phone. (Yes, this is tracked.)
Three: There is No Way I will allow my CSRs to work with a paying customer with any kind of attitude or demeanor that comes close to seeming like disrespect. Many people who work in the industry forget that WE WORK HERE - so we know what's what. Our callers DO NOT WORK HERE, and call for assistance. Hence the paycheques. Yeas, I agree, too many CSRs have taken the job without regard for for the people they work with, (or don't work with!) but don't paint ALL agents with the same brush - so many do their jobs so very well!
CellBoob, it looks like you've accomplished an unwitting goal - pitting one emwployee against another through debate. Please lay off of that - it gets tiresome.

I ranted previously on another board though it was a pretty long rant. So I'll try to keep this one shorter.

Wow, So many things here that I agree with on both sides. It's weird for me. I love my job and what I do, but I hate the way my company, Cingular goes about things. I keep hoping for improvements, but after almost 4 years that hope is running out. I think a few of the things Cingular must start doing is paying their reps better and become more flexible with scheduling. Also more intense training on the technical aspects of the billing systems is needed. I cited a couple of examples in my previous post on the other board. Simplifying to ONE billing system would also help greatly but that won't happen as long as we are jointly owned by SBC/BellSouth. If any reps reading this are familiar with both billing systems, Telegence=SBC Baby, CARE = BellSouth Baby. Neither owner wants to abandon their baby.

The department I work in is not supposed to speak directly with customers. I work in the Analyst Review group which here shortly in the future may no longer exist. I can't imagine it not existing, but that may be the case. In any event, almost every day, I get at least one or 2 transfers a day from customer care that is a direct customer. So here I am apologizing to the customer and giving them the global cust care number and telling them to ask to speak to a manager if the person they get next does not seem very helpful. They are already pissed when they get to me so I feel sorry for you CSR's taking their calls. I'm sorry guys, I could escalate it to my manager who is only going to tell them the same thing. Just so that you all understand why AR does not speak to customers except for a specific reason is because we are accessing the customers credit bureau information as a third party. As a result, FEDERAL LAW PROHIBITS us from from speaking with someone about what is on that report unless it is the customers request for identification purposes ONLY. This is why we always tell you in AR that the customer will have to get a copy of their credit report when they are asking about a deposit. If that deposit is because of the pay history on that account then we will tell you they were suspended/cancelled non pay so many times in a given period or NSF payments or whatever.

Another problem that I know is frustrating for customers is getting different answers from different reps. This is obviously something that has happened to Celloob. The biggest single cause (IMHO) of that is TOO many departments and TOO many phone numbers. The way I see it there should be 4 basic departments for the call centers providing customer service.
1. SALES should handle all calls regarding ordering new service or adding lines to that service. They should also assist with activating that service once the customer has received their shipment. They also should be the one's cancelling the service that has been activated less than 30 days. I also don't think we should be sending the phones out activated even if they are suspended locked waiting for the customer to call the numbert to agree to the terms and conditions. If it takes up to 5 days sometimes for the customer to get the phones that is 5 days of their 30 day return policy. If it takes 5 to 10 days to return the phone and the account fully cancelled (since we future date that cancellation) then WE, CINGULAR, have used up 10 to 15 days of the customer's 30 day return period. We might as well go back to the 15 day period we used to have.

2. Customer Care should handle billing inquiries and technical assistance with the phones. If they can't resolve the technical issue then connect to higher levels of tech support. Suspending/Cancelling accounts is one other thing that that should be handeled by customer care unless it is for non payment. This is all you guys should have to deal with. You shouldn't have to deal with answering questions about equipment returns and refunds for that. It was a sales center that took that order and should be responsible for that order being returned and properly crediting the account/refunding overpayment on those accounts. You guys shouldn't even have to mess with taking payments.

3. Collections department/Receivables Mgmt should take care of ALL payment processing on accounts. Whether the account is delinquent or not. The treasury department tracks all payments from all sources of the company wheter customers or vendors. So all payments for all accounts should come through collections to the treasury depart and collections be responsible for informing customers of their refunds and requesting treasury to cut the customer refund checks ASAP. Collections should also be responsible for restoring/resuming service on any suspend/cancel non pay accounts. One point of payment and one point of turning your service back on if you didn't pay your bill on time.

4. Credit and Activations for the stores/agent retailers to call in and start new service add to accounts and do upgrades. Since our C&A dept now handles all markets for one billing system or the other, keeping track of the various nuances from market to market in the rate plans and promotions is definitely a handful. Credit Activations should also handle limited to tech support when the phones won't activate and send to higher tech support instead of refering the agents to customer care. C&A should also handle all Cancel No Install/Buyer's remorse for in store returns.

I think with those clear delineations of responsibilty, Cingular could come a long way toward providing the best customer service possible.

Looking forward to hearing something from you guys and gals. If there are any questions about the company's credit policies, not bill credits, but credit for starting new service/adding lines/resuming cancel non pay, feel free to shoot me an email with Cingular in the subject line and I'll respond with an answer. Sorry, I can't just go posting proprietary information on a public board now can I?
Ok this was WAY longer than I intended but there is my 2 cents worth.

I guess I'm confused. I manage a customer support team that takes only about 50 calls per day, but we are there to help the customer and I am there to make sure that my techs can help the customers. That would be the perfect world.

I can't seem to figure out how Cingular is structured. I've talked to many CSRs, since I am committed to allowing them to address my issue, but alas, I've been calling and e-mailing repeatedly since 10/28 and it has not been resolved, so I'm going to cave in try the 'old let me talk to a supervisor route as a few CSR's have recommended.

All I can say is hats off to all of your CSR's as I think you probably get half calls from unreasonable people with insane requests, angry people, confused people, but it doesn't seem you are allowed to do anything to help the smaller percentage of people with legitimate issues, and if you were allowed to do that, I think it would make your job more enjoyable than it is now.

I've been civil, friendly with all of the Billing and regular Customer Service CSR's throughout this 21-day ordeal, and that hasn't seemed to help - I guess I understand the position they are in, and certainly wouldn't want my customers to be rude or mean or yell at me, so why should I ever do that to them (or anyone for that matter!)

However, as this continues to go unresolved, it's really hard to keep a lid on it - it's something that should be resolved immediately, and for the life of me, it's not. It's gotten to the point I actually have been scheduling time off of work to make the 1-2 hour call to Customer Service (I have one scheduled tomorrow morning) Also, my e-mail to them on Monday following up has yet to be returned.

My issue is simply a deception from the store - I was an EXISTING customer and changed phones AND asked for a plan for xx minutes and xx lines, and I'm in a plan that doesn't have that and they aren't changing my plan or addressing the overage minutes - I've offered to back pay the additional amount the proper plan would have cost as well, and no one seems to care. After you balance the numbers, Cingular will gain more in my correct plan additional $$$ then we are disputing in overage charges, but they won't act. My employer is willing to pay my monthly charges for the plan, so the idea I'd be unwilling to get a properly sized plan is also silly. My employer would laugh at a $400 monthly bill that's $300 worth of overage minutes as well.

If Cingular cannot resolve this, they will lose my monthly revenue, and I will take my company and all of my friends and family and encourage that they change carriers too. Still, I am important so why can't they simply help me out?

Anywho, I'll await my next call/e-mail to see how long this will drag out.

One more thing - the store guy actually told me if he asked for me to be credited even one dollar, he would be fired. CSRs have told me that is ridiculous. Those were his exact words.

If anyone has any constructive suggestions on a better approach, I sure could use your help. Otherwise hang in there, today has been crazy at my work since their is a Support Symposium so we are shortstaffed.

However, I bought pizza for the folks that are here holding up the fort! Hopefully Cing treats you like this as well!

Tonycing

a question

what were you offered and what did you end up with?

if you were offered something and didnt get it that is an order error that is no fault of yours...

I am a customer Care rep and along with others that hang out here we can probabaly point you in the right direction

another consoideration - forget the e-mail avenue. it's good for tech aspects, but you'll never get a care resolution. call customer care, make sure you've gotten a rep supporting the correct market, and if their ideas don't help DON"T HANG UP. request either a supervisor, or even better, a Solutions Expert. the solutions team is in place to go above what an average rep is authorized for, and are far more availiable than supervisors. give it a shot, anyway.

Yes the soulutions guys are cool. i kept getting bounced around by reps. (the phone number was prompting to at&t care reps) at&t connected me to a wizard

i got hoooked up!! (i'm a rep myself)

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Who's to blame... Customer or CSR? BOTH! I won't take sides in this game because I have seen both Customer and CSR wrong, make mistakes, etc., etc. ... even the perfectionist I am have made the occasional mistake. I activated a SIM on the wrong account. When I tried to call the customer back, the phone number they had listed on their account was DISCONNECTED. I at least had the decency to leave a note on the account for the next rep if the customer should call in asking that they apologize for the mistake and that the customer could get a free sim for the mistake.

The resolution lies in education. I believe in this whole-heartedly.

CSR's should do their best to educate themselves on companies' policies and procedures. Example: MaBell of the South (shall remain nameless.. *wink*) activates many of our lines. I would have to estimate a good 75% of the problems I see come from activations they have made: not placing the customer on the right rate plan, failure to educate that the first bill WILL ALWAYS BE THE HIGHEST, failure to advise the customer they will forfeit some rollover mins if they change their rate plan. If you have no jurisdiction over a customer's account or don't know what you're doing, DON'T CHANGE IT.

As a customer, don't call in requesting credit for the last 4 months of overages when you know darn well YOU'RE GOING OVER YOUR MINUTES. Or, don't call in complain about roaming charges from your recent trip to California when you've been on a Northeast regional plan FOR 3 YEARS.

Please... EDUCATE YOURSELVES. Knowledge truly is power. In addition to being a CSR, I take escalations for managers. So you could say that I'm a manager-elect with all the authority given. Alot of the calls I get could easily be solved by the CSR's who give them to me. On another note, I am also willing to assist a customer when they have gone over their minutes. I will re-rate their plan and apply credit to the overages, IF the customer takes responsiblity for their usage by changing their plan to accomdate said usage. Otherwise, there will be no deal. It's all about compromise and each party taking responsiblity.

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Cingular Reps - Where Stereotypes Come From!

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