| Author |
Message |
Tigress
Posts: 192
Phone Model:
Moto V360; Blackberry 8100 Pearl
Service Provider:
T-Mobile |
 
Mon Sep 18, 2006 3:48 am |
Just need to rant for a sec about customers.
Had to take an escalation today - No fault of the reps, the guy was just ignorant as all get out.
He has a Nokia 6101, had a few issues with it, had it replaced already - Didn't like the replacement so we send him a brand new Samsung T319 for free. Doesn't like that one either. Says that according to Consumer Reports Nokia's and Samsungs are crap and he doesn't want another of either of them. I can't see CR, it's a paid subscription only - I tell him that different reports have different results and that JD Powers has the phone manufactures ranked differently, Samsung being one of the better ones. I tell him that things need to be taken into perspective and consider things such as user reviews instead of corporate studies like that.
I tell him that this is the way it works, he bought the Nokia and he can either get another replacement on the Nokia, replace the Samsung or pay for a new phone.
Well, then he asks about the Nokia 6103 - I told him he'd have to pay for it. He wants it for free or just pay the difference between the 6101 and the 6103 - I told him this wasn't an option, the 6101 was no longer carried and anyway, we don't have customers just pay the difference between the old and new phone.
He proceeds to tell me that since his phone is no longer carried that we shouldn't be replacing his phone with the same thing, we should automatically upgrade him to the new model. I informed him this wasn't the case, and anyway wasn't good business for the company because then we'd be giving handsets away for free constantly, lose money and go bankrupt.
He tells me that if I want to provide good customer service I'll give him the 6103. Then he dares bring up JD and tries to tell me T-Mobile is ranked dead last among the top carriers.  (Of course, I correct him and tell him that we are the only company to rank highest in 4 consecutive studies and only recently tied Verizon.  )
I explain that the warranty covers that phone and that per the warranty we just have to replace it with the same phone. Even explained that offering the T319 was going above the warranty promised. He wasn't having any of it - He wanted a free upgrade cause his model wasn't sold any more.  Tried explaining that the average cell phone is normally on the market for about 6-9 months before being retired, so this really didn't make sense (See point on constantly upgrading and loosing money)
So I fall back on an old trick that I hate using - The analogy. I present the following scenario:
You buy a 2002 model car and get a 5 year warranty on the car. Three years later you have an issue that is covered under warranty. You go back to the dealership and explain the issue. Since it's covered under warranty they offer to fix it and send you on your way. Instead you demand the 2005 version of the car because after all the 2002 version isn't made anymore and you deserve the newest version.
Now I don't know about you, but I know my dealer would look at me, laugh - That they wouldn't just give me a new car like that for something covered under warranty. I explained this to him and he tell me I'm comparing apples and oranges! What the heck?!?! That was exactly what he's trying to do!
Well, he thinks about it and gives me the line about being able to trade in on a car. (Hence why I hate analogies cause I don't always think them through and end up missing something like that!) I explained that the upgrade program doesn't work on trade in's because we can't do anything with that old phone and we can't resell the old phone like a dealership can resell the car (thank god for quick thinking!) so the point isn't valid.
He huffs, puffs, and says he will take the exchange, but that he'll callback tomorrow and keep escalating until someone will give him what he wants. 
The real kicker - He told me that he had Sprint for 9 years and had better customer service with them..........I just thanked him for choosing T-Mobile and laughed as soon as he disconnected.
 THIS is the reason I don't always miss taking calls! I don't understand today's society and the idea that the customers have that everything can be overridden somewhere in the game. Yes, somethings can - But somethings are not up for dispute...People need to learn they just can't bully a large company to get what they want - It doesn't work. 
ARGH! Sorry for the rant, had to get it out of my system.
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Texan
Posts: 229
Phone Model:
Moto |
Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:10 pm |
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That was great, Tigress! Sorry you had to live through it though! Funny how one can spot the "customers" who complain bout their phone and if they were honest, they probably have a friend, looked on website and saw "Oh my God, there is a new phone out, I want that one!) yep, doesnt work.. I like it when they start throwing the old "loyalty issue" around. Hey, I am very loyal to my cable , electric company etc, hasn't done me a single d... bit of good!
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BigRUSS
Posts: 2105
Phone Model:
two cans ( del monte) and some string,
Service Provider:
RussCo |
Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:17 pm |
sounds like a customer i had one day
he was all mad beciase his att sim card would work in his cingular phone so he could xfer the numbers over , he had to manualy re enter the numbers and he feels he deserved a $75 credit for this inconvenience .sp? and its cingulars responceability to make sure teh equpipment is compatable, i let him not he waould not be getting a credit for that there is absolutly no credit due and he is the only cust that ever complained about it,
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impishglee
Posts: 4
Phone Model:
Nokia 2600
Service Provider:
Cingular |
Tue Sep 19, 2006 12:16 am |
| Quote: | | THIS is the reason I don't always miss taking calls! I don't understand today's society and the idea that the customers have that everything can be overridden somewhere in the game. Yes, somethings can - But somethings are not up for dispute...People need to learn they just can't bully a large company to get what they want - It doesn't work. |
I agree, it's not fun dealing with people who can't distinguish between "I want" and "I deserve"
On the flip side, from personal experience I know how frustrating it can be to get inconsistent answers from CSRs (not saying it's their fault, sometimes it's the company's poor communication within the organization). So sometimes it does work to just keep calling back until we get what we want. And it only has to work once for us to try it repeatedly in the future...
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Tigress
Posts: 192
Phone Model:
Moto V360; Blackberry 8100 Pearl
Service Provider:
T-Mobile |
Tue Sep 19, 2006 2:38 am |
| impishglee wrote: |
On the flip side, from personal experience I know how frustrating it can be to get inconsistent answers from CSRs (not saying it's their fault, sometimes it's the company's poor communication within the organization). So sometimes it does work to just keep calling back until we get what we want. And it only has to work once for us to try it repeatedly in the future... |
Ah, but the thing I find having to take these calls is that it's not poor communication w/in the company - The information they need to give is there, but the reps assume they know it and BS an answer. So then you have a rep who is actually looking at the information being yelled at by the customer. And when you keep calling back because you don't like the correct information it is just ridiculous.
But I understand what you are saying that sometimes you have to, but it's when you argue with the rep that is actually right that it becomes a headache.
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beyer1983
Posts: 63
Phone Model:
Moto Krzr, A900, SCP-2400
Service Provider:
Sprint |
Tue Sep 19, 2006 10:41 pm |
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or my favorite is when a customer has a lost/stolen/dammaged phone and no phone insurance but the issue was something they caused not fault of the handset its self. then because they have only had the phone like 2 months and they want a new phone at the discount price. well i dont know about you guys but at sprint/nextel we cannot do that. basicly they have to pay the full price of the phone to replace it at this point. then they snarl that "well so and so provider would do it" i dont know if thats true or not but that would be under their policies which are unfortunatly not the policeis of sprint/nextel. if you dont have insurance and you are not up for an upgrade rebate there is no disputing the cost of the phone. in the analogy sence i and a few other reps in my building use the car. "when you buy a brand new car and you have it 6 months and then something happens such as you wreck it and its your fault if you do not have insurance on the vehicle then you are liable for the damages/replacement of the vehicle not the manufacturer nor the dealer who sold it to you" they then sometimes understand
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Tigress
Posts: 192
Phone Model:
Moto V360; Blackberry 8100 Pearl
Service Provider:
T-Mobile |
Wed Sep 20, 2006 2:23 am |
Same at T-Mobile - Almost.
If it's with in 90 days of upgrading, they have to pay full cost.
If it's past 90 but before the full upgrade status, it's the full discount + $80 I think.
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