Tech support/customer service

[thistlechaser]

I've spent most of my professional life dealing with customers/users over the phone. It sucks some serious ass, but that's not the point of this post. For the last twenty minutes, I've had to sit here and listen to a guy yell at me, tell me I'm lying, tell me that I don't know our product. (He was complaining that something "changed" in the newest release, but in reality it's been that way for years and years and years.)

At first this call really ... I can't even say pissed me off or made me angry. It made me want to cry. It made me sick to my stomach. It made me want to curl up in the bathroom and never return to my desk. Then I remembered that this was the first call like this in more than a year. In my 3? 4? years of working here, I've only had two or three really bad calls like this. That's just amazing.

Back when I lived in NY, I worked for a major appliance company doing customer service/support. I had to deal with calls like this for 8-9 hours a day, five days a week. (People would buy a new fridge or dishwasher, only to find it dead. So they called in to us for service. Services appointments were usually booked weeks in advance. Understandably they were pissed that their new appliance weren't going to be fixed for a month, and they took it out on us phone people.) Imagine doing this for a year or two. I did that. I honestly don't know how I didn't kill myself. (All that, plus an hour drive each day to work and back! An hour each way!) Want to talk about soul-killing work, that's it.

So in a way this bad call I had today was actually a good thing. It reminded me how much better things tend to be now. The users I currently deal with are tech-clueful, and rarely are they even impatient. While dealing with customers sucks in general, this job could be worse. I just hope things won't ever go back to how they were... I stuck with the job with the appliance company because I didn't think I had a choice. I hope nothing like that happens again...

Comments

[gconnor.livejournal.com]

Ironically it hurts more if you actually care about the users and if you're working somewhere where pride in a job well done is encouraged :)

[evilwildlex.livejournal.com]

Heh. . .customers can be true morons. Any time that I've had to deal with a truly abusive one, I've gotten my subtle little revenge. The woman that yelled at me and said "Listen honey, I want to talk to someone RIGHT NOW. Don't put me on hold, you got it?" - I replied "Please hold." and put her on hold for being a jackass. (I was a receptionist at this job)

Don't let them get to you. Mock them for their stupidity. ^_____^

Oh, and hi. ^^;; I used to be a member of Pokemush but I became inactive and never resubmitted my character for evaluation.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I love that hold trick. Petty, but it feels so good!

I used to be a member of Pokemush...

Howdy. Who had you been?

[evilwildlex.livejournal.com]

*snicker* Especially since it's great to PURPOSELY keep them on hold longer than you normally would but not enough that it's obvious.

I was Amber. . .TR member with a vulpix named Six. ^^;; I didn't get to actually RP very much at all because all the commands confused me and everyone's schedule and location always seemed to be at odds with mine.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ah, okay. Well, hello!

[loup_noir]

Ah, yes, support calls. Remember them well. I was a MVS sysprog for years so I both made calls and got them. Getting them was worse. Much sympathy. You owe yourself chocolate.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'm already plotting and planning tonight's chocolate-fest...

[webbapettigrew.livejournal.com]

You're an amazing person for doing the line of work that you do. I would react to that caller much the same way you wanted to; become physically ill. I almost gave up teaching a couple of years ago because of a similar situation, only it was happening to me every day. I left the job and have been quite happy ever since.

Bottom line, just remember that at the end of the day they're pissed off at the product and not you!

~webbapettigrew

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I think if I was getting this sort of stuff every day instead of so rarely, I'd be quitting as well.

just remember that at the end of the day they're pissed off at the product and not you!

That's the most important, and yet hardest thing! (Inner-Thistle whines: But he's yelling at meeeee! He hates meeee!)