[Dion]

Originally Posted by FireFly

Sounds like you're having a bad day? Hope it goes better for you...

You're going to get defensive at that? It's all in how you word it.

The fact that one can't see the other persons body language, those comments can be taken as being condesending with the person taking offence to the remarks. I get better results with those kind of comments when dealing with someone in person. At least they can see that i'm not being sarcastic with my remarks but moreso generaly concerned with why thier day is so crappy.

Are they being outwardly rude? Or do they just sound impatient? I've never had one come right out and offer a rude comment. I mean really, perhaps what we perceive as being rude is just impatience? I try to be polite all the time, not just to people who "deserve" it.

Both rude and impatient. I get that CSR's have a job to do but why don't they understand when a person says i'm not interested or that i have a better plan already. I'm not interested in getting into a long discussion about the merits of the plan i have as opposed to the one the CSR is trying to promote. I don't know, maybe it's part of the job description to not accept "no" as an answer and to be agressive with the sales pitch.

Then there's the ones that phone during the dinner hour and act surprised when you tell them you are eating.

You're very right. As an example from my own history, Telus pays quite well so it's not the pay. The working conditions do suck, but generally, it's the people on the other end of the phone that made it suck. How many times can I be asked ######ed questions? I understand you dropped your phone in the toilet the day after you signed a 3 year contract for it, but we will NOT be giving you a new one. That's part of the contract. Yelling at me won't help. It's not MY policy, it's Telus'... Yelling at a CSR for the policy of the company they work for will NOT make them want to help you OR change the company's problem, see? Yet I guarantee that every CSR for every company gets that pretty much all day every day.

If the customers do their part to make the conversation a pleasant one, generally, it will be.

The only times I've ever had to hang up on someone was when they were too stupid to help. Never for having them be rude to me. There's a reason for that.

You described one of the many reasons i got out of the service industry. I no longer had any patience for rude behaviour. Got tired of hearing the mantra that the customer is always right and we should treat them that way. The stupidity i could deal with as i always managed to find a way to explain it someone.