AIBU to expect Customer Service Advisor to tell me their full name?

It depends on the type of call and the type of call centre.

Technical and helpdesk calls are usually allocated a reference number because there might be an engineer who needs to go out to fix a machine, or a spare part that needs to be ordered and then sent out. In addition, these types of call have a resolution target - i.e. how long does it take from the customer calling to having the issue resolved.

In none of the call centres I worked, the calls I received had reference numbers to give out to customers. May have done but only accessible to managers.

As I worked on customers' accounts.

Names don't work half the time anyway

Me "good morning customer service, Deborah speaking"
Customer "hi Sonia"

This is why people use their middle name as their work name .

If you phoned in to the contact centre, the centre's IT and phone systems will record:

• the number the call was made from (i.e. your number - something abusive callers might want to remember)
• the date and time of the call
• the agent who handled the call
• the customer name and customer number (e.g. for utility companies)
• the reference number of the actual call (allocated by the system)
• the details of the call (as entered on to the system by the agent)
• the overall reason for the call (the agent picks from a list - e.g. #1=general query, #2=billing query etc)
• the entire call is usually recorded, so can be listened to later to check what was said (again, something abusive callers might want to remember).

If you decide to complain at a later date, as long as you state at least two from your customer name or number, the call reference number, the date and time of the call or the name of the agent, the company will be able to identify the call and listen to it.

I worked at the Child Support Agency speaking and writing to lots of angry people every day. We used our full names. Anyone who was uncomfortable with this could choose a pseudonym.

Depends on the call centre and set up. Not all are advanced.
Identifiable is sufficient, however they choose to do it. Giving their real name and full name is not necessary.

They are - to their line manager who would investigate any disputes. Every call is logged to the agent and the caller. No need for surnames.

They should use something identifiable, eg Stacey123 or Colin Tree not Colin Flower.
Their real name or surname, not relevant

What era are you living in ? People get tracked down, stalked and killed from angry people who find them social media etc Why do you think that you are entitled to her personal details ! The first name and the time you spoke to them will identify them if needed . YAB - totally - U ….

I love just hanging up on entitled, arrogant people like you...bullies who think they are better than the person they are speaking to.

You can have my first name and employee number should this be required, I do not even give my first name out when not absolutely necessary, all calls are tracked.

Sorry, but why should she be obliged to give you her full name? In this day and age you could stalk and harass her online. I appreciate you probably wouldn't do that, but many people, especially men, would.

A case or chat reference number should suffice. If yhey are protectingvtheir employees by not giving their name, then they need to track the call with a reference number.

There are obviously going to be professions where it is appropriate or necessary to give a full name. That simply doesn't apply to a customer service advisor though. You can absolutely complain about an individual without it. What else would you NEED their full name for? I'd find it sinister actually if I explained to someone that they could complain about me with the information I'd given and they kept insisting they want my surname - I'd be wondering what they intend to do.

I tell my staff they are under no circumstances to give their full names regardless of the situation (complaint etc). It's for their own safety as we have had people make threats and send creepy FB messages previously

I work for the council, our emails are our full names so no hiding that! Also as a pp said, our names are on our registration and we get threats of abuse daily across the team. We have to share our full names.

Yeah, nah. The people that make fools of themselves by carrying on about full names are exactly the people you don’t want to have knowing your full name.

@soupfiend Generally speaking all calls are recorded (certainly the company I work for and companies that I have had to contact) there is your audit trail!

Regarding proof of what was said, that's why calls are recorded! I remember one customer adamant that I had misinformed them earlier in the call and demanded an apology and a complaint raised. I hadn't misinformed them and politely reminded the customer that all calls are recorded, soon changed their tune and said just forget it on this occasion. It's there to protect staff aswell as customers!

@Motheranddaughter You definitely wouldn't get the outcome you wanted at my place of work. Our managers and complaints team support not giving out full names.

Customers do not need a call handlers full name. It would be a complete waste of your time speaking to anyone else if it was to try and get your own way by requesting or complaining about a process that doesn't need fixing.

actually police give their collar numbers rather than their names, for this exact reason.

What possible audit trail and proof will be available if you know you spoke to John Smith rather than John? Either the conversation will be recorded, in which case it will be linked to your customer reference rather than the person who spoke to you, so it doesn't matter who they were, or it won't be recorded, in which case it doesn't matter who you spoke to, they could say whatever they wanted about what they did/didn't say to you. Proof of who spoke to you isn't proof of what was said.

There are very few places/organisations in which first name and job title (and time conversation took place) aren't enough to identify someone.

Absolutely! I never worked phone lines but have worked in retail. Wild horses couldn’t have dragged my surname out of me, never mind a belligerent customer!

I work on the Complaints phone line for a company and you would not be getting my surname 😘

I used to work in a contact centre, this was 15 years ago or so, so when social media wasn't as prevalent.

I didn't mind giving my full name then, but by the time I left, it was advised not to - after a staff member had someone look her up online while they were talking and say he was going to walk into the office on XX road and blow them up for not doing what he wanted. Scary.

I also use my husband's surname at work, so instead of Claire Foreignsurname I'm Claire Smith, much more anonymous.

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