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

I thought that CS staff usually used fake names - especially if they are located overseas but want to give the impression that you’re talking to someone located in the UK.

It would be poor practice to give full names in this day and age where you could stalk someone via the internet.

Yes, but he wasn't a doctor.

Anyone who was already upset about whatever they're calling about, would be even more annoyed at someone clearly taking the piss when it's their job to try to resolve customer issues.

The systems in the call centres where CSAs look into your accounts and make notes, adjustments, changes of bank details etc usually have their log in details stamped in along with the time and date. Some call centres I worked at the sign on details were just random characters. Others it was initials and then random numbers.

You don't need to know their full name. Their safety is more important than your problem. Too many stalker weirdos out there.

The customer service associate was absolutely in their right not to give their full name. There is absolutely no need, I would imagine most companies record all their calls and will easily be able to identify the agent if you gave first name, date and time of call.

Imagine having an unusual name and then someone who wasn't happy with the service provided started harassing them over social media, that's what complaint procedures are for.

We deal with quite a few fraudsters and it is actually not recommended to give out your full name. I personally wouldn't, some customers who we speak to are definitely the sort who would go try find you on social media. I mean mine is all locked anyway, so good luck with that but still it's not required, all our calls are recorded, they can complain away. The call will be easily accessible.

Of course she shouldn’t give out her surname, you are being very unreasonable to ask for it!

I work in a coffee shop and refuse to have my real name on my name badge. Weirdos have found us on social media before. It's for safety

I wouldn't and didn't give my full name when I used to work for a call centre for a large national company or when i worked for s small local charity. If a customer has an issue when the complaints team look at your account there will be an Id for the staff member so there really is no need for you to have their full name.

Call centre staff being stalked and abused, says bank boss - BBC News

It really doesn’t matter what their name is. No one is really held accountable for anything - they just fix whatever is wrong and compensate the customer. It’s not about the individual.

A lot of them don’t even give their real name anyway.

Why would you need her last name? She's entitled to a private life away from work.

Can you really not engage your brain enough to fathom the multiple reasons why, in this age of social media, someone would be unwilling to give their full name?
Also, in the majority of call centres front line agents are working from some kind of script. If she couldn’t give you what you want she likely wasn’t authorised to do it.

Abuse and harassment of customer service representatives is a real thing. Do not be that person.

I worked for a call centre 15 years ago and this was standard. The amount of threats we used to get there was no way I was giving my full name to anyone.

It sounds like where you used to work wasn't the norm!

In what they were trying to achieve? If they travelled many miles, that's pathetic.

Not unreasonable for her to say no. Ordinary members of the public have no authority to compel anyone to provide their full name, regardless of whether it involves customer service or not.

I once temped in the office of a water utility provider, in the team that dealt with search enquiries. There was a huge backlog, hence the temps. We'd get through as many as we could and take turns spending an hour a day each on the hotline which applicants called to chase up their overdue requests. Most of them were not happy and some were downright furious. Asking for your full name was common. Our manager told us to use a particular pseudonym- Stephanie Hay/Stephen Hay. I hope no one of that name ever went to work there as there would have been loads of complaints about them.

I worked in call centres. Wasn't allowed to give my full name to customers as its security.

Though one call centre I worked as a temp for a month, I had to say "you are speaking to Auburngal (surname)." I hated it as customers had to ask to spell my surname as there are variations of my surname. Glad FB wasn't around at the time. I know there are about 35 people with my first name and surname in the UK as a website which doesn't exist anymore - typed in name and came with the results.

Also many companies have multiple call centres to protect the workers and if there is a problem such as a power cut in one CC, then calls would be able to continue.

When I worked for a bank, I was forced to wear a name badge with first name and surname on it. Asked if I could just have the first name. No. Got customers say "how do you pronounce your surname?" "are you related to....?"

Some UK call centres do allocate you a random name. They chose it based on your ethnicity. I knew two people who were working on the 119 covid line and one was given Andy - he's Jamie and the other one was given Heidi when her name is Jo.

All people who are far better paid than call centre staff.

OP you are being incredibly unreasonable and naive. You do NOT need their name.

Do you want your problem fixed or do you want to get her into trouble?

You don't need their full name. You can provide details of when you spoke to them and they'll trace the interaction from that. I used to work with someone who was harrassed after another employee shared their full name and he used social media to track her down.

Not entirely the same, but I used to work in a high street clothing shop. There was a brief period where our full name was on the receipts. I served a man, who then asked me to try on shoes for him. I said no, and he told me he’d ’find me on Facebook and ask when you’re a bit more amenable’. Around the same time, another member of staff was told that her address could easily be found on the 192 website.

Just because other professions do it (often unnecessarily), doesn’t mean that we should put even more people in danger.

Years ago when I worked in a call centre a customer knew my surname from an email chain. He found me on Facebook and started bombarding me with creepy messages and friend requests.

I think that there should be a form of conscription, whereby everyone is obliged to spend a year working in customer service.

I think people really don’t know just how awful the public can be.

Although if you look on social media and some of the types who post there, then translate that into them speaking to someone at their bank/insurer/their local Sainsbury’s you’d have a bit of an idea.

Most calls are recorded now, so there is a record of your interaction. Would that be referenced re. your complaint?