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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

hate, hate, hate call centres, even uk ones

22 replies

wouldliketoknow · 01/11/2010 13:59

i had to call a call centre, high rate call of course, 15 min waiting, ups, you got the wrong number, you need to call this other one we don't put in the letters, so call again, high rate call, 50 min i gave up, didn't get to talk to anyone, and i only have a simple question about my account.

c'mon tell me your stories, make me laugh, cos sure i am crossed today. this hour long call made me late and completely disrupted my day.

OP posts:
ImASlatternGetMeOutOfHere · 01/11/2010 14:14

If this is your bank then may I suggest a change to the Co-op. The call centre staff are absolutly fantastic and have gone over and beyond the call of duty to help me.

BonfieryFlisspaps · 01/11/2010 14:15

YANBU.

You might be able to get a non-premium rate number for whoever you're calling because the premium rate lines are no good for overseas customers.

try here

HabbiBOOOO · 01/11/2010 14:16

yy to changing - we are with Smile (co-op) and they're fab.

Talktalk, on the other hand, is a glimpse into hell.

Original poster
wouldliketoknow · 01/11/2010 14:18

thank you for the link, but no luck for me.
it is a mortgage company.

OP posts:
NerdyFace · 01/11/2010 14:22

I work in a Call Centre and I used to work in the Jobcentre Callcentre.

Half the time WE aren't given the information we need by the people in charge, they refuse to get ANY kind of decent computers, things change from minute to minute, woefully undertrained in basic computing.

Spare a minute for us, the people who get shouted at and ABUSED daily by people who are unable to accept they occasionally have to wait to speak to people, don't blame us, blame the people in charge.

I speak for everyone I work with when I say we all work fucking hard and it's not nice to have it continually thrown in our faces because the people in charge are morons.

Original poster
wouldliketoknow · 01/11/2010 14:27

oh, nerdy, i know is not the operators fault, i am sure they are not iddling their thumbs, my grievance is with the company, 50 min waiting is not acceptable, putting the message in teh letters: if you have any queries, please call this number, which by the way is the wrong one.... is deceiving into making a 15 min very expensive call, and then they don't pick up when you call the 'right number'. but surely you can understand that after over an hour on the phone, if anyone pick up, it is terribly hard to be nice... ubnfortunatly, is the front lie people who get shouted at, the morons that direct the companies get angry lettters at the most.

OP posts:
NerdyFace · 01/11/2010 14:29

Blush Sorry! I am stressed to hell by every aspect of this job so I am far more sensitive lately than I should be!

So please accept my apologies? Sad

HoneyIatethekidsdragon · 01/11/2010 14:30

In my call centre of employment we had a situation where the gentleman called in and yelled at me solidly for 5 minutes about being put on hold and ignored for over 25 minutes.

I apoligised profusely, explained I couldn't understand and would investigate it - he did not want to go on hold / get a call back he was furious and demanded to speak to the person who called him. As luck would have it they were sat near me. My colleague was adamant that the gentleman had stated he was getting his card details for us and then terminated the call on my colleague. My colleague then insisted he had tried to call back and could not get through.

Bloke was even angrier at this point, assuming as I had a system error had occurred leaving him stuck in the system. It was only when the customer stated if he had wanted to listen to radio one for an hour solid he would have done so without a phone to his ear. At this point I was Confused as we subject our callers to bloody awful "musak" when they are on hold not the radio.

Turns out the poor guy had gone upstairs to get his debit card in the bedroom and picked up the phone in there to continue the call, when he realised my colleaue had put him on "hold". Except he wasn't - he had not pressed the button to take the call - he had pressed the intercom button on his phone and was listening to radio one playing downstairs in his kitchen for all that time!!!!!

To this day I still feel for that man, even though he did call me several rude words he was big enough to say sorry Smile

Original poster
wouldliketoknow · 01/11/2010 14:34

no need for apologies, nerdy, we all had stressful jobs when you are front line and feel like telling the customers how sick of the place you really are.

but you are a bit sensible, that wasn't my point, may i suggest some chocolate and hot bath at the end of the day, it helps me...

OP posts:
HeadFairy · 01/11/2010 14:37

:o Honey

No funny stories here but I have waited an hour and a half on hold to a call centre. I was at work, it was quiet and I was curious to see just how long the queue was. After an hour and a half waiting the line went dead, when I tried it again there was a recorded message to say they were closed for the day!

redflag · 01/11/2010 14:50

Ever attempted to speak to British gas!

geekygiraffe · 01/11/2010 15:03

Tesco Car Insurance are pretty special. Phoned to change my name (after marriage), and that week received three different policies, each with one wrong piece of information (different error on each policy). Phoned to ask wtf? (politely), and they sent me a new one. It arrived today, complete with a brand new error. Really can't face speaking to them again...

thesecondcoming · 01/11/2010 15:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Starbuck999 · 01/11/2010 17:34

It's when you call the emergency services "call centre" on 999 and get put on hold that you really have a cause to moan!

But more on topic...I am with HSBC and they generally answer very quickly. The longest I have ever held is for Thomson holidays - 3 hours!!!!

WhereYouLeftIt · 01/11/2010 17:41

Rang firstdirect today - picked up on the second ring. Always straight through to a person, based Leeds and Glasgow IIRC (sounded like Leeds today). They're always nice to deal with, helpful and quite chatty.

LessonsinL · 01/11/2010 18:30

Barlcays are horrendous, they can't speak English and any "complaint" made is never responded to.

Starbuck999 · 01/11/2010 18:39

However, although HSBC are very quick to answer the phone, unless it's a very simple question that I have to ask then it's very hard to get any resolution to problems. They're based in India and the staff just do not have good enough English skills to have an in depth discussion about financial matters.

Makes me want to SCREAM!

sb6699 · 01/11/2010 18:40

I have posted this story before so apologies in advance to those who have heard it.

Very Glaswegian dh on the phone to 3 in India after hour trying to get problem sorted it seemed to be reaching a conclusion.

Operator: Is that what you would like me to ddo.

DH: Aye.

Operator: Sorry sir, I cannot help you with your eyes, you must call a doctor.

amothersplaceisinthewrong · 01/11/2010 18:45

BT are dreadful. But having written to the Chief executives office I have a contact I can email direct and any problems get sorted pronto.

Love the story aboe sb6699

superv1xen · 01/11/2010 18:47

rofl @ redflag re british gas, i used to work for them in the hellhole callcentre :o we were poorly trained, underpaid with shit systems, this is why people get shit service from them.

TheCrackFox · 01/11/2010 18:48

YANBU

I hate them all. No I don't want to fricking dial 1, I want to speak to an actual person.

I don't have a particularly strong Scottish accent but if the call centre isn't based in this country they can't understand a word I am saying.

Aarrrghh!

This recession should give companies the nod to reconnect with their customers and try to at least offer basic customer service.

sb6699 · 01/11/2010 19:00

I love 3 call centres after that one!!!

Funnily enough the chap seemed genuinely concerned about dh's eyesight and and was adamant he should get in touch with his gp.

BT - absolutely hopeless Angry

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