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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to have told this customer service agent that she was cheeky?

115 replies

OverTheLove · 06/09/2013 17:39

I've just got a new phone and it's not being activated yet, been told quite a few times it will be active in 3 hours, end of the day etc.

Rang today and got through to one woman who said that I had failed data protection but she would give me general information. I told her the problem and then she started to apologise and said that I had come through to the wrong department etc -

So I said to her stop speaking over me because I'm the customer and the customer is always right. I carried on talking and then was met with silence for 10/15 seconds. When she said ok, well I wanted to make sure you had finished because I don't want to speak over you.

To which I told her that she was very cheeky and that the company would have taught her better than that.

OP posts:

ILetHimKeep20Quid · 06/09/2013 18:49

She was cheeky and unprofessional, regardless of what went on before it's nothing short of petty behaviour.

I've worked in call centres and trained call centre staff (big bank) and it's bloody hard work but act like that and you'll soon combust with rage!

HandbagCrazy · 06/09/2013 18:56

Would just like to add as someone who works in a contact centre, i have had several conversations where i have started explaining something, only to have the customer talk over me then tell me i am rude. when that happens, i do like to leave a clear second or 2 between them finishing and me starting again, if only to ensure they have said everything they want to to save frustration. However, there are certain customers (and you are one of them) that absolutely will not be told anything, dont listen and like to forget that there is an actual person at the end of the phone who is just like them.

Manners are free, use them. Just because you cant see the person you're talking to does not mean that you are entitled to be rude. And customers often have no idea of how a company works when they call, and being rude to the person on the phone isnt going to get you what you want.

Saffyz · 06/09/2013 18:58

YANBU. She interrupted you, so she was rude first.

pianodoodle · 06/09/2013 19:01

It's not her fault you got put through to the wrong department she was trying to save you wasting time explaining your problem by telling you so.

They'll have a good laugh playing your call back on their lunch break though :)

pianodoodle · 06/09/2013 19:03

Also the fact you carried on talking about your problem despite already being told you'd been put through to the wrong department just shows you were more intent on patronising her than getting the problem fixed. You must have sounded a right pain.

WireCat · 06/09/2013 19:06

She will have been flicking Vs at you & poking her tongue out
You were in the wrong.

IRCL · 06/09/2013 19:21

YABU.

The customer is rarely right.

You don't sound like you were overly polite yourself.

DoctorRobert · 06/09/2013 19:21

Hahaha, absolutely brilliant. I used to do this with exactly the same line when I worked in a call centre - lots of us did. Wouldn't surprise me if it were the same company.

It was only reserved for the very rudest of customers though - I only did it a handful of times in 10 years, so well done OP on really being one of the worst!

also good to know that it can wind up a rude customer to the point of posting an AIBU

manticlimactic · 06/09/2013 19:40

Silent 15 seconds? I'd have silently ended the call oops how did that happen after the 'customer is always right' comment.

Celadorthepinksequineddragon · 06/09/2013 20:21

YABU OP; the call centre agent on the phone is a human being entitled to be treated with fairness and respect the same as everyone else.

Don't be so concerned with asserting your own rights that you forget everyone else's.

ILetHimKeep20Quid · 06/09/2013 20:27

Just goes to prove that some people get a wee power trip from wearing a headset.

FoxyRevenger · 06/09/2013 20:36

So, she works in a call centre.

You could easily have been her 50th call of the day.
At least half of those people would have been making complaints.
She is probably dying for a pee but not allowed to take her headset off to go to the loo.
She gets paid minimum wage, maybe slightly more.

And you were seriously rude to her. I bet you would never speak to someone like that face to face.

Yes, I've worked in call centres and guess what? People like you are never going to get someone to go out of their way to help. You are more likely to have your complaint 'filed'...

GingerBlackAndOriental · 06/09/2013 20:38

Hehehe...

Oh I would have done a lot worse..

One particular rude customer of mine when working in a call centre got a good few prank calls for a few days after calling me a rude word.

ILetHimKeep20Quid · 06/09/2013 20:47

That's a terrible attitude and why people have such bad experiences of call centres.

FoxyRevenger · 06/09/2013 20:50

ILetHim do you mean because people treat call centre workers like shit on their shoes?

ILetHimKeep20Quid · 06/09/2013 20:56

You work in customer service, you are there to service customers and not act like some mini God judging who is and isn't worthy of your help.

Rudeness hapoens

FoxyRevenger · 06/09/2013 20:58

Yes, rudeness does happen unfortunately, to people who work in customer service, every day.

SimLondon · 06/09/2013 21:00

I guess the customer is always right thing comes from an era of small businesses and shops when an individual customer was valued. In the world of big corporates its a bit different, the stressed customer service agent you were a difficult customer that she was trying to help as quickly as possibl

She shouldn't have talked over you, but you shouldn't have called her cheeky - imho that's ruder than her talking over you.

SoupDragon · 06/09/2013 21:02

OP, you behaved like a twat.

ILetHimKeep20Quid · 06/09/2013 21:03

That's right. And if that's your vocation, you deal with it.

Abuse, and agression is unacceptable.

On the phones you have to remember a whole host of your communication toolbox is useless. It's very easy to be on the wrong wavelength as the person at the end of the phone. Frustration grows very quickly.

StuntGirl · 06/09/2013 21:09

I told her the problem and then she started to apologise and said that I had come through to the wrong department etc -

So I said to her stop speaking over me because I'm the customer and the customer is always right.

Clearly not

TSSDNCOP · 06/09/2013 21:14

I highly doubt that anyone in CS would actually in real life without breaking a rib laughing describe their job as a "vocation".

And as for "communications toolbox" that's just David Brent speak for "sit there and take this shit in exchange for £6.50 an hour.

HotCrossPun · 06/09/2013 21:15

OP has basically said this is a reverse AIBU.

God I hate them

Sparklingbrook · 06/09/2013 21:15

I used to work in Customer Service. The ruder the customer the less I would be inclined to help, if they were polite I would go the extra mile.

If they started yelling I would wait in silence for about 5 seconds after so they had to say 'Hello?'. Then I would say 'What would you like me to do to put this right?'. Half the time they didn't know but just wanted a good shout.

MinionDave · 06/09/2013 21:17

You definitely would have got the V's, plus a wanker sign to boot!

I work in customer service and you always get at least 1 smartarse customer who treats you like dirt per day. I also love how a lot of customers automatically assume they are better or more educated than me, just because i work in a call centre - I'm studying for a degree and work part time to help fund it! I just like to remind myself that I'm the better person as I would never dream of talking to anyone like that

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