To remind you to be kind to utility call operators

[Skethylita]

As described in another thread earlier today, I had a look at my bills this morning and something with my water bills just didn't add up - I was essentially being quoted more than double what I was due to pay this month.

So I phoned my water company and the lady on the other end spent a good 45min on the phone with me trying to sort out the issue - occasionally she had to put me on hold to ask for a second opinion, occasionally her computer was being slow, but we sorted the mistake in the end and got to the bottom of the issue.

All the time she was being incredibly apologetic whenever I had to wait, she was patient in trying to solve my issue and even though I had to cut across her sometimes to clarify things she was lovely overall, trying to calm me down when I was clearly distressed and trying to find a solution which would help us all.

At one point she thanked me for being so patient and said that by now, most people would have shouted down the phone at her.

When the call ended with all being resolved, she must have thanked me 10 times just for staying civil and laughing things off rather than having a go at her, even though it was the water company's slow computer system that had caused the error in the first place. But she hadn't done anything wrong and was just the messenger.

Being civil, having the odd casual chat in between waiting times (turns out we both have similar pets as mine were being noisy in the background) and just generally trying to keep things pleasant while sorting out a stressful, unpleasant situation seems to have meant the world to the poor woman this monring.

It got me thinking just how important this is and will be in the months to come, when many of us will be querying bills, experience stress when something unexpected happens and just how much the poor call operators will have to deal with over autumn and winter. There is always a way to sort things out and utilities companies will try to help as best as they can to support us through these tough times.

Please be nice to your call operator.

I agree, I wouldn't want to work for a utility company right now. I imagine they'll have a lot of distressed householders on the end of the phone.

I've never been rude to a call operator/receptionist in my life

Cold callers however...

I work in retail and since lockdown the way the staff are treated has got far worse and to be honest I'm not surprised people don't stay in the job/want it. Every day I get abuse or someone having ago at me about out of stock items, prices, layout of store, not knowing about every product (we have 11,000 instore and online) - I have absolutely no control over these issues. On the other hand we have some lovely customers or those who just want to come in for a quick shop without niceties but are respectful.

Agree, it wouldn't occur to me. But the number of times she apologised, and the number of times the poor woman thanked me for what I consider basic manners really struck me.

People are rude daily and it's so much worse since lockdown

I told someone not to speak to me like that the other day (he swore at me) and he told me "I deserved to fucking be spoken to like that"
It didn't get him very far as I cut the call off

I wouldn't dream of being rude to a shop worker or call handler unless they were rude to me first. Sadly, some really are embittered and embattled - the notorious "Covid Rudeness" cuts both ways.

I don't kick off at call centre workers unless they outright lie to me (eg a phone company guy trying to stop me ending my contract was making up nonsense about how routers work). At the end of the day, whatever problem I'm calling them about almost certainly isn't their fault personally.

Having previously worked in a company where calls were recorded, and having had to listen back to several recordings, I'd like to point out to people that their call may still be being recorded whilst they are on hold. I remember once listening back to a call I had been on that had been transferred between several people, it was quite funny listening to this mild-mannered customer, who was very polite whilst speaking to us, fucking and blinding incessantly whilst she was on hold.

Agree, and this should be extended to those you deal with face to face such as in shops.

I've worked in well trained customer facing roles all my life and am on auto pilot - unfailingly polite - 24/7. Would never knowingly be rude to anyone.

So much rude lazy shite behaviour being dished out lately though. Receiving good customer service is the exception rather than the rule these days.

@Dotjones - it was quite funny listening to this mild-mannered customer, who was very polite whilst speaking to us, fucking and blinding incessantly whilst she was on hold.

😂That sounds like me.

''Of course i'll hold, no problem at all, you go ahead ...''

<how much fucking longer is this woman going to take?!?!?>

People should be told they are being recorded when on hold, it is not fair really as they do not know and might discuss something unrelated/personal. I am surprised actually that companies do that as it is not in their interest to strore unnecessary data.

But I agree with the premise of the OP - it is not the call handlers' fault the prices are rising - they are presumably worrying about their own bills!

@Laiste I was polite - he wasn't! (He was the customer)

Took me over an hour to get through to Scottish Power this morning about my (Not very) smart meter. They could not resolve my query but I was not rude to them.

Same here.

Kind?

Why would I need to 'be kind' to someone on the phone who's doing their job? Polite yes, but kind?

Same. I've worked in retail, a different role, but directly customer facing so I know how people can be. Some are just absolute assholes and I have no doubt it's got worse.

Sadly, this is so true. I work in a customer facing role, so understand how important it is to be polite. But truly, sometimes I despair. This weekend I was in B&Q looking at pot plants. One didn't have a price on it, so I approached a B&Q staffer who was labelling items (not pot plants - something else) nearby, and said "Excuse me?" to get her attention. Without even looking up from what she was doing, she said, "What?" very aggressively and rudely. I battled on, "Could you let me know where I can find the price of this plant?" (showing her said plant). She heaved a huge sigh from the bottom of her lungs, swiped her handheld thingy across the sticker, and said "21 pounds!" I thanked her, put the item back on the shelf, and went to Wilko, where I found nicer staff and a cheaper pot plant! I don't understand why employees make it so obvious that shoppers are a real inconvenience. Just be polite.

Never be rude to or swear at them. Because from experience, that's all you need to be able to terminate the call. Which always cheered me up briefly.

I can appreciate when people are distressed, frustrated and swear when it isn't directed personally, but call me/my colleagues nasty things? Nah, this call is ending right now.

I happened to have a job like that once - it was absolutely not explained that way at ALL in the interview. I found out on my first day on the phones what it actually entailed and the strict, carefully worded script I had to follow that was designed to trick and mislead people. It was evilly slick really.

I lasted three days before walking out mid-shift but I was lucky that I had a partner's income to rely on in order to have the luxury of walking out like that with no job to go to.

If that's the only job someone can get, and there's rent or bills to pay or kids to feed so they are trapped there until something better comes along, does that mean they deserve being fucked out of it and called names though? I don't think so.

In my opinion, I believe cold calling should be banned entirely - but I am polite and firm and tell them to remove me from their records and not to call again. I would never abuse them because I saw too many in that call center, stressed and miserable and in tears but just too broke to have the luxury of quitting.

You found out on day one you where going to be paid to trick and mislead people and you carried on for the next two days, and you think the victims should be kind?

Do you feel that about pickpockets, muggers and burglars and other kinds of direct conmen?

How about drug dealers, or fences, or others splitting the proceeds of crime?
For them it's how they earn a living too.

Should their victims be kind because 'there's rent or bills to pay or kids to feed so they are trapped there until something better comes along?

Tricking, coning ,misleading for money whether direct or through someone paying you a share of whats conned and stolen isn't any different.

The luxury of quitting is no different from the luxury of not mugging old ladies.

I have marginally more respect for shoplifters! People taking money to con others should be crying.

I’m guessing that given they only lasted 3 days they never actually personally took money to con anyone.

Exactly like that MarzipanDildo.

I interviewed on the Saturday, got training on Monday and Tuesday. The first full day of training seemed fine - it was all product information. It was the second day of training when they got started on scripting that I began to realise that something was seriously off. The next day, Wednesday we were training on live calls, and I lasted until midday before walking out.

I never got paid, and didn't request to either. And if they'd offered (doubt it as they were shady fucks), I'd have taken it and donated it to a Age Action.

My point was that I had the luxury to be able to quit. There were others there who had no choice, it was the only job they could find, and that in turn put a roof over their child's head. There was not a single person in there that wanted to be there, who was happy to be there, and not a single person who wasn't looking for the first opportunity to move on.