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

[Complaintxoxo]

I rang about a problem l currently have with a well known national organisation. The customer service advisor was unable or unwilling to come up with a solution.
I asked for her name so I could follow the complaints procedure. She gave me her first name but declined to give me her surname.
Is this standard practice? I was surprised. I worked in front line customer service for a local council for many years. It wouldn't have been accepted for me to refuse to tell the customer my full name.

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.

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.

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

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!

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

@RunningOutOfImaginitiveUsernames

"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 PP said he had a PHd, a doctorate. So is a doctor and entitled to use Dr as a title

It’s fine, they will know who took which call anyway. I don’t think you needed her surname

It's unfair that it works this way round as she will have your full name and details. Assume calls are recorded, though, so as long as you have the time of the call it should be trackable.

Of course it's fine. Her employer will know which member of staff you mean. People do not want to be stalked online or in real life by crazy customers.

I certainly wouldn’t have given you my full name. Your problem is with the organisation not me personally.

My apologies, I misread and thought PP was talking about the famous person also having a PhD.

Sorry @BashfulClam!

Standard practice everywhere

I've worked for 2 different organisations (albeit not in customer service myself) where 2 customer service agents acquired a stalker after giving out their full names. Even more horrifying was that one of the men stalking travelled over 100 miles just to turn up with flowers and try to follow her home. Police were involved on both occasions.