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 had this before. "Where do you live?"

I said my life outside work is private. He went bat shit crazy and demanded to speak to a manager. Manager told him that in no circumstances no one in this call centre and the others the company has will disclose their address.

It's unfair that it works this way round as she will have your full name and details-

Yes but she not kelly install OP is she?

Not going to blast OP on SM

Not going to ask her for be friends in FB!!

It’s not tit for tat -

Very unreasonable and tone deaf for you to ask and expect this of any member of staff, especially a woman.

They obviously, being a customer services department, will have records of your call and so would not need you to know the full name of the representative you were speaking to in order to follow the complaint procedure.

All calls should be recorded or her name will be logged on a computer with the time/details of your complaint. Your interaction with that particular member of staff will therefore be traceable by her employer and by any other handler picking up a subsequent call from you. There's no need to know her full name. You could post it all over social media or track her down.

Their CRM will be able to link up the advisor to your call so yes YABU, you don't need to ask.

I have worked is customer service/contact centre roles. I've also worked in complaints. Each agent has a unique ID their calls are recorded, they can find the calls from the number your dialled in on. There is literally zero need for you to have their full name

As soon as the call's done and she's made any notes on the system, she almost certainly won't. She'll be on to the next one (unless she's having a closely timed loo break).

It's a bit pointless to ask really I mean she could just give any old name couldn't she? How would you ever know?

If I worked there I'd probably tell you I was Sharon Stone or something.

I worked for a local council before Facebook was even a thing. We used to just give our first names and if pressed, we were told to say "My first name is, my team leader is called <first name>

Around 35-odd years ago our local posties went on strike as management decided they wanted full names on their name badges. One of their very reasonable points was that if they were on holiday, it was obvious as they weren't on that round so left them open to burglary.

Does this not apply to doctors, nurses, teachers, police officers? All incredibly public-facing (literally, unlike call centres who are just giving their voice away!)

He has the title Dr as he had a PhD. He wasn’t taking the rip, he was giving his full correct name.

I worked in telephone banking as a student in the mid 2000’s and we were never to give out full names.

This is why I don't use my real name on social media, so coming from the issue from the other way round. It means that no one can find me online unless I want them to.

We don't give out full names. We have been advised not to.

I think they should give a full name. I don't think it should be their actual name, but it makes it easier to identify them.

Who is Alex in customer services? There could be lots of Alexes.

A reference number? You have to remember it and not all people are good with numbers.

Alex Green? Two names makes it easier to identify someone than one, and it makes the customer feel like the customer advisor isn't trying to hide.

I don't see the issue with assigning everyone a specific fake name in two parts? The advisor feels safe and the employee feels heard.

OP

How would you like it yourself if you worked in a call centre and a customer demanded your surname? Eh?

Heavy taking the Rio? 😕

Or just note time and date of call, agent's first name, call easily found, certainly in my workplace it would be.

Yes, sorry I apologised in my last comment 🙂I misread.

Although i understand that people don’t want to give their full name i work for a council and my full name is on emails, letters and enquiries and i have not been told not to give it on the phone (disclaimer…i am often not told stuff 😀)

Corrected it, sorry I have pneumonia and not correcting my autocorrect because I feel like 💩

It's definitely for safety reasons- some people may be quite unhinged.

If you gonna complain her store manager and tell for ie: Tracy from customer service desk on Wednesday morning they'll definitely know who she is.

I work for the NHS and I have always used my maiden name at work and my married name in my private life for that reason and been careful not to link them. I was stalked by a patient early on in my career and it was terrifying and made me aware of the risks and that was pre internet. It's not an uncommon thing. I even had a colleague who was actually stabbed by a patient. No way do I ever let them know anything personal about me now. People routinely look me up on line but I know they will only ever find out professional info.

I also know quite a few people who work in public facing roles who use a slightly different name at work or alternatively use one on social media.

They are not allowed to give out their name nor are any colleagues - GDPR.