in thinking that 'our system is down' is a ploy to stop irate

[OrmRenewed]

customers getting too snippy with the customer helpline staff?

BTW I am joking. I know it's not deliberate but bugger it's annoying!

I'm not good at being cross and forceful but I have been messed about by an online chemist and they have not responded to 2 polite e-mails. They have taken all my money and only supplied half the order - the rest to follow on. Nearly a month later I finally rang them. I had the order number and the despatch note to be greeted by 'Sorry our system's down' So she couldn't see my account or my order history. I explained and she agreed to 'hurry things along'.

Feel a bit deflated now. I'll have to ring later won't I?

Yep.

Surely in all good customer service training "our system is down" is used to cover a multitude of sins. Namely

1: the person who knows the answer is away from their desk: ill/making tea/having a wee/retired/smoking a fag/showing the boss how to use their Blackberry/dead

2: our systems are so shite we still have to look this crap up on paper but are too humiliated to admit this in case you are one of our competitors

3: I picked up a ringing phone and now have no idea what to do but I can take a message and join you in a prayer to hope that someone else will reply to you?

Good Luck Orm: Hang on in there.

I thought you were referring to the recent MN downtime. I have many theories about what was really going on there