The worst call centre ever

[ic]

http://mybroadband.co.za/news/General/2258.html
I thought for the last column of the year that I'd put together a string of traits that would typify the worst call centre I could imagine. (http://mybroadband.co.za/news/General/2258.html)

[Soulsnatcher]

sounds like, besides the obvious one Telkom, all insurance and medical aid companies in this country

[The_Librarian]

If you actually let your customers talk to an agent, ensure that the agent knows nothing about the products he's supposed to be talking about. The more clueless the agent, the better. There's nothing that customers like more than an agent who makes things up on the fly. Also make sure that every agent gives a different story: confusion is the name of the game here.

If your customer needs to be referred to a different department, make sure that it isn't just a matter of transferring them. Make sure they have to hang up and dial another number and then wait in another queue to get the information they're looking for. Passing the buck is an old favourite.


:D:D:D

Right on the bat.

[Tns]

telkom indeed, or written by telkom

[gdiza]

I don't think Telkom's IVR is bad, I just think how long you end up waiting sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[eltherza]

I don't think Telkom's IVR is bad, I just think how long you end up waiting sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree.

Here are my 2 experiences:

Dial number.
Wait 20mins
me : "Hi, i have a problem with my adsl"
them : " ok, let me transfer you"
20mins later
me : "hi, my adsl is down"
... them with default support "is your router on?"
me : "it was working fine an hour ago, now my router says the line isnt adsl enabled"
....


couple hours later they call back to check if it's been resolved. Which is nice really.

[native]

Maybe they should have ratings for different industries:
Telecoms
Medial Aid
Insurance

[LifelongGamer]

[Background: Problem with line quality affecting ADSL performance. Fault logged. 3 days later line drops entirely. 2 hours later, line is restored and ADSL performance seems satisfactory. Big storm hits, line is unplugged. Next morning discovers line is completely dead.]

<42 minutes on hold (using cellphone)>
-> +ve: voice keeps reminding you that your call 'is important' and that the call hasn't dropped
-> -ve: the painful ringing developing in your ears listening to more than 5 minutes of the Telkom Theme.
[Eventually a human voice comes on the line]
Call-Agent: ADSL Desktop support. How may I help you.
Me: Hi. I had a fault on my line which was fixed yesterday. The technician
was at my premises and everything was working for about 6 hours
before we had a big storm but now the entire line is dead. No voice.
No data. Can you please check the status of the fault and contact
the technician to come back and fix the line? If it's closed, I need to
report a new fault.
Call-Agent: I see. Your line completely dead?
Me: Yes. Here's the fault number ###CRK######
Call-Agent: What router are you using?
Me: I could tell you - but that's pointless considering the line itself isn't
working, isn't it? I doubt my router is blocking the whole line from
working!?
Call-Agent: According to the system, this fault is still open. A technician
has been dispatched. You should be contacted as soon as the
technician is available.
Me: The technician was already here yesterday - he cut off my line while I
still using it because he didn't bother to notify me beforehand. He
later said he moved my line to a 'spare' as my old one was faulty. He
left the line-tracer behind when he left by the way, so I'm sure he has
to come back anyway...
Call-Agent: <clicking away on his side> I've added a note to your fault
stating the line isn't working.
Me: Is there no way to contact the technician and get this resolved asap?
Call-Agent: No. My system isn't linked and we can't give out the dispatch
number to clients. I'll 'escalate' this for you but that's all I can do until
the technician sorts this out.
Me: <sigh> Ok. Thank you.

[Next day - repeat call to Desktop support]
<33 minutes on hold (using cellphone)>
Call-Agent: ADSL Desktop support. How may ...
Me: Hi. My fault number is ###CRK######. I'd like an update please.
Call-Agent: The fault is still open. I see the line was tested. It's been
dispatched to a technician and you'll have to wait until they contact
you.
Me: The line was tested? What date do you have on the system for that
line test?
Call-Agent: What?
Me: When was the line test done. The one you just told me about.
Call-Agent: Yesterday.
Me: Ok. Any feedback on the line test? What problem did they pick up?
Call-Agent: It doesn't say. Someone will contact you when they work on
the fault.
Me: I've been waiting to be contacted and my line is still dead. Nobody's
contacted me yet. Any idea when the technician will get around to
this?
Call-Agent: I can't say on my side. I can 'escalate' it for you?
Me: What does 'escalating' the fault do?
Call-Agent: It moves your fault to the 'top of the queue' and 'increases
the 'priority'.
Me: Well I've been told it's already been escalated, but please do what
you can to speed this up. I would like my line working properly again.
Call-Agent: Ok. I've escalated it for you. Is there anything else I can
assist you with?
Me: I know you've already updated the fault, but can you please also put
a message for the technician or someone to contact me and let me
know what's happening? I'd like to at least know for how long my line
will be dead. <confirms contact number>
Call-Agent: Someone will contact you.
Me: Thank you. Goodbye.

[Next day - repeat call to Desktop support]
<21 minutes on hold (using work phone)>
Call-Agent: ADSL Desktop support.
Me: Hi. I'd like an update on an outstanding fault please. Can I give you
the fault reference number?
Call-Agent: I'm sorry. This line is for reporting faults only. I can't give you
an update. You have to dial the following number: 0800-375-375,
option 2.
Me: But that is the number I dialed. I've been waiting 20-minutes on hold
using Option 2 like you just said and you answered ..!?
Call-Agent: Well this is not the right department. My system can't see
updates. I can only log new faults.
Me: Are you serious? I dialed the right number. It's not my fault if your
system routed the call incorrectly. Is it?
<seconds tick by in silence>
Call-Agent: I can try. What is your telephone number?
Me: My number is 011-###-#### - please see what you can find out.
I've been using this same number to get updates in the past.
<more silence follows>
Call-Agent: I see the fault you raised but I can't give you any update ...
Me: Can you please give me the Customer Care Complaints number?
Call-Agent: Certainly. 0800-600-126.
Me: Any option I need to use or is that a direct number?
Call-Agent: It's direct.
Me: Thank you

[Dialed the Customer Care number/ Discovered there ARE options to choose from. Selected what seemed the appropriate option and prepared to wait on hold]
<FOUR minutes later ...>
Call-Agent: (with heavy Afrikaans accent) Hello, Customer Care
department. How can I help you?
Me: Hi. I need an update on a fault I reported, please. Can you assist me?
Call-Agent: Yes I can. What is your line number?
Me: Thank you. My number is 011-###-####. Can I explain what I know
so you can tell me if there's been any further developments?
Call-Agent: Hold on. I'm looking up your details. <click click click> Are you
Mr ????????
Me: It's pronounced ???????? but, yes. I am he.
Call-Agent: This is a 'dls' line?
Me: ADSL, yes. The original fault was for quality / performance but now
the line isn't working at all. I have previously reoprted this.
Call-Agent: Hold on. I'm still looking at the history notes.
Me: OK but I'd like to know when this is going to be resolved or at least
when someone is going to contact me and let me know what's
actually happening.
Call-Agent: (after some time reading through the notes) Ok. Mr ????????, I
see a technician has been dispatched. He will call you when he is
working on your line.
Me: The technician has been previously dispatched and I've been waiting
for a call but so far nobody has called. Is this going to happen today?
Does your system say what the problem is?
Call-Agent: My system do not have those details. Give me your cellphone
number - I'm on another screen right now.
Me: ###-###-####
Call-Agent: I've put a note for somebody to call you. Is there something
else you want help on?
Me: Just for my line to be working today. Thank you.

[An hour later, call received on my cell]
Caller: Mr ??????? My name is ***** and I'm calling from Telkom about the fault you reported on the <original fault date>.
Me: Hi. Yes. Thank you for calling ...
Caller: Is your ADSL line working now?
Me: Pardon me?
Caller: Your fault states you had a problem with the speed and the quality
of your ADSL line and I'm following up to see if the problem's been
fixed.
Me: Well. No. The speed-issue was fixed 3 days ago when the technician
moved my number to a 'spare line' and it seemed to work for several
hours. The following day, however, the entire line was dead and it
hasn't been working since. I did report this to the ADSL helpdesk
repeatedly.
Caller: Your line isn't working??
Me: No. Not as far as I know. When I left for work this morning, the line
was still dead.
Caller: What about your telephone line?
Me: Both Voice and Data are not working. The whole line is dead. Doesn't
your system have the updates I reported?
Caller: No. I'll have to follow up on this Mr ???????
Me: Ok. Will you please find out what's going on and get to me with an
update? I'd really appreciate it. My line has been dead for 3 days now
since it was 'supposed' to have been fixed.
Caller: Certainly. I need to get to the bottom of this.
Me: Thank you very much. I'm at work right now so if the technician
needs access to my premises again or to collect the tracer he left
behind, he MUST contact me in advance.
Caller: What did he leave behind?
Me: The line-tracer he used to pick up my line at the SDC when he
switched me to the 'spare'.
Caller: Oh ok. He must contact you first anyway.
Me: I know, but they don't really. They expect you to be available at their
convenience not the clients.
Caller: I'll handle it. Thank you Mr ???????
Me: Thank you. Goodbye.

[Now waiting to see if the line will be working when I get home]

You can see some of the negative points the author described in the article. One would think that after so much 'experience' in dealing with customers and the many complaints received, Telkom would improve the process for customers.

[Alchemist]

This article describes trying to get hold of Joburg Connect down to a "T"

[Surv0]

Really sad call history "LongLifeGamer"
and whats worse is that this happens to frequently to many others

I blame it on lack of competence in staff and the fact that management are mere ghosts and have no direct contact with clients... well none that i have ever witnessed.
Fault loggers are being lazy transferring queries.. although they are told they should refer the call as its not their department, taking a quick look at a fault is very possible for any1 with basic access in their system, finding the people who dont operate like robots is the hard part. All the good helpers are quickly snatched buy the vast amount of companies that recruit from telkoms coffers...
Put together a bunch of incompetent call center agents - make sure they know nothing about whats going on between fault stages and give them no internal communication. Teach them how to do one thing, and one thing only.. they must not deviate or they may realise they are actually humans with reasoning capabilities.
That is telkom

[ic]

Me: Can you please give me the Customer Care Complaints number?
Call-Agent: Certainly. 0800-600-126.I must admit that I glazed over at your transcript earlier [was too much to read at the time], but I've just read through it all, and apart from having had the same sort of experience for weeks at a time when my ADSL was down, I have learnt something new - Telkodemonopolies actually has a Customer Care Complaints number :eek:.

[marjo]

Funny stuff ppl.

I had a very weird experience today. Called a the people who supplied one of our clients with new software that needed to be installed on one of the servers.

After calling my number and holding for 5 minute's I got someone on the line, I then asked for a Technical guy. Then that guy told me he must forward my call to another person.

I got a friendly voice saying "You are number ... one .. in the cue". That was weird, i had a great feeling about this. After hearing that voice 21 times I got another person. Finally I found out that their software needs the server to be restarted, the antivirus needs to be deactivated with the firewall inactive... Do they want to hack the server?

[risingtide]

6 parapgraphs, 5 of them deal with what happens before you talk to an agent, and even that is in the most general terms. Does this mean that once you get to speak to someone, and are not totally unlucky, call centre staff and support is pretty OK?

[LifelongGamer]

6 parapgraphs, 5 of them deal with what happens before you talk to an agent, and even that is in the most general terms. Does this mean that once you get to speak to someone, and are not totally unlucky, call centre staff and support is pretty OK? I suppose it depends on who you are calling. All my contact with Multichoice (from basic enquiries to account disputes to service being incorrectly cut-off on their side) has always been resolved by the Call-Agent once they listen to the facts I present them. At most I've only had to ask for a Superviser / Manager on ONE occassion as the Call-Agent wasn't authorised to handle my request on her own. Problem was rectified minutes later and since then I haven't had need to call them again (<fingers crossed>).

However, with Telkom it's a different story. Got home last night and my line was still dead. Sat on hold (using cellphone) for 24 minutes [Note: it seems even though the opening IVR voice announces "Customers. Please note we are experiencing high caller volumes. We apologise for the inconvience" which I've heard EVERY DAY for almost the past week, the amount of time I actually stay on hold has on average dropped below 30 minutes as opposed to 40+].

The Call-Agent told me the same story about the fault being assigned to a technician. When I insisted on an update of what HAS ACTUALLY been done, he informed me the line is faulty and needs to be replaced. What I find interesting is that is the exact excuse they gave me for the original fault but the latest 'update' was timestamped yesterday sometime.

I asked how can it be that my 'original' line was found faulty and swopped with a spare AND the spare itself is now also faulty less than 12 hours after being successfully tested? Call-Agent couldn't answer. I asked what needs to happen next and how long will it take to get my line working again - as I'm the only one affected by non-service as none of my neighbours have any problems. I was told only the technician can advise. When I asked when the technician would contact me as I've repeatedly asked him to do so, the answer was 'he was supposed to'.

Funny thing is, when I then asked whether the technician no longer needs the line-tracer unit he left at my premises, the Call-Agent took it upon himself to tell me the technician's name and to send him an e-mail informing him where the tracer unit is. I've had this unit for practically five days now so unless there's spare units given to each technician, I'm sure he needs it to do his work ... right?

Now whether this same technician is going to fix my line or whether another technician is assigned this fault, I'm still left wondering how long I will be without service, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time before technician-1 comes asking for the line-tracer :rolleyes:

[Tns]

this sounds sooo familiar! been through on of those

[milomak]

call centres are just a sign companies don't care for us. no matter what you are calling from they should at the very least be free. ffs you bought their product and it is their product that is giving you hassles.

[HavocXphere]

LifelongGamer: Next time tell them that they can bid for the line tracer on EBay if they want it. That should at the very least make them more talkative.

[d3th_n1gG4]

@LifeLongGamer, you better get your line fixed, your partner in crime is hounding us :P

Also I think the elf and I are going to boost you two a bit this weekend, so worst case, take your machine to said partner in crimes place :P

[ThatOtherGuy]

The worst is when they say they gonna call you back, but you call them back in a week, just to hear they will DEFINITELY get back to you in the next 3 days. Only to call them back 2 weeks later and to say exactly what you have been saying for both the previous times. And then getting a guarantee that you will be called back in 3 days.

And then actually being called back when they promised, only to hear that they are still investigating the matter.

Such is my experience with a bank! And if I confused you, well, that's exactly what call centres are...Confused!!!

[LifelongGamer]

@LifeLongGamer, you better get your line fixed, your partner in crime is hounding us :P

Also I think the elf and I are going to boost you two a bit this weekend, so worst case, take your machine to said partner in crimes place :P :D Thanks for the support. I've been using this time to catch up on XBox with the missus (so I'm gaining some positive faction there at least hehe).

Not sure if 'partner in crime' can network but it's unlikely I'll make it to his place this weekend - too close to Christmas and family matters must be attended to.

I'm just curious as to Telkom's latest developments though. Last night the Customer Care lady said the system was updated that the cable was stolen and my fault is part of a 'bulk' repair. Strange then how my next door neighbour's phone is working and we only have ONE SDC in our area ...

Waiting for further feedback. Real pity iBurst doesn't have a base station in my area planned until next year sometime. It'll probably be too late if Vodacom WiMax works though.

Got new settings for my cellphone this morning, so I'll be testing 3G tonight if I can maintain a stable enough signal and not drop all the time. Uniterm Direct and Poynting both have High Gain Antenna Kits available - but it's riduculous I need to go through such expense and time-delays just to have communication in this day and age :(

Sigh ... back to work now. Oh btw ... GRATZ on your mount :D

[d3th_n1gG4]

:D Thanks for the support. I've been using this time to catch up on XBox with the missus (so I'm gaining some positive faction there at least hehe).

Not sure if 'partner in crime' can network but it's unlikely I'll make it to his place this weekend - too close to Christmas and family matters must be attended to.

I'm just curious as to Telkom's latest developments though. Last night the Customer Care lady said the system was updated that the cable was stolen and my fault is part of a 'bulk' repair. Strange then how my next door neighbour's phone is working and we only have ONE SDC in our area ...

Waiting for further feedback. Real pity iBurst doesn't have a base station in my area planned until next year sometime. It'll probably be too late if Vodacom WiMax works though.

Got new settings for my cellphone this morning, so I'll be testing 3G tonight if I can maintain a stable enough signal and not drop all the time. Uniterm Direct and Poynting both have High Gain Antenna Kits available - but it's riduculous I need to go through such expense and time-delays just to have communication in this day and age :(

Sigh ... back to work now. Oh btw ... GRATZ on your mount :D
Which mount :P

Seeing how Guild runs on 3g be ready for a wonderfully laggy experience, but then again, that could be Durban as well, you know, we have like geography down here :P

Have you considered that the theft may have been taking place in stages and they have not got round to your neighbours yet, seeing as it is the holiday season and all that.

Meh hope you have a line tonight

[LifelongGamer]

@deth_n1g4

Good news is the new cellphone settings allow me to use it as an external modem.

The sad news is that 'best' mostly-stable signal I can maintain is GPRS. The problem is that every now and then a 3G signal is picked up but then almost immediately dropped. This causes the cell to first try to use the faster 3G signal and as soon as the signal drops, the entire connection drops as well.

Needless to say - nothing has changed. If Telkom cannot restore my line then unless I fork out R800 - R900 bucks for an external signal booster + cellphone coupler, this is definitely not an option. Problem is even with a signal booster there's no guarantee and so far Uniterm Direct wants me to buy before they're prepared to do a test.

Guess I'm held hostage to Telkom some time (?) longer :(

[kaspaas]

Just had the worst call centre:

Speed Services of the SA Post Office.

Parcel not delivered since 12 Dec - should have been delivered next day.

Took me almost 30 minutes to log a complaint and get a ref no.

All the info is on the waybill - of which the operator seemed to have a copy.

But I had to spell every name, surname and destination again.

[michaelreef]

Vodacom's call centre is worse than telkoms