lonelyahavaCall me Ahava ~~She/Her~~Move to New ZealandRegistered Userregular
take good notes.
And put them in the file.
Seriously.
There is nothing more frustrating than having a customer come to you and say that somebody else said this on this date and there is NO record in the file.
and there is a record of the customer calling, but there are no notes from the operator. There were more than a few times that I had to track down a coworker and strangle them for not leaving notes. Not literally with the strangling, but it came close a few times.
You don't have to write a novel, but at least leave the salient points of the conversation, what was discussed, what was agreed on, and what the next steps are supposed to be. It will end up saving you and everybody else that you work with one hell of a lot of time. And, it also leaves a good impression on your supervisors and coworkers as well.
There is nothing more frustrating than having a customer come to you and say that somebody else said this on this date and there is NO record in the file.
and there is a record of the customer calling, but there are no notes from the operator. There were more than a few times that I had to track down a coworker and strangle them for not leaving notes. Not literally with the strangling, but it came close a few times.
You don't have to write a novel, but at least leave the salient points of the conversation, what was discussed, what was agreed on, and what the next steps are supposed to be. It will end up saving you and everybody else that you work with one hell of a lot of time. And, it also leaves a good impression on your supervisors and coworkers as well.
It should go without saying, make sure these notes don't contain any disparaging comments about the customer or co-workers.
I say it should go without saying, but from my experiences at my last job some people need this spelled out for them.
If the operator on the inevitable TTY call has a shitty accent and won't repeat what she's said because she insists you only speak directly to the deaf caller, insult her as much as possible, because fuck her.
Where I used to work, we offered tech support and customer service over phone, livechat and email. I remember a particular deaf customer who insisted on using TTY, even after we (many times) reminded the customer that they could contact us directly through livechat. I mean, if you're going to be chatting with an intermediary who then talks to customer support for you, why not chat directly with customer support? What is the point of the middleman, anyway?
Even worse was a deaf customer who communicated by sign language. So I spoke with the interpreter, who then had a webcam link with the deaf customer. They "talked" with their sign language, and I just spoke verbally with the interpreter. Talk about useless middlemen...
I mean, we keep seeing praise for handicapped people, how they're so courageous and all (and many are!), but handicapped people can also be as stupid as "normal" people.
double and triple check that your mute button works. Also, make sure that you never talk trash about your company's slow computers/systems with whoever is on the other line (at a former job of mine, another rep told the former CEO of the company that the "crappy computers are way too slow"... needless to say the rep got called into the managers office real quick after that call)
Disinfect everything at the desk. Keyboard, phoneset, headset, desk surface. Who the fuck knows who or what was there before you. This is especially important if the desk is manned in shifts or if you rotate through hotswap workstations.
double and triple check that your mute button works. Also, make sure that you never talk trash about your company's slow computers/systems with whoever is on the other line (at a former job of mine, another rep told the former CEO of the company that the "crappy computers are way too slow"... needless to say the rep got called into the managers office real quick after that call)
I dunno, I think there is a way to politely complain about your equipment. I've regularly used "It will be a moment my computer is a bit slow" to fill dead air while waiting on something. It's all in the wording/attitude you present.
Also, it may not apply to all equipment, but I regularly test my mute by blowing into my mic. I don't have back-to-back calls (anymore. thank God), so I also hit mute as soon as my call ends to make sure if I'm talking to someone else when I get a call the customer doesn't hear it.
Having worked in call centers for many years, my advice is to be ready for the first call every day. Do not take work home, but make sure off work you are doing the right things for yourself. Maybe 10 to 15 minutes of yoga and meditation each morning. Be an archaeologist, not Speed Racer. You may make stats and keep your job by being fast, but it will really hurt you 100 times more if you lose your temper and show impatience. Patience is the single most important skill to have in a call center. You have to play a game, where you are telling the customer and your bosses that you are quick and efficient, but at the same time work with everyone - customer, co-worker, boss - with patience and tact. It starts with everything. If a co worker starts talking to you about politics or sports, say something simple and positive such as "I do not spend much time with politics. I am busy getting ready for work and being in the right mindset", or "I have my favorite team. I just hope for the best from them". Seemingly idle chat with people can actually hurt you, if people see you as pushy, bothersome, agitated, and argumentative. Be polite, brief, and positive. If anything is going wrong at work, be it a computer issue, a difficult customer, or a tough problem to solve make sure you spend time reading all the resources very carefully. If you are afraid of putting a customer on hold too long, get back to the customer saying "I am sorry for the delay. It is just going to take a few more minutes for the right answer. Is that okay?". Do not rush to answers. Make sure you are getting the right answers. Listen to everyone and do not interrupt them, customer and co-worker. Take quick notes, so you keep track of everything. This is vital. You want to communicate to everyone precisely and clearly, so you do not get the person you are speaking to confused, losing trust in you, feeling disrespected, and feeling you are not competent at your job. Keep things open-ended and respectful. When asking a co-worker a question don't barge in. Say "Are you free for a few moments? I have a quick question". If you took notes before walking over to the co-worker, you will know how to phrase your questions to the co worker, so that co worker does not go over things you already did with the customer and you end up going back to the customer and running back to the same co-worker for help. Above all, be professional, concise, positive, and avoid being a rambler. A rambler says "Like I have a problem. This customer is mad and everything I do makes him more mad. The customer and I are getting frustrated. I tried everything and it does not work. Help me out here". Someone who is confident and professional says "The customer is having some issues here. I have looked into the resources and cannot get the right results. Do you have any advice?".
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And put them in the file.
Seriously.
There is nothing more frustrating than having a customer come to you and say that somebody else said this on this date and there is NO record in the file.
and there is a record of the customer calling, but there are no notes from the operator. There were more than a few times that I had to track down a coworker and strangle them for not leaving notes. Not literally with the strangling, but it came close a few times.
You don't have to write a novel, but at least leave the salient points of the conversation, what was discussed, what was agreed on, and what the next steps are supposed to be. It will end up saving you and everybody else that you work with one hell of a lot of time. And, it also leaves a good impression on your supervisors and coworkers as well.
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It should go without saying, make sure these notes don't contain any disparaging comments about the customer or co-workers.
I say it should go without saying, but from my experiences at my last job some people need this spelled out for them.
Where I used to work, we offered tech support and customer service over phone, livechat and email. I remember a particular deaf customer who insisted on using TTY, even after we (many times) reminded the customer that they could contact us directly through livechat. I mean, if you're going to be chatting with an intermediary who then talks to customer support for you, why not chat directly with customer support? What is the point of the middleman, anyway?
Even worse was a deaf customer who communicated by sign language. So I spoke with the interpreter, who then had a webcam link with the deaf customer. They "talked" with their sign language, and I just spoke verbally with the interpreter. Talk about useless middlemen...
I mean, we keep seeing praise for handicapped people, how they're so courageous and all (and many are!), but handicapped people can also be as stupid as "normal" people.
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Fuckin pinkeye man.
I dunno, I think there is a way to politely complain about your equipment. I've regularly used "It will be a moment my computer is a bit slow" to fill dead air while waiting on something. It's all in the wording/attitude you present.
Also, it may not apply to all equipment, but I regularly test my mute by blowing into my mic. I don't have back-to-back calls (anymore. thank God), so I also hit mute as soon as my call ends to make sure if I'm talking to someone else when I get a call the customer doesn't hear it.