I am writing this post to see if anyone else has been having real issues with how bad customer service is becoming. Don't get me wrong, I know what it is like to be a customer service rep as I used to work for Sprint as one, it is not easy at times. This being said I at times find it very frustrating and nearly impossible to get decent service and a valid answer to my question.

For example, I was double billed for services and when I called to inquire about what was going on, the rep actually snickered at me as though I was dumb! Maybe I didn't understand what she was trying to explain, but I did not deserve to be treated as an idiot. Very rude.

So I am putting up this thread to see if anyone else is getting tired of all the rigmarole you need to go through to speak to an actual person. ( Press a number lists, voice identification nonsense and so on.) Then when speaking to said person, getting some actual help!
Also, if you had a really good experience that would be nice to hear too!

I hate calling to make an appointment for something; my mom has 8 kids and very simply doesn't have time), mostly because of the lousy costumer service/lack of respect most dentist/doctor offices have. Just because I'm not over 18 and have a kinda childish voice I never get the respect I think a valid customer deserves. They always have that tone adults have when they're speaking to little kids or people they think are stupid in their voice. If anything, they should sound impressed that I'm making my own appointment instead of relying on my parents. I know its probably not their fault, after all, they don't know my true age, but still. ><

Also, in big chain stores, like Wal-Mart, it annoys me when I ask people who work in the movie section where a movie is, and they're like, "Somewhere over there", yes, thank you, I know they're in the freakin movie section. I was asking WHERE because your movie section is huge and I'm late for whatever I have to do. At least in best buy they look it up and take you to the actual product.

Ughhh. Sooooo annoying.

Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?

Yeah I live in Germany and I must say the customer service are really bad. The custom service reps are rude...generally most of the germans are rude (that's my opinion at least).
They make stupid remarks about my appearance to the point where I think...the germans are still nazis.

Of course, it all depends on the individual you speak with, everyone's knowledge level, and everyone's mood at the time.

In general, I have found that most of the people I have spoken with are helpful and not rude, with some few exceptions. On the other hand, it seems that my best friend is a magnet for the rude-types - but then again, his mood is often the type that makes people not want to help him, too. (He likes to yell even though he knows the person on the other end isn't at fault.) There are several factors that can go into a service/support situation.

The thing to keep in mind is that the helpfulness of the rep will almost always be inversely proportionate to the difficulty of the question or situation. If you're calling about something simple, then you're likely to get help more easily because it's something they know or deal with routinely. The more difficult or high-level the request, the less they know how to handle it except "going by the book", which becomes frustrating to people who have done this before, tried those things, and wouldn't have been calling if it were that simple. At that point, you need to be passed to higher level reps, and then you get to start over (which also becomes frustrating). But you can eventually get to what you need in most cases. Being nice goes a REALLY long way in most cases.

The general attitude of the populace does not seem to be particularly support/service based, but because those jobs are entry level, people who shouldn't be in those positions often are, unless the company has some strict criteria or measurements for quality of customer service. I think quite a bit of this goes to a lack of work ethic because it's not taught as much (in society overall) as it used to be.

If you've ever thought or said "Nice Guys finish last" and really meant it, then you should probably read this LJ post by DivaLion. It's incredibly insightful whether you're male or female.

From a bumper sticker I like:
"If you're gonna ride my ass, at least pull my hair."

well customer services in the Philippines are very good!!!
they are very friendly and helpful...
i have never encountered unfriendly or inhospitable people anywhere...
so its all good!!! 😀 😀

oh please do click this!
The sweeter the apple, the higher the branch. The quieter the fart, the nastier the smell.
GUESS WHO??

Quote from otakuness

well customer services in the Philippines are very good!!!
they are very friendly and helpful...
i have never encountered unfriendly or inhospitable people anywhere...
so its all good!!! 😀 😀

While they are friendly, I sometimes find that they don't know what they're talking about, no knowledge of their own product, and take a really long time to get something done. Especially with PLDT

Generally, I've had horrible customer service experiences in North America. I've had people run away from me, pretend to be busy and tell me to leave without doing anything to provoke the reactions (mostly in electronics stores for some reason...). On the other hand, the customer service calls I make to India (or where ever else things are outsourced to after 10:30pm) are answer by people who at least try to help (even if they can't). Same with shopping for stuff in China, sales associates at least make some effort.

Customer service....

Let's just say that I try to avoid them at all costs...

And when I have to make use of their services, I try to be as thorough as possible... but sometimes I fall short on that end with my social/verbal awkwardness. Despite that, most individuals that I go to with my questions are of very little help and do not know how to think critically, which is basically the problem I have. Most people can not think outside their box.

But, I do have a few good experiences now and then that just make my day... So, I just have to remember that there are some helpful people out there, and try to make do with which ever one that I come in contact with.

[color=green]"Officially, this machine doesn't exist, you didn't get it from me,
and I don't know you. Make sure it doesn't leave the building."[/color]

Quote from blakraven66

Quote from otakuness

well customer services in the Philippines are very good!!!
they are very friendly and helpful...
i have never encountered unfriendly or inhospitable people anywhere...
so its all good!!! 😀 😀

While they are friendly, I sometimes find that they don't know what they're talking about, no knowledge of their own product, and take a really long time to get something done. Especially with PLDT

well...
i kindda hafta agree with that...
and also with PLDT...
i have heard their "phone scandal" in youtube...
it was bad... 🤢

oh please do click this!
The sweeter the apple, the higher the branch. The quieter the fart, the nastier the smell.
GUESS WHO??

The worst I've ever had is hotel service. Maids can be extremely rude and stingy, and often asking for any kind of service, even if it is supposedly already offered, is treated as an enormous amount of effort on the part of the staff (is asking for an extra blanket or pillow really that much of a problem?) Often, the general impression left by the staff is that they go out of their way to accomodate you, even though that is their job (this includes the front desk and waiters, too). I've been in a lot of hotels and I am really not a difficult guest.

But I rarely have problems in stores, if ever.