Do you have bad costumer service experience?
By pehpot
@pehpot (4762)
Philippines
October 14, 2008 2:10am CST
OK so a lot of you have heard my rants about Globelines, my internet service provider, but even before I made that topic this one is long lingering on my note pad. This is justan observation and I don't intend to offend anyone specially those working on this field.
We all know that our country is an export oriented in terms of manpower on costumer care or call centers. We have clients all over the world.. from USA, Australia, Canada, we service them all. In fact we are trained to learn their accents and all. I have friends who work in that industry and really their accents and way of speaking English is good.
Now here in our country we do have our local industry of call centers, those who caters to us, to Filipino community, call centers from Globelines (which is a very incompetent one), from PLDT(which they say top on the list, that is for being worst) then we have call centers catering deliveries like 55555, 8MCDO etc.. I am keen on observing, and I noticed that agents who take my calls when I call for deliveries were not that professional unlike the one who take in international calls. and that when I dialed delivery service in MC do, the agents handling the night shift were far better than the one handling the day shift, and they speak tagalog, which according to my friend is a no no on costumer care calls.
[b]I wonder really, is it because they are just servicing fellow Filipino that is why their attitude is not that professional?
or is it that their wage is lower than those who service international client, that is why their performance is also low?
Or is it that their company is not keen on their training?
or is it that we, costumer don't really care if they treat us professionally or not[/b]
( some may say it is true because some may be intimidated to call when they hear English speaking agents on the other line)
5 people like this
10 responses
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
14 Oct 08
they should be giving good service to everyone no matter where you are. that's there job & what they are getting paid for. i have a problem when people that i have to deal with aren't doing there job.
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
14 Oct 08
i have alot of troublewith the phone co. if i have to call them. i live in tennesee & when u call the phone u get new york. that's a long , long way fromhere & what do they know about us way down here. irritates the stufing out of me. the cable co. is just as bad. i don't like it when something i'm paying for is not working.
@kun2349 (23381)
• Singapore
14 Oct 08
Comparing services to locals and international, most of the time, locals will get the worse support of all.. Because those customers service personnels know that they cant offend big clients, and to the company, big clients means international..
Thus, there will be a totally different attitude and training will be different too.. So, it results in pay difference.. So with that, some may feel it's unfair that they din get a chnce to have a higher pay and thus they show all their lousy attitude on consumers..
PLus, in every job, as long as one is paid lowly, there are alot of benefits and freedom whereby they dun get, as compared to those whom are paid higher.. SO basically, it's their attitude that potrays what kind of ple they are..
1 person likes this
@chiyosan (30184)
• Philippines
14 Oct 08
i have had a lot of bad customer service in my entire life calling unto these call centers. i remember having to endure one cs that seemed to be in a hurry. so what i did was to ask him if he is going somewhere because he seemed pre occupied and is in a hurry to let me put the phone down..
@rsa101 (37932)
• Philippines
14 Oct 08
I think being in a CSR position is the hardest job of all in terms of how you are being treated by its client. First of all they all received negative feedback on the company they are representing on. Secondly although they are the ones creating the tickets for the technicians to put an action for they have no control whatsoever with what happens with the technicians and they have no power over them to discipline them in case they did not make mistakes in performing their jobs. With all of those misgivings they are the ones that take blame for everything they promise to deliver and yet these CSRs are just there to accept and coordinate whatever the needs of their clients. I really think that same treatment is being experience by their international CSRs and much worse is that treatment with CSRs are just the same as what the local counterparts do receive. they are being shouted upon cursed and everything you call them upon. I do not defend their situation but I think it is just not right to call these people incompetent or anything they are a few of them that are but many of them is doing their job to please customers. I know many of them are just like us who is trying to make a living and is trying to please their clients.
@rsa101 (37932)
• Philippines
14 Oct 08
I also pretty well understand your side because like you I am also a client like you, that at times I have to really push everything for them to make things move. Our office phone lines went down all at the same time and it took them two weeks before they could restore the lines. I never raised or cursed them for the delays I just told them that this is an office they are servicing and they should do something to repair the lines as soon as possible. In the end, they were able to restore their services to us and they even refunded some of the bills billed to us correct the service they failed to deliver to us. I worked in a telephone company once and I truly see the efforts being made by these CSRs to please their clients all in the name of their employer and sometimes when the unbearable happens they could not just keep what they feel that they just burst out their anger at one customer. It is a number one mortal sin in their jobs and they are either given another chance or they are fired depending on the gravity of their offense.
@pehpot (4762)
• Philippines
14 Oct 08
I really do have some feelings for them and I know it is the hardest job, in fact I do understand when they have to shout while doing videoke because it is the only way they can release their anger and frustrations from the clients who curse them and treat them badly, I knew there are few who really do good on CSR but with my experience with globelines, almost 90% of the agents who handled us did poorly. some even raised their voice on us.
1 person likes this
@checapricorn (16061)
• United States
14 Oct 08
[i]Hi pehpot,
I haven't experienced that but maybe if I will bump to any of that type of people, I will complain since it is not good, whatever their situation is and salary, etc, they still need to cater the customers with all due respect and they have to be professional all the time!
Anyway, I am happy that so far, I always have a nice people entertaining me even if I can tell sometimes that they are new and trying to established accent![/i]
@zer0charly (5614)
• Philippines
15 Oct 08
hi pehpot. I am a customer rep also. and I am handling an international and local calls.
here's my response..
the agents handling the night shift were far better than the one handling the day shift,
- it's because most of international calls were on a graveyard shift, of course, since it's an international calls, good performance is a must. customer reps are also representing our country whenever they accept calls from the other countries, that is why they really should be great in handling that kind of calls.
I noticed that agents who take my calls when I call for deliveries were not that professional unlike the one who take in international calls.
[b] what do you mean that they are not professionals? did they keep you waiting?did they shouted at you? speaking in Tagalog shouldn't be the reason of being unprofessional. we have this policy that "if the caller speak in our native language which is Tagalog, as a sign of courtesy, we should also answer their queries in Tagalog." and I believe that it isn't being unprofessional.
[/b]
I wonder really, is it because they are just servicing fellow Filipino that is why their attitude is not that professional?
sometimes, we Filipinos are at ease handling calls especially if we hear that the caller is also a Filipino and we hear that they are speaking in Tagalog..
or is it that their wage is lower than those who service international client, that is why their performance is also low?
I always believe that professionalism is not a responsibility, it's a character that every employees must have. and salary shouldn't be a basis in this.
Or is it that their company is not keen on their training?
we may consider that.. but remember that it always depends upon the person. even if the company trained a person well, if he/she doesn't put those training by heart, it is all useless.
some may be intimidated to call when they hear English speaking agents on the other line..
that is why you may hear some customer rep. speaking in Tagalog. good communication is far better than fluency in English. and being a customer rep., we should be the one who'll adjust depends upon the caller's capability of speaking in English..
[b]may I ask you on what kind of standards should a customer service possess in handling calls? does fluency in English is enough for you to be a professional customer representative?
[/b]
you should hear other countries customer rep., and you'll definitely realize, how we're good in handling customers via phone.
the agents handling the night shift were far better than the one handling the day shift,
- it's because most of international calls were on a graveyard shift, of course, since it's an international calls, good performance is a must. customer reps are also representing our country whenever they accept calls from the other countries, that is why they really should be great in handling that kind of calls.
I noticed that agents who take my calls when I call for deliveries were not that professional unlike the one who take in international calls.
[b] what do you mean that they are not professionals? did they keep you waiting?did they shouted at you? speaking in Tagalog shouldn't be the reason of being unprofessional. we have this policy that "if the caller speak in our native language which is Tagalog, as a sign of courtesy, we should also answer their queries in Tagalog." and I believe that it isn't being unprofessional.
[/b]
I wonder really, is it because they are just servicing fellow Filipino that is why their attitude is not that professional?
sometimes, we Filipinos are at ease handling calls especially if we hear that the caller is also a Filipino and we hear that they are speaking in Tagalog..
or is it that their wage is lower than those who service international client, that is why their performance is also low?
I always believe that professionalism is not a responsibility, it's a character that every employees must have. and salary shouldn't be a basis in this.
Or is it that their company is not keen on their training?
we may consider that.. but remember that it always depends upon the person. even if the company trained a person well, if he/she doesn't put those training by heart, it is all useless.
some may be intimidated to call when they hear English speaking agents on the other line..
that is why you may hear some customer rep. speaking in Tagalog. good communication is far better than fluency in English. and being a customer rep., we should be the one who'll adjust depends upon the caller's capability of speaking in English..
[b]may I ask you on what kind of standards should a customer service possess in handling calls? does fluency in English is enough for you to be a professional customer representative?
[/b]
you should hear other countries customer rep., and you'll definitely realize, how we're good in handling customers via phone.
@pehpot (4762)
• Philippines
15 Oct 08
oh they do keep me waiting and they don't know their menu most of the time, but the points you gave were goo, reading this I guess I will have a new way of looking costumer service agents, thanks for giving us this points specially that it comes from a real agent
@iskayz (5420)
• Philippines
14 Oct 08
Hi there!
I have experienced call center agents who speak Tagalog. I know it's not allowed for them but maybe they know that I am a Filipino cause of my English accent.
I think companies assigns less experienced agents for local accounts cause it's considered not bigtime account. Maybe that's why most agents from local can't give good service.
I have experienced call center agents who speak Tagalog. I know it's not allowed for them but maybe they know that I am a Filipino cause of my English accent.
I think companies assigns less experienced agents for local accounts cause it's considered not bigtime account. Maybe that's why most agents from local can't give good service.@pehpot (4762)
• Philippines
14 Oct 08
yes I wonder why some do.. maybe they are so relaxed because they think they are speaking with pinoy too. my friend who works on that industry has this bad attitude of embarrassing call center agents in local companies, she was like this when she call costumer reps: listen to and listen wel.. blah blah.. hey did I tell you, you can speak tagalog? blah blah..
@magojordan (3252)
• Philippines
14 Oct 08
I agree a lot of customer service here really gave me bad experiences with them. I remember calling up a telecom company asking how would I be bale to get back lost credit. I kept on calling them but they didn't do the proper action. Also one fastfood delivery chain was really rude when he kept on shouting to his coworkers while he was taking our call. I do hope there is a hotline where we could file complaints against bad customer service people, so that only the good ones would really be there to take our calls.
I do hope there is a hotline where we could file complaints against bad customer service people, so that only the good ones would really be there to take our calls. 
@savypat (20216)
• United States
14 Oct 08
I would bet they are not paid as well and that company pride is lacking. This is usually the reason all over the world for bad customer service. The company doesn't care and so the workers don'e either.
@gracie04 (4549)
• Philippines
14 Oct 08
yes.. and it happens all the time.. i've always been calling food deliveries every week and there's certain food chain who have undeniably poor customer service.. they are aware that i am a regular customer and i am using my mobile phone to call them but it seems that they are just too st*pid to notice that they need to get the order as fast as they can. they have too many queries that are not needed to be answered since i've been calling them almost every week.
