Call Center Dispatch Work: A Job For The Unthankful

It's $38 for a cab one way here, do you really think I use one? I only used one to go to work once in my life. My car broke down and I was living in our small city. My husband used to live in an even smaller city and he said no matter what they quote you, figure on an hour. So I called two hours before I had to teach class. They said 15 minutes, but it was more like half an hour. The only reliable person for getting me to work on time is me. It's why I gave up even carpooling. The other person was always running late. My husband the same thing. Another time I used a cab, my Mom was in the hospital with cancer and I had parked my car at the place I was staying and walked. I was going to come back before dark, but that didn't happen. So I called for a taxi. I didn't worry about what time it got there, only that I would be safer than walking in the dark in a city. I used to answer the phone for my Dad's septic tank business. People whose septic is backed up into the house aren't patient either, let me tell you. I just remind them that scheduled maintenance would have probably prevented it and tell them we have another call coming in, you'll need to hold. About the 5th time that they held the line they just gave me their address instead of all this other balony or they hung up and tried another company. Working for my parents who didn't put up with anything was a plus, trust me. Sounds like the company you work for needs more cab drivers or a more realistic time to tell them. Or the customers need to be more realistic and find another way to get to work before they get fired. Something has to give. If the company consistantly gets people to work late, they won't have anyone paying them because they'll all be fired and then who will pay their taxi drivers?

I worked in customer service for nearly thrity years. For the most part people were polite and to the point. I did get afew that were testy and I tried to be corgial and nice regardless. It is called being professional. I also try to live by the golden rule and treat people as I would like to be treated.

In general, the public totally mistreats the people who are trying to serve them. On the other hand, it only takes one bad provider to give someone a bad attitude. Before we go off on someone, each of us needs to take the time to think about what the job requires. For instance, Tina, I know that you can not wave a magic wand and produce a cab at my doorway at the exact second that I need them. I know it is not your fault if I am late. If I were to call you at the last minute, there might not even be a cab in my area to pick me up. To expand this, I know the grocery checker is not responsible for the fact that the green beans are out of stock and the price is wrong on the roast you are buying. Beyond that, the office receptionist is not to blame when the doctor got called to the hospital and there is a waiting room full of patients waiting. We just need to be kinder and more thoughtful.

No matter how the conversation starts out, by the end I can turn it around into a pleasent exchange 95% of the time. This is part of the challenge I give myself anytime I face an unpleasent situation. I just had one where I had missed two payments on an account, I pay on line and for some reason I missed paying the correct amount for 2 months. I was wrong, there was nothing I could say, so I paid the large late fees and the back payments and thanked the lady for bring it to my attention. Then I took the survey on how this collection service was preformed, no matter how upset I was at myself the customer service person was polite, concerned and helpful the whole time. Her attuide made this easier for me and I thanked her. If she had been pushy or nasty or even in a hurry it would have been much worse all around. I have found over the last few years there has been more and more attention to how people are treated by customer service, usually comming from India since these accounts seem to be farmed out to persons from that country.

Any time you work with the public...especially as a customer service rep...you are taking chances on whether or not you will have a good job!!! On my last job I was the first line of defense for the company I worked for. Yes, they gave us a fancy title...but we were nothing more than a glorified customer service representative!!! When somebody was screaming at me, I'd remind myself that they weren't mad "at me"; but were just FRUSTRATED with the system!!! I always handled it pretty well up & until they started cursing me. Then I would have to STOP them & remind them that I was there to HELP them & if they didn't want my help, I'd gladly hang up & let them try somebody else!!! Most of the time they'd calm down & apologize for the nasty things they had said to me. Many times, once I got them past the mad state of mind I could get them through the process to accomplish what they wanted in the beginning. By the end of the process they were calling my manager & putting in a good word for me even suggesting I should receive a raise!!! My theory is that "the customer is ALWAYS right...even when they're wrong!!! It's NOT always easy to find a way to get a mad customer's attention. The key is to NOT let them engage you in their irrational thinking & to get through to them that you are truly there to help them!!! I've never worked for a cab company & I'm sure that business has it's own particular set of problems. Just don't let them get you down. Deep down inside they are NOT upset with you...it's just that you are the ONLY one they have to yell at when they are frustrated!!! Needless to say your boss isn't going to say..."I'll take the next pisssed off customer" That's why he hired you!!!!

Well, our days are rough, and nothing is perfect as we all expected it to be. I want things to happen in my ways, but it can not be done that way, and I understood it. Well, it really depends on that particular person's mood and mentality during that moment I guess. No one's fault.

I have to say that our Special Transit is really bad, in fact, one supervisor seemed to make it a point to make all the users of Special Transit as miserable as possible. She was finally fired after she threw a bucket at one of the dispatchers. Another time a rider took the transit to the building, asked for a certain dispatcher and then decked him with his blind stick because the guy had made him late CONSISTENTLY for over a month to work. My roomie once needed to be at work at 11 and the driver picked her up at 9:45 and then proceeded to drive past her building 3 times because he had been TOLD to "drive" her until noon. Needless to say, she was LESS than happy when she called the office. And recently at Maggie's apartment complex I had to direct the driver of a special transit bus to where the rider was waiting... However, I also agree that cabs are, unless previously scheduled, maybe not so good at getting where they claim at the time they claim, tho I was at the Hospital with Maggie on Monday (she was having a test run) and the staff person waiting with a patient for a cab called and the company said the driver said he was there, but he wasn't. My roomie said that cabs, sometimes picking up transit riders, would lie about it with enough frequency that it was a problem.

I agree there is no reason to be rude...another example...at walmart when you use a debt or credit card they sometimes ask to see it and ID....they are doing it for your protection..I have heard people say the nastiest things to those checkers...I always say...thank you for asking! People look at me like I am nuts!

They say you can catch more flys with honey than with vinegar. That saying holds so much truth in it that if people would stop and think before going off on ANYone, they might realize that there's a reason for what's happening or even realize that it's not the person they're talking to's fault. Another example, a waitress, he/she takes the order but doesn't cook so if their food comes out not cooked to order then it's not the waitresses fault but the cooks but it's the waitress that gets chewed out and that's not right. I wish a lot of these people who does a lot of chewing out on others could take their place just for a day, maybe then they'd have a little more compassion.

Oh, I understand perfectly! When I was in college I drove a cab and believe me, you meet all kinds and really see the stinking underbelly of society as well as some really nice people. I can only imagine what the call center is like! I also worked for years for answering services before cell phones virtually destroyed that business and it really opens your eyes--sometimes I wonder why there are any people left because it seems so many were either born without brains or they are just plain evil. But then you speak with a person that is so sweet and patient, maybe one or two a week, and it almost makes up for all the jerks.

Most jobs have issues like that. If you work with customers you need to expect customers to treat you poorly because many of them do and you can't take it personally. Sometimes even managers or co-workers treat you poorly. All you can do is let it roll off your back and remind yourself why you need your job!

I worked in a call center for several years and I learned several things about people during that time. One is that they are only focused on their own problem at the time they call you and they want answers. It does not matter to them if their expectations are unreasonable or not. You cannot take personally what they say to you. It does not matter if it's you or me on the other end of that phone, whoever is there is going to take the heat. The way I would handle my customers is the louder and more irate they got, the calmer and softer I would make my voice. I would also let them know that I completely understand their position and that I would do everything I could to help them. Most of the time I the outcome would be peaceful, even if they could not get exactly what they wanted. Then there are those that no matter what you do, you will not please them. Don't sweat it, let it go.

I can certainly imagine that dealing with the public is not an easy task both for the employee and or the customer. It only takes a few words sometimes for a person to take the full conversation in the wrong direction. Sadly that a few moments to breathe could actually divert any tensions for both really. Yes it is not an easy task to have a person who is already running late to calm down, however it does not justify the person should be rude. There are some really great telephone representative and there are some really bad ones, same truth in terms of customers. So it is unfortunate but both avenues need to meet with the same objective in order to accomplish the task at hand. Let it be the customer and or the call center person.

I could relate to this. I work on an offshore techsupport service for a big company and most of the time, It always works better if both people on the opposite ends of the line could try and listen and communicate more. Problems or concerns could be more taken care of if there is proper communication. As to that, I guess sometimes it's the cab drivers fault or it could be anything. It is what it is sometimes.