What Is Wrong With Customer Service Today?
By Sharon
@simone10 (54180)
Louisville, Kentucky
August 11, 2016 6:31am CST
I was unable to get online yesterday until later in the afternoon, then didn't have the time to get on myLot. We have had an issue with our internet provider since March when we first received service. I won't name the provider as I don't know if that is a no-no here on myLot.
My brother has been trying to get a billing issue resolved since March. He has called each month when he received the bill and explained the problem and was told the adjustment would be made. It has to do with a charge for installation and for the service tech to come to our house. None of this happened as my brother installed everything himself.
On Monday, our service was not on. My brother called before leaving for the airport and finally had to give the phone to me since he had to leave. I was told then (for about the 6th time) that the adjustment would be made and the internet would be restored within 24 hours. The next morning we still did not have internet. I called again on Tuesday and was told the same thing...adjustment would be done and internet restored within 24 hours. When I woke up yesterday and still no internet, I called and gave them a piece of my mind. I had had enough.
I didn't yell or raise my voice. But, I didn't take any crap from anyone. I was very demanding and asked to speak to a supervisor. I was told once again that the adjustment was made and internet would be restored in 24 hours. I told her that was not good enough. I had been waiting since Monday and I wanted service restored immediately. After we had words back and forth, she transferred me to the collection department and service was restored right away.
I haven't been that angry in a very long time. I just don't understand how something like this could continue to happen for 5 months. How could that many customer service reps not follow through and get the account straightened out? It wasn't that hard to do as the supervisor I spoke to yesterday did it in about 10 minutes while I waited on the phone.
During my phone call yesterday, I was so frustrated when talking to all the different people. They have their backs covered as they only give a first name and won't give out any other information and no one has a direct line or extension. I talked to a Jennifer yesterday and you can imagine how many Jennifers they have working for them.
I just don't know what is happening to customer service these days. When I worked, good customer service was our main goal. We would get in trouble if we told someone we would do something and then didn't follow through.
Have any of you experienced bad customer service lately?
21 people like this
22 responses
@Juliaacv (56199)
• Canada
11 Aug 16
This is what I do for a living. A lot of the issue lies in the fact that most of these calls go to a third party, and not front line workers who actually work for the company that you are calling for. That is very hard and thankless work and quite often they only have so much that they can do as transferring to a supervisor quite often means transferring to someone who has codes to input into the computer that nobody else has. The company that I work for now is the actual company that I take calls for, and it makes a huge difference. You know a lot more and you care a lot more.
4 people like this
@Juliaacv (56199)
• Canada
11 Aug 16
@Marilynda1225 I took calls for a few major US companies, and we were not even allowed to state our location, and quite often you were called out on your "accent" and that upset the customer even more because they figured out that the company that they were calling wasn't being 100% honest. But we had to do it for safety sakes.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (91069)
• United States
11 Aug 16
You make a very good point Julia. Most people answering the calls have no means to actually help the customer
3 people like this
@Marilynda1225 (91069)
• United States
11 Aug 16
@Juliaacv I worked in customer service for many years and I was the first person they talked to and mostly I couldn't help them but my job was to transfer the call along to the person who could. I applaud anyone who works in customer service as it isn't an easy job
2 people like this
@Juliaacv (56199)
• Canada
13 Aug 16
@simone10 No, I can imagine how you feel. But I would pretty much guarantee that the contact center that you called isn't even in your country, and is actually a third party company just taking calls for them. They have such limited amount of ability to be able to really help the customer. In fact, I've probably taken calls for that company to be totally honest with you.
1 person likes this
@simone10 (54180)
• Louisville, Kentucky
13 Aug 16
I'm not one that gets angry easily. I am pretty laid back and patient about things. I have worked in the customer service industry and I know that some people just don't care and don't follow through. But when it comes to having to call 7 or 8 times and being told each time that it was done, then our internet service being turned off for 3 days because of their error, I just refused to back down.
1 person likes this
@Bluedoll (16770)
• Canada
12 Aug 16
I had the same kind of problem with a provider when I moved. I canceled the service but because I received an out of country special offer which I told the salesperson I would think about, part of the service (internet) was not properly canceled. I choose another cable provider when I moved. The previous provider used phone lines for everything at that time. Since I didn't have a phone line (it showed up as canceled) then I couldn't have had an internet connection. Logical right? Are you getting this? Collections didn't. They didn't care. All they saw was an unpaid bill that accumulated over time. grrrrrrr.
1 person likes this
@Bluedoll (16770)
• Canada
13 Aug 16
@simone10 I thought while dealing with that department, at least one woman in that department that she just didn't care. She followed procedure and whatever landed on her desk was to be followed up without any regard to customer satisfaction at all. I had to go to another desk to ask a nice person to get the problem solved. Did wonder at the time if it was worth it as the bill wasn't that much really compared to the frustration involved to get it resolved. Waiting for someone to answer the phone listening to elevator music for one was like my worst nightmare. 
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
12 Aug 16
how frustatin' :( if'n i don't get results with the first phone call, i'm quick to demand a supervisor 'n get all their info. customer service these days seems to be a joke with many companies. yet 'nother 'trend' i'm most unpleased with.
i'm surprised they didn't try to sell ya somethin' whilst they'd 'ja'n the line - that seems to be yet 'nother popular thingy goin' 'round.
1 person likes this
@simone10 (54180)
• Louisville, Kentucky
13 Aug 16
My brother was handling it prior and I'm not sure if he asked to speak to a supervisor. I gave them one chance and then the next day asked to speak to a supervisor. And yes, she did try to get me to add some services onto our plan.
1 person likes this
@simone10 (54180)
• Louisville, Kentucky
14 Aug 16
@crazyhorseladycx I imagine that job can be very stressful for your daughter at times, especially if she has a certain quota they want her to make every month.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
13 Aug 16
@simone10 my daughter started workin' fer a travel company (large place which'll remain nameless here, lol) 's a customer service rep 'bout 3 months 'go. they've added to her job 'sales' 'n 'tis dinged if'n she doesn't 't least attempt to add somethin' 'nto e'ery call 
. they've e'en a quota they now much reach monthly. i think such's jest pitiful....but seems that e'en the banks 're goin' that route these days.
. they've e'en a quota they now much reach monthly. i think such's jest pitiful....but seems that e'en the banks 're goin' that route these days.1 person likes this
@miniam (9151)
• Bern, Switzerland
12 Aug 16
Most customer services here are quite reliable and if im not happy, l will ask to talk to his supervisor.If for a reason he does not put me thru the supervisor, l will hang up and call again next day.
The first thing l do whwn l call customer service is to get the name of the person on the phone right so if l have a problem l know who served me.
1 person likes this
@epiffanie (11327)
• Australia
12 Aug 16
Yes we have experienced that too .. it is frustrating just like the many frustrating things that comes with life these days ..
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
11 Aug 16
It did take me three calls to get a billing issue straightened out with our water company and I have written about my issues with Kohls which are still ongoing!! Some companies seem to have great customer service, others not so much.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
14 Aug 16
@simone10 I don't think they do care, it is obvious they don't. I a shocked when I get good service which is pretty sad.
1 person likes this
@simone10 (54180)
• Louisville, Kentucky
14 Aug 16
@BelleStarr I feel the same way if the customer service is good. I agree that it is pretty sad.
1 person likes this
@GreatMartin (23670)
• Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
12 Aug 16
There is no such thing as customer SERVICE today because there is no employer loyalty so why should employees give service?
1 person likes this
@WorDazza (15826)
• Manchester, England
11 Aug 16
Bad customer service is almost an expectation these days and here's why.
Companies have worked out that bad customer service is not detrimental to their business because EVERYONE is giving bad customer service. You get fed up with a company due to it's poor quality customer service you go to someone else. They don't care! Because the company you're going to will have just lost a number of customers due to their bad customer service. And where are they going? To the company you've just left because of their bad customer service.
Consequently they don't need to waste money employing large numbers of competent staff to deal with customers, they just employ any old moron and pay them peanuts safe in the knowledge everyone else is doing the same and any customers they lose will be made up by the customers they gain from the other companies providing equally bad service.
Simple really.
1 person likes this
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
12 Aug 16
I was a customer service rep and I know exactly how you feel. The company I worked for wasn't interested in the customer, only their profits. I did my best to give good customer service and was praised for the good service I gave, however, good customer service is hard to come by.
1 person likes this
@puddleglum (1380)
• United States
12 Aug 16
I don't blame you for being frustrated. I don't believe customer satisfaction is high on the priority list of many mainstream so-called "help" lines.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (91069)
• United States
11 Aug 16
I'm sure it was beyond frustrating to have to deal with this for 5 months. At least you got it straightened out FINALLY and hopefully you won't have any more issues with your internet people
1 person likes this
@ModernDayWriter (3318)
• New Delhi, India
11 Aug 16
Yup, some of them are very bad
1 person likes this
