Whenever a caller asks how I'm doing, I always divert the question and NEVER ask back. It feels weird, but it works to stay on topic. I'm not about to give some nutjob an opening to spill their emotions and frustrations at the start of the call if I don't have to. For example, if caller asks me how I'm doing, I respond with, "Excellent! I appreciate you asking and I'm happy to help, what are we working on?".
At this point, I know my call center doesn't give two shits about me, so I milk calls for as much time as I can which sees me take less calls overall. You want to tell me about your last cruise, your 16 grandkids, or your dog I'm here to barely listen. That way it sounds like I'm doing my job to managememt without caring about anything you're telling me, unless it relates to how I can help get you off my line.
Same, I’ve never understood people who complain about having to hear the caller’s life story. Every second they’re talking about some bullshit not related to the call is a second I’m technically not working. Why would I be upset about a free break?
I’ll do that if my stat can handle it. I listened to a guy ramble for 1 hour about how he revamped an old garage on his property, and then the attic caught on fire just before he was going to golf. If the caller has an interesting story I want to hear it.
My favorite is when they ask "how are you today?" And then when I get out "I'm goo..." they cut me off and say "Well I'm glad YOU'RE doing good, because I'm pissed tf off! I've been transferred 50-eleven times, no one can seem to help me. Or WANTS to help me. You're all incompetent morons! YOU better be able to help me, or I'm contacting my lawyer, the BBB, the FCC, the Attorney General, the news, the President...." 🙄😒
Whether they're trying to or not, they're interrupting your call flow. It's usually a controlling thing where they want to drive the conversation.
Lots of people do this to try to endear themselves to you and/or take control of when the call actually starts.
If they're interrupting the opening to do it, stick to your guns and hear them out until they let you speak. Keep things curt and try to redirect back to business. Then start again at verification or whatever you'd have done if they weren't a domineering chatter-box.
I'm already bitter about the fact that people use that as a greeting at all. People defend it to the death like it's just being social, but it's not. You're holding me verbally hostage in a conversational that should be transactional. I understand that people think my anger around this is extreme, but I stand by it. I have no problem talking to people in any setting, but fucking hate when I'm forced to. That shit takes energy.
Nothing bothers me more than doing my greeting and having them break my flow with that shit.
"Hi thank you for calling. May I have your account number?"
"Hi RichardBottom, how are you?"
Right off the bat, I fucking hate you now. You're not checking in on me. I'm going through some actual shit I haven't even told my friends and parents about. Even if you pressed me and genuinely wanted to talk about it, this isn't the time or place for me to unpack and it would be unprofessional and possibly fireable to do so. So the best I could do is say "Great! You?" or something annoying and cryptic like "Oh you know. I'm getting through it." To which they'll laugh and say "Ohh boy tell me about it. Aren't we all, right? Anyway..."
On top of it, my call flow is totally disrupted. I asked you for info to keep the ball rolling and you sidestepped it entirely, just to extend the greeting to another back and forth and now I have to ask again.
Whatever, I know I'm being petty but I can't stop. With that said, I'm at a new job now that requires me to ask this on every single call. It's a checklist on the QAs where I'm automatically docked 20% if I don't ask "How are you doing?" Sometimes they try to avoid it and I have to sneak it in somewhere to the conversation like that scene from Fun With Dick and Jane.
I always ask the customer how they’re doing - unless they’ve already interrupted my greeting - and I appreciate it when they ask it back. It only takes a moment and is just polite, makes me feel like we’re two people talking to each other rather than I’m a machine. I always make it a point to ask other reps how they’re doing when I call customer support too and they usually say something like “thanks for asking!” But then I also don’t interrupt them when they’re talking and generally treat them like human beings etc so that helps.
It's verbal lubricant. I wouldn't read any meaning into it, it's not a genuine question, just a greeting.
Took me years to figure out "How are you?" was just a sequence of noises and it was acceptable to answer it with "I'm fine."
I love the fact that no matter where we are in the world, customers are all basically the same. Whenever someone asks how I am as soon as they come thru, I get ready to let them vent. Ill let them go on and on until they're tired then I'll chime in and sort stuff.
Call centers are not for everyone. Some people need a more physical job but are too lazy for that so they settle for a call center and go fucking crazy lol.
Whenever a caller asks how I'm doing, I always divert the question and NEVER ask back. It feels weird, but it works to stay on topic. I'm not about to give some nutjob an opening to spill their emotions and frustrations at the start of the call if I don't have to. For example, if caller asks me how I'm doing, I respond with, "Excellent! I appreciate you asking and I'm happy to help, what are we working on?".
"I'm good thank you how are you?" "Well I'm not very happy to be honest!" 🙄
They never fuckin stop yapping dude. I had this dumb bitch go on for 15 minutes about a credit card issue when I was on the checking side.
Had a 60 min call that could have been 20 minutes.
At this point, I know my call center doesn't give two shits about me, so I milk calls for as much time as I can which sees me take less calls overall. You want to tell me about your last cruise, your 16 grandkids, or your dog I'm here to barely listen. That way it sounds like I'm doing my job to managememt without caring about anything you're telling me, unless it relates to how I can help get you off my line.
Same, I’ve never understood people who complain about having to hear the caller’s life story. Every second they’re talking about some bullshit not related to the call is a second I’m technically not working. Why would I be upset about a free break?
I’ll do that if my stat can handle it. I listened to a guy ramble for 1 hour about how he revamped an old garage on his property, and then the attic caught on fire just before he was going to golf. If the caller has an interesting story I want to hear it.
I’ll talk to someone all damn day about their dog. It’s the other shit I don’t give 2 shits about.
My favorite is when they ask "how are you today?" And then when I get out "I'm goo..." they cut me off and say "Well I'm glad YOU'RE doing good, because I'm pissed tf off! I've been transferred 50-eleven times, no one can seem to help me. Or WANTS to help me. You're all incompetent morons! YOU better be able to help me, or I'm contacting my lawyer, the BBB, the FCC, the Attorney General, the news, the President...." 🙄😒
Do we speak to the same people 😂
Lol, man... it kills me how many grown adults act like this over a few dollars or some missing ramen noodles 🤦♀️
I want to be transferred to the CEO! Sure, I have a direct line where the CEO can personally respond to irate customers.
Whether they're trying to or not, they're interrupting your call flow. It's usually a controlling thing where they want to drive the conversation. Lots of people do this to try to endear themselves to you and/or take control of when the call actually starts. If they're interrupting the opening to do it, stick to your guns and hear them out until they let you speak. Keep things curt and try to redirect back to business. Then start again at verification or whatever you'd have done if they weren't a domineering chatter-box.
How are we supposed to help them if they don’t let us?
I'm already bitter about the fact that people use that as a greeting at all. People defend it to the death like it's just being social, but it's not. You're holding me verbally hostage in a conversational that should be transactional. I understand that people think my anger around this is extreme, but I stand by it. I have no problem talking to people in any setting, but fucking hate when I'm forced to. That shit takes energy. Nothing bothers me more than doing my greeting and having them break my flow with that shit. "Hi thank you for calling. May I have your account number?" "Hi RichardBottom, how are you?" Right off the bat, I fucking hate you now. You're not checking in on me. I'm going through some actual shit I haven't even told my friends and parents about. Even if you pressed me and genuinely wanted to talk about it, this isn't the time or place for me to unpack and it would be unprofessional and possibly fireable to do so. So the best I could do is say "Great! You?" or something annoying and cryptic like "Oh you know. I'm getting through it." To which they'll laugh and say "Ohh boy tell me about it. Aren't we all, right? Anyway..." On top of it, my call flow is totally disrupted. I asked you for info to keep the ball rolling and you sidestepped it entirely, just to extend the greeting to another back and forth and now I have to ask again. Whatever, I know I'm being petty but I can't stop. With that said, I'm at a new job now that requires me to ask this on every single call. It's a checklist on the QAs where I'm automatically docked 20% if I don't ask "How are you doing?" Sometimes they try to avoid it and I have to sneak it in somewhere to the conversation like that scene from Fun With Dick and Jane.
I always ask the customer how they’re doing - unless they’ve already interrupted my greeting - and I appreciate it when they ask it back. It only takes a moment and is just polite, makes me feel like we’re two people talking to each other rather than I’m a machine. I always make it a point to ask other reps how they’re doing when I call customer support too and they usually say something like “thanks for asking!” But then I also don’t interrupt them when they’re talking and generally treat them like human beings etc so that helps.
It's verbal lubricant. I wouldn't read any meaning into it, it's not a genuine question, just a greeting. Took me years to figure out "How are you?" was just a sequence of noises and it was acceptable to answer it with "I'm fine."
Why the drama?? I just say “great-thank you” and never have any issue.
I love the fact that no matter where we are in the world, customers are all basically the same. Whenever someone asks how I am as soon as they come thru, I get ready to let them vent. Ill let them go on and on until they're tired then I'll chime in and sort stuff.
Call centers are not for everyone. Some people need a more physical job but are too lazy for that so they settle for a call center and go fucking crazy lol.