Absurd customer service quality. Get new people!

If anything, this chat log makes you look rude and unreasonable. I'm
not saying that online chat customer service reps are the best - I've
had my problems too - but being nasty and rude makes you look bad. I
wouldn't be surprised if your customer service complaint falls by the
wayside.....

The reason people like you don't get good customer service is because
you won't cooperate with the customer service agents.

You pitched a fit about letting the agent verify your information and
you insulted his company; the minute the words "It seems like I can't
get quality customer service online, good to know." left your hands,
you lost any chance of getting what you wanted, because the person on
the other end did nothing but follow basic protocol.

They verify information for your own privacy protection, local rate
differences, and later service-- and you refused to do that, so they
couldn't help you.

It's your own fault.

Wow...just wow...

Stupidity knows no bounds these days. I just bet that if someone
stole your identity and you were lucky enough to catch it before
things got truly catastrophic you'd be itching to "sue those
bastards!!!! cause they didn't ask what colour of underwear I normally
wear!!!"

Transcribing the entire chat script is a unique way to communicate the
perceived problems. Fortunately, it seems to have been transcribed in
its entirety which gives us a good idea of who caused the problem.

Like it or not, Customer Service Representatives are required to ask
certain questions. When informed that one's call "may be monitored",
it's to make sure the CSR says and does everything according to
policy, including any upselling or suggestive selling.

First, the first quarter of the script should be dropped from the
letter. All of us have had to wait for assistance while other
customers who were ahead of us were helped. Including the wait
messages is petty and tells us the type of person the OP is right off
the bat. This is not a good sign. Already, I have little sympathy.

The CSR requested information in accordance with the requirements of
his job (don't we all have things our employers require us to do that
don't make sense to us or that we just don't like? What happens if we
don't do them?). The OP dragged the contact out unnecessarily by
debating this procedure to say nothing of becoming combative very
quickly.

As for the CSR doing a terrible job...I would commend him for not
reaching through the monitor and whacking the OP with a wet salmon for
the incredibly rude and uncivilized manner in which he (or she) was
being treated.


Three HD DVDs or not, David S., you were rude and you should be
ashamed of yourself. A grown man behaving like an unsupervised
14-year old!

Wow ... just amazing. You blame the CSR for this? Had you simply
answered a couple of questions you might've gotten your answer.

Has it occurred to you that they might offer different services in
different areas? Right, I thought you didn't. You're too busy being
indignant about the perceived lack of customer service.

Next time, try to be cooperative. $100 a month? Please. Is that
supposed to be a LOT of money for which they should worship the ground
upon which you spit?

Get over yourself.

"Hire qualified customer service agents? Offer me free cable and
internet service for life? Give me my two hours back for trying to
communicate with that idiot?"


Maybe YOU should take some classes about how to speak to other people
in a respectful way.

I work in a job where I deal with customers' personal information
daily. It is corporate policy at many places to use two forms of ID to
verify who you're speaking with. Even when you call a magazine
subscription service you have to do this. It's security. Do you
honestly think that because you're online and your name is displayed
there that they will go on and talk about your personal account
information just willy nilly? No, they have to verify it's not
somebody who has stolen your identity.

I'm surprised the customer service rep kept their cool, the way you
acted. You need to learn patience and manners, seriously.

Wow, you are such a jerk. I can't believe you'd tell another person
that they are terrible at their job and that they should quit.

You decided to call during a high volume time. Did you read those
messages? Did you think that maybe since they were experiencing severe
weather problems that maybe you should try back later?

Why couldn't you simply identify yourself and state your location? Are
you a customer of this company already? It was obvious that they were
trying to identify your location so they could accurately quote your
prices. Also, if you were going to sign up for services, obviously
it's good for them to want correct information about you.

On-line CSRs talk to more than one person at a time. Usually I give
them about three to five minutes between responses before asking if
they are there. (usually it doesn't come to that, unless I am calling
during a high volume time.)

You just showed how NOT to be a good customer. I hope you learn to
have some patience and how to be polite when someone is trying to help
you.

Albeit I do agree with the fact that one should be able to give ones
location (city) and then ask if packages are available and if so what
type are offered. Once you give them your general area they should be
able to quote you prices. If not then go to the competitor.

True, David should not have taken a rude attitude, but I have to
wonder why the CSR did not just state up front that she needed to know
where David was in order to get the price information? Had she done
that and explained (as she did later in the conversation) why the
location and packages purchased would affect the price of what David
wanted rather than giving the "it is company policy" justification, I
have a feeling this would have gone far better.

My first thought when I saw the "I will first like to verify some
information with you and then I will be more than happy to assist you
with your questions. After we have done that, I would like to discuss
Charter's service bundle with you to make sure you are receiving the
best value." response from the CSR was that this was a canned answer
and the CSR had blown off the question in order to start a sales pitch
on upgrading whatever package the caller might have. Most who have
worked CSR for these types of companies knows the company pushes CSR's
to sell more to existing customers. (Yes, I saw that David was not a
customer, but the CSR did not know that yet.)

True, CSR's have to handle too many people each day, but evasive,
canned responses to direct questions have the effect of telling
callers that the CSR is not listening to them or is not really
interested in whatever the caller needs/wants. That causes much
frustration for the caller and attitudes like David's start to come
out.

"Hire qualified customer service agents? Offer me free cable and
internet service for life? Give me my two hours back for trying to
communicate with that idiot?"

As others have said, the person causing the difficulty was the you.
If you had answered the CSR's questions, you would have had your
information. Instead, you were bound & determined to answer only what
you wanted, when you wanted, and in doing so, kept the CSR from doing
their job, and helping other customers with service issues. You knew
in advance that there were high volumes of people contacting them for
service, and your inquiry was not time-sensitive. You may have
received more informative answers had they not been slammed with
customers, and had you been nicer.

Much like the other posters here, the only person I see with a problem
in the coversation is you. You constantly berate the rep for not
giving you the information requested. Do you have somehthing to hide?
Only someone who doesn't want to give out their information would be
so evasive in their conversation.

You should be glad that Charter doesn't want you as a customer. I
wouldn't want you as my customer if you treated me this badly. Drop
the attitude.

Oh good God, man. Would it hurt you to be NICE?

"It seems like I can't get quality customer service online" If I was
the CSR, I would've ended that conversation with that line right
there.

Connection terminated.

I swear, some people have NO idea what it's like to actually work with
customers.

Wow.

The only thing you served to illustrate by writing tihs letter is that
the agent was attempting to to her job, and should probably be
commended on remaining patient thoughout such a mean-spirited
diatribe.

I can certainly understand being annoyed, and the company probably
should address their 'heavier than normal' volume of issues, but in
all fairness, they did attempt to advise customers that they were
having difficulties.

Maybe you could take a day or two and re-think things and write a more
productive letter that illustrates your concerns without all of the
emotion above.

You catch more flies with honey. Seems to me you are using Black Flag.
Doesn't work as well.

You are a work of art.(not a master piece)

If the CSR was annoyed with this as *I* was when I read it, then give
that CSR a medal for putting up with this load of c-r-a-p.

for posting the EXACT transcript of your conversation with this CSR so
that EVERYONE can see that the problem was YOU and not HIM.

You called following a storm when service calls would be at a peak,
refused to give out any personal information that they would need to
assist you and then repeatedly berate and insult the rep and you
wonder why you don't get good customer service?

And free cable and Internet for life? LOL!!!

Wouldn't it have been easier and faster to just provide the
information they are requesting?

A CSR is not empowered to do much outside the scope of how they are
trained. If they are told certain infromation must be obtained from
the caller, then they have to do just that.

Oh and calling the person an idiot showed a real lack of maturity on
your part.

I'm sure they'll get right on that request for free cable and internet
service for life...NOT!

David S.,
Take a break and zip on over to your local Luby's but be nice.
BillR.

OMG, that poor customer service representative. I've dealt with some
rude customers in my time but you, sir, take the cake.

I think you're the one with the problem, not them.

Here's kind of an interesting thought.

I know that you wanted your info when you wanted it and how you wanted
it, but when you immediately got a message that said there was an
outage due to severe weather, you may have thought "is this the best
time to investigate." During these kinds of outages, the existing
staff is hammered with calls, and it makes it a bit hard to focus --
they probably have management pushing them to get through the calls
(not the best tactic, but it happens).

And knowing that they are exceptionally busy, it probably wouldn't
have hurt you to be just a bit nice. I mean, really, is it so hard to
give someone a break and maybe help them have a better day? You'll
get a much better response in the end.

I hope you feel better now. Your answers show you acted like a total
smart arse. Right off the bat with that little "It says my name right
there." If you gave straightforward answers, you would stand a chance
of not feeling like you are going in circles and actually getting some
information. Imagine how the CSR felt.

Oh, and you also called him an idiot. Nice. Maybe you will treat the
people in person a little more like human beings.

It took you two hours to have this conversation?

Just as an FYI, online chat reps talk to several customers at once,
which can cause a slight delay in responses.

Additionally, the rep was correct, he would need certain identifying
info in order to answer your question. He needs at least a street and
zip code so he can fins out what services and packages are available
in your area.

that said, the rep certainly seemed to be all over the place in his
attempts to answer. It looks like Charter uses a GUI interface,
allowing point and click answers. however, that only works if the
answer is actually appropriate to the question!

I hope they get back to you with some specific information.