Tuesday 4 May 2010

Question;

Starter for Ten...

If you are a supplier of a service that might require your customers to hold whilst waiting for one of your operators to become free, and if you decide to put - for a change - mildly acceptable music on for said customer to listen during this period, do you really think that breaking into the tune Every. 5. Seconds. to announce 'Thankyou for holding; one our operators will be with you shortly' is really necessary?

Don't you think that we might know we are holding? And don't you think that we might have a longer memory than a goldfish and have remembered from the first time time you said it that you really are trying to deal with our call as soon as possible? Or do you worry that if we don't hear whichever of your employees has won the 'most acceptable telephone voice' competition constantly reassuring us of your continued interest in us, that we might assume that everyone is off at the coffee machine swapping tales of yesterday's Krazy Kwizz Nite down at the Bull and Bush instead of dealing with our calls?

(Oh yes, I worked in a call centre as a student - I know what goes on...)

Just wondering, anyway...

10 comments:

  1. Yes yes yes! So with you on this one.

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  2. Please tell me you were not waiting to be connected to the formerly self-nominated 'world's favourite airline'?
    After the recent 58+ minutes of the same mindless communique whilst I waited I was ready to reach down the phone and strangle someone.

    LCM x

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  3. Oh I totally agree, that constant interruption of "your call is important to us" blah blah blah riles me more than the bad music. Every time the automated voice clicks in there's the brief glimmer of hope that your call has been answered only to realise, nope, just that damned voice again! grrrr!

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  4. gawd i'm with london city mum on world's favourite airline. the one where they ask chickenorbeef and chuck the chicken at you because they didn't bother to listen to you say beef.

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  5. Too right. 'Your call is important to us'. Yeah, so important that we are going to drive you crazy with irritating music and give you no idea of how long you are going to be holding.

    The only remotely helpful information is when some call centres tell you your call will be answered in five minutes, or similar. At least then you can go off and make a cup of tea.

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  6. So it didn't irritate you, or anything, did it?

    My doctor's office here has the local radio station as the hold music. It's really disconcerting. The receptionist says "can you hold?" you say "yes" and then this voice starts talking about the weather or the traffic. The first few times it really threw me. I think I may even have thought it was the receptionist making small talk, and tried to reply.

    I don't think it's a very good choice, honestly. I mean, there must often be those horrendous health stories playing down the phone to patients. Not what you want to hear when you're making an appointment.

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  7. By the way, do you ever say out loud

    "My call is clearly NOT important to you, otherwise you'd answer it and speak to me"?

    Just wondering.

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  8. MtoM, glad you agree and I'm not the only bitter and twisted one..

    LCM, no, actually it was an energy supplier - based in Wales. 'Nuff said?

    Livi, annoying, isn't it?

    RM, I really think they need to change that catchphrase (if they haven't already...)

    NVG, yes, better that than 'you are number 500 in the queue'... But how long will the other 499 be on the phone? Have they got a complicated question? Or are they just calling to check the time? Really, I'm not sure if that one is good thing or not...

    Iota, no I haven't said that - but I might now.

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  9. Livi said it for me. When they break in to repeat the recorded message I always draw breath ready to answer what I think is finally a real person. SO disappointing!

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  10. I always have to preapre myself for those calls. They are SO FRUSTRATING and take hours. The insurance companies in the US are the worst (even more than BA).

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