People Hanging Up On Call Centers

from the just-can't-take-it dept

It really is a pain to try to call in anywhere for customer support these days. Hold times seem longer. The horrible front end menus are impossible and the people you speak to tend not to be very helpful. A new study has shown that more people are hanging up rather than going through the whole process. One reason why, though, is that people are calling "on the go" from their mobile phones -- and if they reach their destination before they talk to someone, they just hang up. Also, the study found that offshoring and outsourcing have very little to do with the trend. The problems are pretty much the same across the board. Instead, the real problem is a serious lack of training for those who work in call centers, meaning that those individuals are unable to help callers with their problems. This is a massive problem, because, while callers may be hanging up, many of them will be calling back again and again until their problem is solved -- and that's costly for the company. Those who give up completely will make sure it's widely known how bad the product is, which can be very damaging for sales. What's amazing, still, is that companies treat existing customers so bad. Someone should do a comparison and see how long it takes a customer service rep to answer compared to how long it takes a sales rep to answer at the same company.
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  • identicon
    Primus No More, 18 Feb 2005 @ 9:12pm

    Primus Canada is the worst offender

    I recently tried to cancel my long distance with Primus Canada. Each time I phoned customer support, I was greeted with the lie "your call is important to us...blah blah blah...due to current promotions, you will have to wait over 1 hour to get through...please be patient"

    This went on for 2 MONTHS! I was cancelling because they instituted a "network service fee", but because I could never get through they actually charged my two more times!!

    I wrote them an email, and a written letter, but no use. I wasted over 6 hours of my time waiting with no luck. FINALLY they called me in response to a letter.

    I had to threaten to write a letter to the CRTC before they finally decided to let me cancel.

    What a bunch of BOZOS.

    I hope they go out of business.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 22 Feb 2005 @ 7:57am

      Re: Primus Canada is the worst offender


      Primus,

      The easiest way to get them to respond is to just stop paying the bill ( grin )

      Works EVERY time for me ...

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Christine C., 1 Nov 2005 @ 10:26am

        Re: Primus Canada is the worst offender

        I wish that were true...

        I tried cancelling my long distance with Primus for over 6 months to no avail. In addition, to my surprise and fear I just moved to Pickering from Scarborough with a new (905) number (through bell Canada) and believe it or not Primus sent me a bill on my new line. Some how Primus attaches itself as a long distance provider to new telephone numbers. I am a little freaked out. I am writing a letter to Ted Chislett, President and CEO of Primus Telecommunications Canada Inc. at 5343 Dundas Street West, Suite 400 Toronto, ON M9B 6K5. I hope I receive satisfaction in terms of being able to cancel my service without having to pay a long distance bill, which I tried to cancel six months ago.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      yoski, 29 Mar 2005 @ 9:34pm

      Re: Primus Canada is the worst offender

      I had exactly the same situation. I called numerous times, emailed and wrote 2 letters. Finally, for 2 months in a row, I sent them their bill back with a nasty note written on it.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 17 Jan 2007 @ 7:30am

    no coment

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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