I think I made a CM cry About This Page:

[simbarel]

I work in customer service. As I type this I'm sitting at my cubicle looking like Janet Jackson with my headset, I might need to pause this post so I can take a call. I know how hard it is, I know that some questions can seem reallllly obvious and silly, but most of all I know I hate it when I hear some of my coworkers giving attitude to callers. I answer every call warmly and think it's a big waste of time and energy to try to make the caller out to be a fool. I hear it everyday and it drives me NUTS.

So when I'm the customer, I can be a little picky about the service I get. If it's knowledgable and sincere, then all is good to go. I called WDW-PLAY yesterday and I got major attitude right at 'hello.' I had what I thought were legitimate questions, and I could hear the eyeballs rolling on the other end. The CM was very short with me and obnoxious and tried to make me out to be an idiot so following a long, pregnant pause I asked for her name. She got all defensive and blathered on that "if I would only answer her questions..." but the fact was, her questions were so loaded with attitude that no self-respecting caller would ever answer them, and B) I didn't think it was cool that she was now blaming her bad attitude on me. I very sternly told her that "I think we both know, [her name], that it's not the questions you were asking that was the problem." She blathered out some more about how I did this and I did that before her voice started cracking and then she hung up.

I was calling because my brother had called earlier with some questions and was good-natured about the flip response that he got, so seeing that I'm a little more knowledgable about WDW I thought I'd make the call and arrangements for him. I suspect we got the same CM. I'm not so mad that she gave me bad CS, but moreso that HE, the one who isn't as sold on Disney as we are, was subjected to it.....such a bad impression! I thought this was Disney World! I guess I feel a little bad that she got so upset...but coming from the CS world I know I've learned a lot of lessons on how to treat people, and I can't stand to be treated like a jerk!

Ok...thanks for letting me vent.

[lauren-roxy]

Don't feel bad Rachel. Sometimes people don't even realize that they are acting that way and need to be reminded that they should be a little nicer. I'm sorry that your brother had to experience it too. You did the right thing!!

[Colexis Mom]

Yikes!!

[Caldercup]

Rachel, I so totally know your situation (I used to run a large customer support center and I'd be appalled if any of our CSRs copped a 'tude with a customer -- and we had some DOOZIES!!)

It sounds like you were totally justified in calmly asking for her name -- or even asking for a supervisor. If you made her cry, you may have also made her THINK... and it seems to me that this is something she needs to do before getting sassy with a guest on the phone.

When those things happen whenever I call any support lines, I always make note of the exact time and then call right back and ask to speak with a supervisor -- I won't even let the CSR who picks up hear the problem, I just insist in the kindest voice I can muster that I have a comment I need to pass along to the supervisor. Then I give the time of my call to the supervisor and ask if they have the technology to listen in on that call. (Generally, the larger centers can pull up the call and hear the whole thing -- and play it for the CSR while they are being retrained.)

The only way to improve CSR ability to serve the customer is with continual retraining.

And, knowing how wonderfully you express yourself on these boards, I bet you're a FANTASTIC rep yourself!
Eileen

[disney_duke]

You're right, that's a really bad impression of Disney. How embarrasing! I've worked in my fair share of phone CS jobs too, so I know sometimes you can have a bad day. But you never, EVER, take it out on the person on the other end of the phone. It seems like the Disney CS phone reps are either super friendly or super crabby. What a shame that your brother got the crabby one.

I love the Janet Jackson reference! Remember in "My big fat greek wedding" where she's in the travel agency and stands up to walk and that stupid headset pulls her back and to the ground!!! Yeah, that happened to me to when I was a travel agent!!

[simbarel]

Thanks all. I should add that I ended up calling back and got a different CM and he was efficient and amiable---just the kind of phone rep I am. No chit-chat...all business with a smile ....and he gave me all the answers I was looking for and didn't rack up my long distance charges.

Elaine...I thought about calling a supervisor, but I never ended up doing it. I was going to use the survey option at the end of the call, but the end of my call with the second, helpful CM there was no survey.

[emtpej]

I pretty much do what Eileen does.
I make sure I get the name of anyone I talk to like this when the call begins, so I can compliment or complain later. Everybody has a supervisor. But I have come across supervisors that are clueless or careless but you have to play their little games to get what you want, sometimes...

As being on the other end of a service job, sometimes you come across people that just can't be made happy, even when you give them what they want and you do everything you are supposed to do.

[simbarel]

Originally Posted by emtpej

As being on the other end of a service job, sometimes you come across people that just can't be made happy, even when you give them what they want and you do everything you are supposed to do.

No arguments there. I have a special word for that sort of person.

[magic mickey]

I completly understand. On our recent trip, we had the rudest bus driver, who was totally insulting to me and downright rude. I had given him no cause for the attitude and I did report him as soon as we got into the park.

[CountryTink]

Sorry to hear you had such a horrible experience. Hopefully she readjusted her attitude before answering the next caller.

[lonereb]

Glad you got the answers you wanted from the male CSR that you got the 2nd time around.

I work in a doctor's office and I always try to answer the phone with a smile. They say you can tell when you answer with a smile. We have some very long winded patients that want to tell you every little problem they have encountered. I admit I do try to stop them and find out why they want to see the doctor. They tell me and then go right on with their stories. Sometimes I'm on the phone 10 minutes to find out that they only want pain medication called in to the pharmacy. OH WELL.

I hope that I come off on the phone as someone who does care (but I need to get my job done too) LOL.

[chezp]

I think you did the right thing as well, especially as you're an expet in that field of work.

[bethf]

Don't feel bad. Unfortunately, there are bad CS people everywhere. I had a CM talk badly about me right in front of me in the MK. He then got mad that I took his name, but he was RUDE! It's too bad when people like that sour others on the DW experience, but they are everywhere (unfortunately).

[Luvsun]

YIKES! That is a very first bad impression she is giving of Disney!
Someone needs to know about her attitude!
Sorry that you and your brother had to encounter that!

[Wolfy6688]

I work in a pharmacy, and believe me, some of the questions are realllyyyy obvious, but instead of making the person feel like an idiot, it's better (and frankly, the shorter way to end the phone conversation so you can get back to work) if you just politely answer it.

If the CM that you'd gotten the first time around really hated her job that much (which is always the impression that I get when someone is this nasty) she'd want to get off the phone ASAP.

I had the same rudeness when I tried making those ADR's at Victoria & Albert's - I was spelling my DBF's last name (it's not overly difficult) and she was blaming me for spelling it incorrectly...? ... I think I know his last name better than you. *sigh * Oh well.