Things I do not understand: Phone support
I’m starting to doubt my ability to communicate clearly. When I get on the phone with customer support and explain the issue I’m having, I get the distinct impression that these people had no godly clue what I’m talking about. Yes, even if they are native English speakers.
I was just on the phone with T-Mobile because they keep calling and telling me my account is past-due. It’s not. I logged in a checked. I’ve actually overpaid because I responded to one of their overdue messages. So I tell this to people and they pause and ask me if I will be paying with a credit or debit card today. This happened with three consecutive customer service reps before I got transfered to a manager for a refund. This shit happens all the time where the person I’m talking to give me the impression that they have no idea what is wrong and then they get annoyed if I keep repeating what the problem is.
I don’t understand. I get being lazy. I get not knowing how things work or how to solve problems. What I don’t understand is someone pretty much ignoring what I’ve said and trying to solve a non-existant problem. I guess it’s the scripts? Do they hear a keyword and jump on a script so quickly before they’ve tried to underestand what’s going on?
I hate it. All customer service should just start over email.
“Hey, your system keeps sending me past-due messages, but my account is paid-up.”
“Sorry about that, I’ve verified that you are current on your account and sent a ticket to internal collections so they stop bothering you. If you’re still getting messages after a week or so, let me know.”
Done. I spend two minutes writing an email, the service rep probably spend 15 minutes looking up my account, making a note, and sending a support request. Everyone gets on with their lives. Phone support is shitty and a waste of everyone’s time. It should be a last resort for problems that require nuanced, real-time communication when an online chat isn’t an option.
