Call Center Adventure

HIV Infected Call Center Agent

2010-03-07T01:49:00.000-08:00

A Statement From HIV Infected Call Center Agent

Goodbye!

2009-12-10T09:22:00.000-08:00

The call center agent resigned last month.

UK Search Policies For Residential Listings

2009-10-25T14:50:00.000-07:00

1. Customer Service Representatives should follow the "Phone Book" Rule when searching for a residential listing. In order for someone to find a residential listing in a phone book, he or she must have an idea of the surname and the area the person lives. This means that in order to perform a residential search, the caller must have the following:

an approximate name
an aproximate location

2. CSRs can give residential listings in the following situations:

a. The surname is correct but spelt differently. eg. Smyth and Smith
b. Similar sounding names. eg. Davies and David
c. Names that are slightly different. eg. Robins and Robinson

3. Counties are allowed to be searched but it is preferable that the caller gives a specific town or city as the location. CSRs are not allowed to perform a residential search using UK as the location.

4. If a search is performed and the listing is found as ex-directory, the CSR should advise the caller it's an ex-directory listing. The CSR can confirm the details given by the caller but must not give any additional information.

I Don't Need A Number Really!

2009-10-03T07:30:00.001-07:00

Alice: Hello! This is Directory Assistance. How can I help you?
Caller: Not really.
Alice: What can I do for you today?
Caller: Well I don’t need a number really!
Alice: So what is it I can help you with?
Caller: I’ve got £7.77 credit on my mobile and I don’t like it so I thought I’d call you to use up some credit. Thank you!

Let's Talk

2009-09-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

Customer Service Poster

Ask Me Anything

2009-09-23T13:45:00.000-07:00

In 2007, our company launched a service in which customers are able to call or text and ask any question they want. Every week, we receive approximately 1000 requests for information from our callers. Here are just some of the bizarre questions we've been asked:

1. How tall is the tallest dwarf?
2. If we all jump at the same time, will the earth shake?
3. What do ghosts eat?
4. How many teaspoons in a tablespoon?
5. Why don't penguin's feet freeze?
6. Do Eucalyptus leaves that Koalas eat make them spontaneously combust in direct sunlight?
7. Is it possible to drink cheese?
8. How many beans on average are in a standard tin of Heinz baked beans?
9. Can donkeys make asses of themselves?
10. What breed of dog is Snoopy?
11. How much wood could old chuck chuck, if old chuck was Chuck Norris?
12. Where can I buy square melons?
13. Can you milk an octopus?
14. How many average hands can circle the world?
15. Do fish drink water?
16. Does a bat know it hangs upside down?
17. Where do pigeons go at night?
18. Is a peanut a dried pea?
19. Do they sell monkeys at Harrods?
20. Is a Jaffa cake a cake or a biscuit?

New Phonetics and New Spelling

2009-09-17T14:27:00.000-07:00

Alice: Hello! This is directory assistance. How can I help you?
Caller: I'm looking for a post office in Blaenau Ffestiniog in Wales.
Alice: Can you help me spell the town please?
Caller: Yes. The first word is spelled B-L-A-E-N-A-U.
Alice: I'm sorry I didn't get the first letter.. Is that B for Baguio?
Caller: Yes.
Alice: Thank you. Can you give me the spelling of the second word please?
Caller: Surely. It's F-F-E-S-T-I-N-I-O-G.
Alice: The first letter is F or S?
Caller: F.
Alice: Is that F for Florida in Pampanga or S for San Fernando in Pampanga?
Caller: That's letter F for fineapple juice.
Alice: Huhh?!

Life At A Call Center

2009-09-09T17:36:00.000-07:00

This is a clip from the movie "Big Nothing," starring David Schwimmer and Simon Pegg.

Please Call Again Later!

2009-09-08T15:08:00.000-07:00

The CSR (Customer Service Representative) is on break.

Beware of TDOs!

2009-09-06T14:56:00.000-07:00

Training Development Officers or TDOs are the people who give assistance to agents who are having a hard time handling their calls. They provide agents with the tools they need to complete each call successfully. If an agent can't handle a difficult call then he can transfer the call to a TDO.

Besides giving assistance and taking transfer calls, TDOs are also reponsible for the agents' compliance to company policies and procedures in order to maintain an orderly and achievement-oriented work environment. If an agent is caught violating the policies, he will be warned or issued a violation slip by a TDO. Agents who commit the same violation within the 90-day period will have their corrective actions escalated to the next level. This repeated violation can lead to termination.

How Can I Help You?

2009-09-06T00:39:00.001-07:00

Call Center Agents

First Call After Suspension

2009-08-22T12:45:00.000-07:00

Alice: Hello! This is directory assistance. How can I help you?
Caller: I got a wrong number and I want a refund for that!
Alice: I do apologize. I will give you a refund but first, let me search the correct number for you.
Caller: I was looking for the number for RNID and your colleague gave me a number which is not yet in service!
Alice: I'll search for that number now.. Is that RNID which stands for the Royal National Institute for Deaf People?
Caller: Yes.
Alice: Can I please check the number that was given to you?
Caller: It's 0808 808 012. I dialed that number twice and it wasn't working.
Alice: I have the correct number for RNID and it is 0808 808 0123. Maybe you just failed to hear the last digit.
Caller: Are you telling me that I am DEAF?!?
Alice: No. I am sorry.
Caller: What?!?
Alice: I said I am sorry.
Caller: You f*c*ing b*t*c*h! I will never use this service again!

(Caller dropped the call)

Back To Work Again

2009-08-21T13:05:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of my ten-day suspension. I still need rest but I need money to pay my bills so I dont have a choice. I have to go back to work tomorrow.

Don't Talk To Me, Im Ex-Directory!

2009-08-07T17:13:00.000-07:00

I always get irritated everytime a caller insists to get the number of a listing which is ex-directory. What makes me more annoyed is when they get mad at me after refusing to consider their request to be connected to it.

Are they not aware of the Data Protection Act? Do they even know what an ex-directory listing is?

Every person is presumed to know the law.

Decision Notice from HR Department

2009-08-03T13:38:00.000-07:00

After 2 weeks of waiting, the Human Resources finally gave their decision with regard to my violation of the Employee Code of Conduct. I was correct; it happened as I expected it would happen. I talked to the cute Labor Relations Officer awhile ago and he said that I am placed on corrective suspension (unpaid) for a period of 10 days beginning August 7 to 20, excluding my rest days..

It's Queueing

2009-07-29T18:30:00.000-07:00

The agents are not happy.
They are taking calls.
They can't go to the loo.
They can't leave their stations.

The supervisors are not patrolling.
They are taking calls.
They can't go on break.
They can't lose their bonus.

The managers are not inactive.
They are taking calls.
They can't have a meeting.
They can't lose the customers.

Busy day at work.
It's queueing.

Notice of Investigation

2009-07-25T14:11:00.000-07:00

Last week, I got a notice informing me that I am being investigated for violating the company policy on Productivity and that I was required to submit a written explanation within 48 hours. Since I was too lazy to write, I was not able to submit it on the said date. I gave up my right to explain or present my side because I know that giving an explanation will not give me a guarantee that I will not be punished or that I will be proven innocent. It would be just a waste of time.

So now, I am waiting for the next notice from the HR, saying that I will be suspended for 10 days.

Language Barrier in Outsourcing

2009-07-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

The following is a conversation between a British caller and an agent whose location is outside UK.

Alice: Hello! This is directory assistance. How can I help you?
Caller: Can you give me the number for the Vue Cinema on the High Street in Crewe?
Alice: I have the number for the Vue Cinema. We also offer cinema times and listings. Do you have a film in mind?
Caller: I dont need the listings. I just want to book a ticket.
Alice: I’ll give you the box office then. Can I connect you to that number?
Caller: No. Just put me through.
Alice: Huh?!

From this dialogue, the caller did not catch the question because of the agent's accent and yet he responded. This shows that language barrier is one of the biggest problems in outsourcing that is why voice and accent training is a must for all call centres.

Letter of Apology

2009-07-19T07:22:00.000-07:00

Working in a call centre is not that easy. There are several factors that make this job so stressful and tiring. One of the stressors that agents usually encounter is an irate caller. Two weeks ago, one of my teammates got suspended for being rude and sarcastic to her angry caller who was complaining for a bad service.

Before she got suspended, the management asked her to give a letter of apology for her misconduct. The following is her letter of apology:

To whom it may concern:

Good day!

Please accept my sincerest apology for my conduct on July 6 2009. There is no excuse for my behaviour. The purpose of this is to convey to you my apology for any rudeness I have caused the caller. I would also like to bring to your attention the fact that it was not my intention to annoy the caller. When I did the mimicking, I was not sure that time if I had pressed the mute button or if the mute button was not working. I was terribly shocked when I realized that she heard me that is why I was on dead air for 20 seconds after the caller asked to be transferred to a supervisor.

I admit that I was wrong and I accept full responsibility for my behavior. I understand that it may be difficult for the company to accept my apology, but I hope that this letter might give me an opportunity to help prove my worth since I have been with the company for almost five years with perfect attendance. I value my work and I enjoy working with my officemates. If anything good can come of the situation it would be I have learned a life lesson from this experience.

I am hoping that you will give me a chance to regain the trust of the company.

Sincerely yours,

Lalaine Grey

First Call

2009-07-18T14:59:00.000-07:00

After the training, Alice finally got her first call on the floor:

Alice: Hello! This is directory assistance. How can I help you?
Caller: Hi, can you give me the number for the O2 mobile phone customer service please.
Alice: I’m searching that for you now..
(after 7 seconds)
Alice: I have 2 numbers for O2 customer services, one for business customers and the other one for residential customers. Which do you prefer?
Caller: Can you put me through to that number?
Alice: Yes but I have 2 numbers for your request. Are you a business customer or a residential customer?
Caller: I am a customer.