techrecovery | Give a favour to a customer once, and..... (Reply)

This short-tempered cust had applied for DSL, and due to port outages in his general area he was delayed. The odd thing is, he works for Australia's largest (partially government-owned) telco/ISP, Telstra <insert evil hiss here> - so you'd think he could look up his work's own records to see why he'd been delayed....not a chance. Eventually our helpdesk manager himself had to step in and eventually set a few things straight; this does not usually happen, and it was simply a favour to the customer to stop his whingeing.

Well, give the royal treatment to a customer once and they expect it all the time.

The log from this customer's case following happened after his account came up overdue three days before the monthly payment. Because it costs us to rent services off Telstra, we specifically tell customers when they sign up in the terms and conditions they are obliged to listen to that we take a payment off their credit card three days earlier than usual. Plus, this dipshit had to call at 0715 and get me, a graveyarder, working when most of our systems are down and the desks are closed. Bitter acrimony and demands ensue.

incoming:
- cust very annoyed, demanded to know why he couldn't get online due to non-payment
- ver[ified] ID, informed cust as stated in terms and conditions when he signed up that we would be accessing funds three days before actual due date
- cust did not react favourably, calling us rip-off merchants, demanding to know what right we had to do so, by advertising one month but taking funds only in 28 days
- was about to state he agreed to these terms and conditions, but cust had to prove point by pointedly stating that if we kept taking funds three days earlier (heard calculator in background) that would be $3/month, or over a year $60/year we're ripping off our customers
- cust's language is getting progressively more profane
- cust asked if I agree, informed cust I did not, was about to point out we did not bill our customers *progressively* three days earlier, only three days earlier than connection date, but cust would not listen
- cust demanded to speak to [helpdesk manager], actually used his name in full
- informed cust he was not in, it was after hours, the centre was not officially open at the moment, was about to state that centre opened at 8am (in 45min at the time), but cust interrupted again and demanded a supervisor
- informed cust again centre was not officially open
- cust asked for my name, gave first name
- cust demanded last name, refused to give it to him, cust more annoyed but asked if I was the only

lordstorm there, qualified myself by telling him I was the only one on the helpdesk with blue hair
- cust suddenly remembered me: "You're the guy that signed me up."
- checked records, realised he was correct [holy shit!]
- cust's attitude dropped a little, but cust stated quite a few times he would refuse to pay his account until the 17th - when it was advertised to be paid for
- cust gave me an ultimatum: restore his service - which even after clicking on the [payment reminder page] still brought up Page Cannot be Located errormsgs - or he would be cancelling
- informed cust - again - it was still after-hours and I did not have seniority to reacticvate his account, was about to offer technical assistance to see why he couldn't browse after [payment reminder page] but cust cut me off again
- cust instructed me to cancel his account
- informed cust I could not - it was after hours
- cust told me it wasn't a question
- I told cust I realised that, but I still couldn't do it
- cust said "I am not asking you, I am telling you, to disconnect my fucking service"
- informed cust again I had no ability to do that, furthermore Senior Accts reps who looked after acct cancellations would not be in until Monday 10am
- cust demanded to speak to [helpdesk manager] again, informed cust - yet again - he wasn't in, it was after hours still
- cust repeated again he wanted his acct turned back on or he'd cancel
- informed cust I could pass on request to a supervisor when they got in, when the centre had officially opened, cust didn't like that
- cust said he would only pay it on the advertised due date - then suddenly changed previous statement and stated, "Nah, you'll get my payment on Wednesday now"
- informed cust yet again there was nothing I could do at the moment
- cust gave me his mobile number, [deleted], and threatened that it was in our best interests to get him back online, he's had "nothing but trouble with your two-bit company, I work for fucking Telstra" and wouldn't be voluntarily ripped off, threatened also to take us to the [Australian department of Fair Trading]
- did not answer
- cust stated he expected a call from [helpdesk manager] at 0830 this morning, or else not only would he cancel his service, he would take another 20 subscribers who signed up through him away from us as well, "think about that, that's 20 times 50 bucks a month I can take away from you", also stated that he "want[ed] [helpdesk manager] to be cc'd on that email of yours", wanted acknowledgement
- did not acknowledge, said instead I would pass it on through the helpdesk supervisor when they arrived
- cust swore and hung up
- end of call
- forwarded details to supervisor for escalation from them when they arrive
- placed call agent on hold and stepped out back for much needed cigarette

I fucking hate abusive, demanding customers.