Conversations with Telco "Customer Support" Operators

[architect]

I applied for a group plan last Saturday and was promised a 24 hour activation turn-around time. Since up to this morning the lines have not been activated, I tried calling their customer support.

So I dialed the number, pressed 1 for English, pressed 2 for Postpaid, pressed 0 for activation follow-up.

(not exactly verbatim)

Operator: Good Morning, this is______. How may I help you?
Me: I would like to follow-up on my application.
Operator: Ah okay. Let me transfer you.
Me: Transfer where?
Operator: To Postpaid.
Me: But I selected Postpaid.
Operator: I am in Prepaid, Sir.
Me: So why did I get Prepaid?
Operator: Because there is a queue in Postpaid.
Me: So why did I get transferred to Prepaid?
Operator: Because if there is a queue in Postpaid, calls are routed to Prepaid.
Me: So you can help me?
Operator: Sorry, I can’t, I am in Prepaid.
Me: So why transfer me to Prepaid?
Operator: So I can transfer you to Postpaid.

When getting transferred to Postpaid, I get cut off. After several attempts each with a different operator, I finally succeeded in getting through to Postpaid directly.

Operator: Good Morning, this is______. How may I help you?
Me: I would like to follow-up on my application.
Operator: Ah okay. What is your number?
Me: Don’t know. The lines are not activated yet. But my current cel number is my reference number. It’s 09xx xxx-xxxx.
Operator: Okay, sir. I need to transfer you to Activation.
Me: But didn’t I just press 0 for activation inquiries?
Operator: Yes, sir. This is postpaid. I will transfer you to the Activation Hotline.
Me: Why wasn’t I routed directly to the Activation Hotline when that is what I selected?
Operator: Because it is Postpaid, sir.
Me: Uh, okay. Can you please give me a direct line just in case I get cut off?
Operator: No sir, I can’t do that.
Me: Why not?
Operator: Because it is the Activation Hotline. We can only transfer you.

Another conversation, this after being cut-off several times while being transferred. Each time I have to initiate the call.

Me: I am just wondering – aren’t you guys trained in common courtesy, like calling back the customer when he gets cut off?
Operator: No.
Me: Why not?
Operator: The system does not allow us.
Me: But your system keeps cutting off customers when they are being transferred.
Operator: Sorry, sir. But we don’t do call backs.
Me: So you expect the customer to keep calling you?

No reply.

[impulzz]

happens to me too, every time I have an inquiry be it my cellfone or ISP (same company) either you get rerouted to someone who can't help you, get cut off when being transferred, get the irritating music while waiting then after 15 mins of waiting you get cut-off.. hay....

[JCBalunsat]

I applied for a group plan last Saturday and was promised a 24 hour activation turn-around time. Since up to this morning the lines have not been activated, I tried calling their customer support.

So I dialed the number, pressed 1 for English, pressed 2 for Postpaid, pressed 0 for activation follow-up.

(not exactly verbatim)

Operator: Good Morning, this is______. How may I help you?
Me: I would like to follow-up on my application.
Operator: Ah okay. Let me transfer you.
Me: Transfer where?
Operator: To Postpaid.
Me: But I selected Postpaid.
Operator: I am in Prepaid, Sir.
Me: So why did I get Prepaid?
Operator: Because there is a queue in Postpaid.
Me: So why did I get transferred to Prepaid?
Operator: Because if there is a queue in Postpaid, calls are routed to Prepaid.
Me: So you can help me?
Operator: Sorry, I can’t, I am in Prepaid.
Me: So why transfer me to Prepaid?
Operator: So I can transfer you to Postpaid.

When getting transferred to Postpaid, I get cut off. After several attempts each with a different operator, I finally succeeded in getting through to Postpaid directly.

Operator: Good Morning, this is______. How may I help you?
Me: I would like to follow-up on my application.
Operator: Ah okay. What is your number?
Me: Don’t know. The lines are not activated yet. But my current cel number is my reference number. It’s 09xx xxx-xxxx.
Operator: Okay, sir. I need to transfer you to Activation.
Me: But didn’t I just press 0 for activation inquiries?
Operator: Yes, sir. This is postpaid. I will transfer you to the Activation Hotline.
Me: Why wasn’t I routed directly to the Activation Hotline when that is what I selected?
Operator: Because it is Postpaid, sir.
Me: Uh, okay. Can you please give me a direct line just in case I get cut off?
Operator: No sir, I can’t do that.
Me: Why not?
Operator: Because it is the Activation Hotline. We can only transfer you.

Another conversation, this after being cut-off several times while being transferred. Each time I have to initiate the call.

Me: I am just wondering – aren’t you guys trained in common courtesy, like calling back the customer when he gets cut off?
Operator: No.
Me: Why not?
Operator: The system does not allow us.
Me: But your system keeps cutting off customers when they are being transferred.
Operator: Sorry, sir. But we don’t do call backs.
Me: So you expect the customer to keep calling you?

No reply.

That's what I call customer service. DAMN!

[mazdamazda]

Your applying for a Sun postpaid line?

I think there's a bug with the call routing system (since another friend reported a similar problem to me).

PM about your details so that I can escalate this.

Thanks,

[architect]

Hi M2,

You got PM. Thanks for the offer. But with a little effort (and a lot of patience), I finally got them to activate all lines.

Thanks again.

[badsekktor]

that's why i dont like to work in call centers.... ok yun company pero madalas yan case na ganyan and the agents cant do anything about it

[CVT]

Kawawa rin ang mga tao sa call centers... They get all the flak from the customers...
Like this, they cannot do anything but explain something that will not make sense with us, customers, because they're limited by the system.....

5202:threadmil:

[pat3k]

that's why i dont like to work in call centers.... ok yun company pero madalas yan case na ganyan and the agents cant do anything about it

ganyan talaga mga local call centers dito sa pinas...walang kwenta! lalo na nga sa mga ISP's at TELCO's na yan, sa bank naman mejo ok ung service, saksakan lang talaga ng tagal ang hold time.

[boybi]

Mas ok nga mga CSR ng banks/credit cards. And they sometimes do call back the customers.

[pat3k]

Mas ok nga mga CSR ng banks/credit cards. And they sometimes do call back the customers.

yes they do call the customers back, especially kapag indi pa nakakapag bayad ung customer! kidding aside, ung mga CSR ng banks nga lang yata ang merong customer service training dito sa pilipinas eh...un yatang mga agents sa ISP's and TELCO's eh basta may technical knowledge lang eh pwede na!

[kiper]

Sa SUN cellular yan..apat lang yata mga call operators nila..haha

Waited more than 30 mins para lang matanong ko kung bakit 3 weeks late lagi ang bill ko..

[cocoy]

wel call centers hate me.. i swear at them with all the words i can think of and it actually works sometimes.... speacially with smart bro... last november i called them to have my antenna fixed.. someone eventually came.. heres the funny part,, just this past week i get 2 calls from smart bro.. asking me if my system got fixed or if someone came to check my antenna.... and the other one was following up aparently on my complains which i somehow made last week too.. which i never did... really interesting how this giant companies handle customer care......oh ya just to add they are really quick to call if you dont pay your bills....

[wiper]

Sa SUN cellular yan..apat lang yata mga call operators nila..haha

Waited more than 30 mins para lang matanong ko kung bakit 3 weeks late lagi ang bill ko..

Its not only sun cellular, it also happen to me at Globelines. I called up to check my caller id phone. After many attempts calling the call center until I went directly to the Globelines center to report and thats the time the lineman came.
I wonder why these big corporation is using the service of call center where in fact it is not effective. Every time you follow up, you have to repeat telling your conern and yet no action is taken.What I hate is there is no continuity and no one to take responsibilty of your call. Sana they can hire someone to take charge of your concern , and he or she nodt doing her work , we can easily pinpoint who is in charge.

[badsekktor]

ganyan talaga mga local call centers dito sa pinas...walang kwenta! lalo na nga sa mga ISP's at TELCO's na yan, sa bank naman mejo ok ung service, saksakan lang talaga ng tagal ang hold time.

bro not limited sa local yan. yun dati kong work eh us based yun. dell ang client and one of the biggest call center dito sa atin pero ganun din. Hindi kasalanan ng company dito or nung call center since separate entity/company ang nag-rouroute ng calls. similar din sa local call centers i guess. taga sagot lang ng calls ang usual role ng call center but the routing system, hindi na sagot ng call center companies yun. malamang telco providers ang nag-ooffer ng routing systems ng calls

Mas ok nga mga CSR ng banks/credit cards. And they sometimes do call back the customers.

sa technical call centers meron din callback kasi meron silang stat na pwedeng ma-hit. pag na-hit ka bawas sa stats mo yun and factor yun kung matatanggal ka or hindi. saka minsan di mo rin sila masisisi since meron quota ang mga agents. imagine doing a full reformat of a pc and reinstallation of drivers and software in just 22 mins para maka-quota ka! how much more kung pababaklas mo pa yun pc sa isang matanda na walang ka-alam-alam sa computer or sa isang 12 yr old kid by instructing them thru phone. sick talaga ang policies. and they expect you still to inject and complete the spiels that they give you, in just 22 mins!

Kawawa rin ang mga tao sa call centers... They get all the flak from the customers...
Like this, they cannot do anything but explain something that will not make sense with us, customers, because they're limited by the system.....

5202:threadmil:

you are absolutely right! anong malay ng agent sa routing ng calls. very limited lang ang knowledge na tinuturo sa agents other than that wala na maisasagot sila since hindi kasama sa training nila yun, and most agents are fresh grads so kawawa talaga.

I wonder why these big corporation is using the service of call center where in fact it is not effective. Every time you follow up, you have to repeat telling your conern and yet no action is taken.What I hate is there is no continuity and no one to take responsibilty of your call. Sana they can hire someone to take charge of your concern , and he or she nodt doing her work , we can easily pinpoint who is in charge.

call center is an integral part of every company. sino ang makikinig sa complain mo kung wala sila? it is the way these companies get feedback from its customers. well ngayon mostly outsourced ang call centers. cost cutting i guess. maintaining your own call center is quite expensive.

[chuaed]

Parang Ganito ba?

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeZmNgQB0DI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeZmNgQB0DI[/ame]

PLDT myDSL Call Center Agent Curses at Caller. It was an ordinary day for Catherine Rossana (as she repeatedly said on the other end, as her real name) in her work as a customer service representative for PLDT myDSL. Then came Raul Bacaldo, who came a calling one day complaining that his DSL connection is still down after 2 days and he needs it badly for an iFreedom VOIP call to the US to finalize his itenerary for his trip to the US.