Tech Support or Amateur Psychologist?

[Luv Bunnies]

Our cable box started dying a slow death about a week ago. I called the cable company's tech support line to find out what I should do. I am always very polite and I wasn't even frustrated. I just wanted to know if it could be reset or if I needed to get a new one. After explaining the problem, the tech support person said, "I'm very sorry this is happening, ma'am, and I know how it must make you feel." Then he told me to take it to a service center and swap it for a new one. OK, no problem.

So after installing the new one and calling to have it activated, it wasn't working correctly. We could only get about half of the channels and the guide wasn't working. So, I called tech support again to find out what needed to be done. I was very calm and polite. Again, the tech says, "I know how this situation must make you feel, ma'am." In another call last night, I got the same psycho-babble.

I understand that the techs were trained to say that in an effort to emphathize with the customer. And I also understand that some customers probably are very frustrated and not so nice when they call with technical problems. I just don't feel like I need the amateur psychology every single time I call them. Truth is, they didn't know how I was feeling. I am slightly annoyed that I now have to go pick up yet another cable box, but it's just a minor blip in the grand scheme of things. It's not worth getting worked up about cable TV. Why are these tech people trained to say that to every person, regardless of their demeanor on the phone? And why does their manager think it will help? I just find it a little curious and a little ridiculous at the same time.

 

[Klismania]

Ah, outsourcing. Gotta love it.




Not.


But if you want to have some fun, next time when you call say that your teenaged daughter is pregnant, your 12 y/o son is a crack addict and your husband is leaving you for his gay lover. See if they know how THAT feels.

 

[disneychic2]

Ah, outsourcing. Gotta love it.




Not.


But if you want to have some fun, next time when you call say that your teenaged daughter is pregnant, your 12 y/o son is a crack addict and your husband is leaving you for his gay lover. See if they know how THAT feels.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

Ah, outsourcing. Gotta love it.




Not.


But if you want to have some fun, next time when you call say that your teenaged daughter is pregnant, your 12 y/o son is a crack addict and your husband is leaving you for his gay lover. See if they know how THAT feels.

Love it!

 

[bicker]

These days, tech support is definitely a good bit about managing the customer's expectations and that is absolutely a psychological enterprise. By the same token, we consumers reward the companies that charge the lowest prices, and we investors reward the companies that earn the most profit. Low prices, high profit - that means low cost-of-service, i.e., not paying higher salaries and thereby being able to attract service workers who have fantastic people skills, but rather paying less and getting much less personable service workers as a result. The only way to efficiently manage customer expectations, to at least some extent, is to have experts deploy onto vast numbers of service workers scripts and protocols to follow.