Why do people always demand to speak with a manager???

[Lithium381]

I dont' remember ever having to talk to a manager about anything, i'm just always really calm with the CSR, and get my issues resolved.
You guys seem to forget that everyone is "special".... for some reasons everyone feels entitled to something..(generalization) and recently the level of self percieved entitlement has risen. There is an expectation to get what you want. Managers FEAR their customers.......they no longer distinguish between customer service and bending over and taking it up the @$$.......sad really.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Lithium381
I dont' remember ever having to talk to a manager about anything, i'm just always really calm with the CSR, and get my issues resolved.
You guys seem to forget that everyone is "special".... for some reasons everyone feels entitled to something..(generalization) and recently the level of self percieved entitlement has risen. There is an expectation to get what you want. Managers FEAR their customers.......they no longer distinguish between customer service and bending over and taking it up the @$$.......sad really.

There times and situations where the CSR can't do jack and you do need a manager.

as i said i had a problem with comcast. they claimed it was a error on my end. when i finally got a manager to send someone out to fix it they found out it was there error. in this case it took me finally getting a manager to do something about it.

but yes most times a CSR can fix what is wrong. but there are times when you need a manager.

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: MotionMan
Maybe you work for the kind of company that screws things up a lot and does not give the 1st level people enough training or power to resolve the problem your company caused in the first place?

Or, maybe your first level people are so incompetent that by the time the customers get to you they are at the end of their rope?

Or, maybe your underlings take their cue from you and drop the "service" part out of "customer service" and replace it with "asshats" and treat the customers accordingly?

Or, maybe your company does not explain the terms and conditions of your services well enough (or fail to provide the information in an easy to understand manner) so that the customers know what they signed up for before you lower the boom on them?

Just few ideas.

MotionMan

Bolded for emphasis.
The personality of a company is a reflection of the attitude and culture of the upper management.

While Mr. Fritzo may indeed be competent, his attitude (or that of other's within The Company) towards the customers may be the cue the CS employee base their demeanor on. If he is not as concerned with the value his customers derive from the company's products and services as he is with maintianing an apperance of control, I submit he has forgotten the reason companies go into business in the first place. Which is not to make money, but to provide an itemor service, better than the competition. Making a profit(living) is the end result. Ifmaking a living were the prime reason, well, there are certainly easier, simpler, less filled with conflict, ways to do that.
This sort of attitude is most prevalent in larger corporations and companies where the principal has been removed from day to day operations.
Once a company crosses that line, they become anathema to Society, as they are then socio-pathic; caring little for their effect on the community and only concerned with company profit.
People tend to be very vigilant to any slight or clue that they are being ripped off.
ANY resistance will be perceived as "stonewalling". That attitude, in turn, trickles down into what the customers perceives as a hostile atmosphere, and that may be what triggers an outburst.

The last one about the problems of effective communication is really key.
If the customer has a problem using the services or goods the company provides, it does The Company no good to shit on any customer for whatever reason.
In fact, that problem is an opportunity for The Company to further refine language, make corrections or "fix" whatever the point of contention is so asd to reduce the chance for reoccurance
IMO, it's better to resolve the issue in whatever manner allows the customer to save face, even if they were mistaken or simply wrong about some aspect. These are customers who are more likely to give that most valuable of marketing campaigns, the positive word-of- mouth.

 

[waffleironhead]

I used to work for Menards(diy chain). I sold a large 60 gallon air compressor to a guy and he loaded it in the back of the truck. It was standing straight up and he didnt use any strapping. I shake my head and tell him he needs to strap it down. Hes says it will be ok hes only going across town. ok. Anyway the guy leaves the parking lot and returns about 10 minutes later with a smashed up air compressor and wants a new one. First turn he took it fell over out of the truck and smashed up real hard. He is all red in the face and wants a new one. So I ask, Is it menards fault it fell over and busted?, Is it coleman powermates fault their compressor fell over and busted? Im not sure why you think you deserve a new one. He demands to talk to a manager.
5 minutes later we are loading a new compressor into his truck and defecting the old one out.

Thats why people want to talk to the manager. Most managers in retail are tired of dealing with asshats and will give them anything to avoid conflict and get them out of the store.

 

[altonb1]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Lithium381
I dont' remember ever having to talk to a manager about anything, i'm just always really calm with the CSR, and get my issues resolved.
You guys seem to forget that everyone is "special".... for some reasons everyone feels entitled to something..(generalization) and recently the level of self percieved entitlement has risen. There is an expectation to get what you want. Managers FEAR their customers.......they no longer distinguish between customer service and bending over and taking it up the @$$.......sad really.

There times and situations where the CSR can't do jack and you do need a manager.

as i said i had a problem with comcast. they claimed it was a error on my end. when i finally got a manager to send someone out to fix it they found out it was there error. in this case it took me finally getting a manager to do something about it.

but yes most times a CSR can fix what is wrong. but there are times when you need a manager.

I hate calling Comcast for technical issues. Actually, I hate calling anyone for technical support issues, because they have a script of things to check. As an IT guy, I know what to troubleshoot on my end. I know when the issue is outside of my control. Unplugging the modem, reinstalling my IP stack, etc. are NOT going to fix it. When I had DSL and Earthlink, I would cringe before calling because I knew they would have my uninstalling any firewalls, etc on my system before they would assist and then find that there was still a problem in the wires. In the end, my system was borked and the problem would still exist. That was a long year....

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: waffleironhead
I used to work for Menards(diy chain). I sold a large 60 gallon air compressor to a guy and he loaded it in the back of the truck. It was standing straight up and he didnt use any strapping. I shake my head and tell him he needs to strap it down. Hes says it will be ok hes only going across town. ok. Anyway the guy leaves the parking lot and returns about 10 minutes later with a smashed up air compressor and wants a new one. First turn he took it fell over out of the truck and smashed up real hard. He is all red in the face and wants a new one. So I ask, Is it menards fault it fell over and busted?, Is it coleman powermates fault their compressor fell over and busted? Im not sure why you think you deserve a new one. He demands to talk to a manager.
5 minutes later we are loading a new compressor into his truck and defecting the old one out.

Thats why people want to talk to the manager. Most managers in retail are tired of dealing with asshats and will give them anything to avoid conflict and get them out of the store.

Yep, that used to drive me nuts when I worked for Lumberjack.
WhenI figured out that the supplier has that "defective" compressor already calculatedinto it's yearly figures, I quit being such a PollyAnna about it.
While on one hand, that action by the customere isn't right and the replacement shouldn't have been made, THE ALLOWANCE HAS BEEN MADE by those who are most directly affected by it.
"The Marketplace" has no use for strict, personal interpretations of right or wrong.
Corporate Profits trump Social Morality.
It's the Corporate Way of The New World Order and AMERICA Inc.
Get used to it.

 

[MotionMan]

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Sounds like you need to educate your customers or have a better call filtering system ("If you are calling because you computer will not turn on, your monitor is not working or your printer will not print, please press 8" After pressing 8: "Please call your computer, monitor or printer manufacturer. We cannot assist you with these issues as they are unrelated to the services we provide." Click.)

You have no idea how uneducated in computers the typical person is. They have no idea how to tell the difference between a monitor, a computer, a printer....it's ALL the computer and it's all powered by the Internet. That's what they "Know" is correct and they get angry when you try to tell them otherwise.

Sounds like you need to educate your customers or have a better call filtering system.



MotionMan

 

[Apathetic]

Originally posted by: Cuda1447
You guys have no idea. I can say with 100% certainty I work with the most ridiculous customers in a retail environment. I have stories every single day that are 10x worse than anything I've read here.


Red-neck mall and cell phones = disaster. Ahh, it'll be over soon. Less than a year.

Come on... Post your stories. You know you want too

Dave

 

[maziwanka]

Originally posted by: cKGunslinger

Originally posted by: sonambulo
I do it because the grunts are only paid 8-10 bucks an hour and shouldn't have to put up with that shit. They're the lowest on the totem pole and don't make any decisions.

Exactly. They aren't the ones getting paid to deal with special circumstances, and probably have no power to do anything anyway.

 

[Wuffsunie]

Originally posted by: MotionMan

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Originally posted by: MotionMan

Originally posted by: Fritzo
It seems like it's only jerks that want to do this, and truthfully, I'm more strict with our rules than our regular guys are when they talk to me, so they end up leaving with less than they bargained for (especially if they're acting stupid). Being CIVIL and not cursing will get you further than talking to a manager.

I just had a guy curse out one of my first level techs because he didn't get what he wanted and demanded to be passed to me. I got him and cancelled his account within 60 seconds for being belligerent (which is in our Terms & Conditions)

$10 says he calls back within 24 hours and apologizes.

Maybe you work for the kind of company that screws things up a lot and does not give the 1st level people enough training or power to resolve the problem your company caused in the first place?

Or, maybe your first level people are so incompetent that by the time the customers get to you they are at the end of their rope?

Or, maybe your underlings take their cue from you and drop the "service" part out of "customer service" and replace it with "asshats" and treat the customers accordingly?

Or, maybe your company does not explain the terms and conditions of your services well enough (or fail to provide the information in an easy to understand manner) so that the customers know what they signed up for before you lower the boom on them?

Just few ideas.

MotionMan

It's just a straight up nationwide ISP. We did a survey in Nov 2007 and found that 78% of the calls our technical support took came from people having issues with something completely unrelated to our service. Printers-scanners-monitors-keyboards-PC won't turn on---we're the easiest people to get a hold of so they call us about it. These are the people that think that talking to a higher up will get them somewhere.

Sounds like you need to educate your customers or have a better call filtering system ("If you are calling because you computer will not turn on, your monitor is not working or your printer will not print, please press 8" After pressing 8: "Please call your computer, monitor or printer manufacturer. We cannot assist you with these issues as they are unrelated to the services we provide." Click.)

No, it's because ISPs provide free tech support, and a lot of those people realize they're out of warranty and don't want to pay deal with their computer companies. Or the comp companies are based out of India and the customers don't want to deal with the accent, and call you because you're in north america.

The center I work at has internet support divisions and I have friends who work them. This is how people are.

As for educating customers, it can't be done if they're unwilling to learn anything. As has been pointed out in other such threads here, you can have glorious help sections that will resolve all issues, but if the customer isn't willing to comprehend then, it won't do jack. Hell, most ISPs have "Please cycle your modem or router" or some more explicit variant on their hold lines. Still, a huge percentage of calls they deal with are resolved by doing exactly that. So I ask, what to you do if you give the customer all the tools but they still refuse to use them?

 

[novasatori]

more often than not a manager has always listened to and given my complaints, requests, inquiries, etc, actual thought when I requested.

you don't always need one, but usually managers are a lot nicer than the level 1 people. some of em are just brain dead, and some are also just assholes, or just don't care.

 

[Delta6Echo]

Originally posted by: altonb1

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Lithium381
I dont' remember ever having to talk to a manager about anything, i'm just always really calm with the CSR, and get my issues resolved.
You guys seem to forget that everyone is "special".... for some reasons everyone feels entitled to something..(generalization) and recently the level of self percieved entitlement has risen. There is an expectation to get what you want. Managers FEAR their customers.......they no longer distinguish between customer service and bending over and taking it up the @$$.......sad really.

There times and situations where the CSR can't do jack and you do need a manager.

as i said i had a problem with comcast. they claimed it was a error on my end. when i finally got a manager to send someone out to fix it they found out it was there error. in this case it took me finally getting a manager to do something about it.

but yes most times a CSR can fix what is wrong. but there are times when you need a manager.

I hate calling Comcast for technical issues. Actually, I hate calling anyone for technical support issues, because they have a script of things to check. As an IT guy, I know what to troubleshoot on my end. I know when the issue is outside of my control. Unplugging the modem, reinstalling my IP stack, etc. are NOT going to fix it. When I had DSL and Earthlink, I would cringe before calling because I knew they would have my uninstalling any firewalls, etc on my system before they would assist and then find that there was still a problem in the wires. In the end, my system was borked and the problem would still exist. That was a long year....

Earthlink DSL? What did you expect? :Q

 

[MotionMan]

Originally posted by: Wuffsunie

Originally posted by: MotionMan

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Originally posted by: MotionMan

Originally posted by: Fritzo
It seems like it's only jerks that want to do this, and truthfully, I'm more strict with our rules than our regular guys are when they talk to me, so they end up leaving with less than they bargained for (especially if they're acting stupid). Being CIVIL and not cursing will get you further than talking to a manager.

I just had a guy curse out one of my first level techs because he didn't get what he wanted and demanded to be passed to me. I got him and cancelled his account within 60 seconds for being belligerent (which is in our Terms & Conditions)

$10 says he calls back within 24 hours and apologizes.

Maybe you work for the kind of company that screws things up a lot and does not give the 1st level people enough training or power to resolve the problem your company caused in the first place?

Or, maybe your first level people are so incompetent that by the time the customers get to you they are at the end of their rope?

Or, maybe your underlings take their cue from you and drop the "service" part out of "customer service" and replace it with "asshats" and treat the customers accordingly?

Or, maybe your company does not explain the terms and conditions of your services well enough (or fail to provide the information in an easy to understand manner) so that the customers know what they signed up for before you lower the boom on them?

Just few ideas.

MotionMan

It's just a straight up nationwide ISP. We did a survey in Nov 2007 and found that 78% of the calls our technical support took came from people having issues with something completely unrelated to our service. Printers-scanners-monitors-keyboards-PC won't turn on---we're the easiest people to get a hold of so they call us about it. These are the people that think that talking to a higher up will get them somewhere.

Sounds like you need to educate your customers or have a better call filtering system ("If you are calling because you computer will not turn on, your monitor is not working or your printer will not print, please press 8" After pressing 8: "Please call your computer, monitor or printer manufacturer. We cannot assist you with these issues as they are unrelated to the services we provide." Click.)

No, it's because ISPs provide free tech support, and a lot of those people realize they're out of warranty and don't want to pay deal with their computer companies. Or the comp companies are based out of India and the customers don't want to deal with the accent, and call you because you're in north america.

The center I work at has internet support divisions and I have friends who work them. This is how people are.

As for educating customers, it can't be done if they're unwilling to learn anything. As has been pointed out in other such threads here, you can have glorious help sections that will resolve all issues, but if the customer isn't willing to comprehend then, it won't do jack. Hell, most ISPs have "Please cycle your modem or router" or some more explicit variant on their hold lines. Still, a huge percentage of calls they deal with are resolved by doing exactly that. So I ask, what to you do if you give the customer all the tools but they still refuse to use them?

I guess, if you know about these issues in advance, then you have to man up and treat your customers like customers instead of leeches.

MotionMan

 

[lokiju]

Whenever I do ask I always ask kindly to speak with a supervisor and I used to do so on a regular basis when dealing with AT&T business class DSL. For one you can't understand a damn thing the first level techs are saying and two I have over 200 AT&T Business Class DSL connection I manage and support for our remote offices across the country. I know if I just let them follow their procedures, they'll tell me they will call back in 4 hours after testing it for that long and no one will ever call back and I've already done all the troubleshooting on my end. By the time I call anyway, the only reason is to get someone out there to replace bad HW or contact the ILEC to fix a line issue.

But now I just call first level, log a ticket, hang up and escalate to a escalations manager assigned to our company (after telling our account rep over and over something needed to be done) and let them push it through on their end.

I'm very understanding though of how it is to be on the support end of the phone since I worked at a call center for 2.5 years doing Compaq Laptop support many years ago.

 

[ryan256]

Originally posted by: cKGunslinger

Originally posted by: sonambulo
I do it because the grunts are only paid 8-10 bucks an hour and shouldn't have to put up with that shit. They're the lowest on the totem pole and don't make any decisions.

Exactly. They aren't the ones getting paid to deal with special circumstances, and probably have no power to do anything anyway.

That and alot of times the first level people are lazy jerks themselves who couldn't give a rat's ass about your problem and don't care about fixing it. They're just there to punch a clock, warm a chair, & get paid.
Now I have no problem dealing with a store's "policies". But get really pissed off after I've complied with them and still get a run around. I get even more pissed off when I ask to see a copy of this "policy" and they suddenly can't find it. I've had to deal with alot of people like this and always ask for manager when I get one.

 

[ryan256]

woops... double post
sorry

 

[911paramedic]

In my experience, the "lower" people really don't care, it's a job. The managers and supervisors need to think more about the company and it's reputation, so they often give more favorable answers and solutions.

Unless you are talking about Best Buy, none of them give a shit about anything.
Any Best Buy salesperson: "Oh, and by the way. Did I mention I don't work on commission?"

 

[BKLounger]

the only time i've ever asked to speak to a manager was with Comcast. I had had a problem with my account for close to 6 months and had spoken with at least 10 csr's, 3 floor supports and a couple supervisors. Finally i was so ticked I called in and immediately told the csr in a calm tone. "I have had problems with my account for 6 months now and have talked to about 20 of your peers, you honestly don't get paid enough to listen to the rant I'm about to go on so could you please transfer me to the call center manager" only response i heard from the other end was "No problem sir". 30 seconds later I was talking to (what i assume was a manager) who i then worked directly with for teh next 2 weeks just to realize their systems weren't capable of doing what they said they could. At least he was nice about it though.

 

[AbsolutDealage]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: CorCentral
It's similar everywhere you go............

I was in Lowe's one day to pick up some fittings for a valve and I saw one guy be a total ass to an employee. He said he DEMANDED a plumber. (I need a DAMN Plumber) The employee was calm and said we do not have any plumbers. After that, the guy insisted on a Manager...........
I waited until both were about halfway into the coversation and I cut in telling the Manager: this guy (I pointed to the asshat) was totally rude to your employee and she did nothing wrong. He's the one who's being an ass here and needs to learn this is a DIY type store.

Afterwards the guy just smirked at me and said: I guess I'll go to Home Depot......... I told him GOOD LUCK and wise up, they'll tell you the same thing buddy.

Home Depot and Lowe's are DIY stores. They can help a little, but if you go in there expecting someone to tell you exactly how it's done, then you have no clue.
I know exactly what I need before I enter any store like this and avoid the employees like the plague. I only ask where I can find a certain area....... In my case that day, plumbing

hmm odd. the lowes near me has a big sign saying ask we will help. they will show you how to hook up whatever heck they even have training programs a couple days a week.


is it a DIY store? yes but they will show you how to do anything they have on the shelves.

they are a very costumer friendly store.


(worked at lowe's while in college)

The big box stores used to have better employees. My dad was a trade plumber for many years... after he retired he worked in the plumbing department at the Home Depot. They cut him and all the rest of the tradesmen (at that particular location) 5 or 6 years ago as a cost cutting measure.

 

[alkemyst]

I love the little power trips those making low wages think they can pull.

I will ask to speak to a manager when I am not getting the answers to my questions. Most of the time it's 'uh, I don't know', 'I think so', 'maybe', 'we don't sell that'.

The manager can usually answer the simple questions these tweakers can't.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Originally posted by: JohnCU
usually that's the only way to get something achieved. "oh i can't do that..." is all you hear until you get to the top.

or is this just a look at me i'm a manager post? woo hoo.

None of the people would ever say "I can't do that". Solutions are always given. They only time someone wants to speak to someone higher up is when they demand the rules be broken. We hear things like "YOU TURNED OFF MY ACCOUNT FOR SENDING OUT 10000 EMAILS IN 30 MINUTES???!!!!!! THE SERVICE SAYS IT'S UNLIMITED!!! I DEMAND TO TALK TO A MANAGER!!!!" My recent favorite is some lady that had CB conversations coming in over her PC speakers and thought it was us talking to her. She didn't believe the person on the phone's explaination and had to speak with a manager----who told her the same thing. It's like they're saying "I don't like your reality---I want another one that's more agreeable!"

As for your "look at me" comment, you get a big

You may think they never say "I can't do that" but us as consumers will tell you otherwise.