Call Centre rant

Discussion in 'Bulletin Board' started by TonyTyke, Aug 29, 2025 at 11:02 AM.

  1. TonyTyke

    TonyTyke Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2005
    Messages:
    6,119
    Likes Received:
    3,347
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Home Page:
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    I know it's not the agents fault ... it's always **** management ....
    I know it's not the agents fault ... it's always **** management ....
    I know it's not the agents fault ... it's always **** management ....
    I know it's not the agents fault ... it's always **** management ....

    But **** me, when they hang up on you for asking a difficult question.

    The question being .. Can you send me evidence that the post man (DPD) came to my door? (They said they had a photo, and assumed it was available on their web site but didn't tell me where and wouldn't email me the photo). They insisted a card had been left (it hasn't) and my cameras show nobody coming.

    A further whinge. When management think AI can do the job, it can it can't, don't do it, pay and train staff.
     
  2. Andy Mac

    Andy Mac Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 26, 2006
    Messages:
    12,879
    Likes Received:
    13,390
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    IT
    Location:
    Sweet Home Bingley.
    Style:
    Barnsley Dark
    I build Call Queues and IVRs ........ the AI side does frighten me. Some good providers, some that to be honest should go back to the olden days.
     
  3. TonyTyke

    TonyTyke Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2005
    Messages:
    6,119
    Likes Received:
    3,347
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Home Page:
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    It's the scripts which will be turned into AI that scare me. All these companies will make the same mistake with AI that they made with moving call centres off shore. It will drive people mad.
     
    sadbrewer and Andy Mac like this.
  4. Skryptic

    Skryptic Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 23, 2015
    Messages:
    3,299
    Likes Received:
    3,636
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    Rather than painting flags on roundabouts a much better display of patriotism would be organising boycotts of companies who move their customer services offshore or scrap jobs for AI.
     
  5. Skinner

    Skinner Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2018
    Messages:
    3,083
    Likes Received:
    3,948
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    Just won a battle with Tyne Tunnel.
    Used tunnel and paid £2.50 using their automated system. 2 weeks later a £30 fine for none payment. So we got receipt from CC company and proved payment..Appeal declined. Reason being the payment which they'd had and kept didn't pair to their system. So I went on the customer forums which was full of the same stuff.Found a number and rang them..
    .Lvly lady called Lyndsey took 3 minutes to find their camera system read the "O" on my number plate as a nought...a number not a letter..fine cancelled although I still had to go through the appeals...but how many just pay up when the threats of CCJ and Baliffs calling start.
     
    Last edited: Aug 29, 2025 at 4:58 PM
    Andy Mac likes this.
  6. Farnham_Red

    Farnham_Red Administrator Staff Member Admin

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2005
    Messages:
    34,605
    Likes Received:
    24,094
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Farnham
    Style:
    Barnsley
    Im puzzled - if the camera read the letter O on your number plate as a Zero how were you charged £2.50 and also how did they know to contact you as they wouldnt be able to get the details of the car with that number.
     
  7. arabian_ian

    arabian_ian Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 13, 2013
    Messages:
    14,429
    Likes Received:
    16,451
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Broughty Ferry
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
  8. fir

    fired Administrator Staff Member Admin

    Joined:
    Oct 15, 2007
    Messages:
    16,771
    Likes Received:
    13,039
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    Had similar with CoOp Bank. I’m taking over as the main contact for our Charity Account. I already have a Bank card in my name for the charity.
    Rang the bank to ask why the account is blocked. They wouldn’t even speak to me because I wasn’t a signatory. I put the previous signatory on. Wouldn’t speak to him. So they have closed off access before opening up to the new signatories. Really helpful.
     
  9. Jak

    JakeWarrior Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 12, 2014
    Messages:
    597
    Likes Received:
    339
    Trophy Points:
    63
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    I spent 10 months working in a call centre and spent the next few years unemployed with a lot of mental health problems. Genuinely the most soul destroying job I've ever had.

    The training and support is shocking and you spend half of every shift being yelled at by customers for things that aren't your fault. Fair play to those that can do that job but I wouldn't recommend it.

    I'm not saying them hanging up on you is acceptable but I can only imagine the kind of abuse they have had to get to that breaking point.
     
    Watcher_Of_The_Skies likes this.
  10. TonyTyke

    TonyTyke Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2005
    Messages:
    6,119
    Likes Received:
    3,347
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Home Page:
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    I've seen it from the inside, I know, deep down, it's not their fault but when they say "is your house made of brick", "I know he's been, I've got evidence" but won't send it you, or you ask where you can find it "on our web site" it drives you mad. But I keep reminding myself it's poor training and management. How the hell someone at the other side of the world is meant learn and understand how systems works over here is beyond me.
     
    JakeWarrior likes this.
  11. sadbrewer

    sadbrewer Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 14, 2006
    Messages:
    10,341
    Likes Received:
    5,343
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    I would think the answer is because different people process the fines and obtain the drivers address from DVLA than initially flag up the 'offence'.
    The computer they use for fines might automatically explore both O and 0 options to find the person to fine.
     
  12. Andy Mac

    Andy Mac Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 26, 2006
    Messages:
    12,879
    Likes Received:
    13,390
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    IT
    Location:
    Sweet Home Bingley.
    Style:
    Barnsley Dark
    Just had a particularly tough time getting through to a human at O2, I called on behalf of my Mum, who isnt' really in a condition to discuss her account with them.
    Both the online chat, and the automated IVR are just not cut out for the scenario I was ringing about. 7 minutes, and about 300 key presses later, I got a human - nice fella, Indian I guess, but even he couldn't help me with the ultimate reason for me call.

    The online chatbot was particularly bad.
     
    Watcher_Of_The_Skies likes this.
  13. JamDrop

    JamDrop Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2013
    Messages:
    19,054
    Likes Received:
    20,297
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Leeds
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    For future reference, you can always get to a human if you ask to speak to a human/live agent 3 times. On a keypad it’s generally star or 0 three times. They have to have a bypass so it will work every time and saves all the faffing.
     
  14. Andy Mac

    Andy Mac Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 26, 2006
    Messages:
    12,879
    Likes Received:
    13,390
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    IT
    Location:
    Sweet Home Bingley.
    Style:
    Barnsley Dark
    Always thought it was the case too ........ but didn't work this aft.
     
  15. lk3

    lk311 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2016
    Messages:
    10,076
    Likes Received:
    8,169
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    Ooh O2, had an issue recently with my VM, couldn’t get anywhere talking to the call centre, went into the shop who were no better, sent me to Apple shop next door, who confirmed it was an O2 issue.
    Must have spoke to nearly a dozen different people getting absolutely nowhere over a couple of weeks eventually a ‘tech’ guy rang me and sorted it in seconds!!
     
    Andy Mac likes this.
  16. Skinner

    Skinner Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2018
    Messages:
    3,083
    Likes Received:
    3,948
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    Because they type the plate in the system from thee photo's
    This is their explanation. When you go on their site to pay You put the numberplate and time used into the system, when the system went to pair the information supplied to what they held it didn't match as it was looking for a nought. Once it's rejected a person ( yes one of them) looks at the photo and types the Reg in for the fine which confirms the name and address, they DO NOT investigate the issue and the money is bounced into a holding fund because they don't give a sh*te. Only when I spoke to a real person did they spot the issue ( Also commented that they'd seen this before ??? ) but theres no quick fix, you still have to appeal to satisfy the system
     
  17. shed131

    shed131 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 4, 2009
    Messages:
    6,156
    Likes Received:
    5,015
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    In Cudeth Nar
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    Yesterday I finally resolved a problem with Ikea Sheffield that had been running since our goods, which we had purchased on the 28th of july failed to materialise. Believe it or not They gave us 5 different delivery dates only to cancel minutes from the end of their delivery times, after I'd waited in those set days.
    Numerous customer service calls failed to resolve our problem. No one could understand why it hadn't arrive apart from one person who said we had refused delivery on the 18th of August, that was soon retracted when I told them that I could prove the driver was lying as the house as security cameras.
    That same night we received conflicting emails saying the order would be arriving on the 25th of August whilst minutes previously one arrived say order was cancelled and to contact customer service for a refund.
    25th passed no goods
    On the 27th we had time to drive to IKEA taking with us a detail list of events, setting out our acceptable compensation package which we felt we were in our rights to.
    On arrival at the store and after asking for a manager I was able to hand her a letter adding it will be better if you read this.
    The young girl read it and within the space of 10 minutes sorted it out.without any fuss.
    gave us complementary food vouches to start with whilst she sorted the paper work out
    Followed by complementary build service and compensation package adding up to over £350 Needless to say when I went to pick up our goods I took some flowers for her and the other young lady who also had an input.
    No shouting no tempers raised
    Problem solved amicably
     
  18. Redhelen

    Redhelen Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 29, 2018
    Messages:
    38,765
    Likes Received:
    45,293
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Female
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    Boooooo! Worse job than a traffic warden imo!
     
    Revvie P and Andy Mac like this.
  19. Wat

    Watcher_Of_The_Skies Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2011
    Messages:
    9,600
    Likes Received:
    5,492
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Leeds
    Style:
    Barnsley
    This all gives me flashbacks to British Gas and their installation of new smart meters, one of which wasn't smart at all. They then tried to fleece me on a revised bill. 8 months later it was sorted out, via the ombudsman.

    Avoid British Gas, if something goes wrong they have such a long queue of problems it takes ages to sort it out. Useless waste of space.

    Oh and one meter is still not smart,some 18 months later. :rolleyes:
     
    x11barnsley likes this.
  20. Farnham_Red

    Farnham_Red Administrator Staff Member Admin

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2005
    Messages:
    34,605
    Likes Received:
    24,094
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Farnham
    Style:
    Barnsley
    Now I understand and thats not reasonable from their side - they make a mistake, you correctly pay but they cause you to spend time and probably money to convince them they are fining you because of an error in their system. You should be given compensation for having to spend time to find bugs in their system.
    There is a quick fix it they could be bothered to implement it - they could check for O and 0 automatically and probably I and 1 as well and if that matches assume there was a camera misread its not hard to write software to check for a match either character.
     
    Skinner likes this.

Share This Page