[Gllug] ADSL upload speeds

[John Winters]

On Sun, 2005-06-26 at 21:29 +0100, Peter Childs wrote:
> John Winters wrote:
> 
> >On Sun, 2005-06-26 at 11:15 +0100, Liam Smit wrote:
> >  
> >
> >>I've worked in a call centre and it is standard procedure to only give
> >>first names.
> >>    
> >>
> >
> >True, however the fact that it is common practice doesn't in any way
> >excuse it.
> >
> >  
> >
> >> I believe it was for security purposes,
> >>    
> >>
> >
> >This is a common reason given, although it is a blatant lie.  The real
> >reason is to prevent you (the customer) from being able to follow up
> >something when they balls it up yet again.
> >
> >  
> >
> 
>     Not completly true Call centers often will use first names and 
> somtimes they are not in fact the persons actual first more like a 
> handle like people oftern use on the web.

Even worse!

>  It does not mean you can't 
> escalate the call as you can always quote the first name and they ought 
> to know who it is in fact anayway.

"ought to" is a long way from will.

My experience is that these places very much prefer to leave no traces.
You phone again.  They say, "We have no record of your previous call".
All you can say is, "I spoke to Kevin" and they say they don't know
which Kevin.

It's essential with these shifty organisations - and let's not beat
about the bush, any organisation which encourages its staff not to give
their true full names is shifty - to insist on getting some sort of
handle.  If they really won't give their names then you need to insist
on a unique query reference, and in any case I'd take my business
elsewhere at the earliest possible opportunity.

>  Its quite common for Sam to be so 
> more complicated asian or foreign name that no brit could remeber anyway!
> 
> >Some organisations (e.g. Demon) even make up fictitious individuals to
> >sign letters.  So you'll get a letter signed (or rather, not signed -
> >just a printed name and no signature) by "Able Baker Charlie - Senior
> >Customer Services Representative", but if you write back to Able Baker
> >Charlie pointing out he hasn't addressed your query you will never get a
> >reply and if you phone, at any hour of the day or night, he is always in
> >a meeting.
> >  
> >
>     But of course we all get junk mail and need to guard against it some 
> how

Eh!?  What's that got to do with the subject under discussion?

>  however, They should at least own up to who Able Baker Carlie is and 
> be able to direct the matter to the correct group of people.

You should, but increasingly often you can't.  Don't stand for it.
Don't put up with bullshit about, "It's company policy" or "it's common
practice".  In reality it's the organisation demonstrating that it
regards you as shit and will treat you as such.

> 
> >Common practice these may be, but they are utterly inexecusable.
> >Boycott any organisation which uses them - the message is they regard
> >you as shit and will treat you as such.
> >
> >John
> >
> >  
> >
>     Bocotting this practice could mean you are boycotting everyone.

Fortunately, it doesn't - and whilst enough people carry on boycotting,
it won't.

>  Its could also be sean as racisit

Racist!?  Don't be silly.  (And where did Sean come into it?)

>  and get you in trouble for different reasons.
> 
>     Silly I know but for all you know the Seinior Customer Services 
> Representative really is called Able and yes he probably is far too busy 
> to talk to you and is letting one of his depraties hadle the problem, Or 
> hes not on shift or somthing They may tell you some silly reasons but 
> nobody is aloud to work 24x7.

You're missing the point.  I wasn't querying the likelihood of his name.
It isn't actually "Able Baker Charlie"; it's something like Mike
Philpotts or Peter Henderson.  The point is it's a made-up name.  No
such person exists, nor does it relate to any real person in the sense
of being a pseudonym.  It's just a fake name to put on the end of
letters.

Yes, if some real person were dealing with the problem it wouldn't be so
bad, but in reality it means you've been dropped into a sinkpot and you
aren't going to get a response from anyone.

It's no use trying to make excuses for this kind of behaviour.  It
stinks and it needs to be recognised as stinking.  Don't stand for it.

John

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