Customers Treated as Culprits in Support Calls?

ApolloX asks: "I've worked in the software industry for a number of years and I understand how volatile large computer and database systems can be. Most of the time, I'm only called in when something breaks. I know first hand that issues such as a lack of concurrency control, or just a bad database optimization, can lead to corrupted or even lost data. What I don't know is, why most customer support representatives, in the event there is a data error, will treat the customer as if they are liars or are trying to scam them. I can recall many similar support calls to other companies over the years in which the phrase 'our computer system is never wrong' was repeatedly used as justification for an issue the representative knew little about. Since when did computers become so infallible such that the customer is always wrong? Why does it take multiple escalations of support calls before anyone starts believing that maybe the computer made a mistake?" "On a recent call to a company, let's call it Givo, my account number was accidentally wiped from the system. Throughout the process, I spoke with half a dozen representatives who claimed I had never had their service before and at each step I was 'guilty until proven innocent'. What's worse was that at some moments, even when presented with evidence of my case history in their system, representatives would disregard it because the system told them my account did not exist and had never existed."

Comments

As a CSR, I say "hear, hear!"

[Animaether]

By far the most pleasant customers are those who will read/listen to what you're saying, and will give you accurate information back. Their problem also gets resolved -much- faster.

I know a lot of you out there are going to be "but we often know better than the CSR anyway", but if that is the case, then wtf are you doing calling the support line? You obviously need help, so -let- them help you in the way that they know will be best. Yes, they'll walk you through a stupid flowchart on their screen - but those flowcharts are typically well-made to determine exact causes and exact solutions.

Too often when I get a call there'll be somebody saying "it doesn't work", and we spend 3 minutes just to find out -what- doesn't work, -when- it doesn't work, and -how- it doesn't work. Then when you get them a (possible) solution X, they're quiet for a while, get back to you and say "Hey, I tried Y and it didn't work", and we have to go figure out if them changing Y f'ed things up even more so that we have to undo Y before getting back to X.

The longest support call I've had was 3 hours, and was from exactly such a user, and I'm sure they were thinking "why the hell did that take so long? they suck!" but they never mentioned. Another user with the same problem just 2 weeks before who was one of the aforementioned was back up and running in 4 minutes.

Now of course we don't pre-judge our users, but it usually takes only a minute to figure out where they lay.. the 3 hour, the 2 minute, or somewhere inbetween variety, and will take appropriate action when determined. I.e. get some extra coffee and an aspirin for the 3 hour ones.