Call Center Customer Service

Call centers are pretty much a norm these days. It is almost impossible to avoid calling into any of these centers whether it's for banking, booking an air ticket, renewal of your insurance - pretty much anything and everything. And how often than not these center operators never fail to make your blood boil with the poor grasp of the language or by simply just not being able to understand that you do not have all the time in the world to spend with them.

I did start my career from a call center too, and I know how it could get at times. There is always two sides to a coin. It is never an easy situation to keep the customer happy and the same time maintain your cool. The customer on one hand has to punch in so many buttons before finally being able to talk to a human being. And for the agent, talking to a few hundred people a day, just puts a toll too.

Having said this, I always try to be nice whenever I've to call in to a call center but most often than not, I will somehow loose my cool and end up getting frustrated. It has been a few occasions where I've demanded to speak to managers in charge and gave them a piece of my mind for the lack in adequacy in delivering customer service. There was one classic case when I called to Astro and after days, I repeat, days, of repeated calling for them to fix my problem, I finally lost it. I called them, requested to speak to the manager from the agent who then put me on hold for like twenty minutes or so only to disconnect my call. this happened a few times until one agent had the nerve to tell me that they had no manager on duty that day. Like who the fuck are you kidding! After some unpleasant conversation, a manager finally appeared from the office and could resolve the issue of which my compensation has yet to be received until today, which is about one year later.

Then you have HSBC, the worlds local bank. The have the dumbest people employed in their call center. Firstly, it takes you forever before some idiot answers your call. And then, the English the speak is nothing but appalling. And they could never end with their verification questions which would be trying to jog your memory for all the transactions that you have done like they are the only people you deal with. How stupid! I'm so glad that I've terminated my credit card with them and no longer deal with them. It was one fucked-up bank to deal with. But then again, which bank is pleasant to deal with. They have your money but behave like we're having their money.

And yesterday, I had to call RHB. I've to say, so far they have yet to disappoint me. My calls are normally answered within the first ring and the agents are pretty helpful though I once got one who didn't know what she was talking. But I reckon she was still new, given from the tone of her voice. The confidence wasn't there yet. Back to my call yesterday, I've to say that it was one of my most pleasant calls ever. The agent was simply the best I've ever dealt with. She exactly knew what I wanted, got it done for me really fast. Did not ask me stupid questions or even tried to test my memory power all that much. And the thing I liked most is, after completing my transactions, she gave me a reference number for each transaction done, gave me a time line for each transaction to be reflected without even me asking. Now, this is what I call customer service. If I had a vacancy for a customer service agent at the moment, there is no doubt that I would have made her an offer on the spot. And to RHB, this agent is a star; value her service and please reward her accordingly.