Am I the Only One Who Thinks This?

[thechefofnorthbend]

Does anyone else here find the phone operators with the solution center rude? I have called numerous time and have just gotten the "I could care less what your problem is and I'm not going out of my way for you" attitude. Yes, my issues have been taken care of, but I always feel icky after getting off the phone. Like I have totaly disrupted someones naptime, when its their job to help me. I was just curious about anyone elses expierences with this???

 

[chefkristin]

Does anyone else here find the phone operators with the solution center rude? I have called numerous time and have just gotten the "I could care less what your problem is and I'm not going out of my way for you" attitude. Yes, my issues have been taken care of, but I always feel icky after getting off the phone. Like I have totaly disrupted someones naptime, when its their job to help me. I was just curious about anyone elses expierences with this???

I absolutely know what your talking about. It is extremely frustrating. They don't have very good customer service. Without us they wouldn't have a job. You should try telling them that next time someone treats you like that.

 

[pamperedlinda]

I guess I've been lucky as I've had very helpful and pleasant solution center operators. Once I did have someone who barely spoke - and for that matter understood - the English language which was very frusterating. I had to repeat myself about 10 times and she still didn't get it, I finally asked to be transferred to a supervisor.

I get the same operator a lot too. I can't remember her name but she sounds a little older and has a very strong northern (NY or NJ maybe) accent. Anyhow, she's very nice and empathetic about whatever problem I'm calling about.

 

[BethCooks4U]

I guess I've been lucky as I've had very helpful and pleasant solution center operators. Once I did have someone who barely spoke - and for that matter understood - the English language which was very frusterating. I had to repeat myself about 10 times and she still didn't get it, I finally asked to be transferred to a supervisor.

I get the same operator a lot too. I can't remember her name but she sounds a little older and has a very strong northern (NY or NJ maybe) accent. Anyhow, she's very nice and empathetic about whatever problem I'm calling about.

That accent is Chicago or Milwaukee. I am from the Milwaukee area and people think I am from NY or Canada all the time.

 

[krzymomof4]

I have a consultant underneath me who has lost alot of business because of the solution center. Her customer called about a knife that wasn't sharpening correctly and was taking nicks out of the blade. She couldn't find the receipt, and bought it before my recruit took her over. The lady on the phone told her "she was not going to do anything for her. How did she know that she didn't pick the thing up at a yard sale." Needless to say, my recruit lost this customer who also had a show lined up for her a few weeks back. The customer explained to my friend that she was no longer interested in hosting a show. She would no longer purchase Pampered Chef products and would tell anyone who will listen that PC isn't worth the reputation everyone has put on it. She has lost half of her customer base because of this and has now went inactive.

 

[chefann]

If you're having problems, send a note to the Solution Center. Each operator is supposed to tell you their name at the beginning of the call. Write that down. If you don't hear/catch it, ask them to repeat it. Make notes as they're speaking to you, so you can have a record of what was said. Then if you need to, you can write an email with all the relevant information. Since some of the phone calls are recorded, the more information you can provide (date, time, operator), the more likely it is that they'll be able to find a tape.If they start getting a lot of complaints about specific operators, there will be action taken.I always address them by name, too, so they feel some sort of connection and are more likely to give me good service.

 

[PCGINA]

Great advise Ann... I have been very lucky with my calls to the SC...I have had very helpful, understandable, and curious reps helping me...

I try to do as many of the CC calls as I can for my customers...just because I don't wnat them to GET one of THOSE that are not as helpful as the others....

I will in the future take down more info at the start of the conversation....

 

[cmdtrgd]

On the other hand, when I have had a wonderful SS rep, I try to email in a positive note so they will know they are appreciated by us. If all they get is negative feedback, they won't want to help us as much.

 

[strasfamily]

I have been very lucky as well. I think I have had to call 3 or 4 times, and each time the person was very pleasant and patient.

 

[jentapp]

I called over there today since the 2nd bamboo cheese board from my last December host STILL doesn't work with the 3 small squares. I described the issue in detail to her and she said that she's had one other complaint (I told her about the thread on here). We dealt with it (I had already sent back the first one for the host, she said to keep the second one and that she's sending out a 3rd one to try again). She said that if it STILL doesn't work with the 3rd one to just call back and we can discuss other options then. She was very polite and helpful.

I think it just depends on who you get.

 

[Teresa Lynn]

She has lost half of her customer base because of this and has now went inactive.[/QUOTE]

Do you really think she lost half of her customers due to the opinion of 1 person who was unhappy with PC?

 

[PChefAbey]

I called one night about 45 mins before they close and I swear I woke the guy up who answered the phone.

 

[cookingwithlove]

I have always gotten pretty good help, but lately I am getting more and more foreign accented people. I just have a hard time understanding them sometimes. Did we move our call center, or is it still in Illinosis?

 

[pamperedlinda]

I always address them by name, too, so they feel some sort of connection and are more likely to give me good service.

I do that too - it really makes a difference! There's no way that I could do a cust svs job like that.....does anyone ever call them just to say Hello, how ya doing? Nope, all their calls are because there's something wrong - what a downer!

On the other hand, when I have had a wonderful SS rep, I try to email in a positive note so they will know they are appreciated by us.

Good idea! Everyone likes appreciation and praise.

 

[krzymomof4]

To give more detail on the situation: Her customer was her aunt. She has now bad mouthed PC to the rest of the family(now no one wants to do a show for my friend). They in turn told all their friends about what happened to the aunt. Now everyone she had as a contact through friends of family members, don't want to be involved because of what happened and not to make the aunt upset. My friend was really struggling with her business from the get go. Now all her leads have either dried up or have jumped on her aunts bandwagon.

 

[cmdtrgd]

Wow...what a horrible person the aunt was! Maybe it was a blessing in a ton of disguises that she got out of that group of people. I know it can be hard to find people, but I have a consultant who does some really fun stuff. She wears her apron to the grocery store and gets people to come up to her on that. She also carries recipe cards (the ones you can get on the paperwork supply order form and the ones from the use and care cards) with her info attached and asks "do you know what you are having for dinner/dessert? May I suggest this?" and hands them the card. She is one of my top sellers.

 

[pamperedlinda]

She also carries recipe cards (the ones you can get on the paperwork supply order form and the ones from the use and care cards) with her info attached and asks "do you know what you are having for dinner/dessert? May I suggest this?" and hands them the card. She is one of my top sellers.

Not sure I could wear my apron the the grocery store, but I like this idea!

 

[pamperedlinda]

To give more detail on the situation: Her customer was her aunt. She has now bad mouthed PC to the rest of the family(now no one wants to do a show for my friend). They in turn told all their friends about what happened to the aunt. Now everyone she had as a contact through friends of family members, don't want to be involved because of what happened and not to make the aunt upset. My friend was really struggling with her business from the get go. Now all her leads have either dried up or have jumped on her aunts bandwagon.

Sounds to me like everyone is more afraid of her aunt than anything else!

 

[Jennie4PC]

She has lost half of her customer base because of this and has now went inactive.

Do you really think she lost half of her customers due to the opinion of 1 person who was unhappy with PC?[/QUOTE]


Its very likely she did lose 1/2 of her customers if 1 person is not happy then you may lose out in a lot of sales due to that person badmouthing PC cause they will tell as many people as they can not to do business with them and those people will just go down the line of thier friends and family(I hope that makes sense)

 

[Koolotus]

I have yet to have a bad experience calling the solution center. I usually do not have a bad experience when I call any custmoer care line irregardless of the company. My husband is always amazed that I get everything I want and have a pleasant conversation with all of them. We are usually laughing and joking. He on the other hand is usually just barely not screaming. I think it all has to do with attitude. They can only do so much and they do want to help you (if you are not rude) and if you are really pleasant and understanding of the constraints on them they can usually find a different way to help you.
10 times out of 10 I get what I give
(****small disclaimer*****sometimes people are just being crappy, because they are having a crappy day. )

 

[pamperedalf]

I must say that when I was dealing w/ my group from Hell that I delt with a lady that was super nice. She told me that Nov. was way overboard with customers calling trying to get free things and complaind. She said in the 10 years she has worked w/ PC that it has never been like this. I am not giving them an excuse, but I know I couldn't sit there all day and not be grumpy.I have had some rude people, however then I have delt w/ great people as well, for me it has gotten better since I started a little over a year ago.

 

[Chef Diane]

typically im quite happybut this last time I called the lady I talked to wasnt very helpful. I made an error on an order. Ordered the 6 cup muffin instead of the 12 cup. I called right away. She told me send it back and when we receive the item we'll send out the new one. Well guess what? They received my item 3 weeks ago, still havent sent out the new one. I know that isnt her fault, but normally when I make a mistake they send it right away. Any way its not the action that upset me, it was her so what attitude the urked me.

 

[jentapp]

It sounds more like it's the aunt with the problem more than anything PC may have done. Thankfully there are plenty of other people out there in the world. She can write to churches about her bridal registry and fundraisers, do a boothe somewhere, put out a jar for people to "enter for a free PC show," etc.

I cringe at the idea of letting customers do their own product adjustments, especially when it only takes a few minutes of my time to do it for them. I'd rather deal with the CS people myself and save them the effort (or grief if they run into a bad CS person).

 

[thechefofnorthbend]

I have had the "really helpful folks" and the "I could give a S*** less folks", I just seem to get more of the latter. I understand we all have bad days, but when you CHOOSE to take a job in Customer Service (I'm sure there was not a gun held to their heads with someone saying, DO THIS OR WE'LL SHOOT YOU IN THE EYES" ) You'd think that they'd understand that in their Job Discription it says "helpful" and "willing to go beyond the extra mile" and "make the CUSTOMER HAPPY" not "be a turd", "sound like you've been sleeping for the last 2 hours" and "let the customer fell like its THEIR problem". just my opinion...

 

[AJPratt]

A couple of times I had people who did have trouble understanding what I was saying due to a language barrier.

 

[mandak]

I was rather "hot" about an issue I was having and called the solution center. The lady wasn't rude on the phone and she gave me different options for the situation - one was cancelling the order and resubmitting it. I didn't want to do that because that particular show had qualified me for the free spring product with two shows Dec. 1-15. Well, about a week later I got online to see when the show was suppose to arrrive and noticed it was gone. I called the solution center to find out that the lady I had spoke to cancelled my show - without even telling me! A very nice and helpful guy called me back the next day and has taken care of it but I couldn't believe that the lady just cancelled my show. I was very upset while I waited a day for them to call me back about it as I had worked really hard to get those two shows. It has made me question just what type of people Pampered Chef has doing their customer service for them.

 

[pcchris]

I've never had a problem with the HO - they have been very helpful to me. I do have to agree though, that I call for my customers if there's an issue. I feel that this is part of my job as a consultant. I've only had to call 4 or 5 times, but there has been no problem for me. Sorry to hear of everyone's bad luck in the cust serv area of HO.

 

[raebates]

I've been blessed to have had almost exclusively great service from HO. I had one person who seemed a little snippy to me, but it wasn't a huge issue.

I'm another consultant who always calls for my customers. For one thing, I have more details at hand than they do. Two, I feel better equipped than most of my customers to solve any issues. Finally, I feel like it is one more way for me to provide customer care.

Having said that, it's very possible that this woman called the HO on her own. I'm a take-charge kind of woman myself. With the number available on the receipts, I could see myself calling on my own to save my consultant the trouble.

 

[Jilleysue]

I am new, and so far I have been lucky...but....
Here goes my Compliance Experience speaking. Since I help run a company with about 120 employees, and we run a call center. This center is a Customer Service Center to help deal with our service, I agree with the above statements. The reps should know their job and should love their job and should take every phone call as if it was the best thing they had ever done in their life....However, the reality is, this sometimes doesn't happen. You always have the strong people..and you will always have weak links IN EVERY SINGLE COMPANY. I will say our reps JUMP for joy when they get a Thank you email, a Real Thank you card or something that says what a great job they have done. You are right...every call that comes in, is usually an issue. Imagine looking at your phone when it rings EVERY SINGLE TIME, and knowing it is going to be a problem. ICK. As much as I would love to say, ok this is my job...You all have to admit...it would get a little depressing on some days.
If the complaints are consistent where every rep you speak with is nasty and rude, well then HELL Yeah, something is WRONG. Ask for the name and send an email and take it to the next level.

But please don't forget when things go right. Take that extra minute to Give those pats on the back to the ones that are great. That pat might have just made a decision that day for that person to stay with a job or leave. I mean not every rep is thinking on the phone when they speak with a consultant, "oh I better be SUPER NICE, because I need this person, they make our Jobs." They should think that, but unfortunately, they don't.

Alls I can say, is those emails and kind words from clients here at my office put huge SMILES on my reps faces. We have a kind words board and if your name is highlighted on one of those emails......Well they just beam with joy!!!

 

[Jilleysue]

Speaking of this, today one of our reps got a thank you note in the mail with stickers and confetti saying thankyou for doing your job so well and making me feel important. She was sooo excited. It's not too often mail comes for someone specific. Just goes to show, making people feel special and saying thank you to those who do well can make a difference. We may get a rude one now and then.....but have we all been in good moods every minute of every day. BOY I WISH....lol