Another case of Call Center Stupidity!
By ahgong
@ahgong (10064)
Singapore
May 25, 2009 2:32am CST
I understand that when you call a call center, the call center agent that picks up your call has the responsibility to ensure you are the owner of the account you are inquiring before they can divulge any information to you.
So asking a few questions that pertains to your account is only natural.
Recently, I called up to ask for my balance so that I could make my bill payments as I forgot to bring the print out when I left home.
After asking me a myriad of questions like:
"What is your name?"
"Do you have a Christian name?"
"What is your identification number?"
"What is your birth date?"
"What is your occupation?"
"What is your credit card number?"
"What is your credit limit?"
"How many accounts do you have with us?"
"When was the last time you made payment?"
"What was the mode of payment the last time you made payment?"
"What is your mother's maiden name?"
"What is your salary?"
That was where I stop the interview.
I mean, to verify if I am the owner of the account, that is way more than necessary questioning!
When I question why they need to ask so many questions to verify my authenticity, they say that even though I answered all the questions correctly, my answers were not consistent. I asked what does he mean, he refused to answer me.
I kept thinking, if the answer you ask me is not consistent, then what would be consistent? You mean, I do not know my own name? Or my own birthdate? Or even my mother's name?
I got so fed up talking to the operator, I asked to speak to the supervisor and threaten to make a complaint before the operator decided to give me my balance info I was seeking!
At that point in time, if I could reach my hand into the phone and slap him on the other end, believe me, I would!
Has this ever happened to you?
What would you have done if this happened to you?
3 people like this
8 responses
@psyche49f (2502)
• Philippines
25 May 09
God, that's plain stupidity they'll lose their clients! Well, I also experienced something like that, and it pisses me off everytime the rep asks a myriad of stupid questions and says a mouthful about their offer on this and that, and it's never ending. One time I was so busy, and when it seems that there's no end to the endless blabbing, I just simply put off my phone. He calls me again and again, and I never answered and ignored the call completely. I learned later on that the call center rep called our landline, but since I was working, he could not reach me. God, they blab a lot of things and hold us hostage at the time when we're soooo busy. I guess they got the message because I never received anymore call of that nature.
@dimbaka (10)
• India
25 May 09
This just happened quite recently to me, when I wanted to enquire about my NAVs (Net Asset vAlue)of my private insurance policy. It is always a case of 'deja vu' when you press a call center number. You feel everything has been experienced earlier and left with only a sense of irritation. If it is going to be a maiden atempt to a call center, the irritation is manifold. When you are seasoned to speaking to call centers, you get yourself armed with the exercise and you ae better geared up to give them the requisite information.
The explanation that they offer is that they want to ensure the privacy of the account holder and avoid unanimous calls which is also acceptable.
1 person likes this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
25 May 09
I usually will understand with the call center that they require to ask a few more questions about my account and its details to verify that I am the account owner.
But to the extend where he needs to ask me about my mother's name?
And even when I can furnish him with information about the last transactions, it is still not enough? That he need to fish for my salary in order to verify me?
He might as well have gone on and asked me what I had for lunch. Or what color underwear I was wearing to see if it is in line with the company policy before he allow me to gain access to information regarding my account.
No offense. But I personally think that this call center operator has overstepped his boundary when he asked for my salary information.
Cos if you look at the question asked before that, I managed to give all the necessary information he asked for. If that is not enough to verify that I am the account holder, I do not know what is.
In fact, in all my dealings with call center staff, this is the first time I get asked more than 5 questions to authenticate me as the account holder.
@sophie_dfuss (2365)
• Philippines
26 May 09
Hi there, I used to work as a call center agent for a few years. In our kind of work, we have to do the authenticating process in every call to assure that the caller is the customer itself as its the standard operational procedures in our work or else, we will be kicked off from our job. We do this process to avoid fraud. However, some questions are not allowed to ask during authentication. We don't questions like credit card numbers, SS numbers, not even your occupation. As soon a call comes in, we know which number you are calling from... we know the customer's name and account already (including billing history and payments). Maybe the call center agent who got your call is trying to get some informations from you so that he/she can use your details and credit card. This has happened in some of our agents before and they were terminated from the job so please be careful next time. Not all call center agents are quite efficient with their job, it depends how they were being trained and their exposure to the calls. I also call the customer service of my mobile provider, there are times that the agent doesn't know what he/she is doing or saying. When I tell them that I have the same job as them (but I used to work for AT&T), thats the time they become aware of what they are doing. Some of them are either new or tenure employees so you need to have a lot of patience with them sometimes.
@naka75 (795)
• Singapore
26 May 09
What stupidity! I would suggest to the bank it's more versatile and efficient if they can track their customers via satellite and their online activities, than asking stupid questions over the phone. If they are so intelligent why don't they ask, "When and where was the last time you access the ATM right to the accuracy of hours and minutes?" or "What is the transcation reference of your last transcation?" Aren't these better in verifying whether you're the person on paper? The person who is inconsistent is obviously the call agent, on one hand he know your name, date of birth, address etc are correct but changed his mind and said it's inconsistent. I'd say to him hey FSOB, can you please make up your mind? Or next time you can play along with that person if he uses the same old technique. When asked for name, you should say, "oh sir, I'm so sorry but I can't tell you my name before you tell me your name. It's for the purpose of recording call quality."..."Salary? If you're so desperate I'd suggest you make an official inquiry into IRAS, talk to their call agent and they'll try their best to help you. I've the time for your nonsense, but do you have the time?"
@kun2349 (23381)
• Singapore
26 May 09
lol =D To tell u the truth, all the operaters are just following SOPs.. All of them will have a standard list of questions right in front of them, for verification purposes.. haha =D
And thus when u suddenly question them back, they will be at a loss of words.. lol =D That's the reason i hate to call any call centre to ask for anything.. IF possible, i will rather go online, and even visit that place in real.. Calling is way too troublesome and a total waste of time, especially when they put us on hold.. lol =D
@rmorefield (941)
• United States
25 May 09
If that had been me, I probably wouldn't have been able to answer all of the questions. I don't keep track of the exact date that I make payments. I try to keep the confirmation number that they give me, but it always disappears. And I never know my exact credit limit. I know the round about number, but not the exact one. And I WOULD NOT give them my salary. It is none of their business how much money I make. That is between me, my employer, and the gov't. I would have done the same thing that you did....demand to speak to the person's supervisor. Usually, that stops the other person right in their tracks.
1 person likes this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
25 May 09
I not only wanted to stop the person in their tracks.
I wanted to let him know that he overstepped his boundaries!
I was so pissed. And he refuses to pass me onto his supervisor.
If only I had gotten his name, then I will definitely give another call to speak to the supervisor!
He got away this time. If I ever come across him again, I will be sure to get his supervisor on the phone before I will let the matter rest!
@Yori88 (1465)
• Philippines
26 May 09
Oh my goodness, that was very stupid of the agent! I never could imagine myself answering someone's question, they are too personal and I do not see the point why they need to ask you those kind of questions! In my case I was a call center agent before but verifying an account does not need to ask too much question but just limited to two to three. More than that is no longer allowed and is already too much. I never thought that part of verifying something is the need to ask their salary which is the last thing that a person should ever divulge! And asking all those questions to you is already disgusting, annoying and ridiculous! You better talk to the supervisor because I do not believe that there will be a company that develops the script like that. Maybe the agent wants more information from you and he will use them for personal gain or bad intent. So better do a complaint because you were only asking for a balance and not applying or something. And the hell with those kinds of stupid questions. You should seek help and appropriate action so that the agent will be given disciplinary actions.
