Thursday, December 3. 2009Reaping The Rewards........John Linton ...........of decades of parental irresponsibility, poor education and bad examples everywhere you look in public life. I suppose it's a basic characteristic of the human species that it is instinctively combative which is why it has become the dominant species on the planet. "Civilisation" over the past 200 or so years has done little to actually "civilise" the human species either in tribal relationships (between 'nations' and would be 'nations') and certainly not in 'person' to 'person' relationships. It seems to me that 'human beings', no matter how happy their personal state of affairs may be, are constantly looking to "kill" another living being and spend almost the whole of their lives in such pursuits. Apart from the insanity of 'national leaders' like Obama deciding that even more US troops are required to keep on killing the citizens of another country (using the same illogic as his predecessor for killing the citizens of another country and despite his pre-election promise "to bring our boys home from that unwinnable mess" - the same as another of Krudd's ludicrous pre-election lies) the majority of the human species devotes its time to surrogate murders via watching/supporting football games and other sporting 'contests' either at the suburban, city or national level or, decreasingly, playing some sort of competitive support where there is a 'winner' but much more importantly there is a 'loser'. Apart from 'sport' this pernicious characteristic is seen in every, and I make no exceptions, every aspect of 'human existence'. It makes me constantly ashamed to be, through no voluntary action of my own, a member of the 'human' species and I recognise that I carry the same life negating inherited characteristics of every other 'human being' which while recognising that it is an inevitability doesn't do anything to ameliorate the self disgust it induces. Why bring up such an unpleasant and pointless view of life? Well, no real reason other than the my observation of the self destructive nature of several incidents over the past 48 hours of how humanity's need to pointlessly 'compete' produces negative results for the individual almost every time. Exetel have rented an apartment in Colombo for 18 months at the asking price stated by the owner on firstly a twelve month lease and then an extension six month lease. Note that we paid the asking price which, because we were dumb Australians, was at least twenty per cent higher than we should have paid but because our time to 'negotiate' was strictly limited and we had so many more pressing things to do we let it go. When the time came to renew the lease we just said we would continue to pay the rent at the agreed rate for a further six months (which we paid in advance as we had paid the first twelve months). The lease came up for renewal again at the end of November and we indicated our willingness to pay for a further six months although we knew that the apartment building remained (after 18 months) more than half empty and we could get a better deal. So what does our 'landlord do? Instead of being grateful for getting a substantial premium from a perfect tenant that pays six months in advance as well as a one month bond she decides we are so stupid that she can demand a 12 month period and ask us to pay all legal costs for drawing up a new lease. Predictable result. We approached the owner of the building and got a larger apartment with a better views for 20% less than we were paying without the need to pay legal costs and only one month in advance. As the apartments are let fully furnished there was zero moving inconvenience. The lady concerned will have a great deal of trouble even finding another tenant and will certainly not get the same rent or the same payment terms (and certainly won't get paid in $US). Twice this week I have had to deal with different residential customers who used the most appalling abuse to two different Exetel employees. The language was grotesquely awful and the threats were unbelievable. An investigation of each incident subsequently showed that both incidents were entirely the fault of the complainant and when this was demonstrated to each of the customer's concerned they didn't apologise but said it was Exetel's fault for not finding out what they (themselves) had done wrong sooner and that if we didn't employ non English speaking "monkeys" in a foreign country they wouldn't have had to say the things that they did. Ignoring that both Exetel employees speak better, and more clearly annunciated English than I do, these two pieces of human detritus illustrate the reasons I hold the opinions I do about 'humanity'......even when 100% demonstrated to be in the wrong so many 'humans' continue to insist they are the 'injured party'. For so many it's always someone else's fault that they are inconvenienced - irrespective of how incorrect that view is. I could go on about a number of incidents over the past three days but if those three, in their different ways don't make my point then adding further examples isn't going to help....and as is obvious it is 'human nature" to act the way so many people do so there is nothing that can be done about it. I did do something about these three incidents - I think it would be in the general community's interests for more people to adopt a zero tolerance attitude to the world's ****holes.....or at least the one's you come across and can do something about.
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Hmm, I assume that you terminated their services for abuse of staff?
I lost a customer this week as the customer was being plainly illogical; so it's true sometimes you can't win - although dropping a troublesome customer is a win for your own sanity (And I have 200+ happy ones so one grump is soon forgotten.) I almost lost another who said she could not understand most of what the support people were saying - it seems some people are very limited in their ability to translate all forms of English. Fortunately she rang me next time (as should should have done in the first place as I'm her agent) and the problem was solved. I don't know if there's a practical way to encourage people to call their agents when they need help; and I don't know what the relative financial cost is to Exetel; but it could be worth some thought. (Perhaps detect by CallerID and bounce them to their agent.) Anyway I digress. It's pleasing when you hold the ultimate power to chop the troublemakers Comments (3)
Mike,
Yes - we discontinued the service of both the criminally abusive customers. Annette and I have recently returned from Sri Lanka and in my time there all I can say is the majority of the SL staff speak better and clearer English than I do so I disagree with your comment - though, if you can tell me the name of a person in Exetel SL whose English you regard as sub-standard then I will check in to it. You raise an interesting point regarding diverting support and I will see what can be done......but you don't operate a 24 x 7 service so that might be a problem. Comments (2)
perhaps that could be a prompt on the phone system, press 1 to speak with your own agent (or similar), press two for general support, etc
Comment (1)
It may be possible to do that during 'working hours'.
Comments (2)
My support hours 10am to 8pm.
If you do enact this type of system, it would be good if the agent could specify the number, and also if you can send a certain CallerID so we know that it's an Exetel call Comments (3)
Just a quick note:
When I said "it seems some people are very limited in their ability to translate all forms of English" ... I was referring to the customer, not to the Exetel support people I've never had a problem understanding the support personnel. Cheers, Mike Comments (3)
Good on you John,
I have ALWAYS had zero tolerance for anyone abusing my staff. Yell, scream, rant, whatever at me and maybe we can sort it out. Try the same thing with ANY of my staff and you're an immediate ex-customer. Twits begone. and sadly, I totally agree with your take on the majority of the human species. Comment (1)
We all occasionally suffer from raising our tempers a little too high, often for unjustified reasons.
As there was no retraction and apology, I hope these customers were "shown the door". I had an early morning visit to the emergency department of a hospital last week. I was saddened to see steel bars and likely bullet proof glass at the triage and reception counter as well as non-tolerance notices for abuse. It felt good not to be a lowlife! Comment (1)
All that and supposedly 'Created in the image of God'
In times and examples such as those you've given, I refer to one of the great emancipators of our time Charles Darwin when he said; "We must however acknowledge, as it seems to me, that man with all his noble qualities† still bears in his bodily frame the indelible stamp of his lowly origin." Suddenly, it becomes quite disturbing clear how things like you've mentioned come to pass. We have some way to go yet. Comment (1)
During my current Exetel issues I have tried to remain calm but unfortunately I have raised my voice on several occasions.
I have now been forced to leave Exetel without a satisfactory explanation of why. These kinds of issues may provoke aggravation in customers. I hold no ill will towards your support staff and I wish you the best in the future. Comment (1)
It still amazes me that there are people in the world who don't understand that, just as they don't have to do business with a certain supplier, a supplier doesn't have to do business with a certain customer.
Any business has a right to not take on a particular customer, or to refuse service to a particular customer (restaurants do this all the time). It's good to see this in practice, with particularly obnoxious customers. Comment (1)
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