Calling the Call Centre...do you have what it takes???

For all of those who think they have mastered Patience, here is a test: call Global VFS at their Call Centre if you have any questions about UK visa, and they give you a free 'Patience test'. I passed it with flying colours- my record: 180 minutes, and still waiting on number one now- and i was the 8th caller in the queue when i started! The reward: a bit disappointing. I was hoping there will be a grand announcement, a certificate or something, but i learnt, the fact that you get to talk to the 'representative' is THE reward! Besides, there is a feel-good factor if you are calling from your landline (at least you didn’t waste your mobile recharge waiting for your turn!).

People complain about Customer Care standards in Dubai. I think they are one of the best, compared to what we see back home. Yet, that is no excuse for the terrible Call Centres here. My bank has made all calls to its call centre chargeable and it comes with a guarantee that you will be in the queue for a minimum of 30 minutes!  

Similarly, the pizza company is prompt at taking the order but wouldn’t pick your call when you want to check if they are still ordering the dough from Italy, 1 hour after placing the order.

Try calling the telecom company, and they pass their test of frustrating the customer beyond imaginable limits with the same flying colours!

Come to think of it, with our patience being tested on a daily basis, should we be thanking all these so called service providers for improving our sense of calm and composure? The thing about a normal phone line was that nobody kept on thanking you for your patience and increasing your blood pressure. No one told you that your call will be connected in exactly 30 minutes or 30 seconds, or that you are at what number...if the phone was busy, you would call back later...simple. The level of precision, or the intention to improve the positive attitude of the customer by putting them on waiting line, was beyond the capabilities of a normal customer -care phone number.

At the same time, the more i think about it, the more it appears that this is all a trick to frustrate the customer so much that he hangs up the line, and they do not have to answer our queries. Or, is it a signal that we should take our business elsewhere- be it the bank, the pizza company, the telecom company, the country you are planning to visit for a holiday....as a customer, thankfully, sometimes, we do have options. We are just too lazy to explore them!