It's not your money

[jackfaire]

A business exists to create value to the owner or stockholder (since they own all the liabilities and risk).

The employees shoulder most of the risk. The employees are giving of their time and energy to Company A and if Company A goes out of business they aren't the only one hoping Company B has work and often in Customer Service they aren't making enough money to have a large amount of savings whereas the owner usually has other assets and doesn't have his personal assets tied into the company assets so if the company loses everything he still gets to drive home to his nice house and start over somewhere else.

[Kheldarson]

Regardless of your personal feelings or claps from the peanut gallery, NO, you are not justified in your feelings. YOU personally are not providing any financial incentives from YOUR own money to the customer, and you need to realize that the company hired you to take care of the customer AND they have given you a GREAT tool to do this.

He's not justified? He's not justified as a worker who has to pander to BAD customers because they don't like the rules and pitch a fit while the GOOD customers, of whom he might be one since he, you know, works for the business, don't get squat because they accept the rules?

The issue here is the fact that people decide to get stuff for free because they think they're right. And that's a telling state of our society. I've got no issue with a legitimate problem being addressed and being fixed in some manner, even if it's freebies. I do have an issue with people being deliberately obtuse and refusing to listen to the rules of the establishment because they think they're right. And that's the problem with just giving away free stuff, whether it appeases the customer right then or not. It reinforces the idea that they're right and this is acceptable.

And it's not.

[Josh]

That's funny. Where do they think your paycheck comes from? Your raises? Your bonuses? Hell, if the company loses enough money this way, they might even shut down.

But hey, it's not your money, so why should you care how well the company you work for is doing financially.

^-.-^

ps. one policy will not solve world hunger.

Caring about the financial health of the company you work for is one thing, but expecting it to change to fit you ideals of how the company should run is dellisunual.

A business exists to create value to the owner or stockholder (since they own all the liabilities and risk). This unfortunately means that non-executive personnel are hired and have accepted to be a specific cogs in the business plan they want to execute. Whether this leads to sucess or failure of the bussiness is inconsequential. The function is to execute the vision (or lack of) to the best of their ability utilizing the tools provided to them.

[Josh]

...If a customer is upset..I am not only authorized but expected to give them discounts and gift cards. Up to and including $75...

As a manager providing refunds or adjustments was a great tool that I had at my disposal to difuse and keep customers. Did all customers get the full amount that I could give? no. since it varied by circumstances. But, it is great to be able to say 'what would make you happy' trust me, you will be surprised how many people are actually fair on their expectations. Sounds to me, since your're expected to do this, that this is considered a cost of doing business in your line of work and you have been hired as a gatekeeper to allow this adjustments to go trough once fielded.

Regardless of your personal feelings or claps from the peanut gallery, NO, you are not justified in your feelings. YOU personally are not providing any financial incentives from YOUR own money to the customer, and you need to realize that the company hired you to take care of the customer AND they have given you a GREAT tool to do this.

If doing the job that you're hired to do bothers you, then ask to move to a different department. The company has a policy thats working for them and shouldn't/and wont change it just becouse the person they hired to do a certain job feels that doing listed job is not 'fair'.

[Andara Bledin]

I need the money, so I have no choice but to give things away to SC's and Ew's all the time..but woe to me if I complain to anybody around here (where I live). "Why do you care..it's not your money."

That's funny. Where do they think your paycheck comes from? Your raises? Your bonuses? Hell, if the company loses enough money this way, they might even shut down.

But hey, it's not your money, so why should you care how well the company you work for is doing financially.

^-.-^

[jackfaire]

Also constantly appeasing sucktastic customers breeds more of them. You find yourself dealing with more irate customers not less because they told their friends , "Hey if you act like this you get rewarded for it"

Suddenly everyone is being a jerk on the phone cuz you will give them stuff to stop having to talk to them.

[tropicsgoddess]

You have every right to be upset, because the actual paying customers are the ones who suffer at the hands of the bottom feeders and deadbeats. And many a good customer can turn into an evil one on the phone when they see how their rates got increased or whatnot.

That is true and you get the ones that feel entitled to credits and/or discounts of unreasonable amounts for being "inconvenienced". Inconvenienced on end luser issues.

[blas87]

You have every right to be upset, because the actual paying customers are the ones who suffer at the hands of the bottom feeders and deadbeats. And many a good customer can turn into an evil one on the phone when they see how their rates got increased or whatnot.

[Mytical]

Background I work as a customer service person in a call center...

Part of my job is, sad to say, to kiss the customers behind. You might think me not serious..here are some of the 'rules' I have to go by.

If a customer is upset..I am not only authorized but expected to give them discounts and gift cards. Up to and including $75.

I need the money, so I have no choice but to give things away to SC's and Ew's all the time..but woe to me if I complain to anybody around here (where I live). "Why do you care..it's not your money."

No..no its not. It just irks me to no end that the good customers end up paying for the whiners and EW's. Now if it is something legit, I have absolutely no issue helping set it right. I am good at getting it set right without giving out a dime. Customers tend to go away happy, without me having to give one red cent of the companies money away.

Yet I am told "You should be giving them discounts and such..so they will give surveys and make you look good."

Anyhow..beside the point. As I said..no none of it comes out of my pocket..at all. In fact I am making money when I am giving the companies money away (barely above min wage but still...money). I can give away money till the cows come home (though a set limit per customer PER call). Doesn't mean I have to like it, or think it is the best thing since butter.