First of all the only reason I hate working in a call centre is the fact that I have to take calls from people who think they're better than me simply because I work in a call centre. I dont hate the place or the people. Infact I quite like the person I sit next to everyday. Shes a lot like me and we have a laugh. She makes my day go quicker and I sometimes end up with an aching tummy because Ive laughed so hard in between calls.

The problem comes when I hear that beep in my awkwardly fitting headset - not to mention while Im sat in a chair that a million bums have sat in (which makes me worry becuase Im a germ fanatic and worry about the slightest things) which has caused it to wobble slightly if you move too fast and the cheap computers that are unbelievably slow - as the the first person I speak to is rude and yelling at me because one of the companies we take calls for hasnt given her a call back yet - shes left 7 messages and they have totally ignored her. Even though she is shockingly rude I have to smile and apologise prefusely all the while wondering why such a well known company has the cheek to ignore customers and then threaten to end our contract because we spelled a name wrong. Oh well part and parcel of the job eh!

Heres a list of things that customers do that make me wonder why I even bother using my amazing customer service skills to provide help and support...

Names
In my call centre we take calls for lots of different companies ranging booking an engineer to go and fix a computer to setting up a date for Ted to go and replace your tarmac drive to taking details for a property company to scam you out of your money to basic answer phone messages because they are tool lazy to pick up the phone themselves. I quite enjoy this aspect to be honest - Ive worked in call centres for years and this one is the most varied. Every call is different. The thing that gets to me is when you ask for a persons name.

Customers either do one of 4 things:

Give just a first name (well were you registered with just a first name then?)

Just say their title and surname (yes we all want to feel posh but Im an answerphone so unfortunately I have to be told your embarassing first name too!) Or maybe worse their title, first initial and surname - then get rude when you ask what the first inital stands for!

Say their name that fast all you catch is a mumble - when you ask them to repeat it - they get mad at you for not hearing them and

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