A lady customer expressed her frustration and disappointment by fussing at the customer service representative of the store credit card services this afternoon. She bought an executive chair for her husband few days ago at the store. Her store credit account was divided into two plans-Regular as Plan 1 and Elite Club as Plan 2. She purchased the chair using the Elite Club plan but the amount showed up in her Regular Plan. The customer came and asked for help in the store. I was the one who assisted her and dialed the credit services for her. When we got connected to a guy representative, she questioned why the chair was charged to her Regular Plan while in her receipt it was charged in the Elite Club which is Plan 2. I guess the customer was not satisfied with the representative’s explanation, she asked where he was from. I assumed the guy said he was from the Philippines because the customer irritably said,

“Philippines? Why can’t they give me somebody who is from the United States? I do not understand what you are talking about. You are not giving me the answer I need. Why the chair was charged in my Regular Plan while the charge receipt was in the Club plan?”

While still on the phone, the customer told me to get a manager for her to talk to. As I went to another phone to call the store manager, one of my associate told the customer, “She’s from the Philippines.” (which the comment was pertaining to me). Then I got back to the customer to attend to her concerns when she told me, “that girl (pointing to my associate) said you are from the Philippines. I have nothing against you. You are nice to me. It is just that I am disappointed how this credit representatives work. And she (pointing to my associate again) should not get into this.”

Ugh! That was a very stressful situation. Good thing I was calm 🙂 I was not negatively affected how the customer reacted on her conversation over the phone with a Filipino representative. The store manager took care of the matter. He explained everything to the lady customer. Afterwards, she made two payments for her store credit account.

I understand how complicated customer service representatives’ jobs are, especially when they are working in Asian countries. Some are knowledgeable in handling credit services. Others still need more training…I think.