When a customer calls in to us they hear an IVR recording before they get through to an agent. It tells them the company name and gives a bit of information about the company. After this they get through to an agent who proceeds to answer any queries they may have. Answering questions is an everyday part of the job. There are multitudes of customers calling each and every day with all sorts of questions, from the most technical to the utterly sublime.
Here are a few of the questions we are faced with on a regular basis:
‘Do you know if it’s covered under my home insurance?’
‘I don’t know anything about your home insurance so I can’t possibly answer that question.’
‘£12 for the year? What does that mean?’
‘It means it’s £12 for the year.’ Was my reply.
‘I love the way it says from £2.50 a month. Ha ha..’
‘If you press the button where it says ‘find out more’ you’ll see it’s £2.50 month with an excess or £5 month without an excess. It’s all very clear.’
‘I’m calling about the plumbing cover. Is this building insurance?’
‘No. It’s plumbing cover. Building insurance covers your building. That’s why it’s called building insurance.’
‘I’m looking at the cover that’s £6 a month. Can you tell me the price?’
‘£6 a month just like it says.’
‘Is that the chiropodist?’
‘I’d like to order the next batch of bird seed for my budgie. Has is it come in yet?’
‘I take it you have my details in front of you?’
‘No. You haven’t even told me your name yet, never mind your address.’
‘There’s nothing wrong at the moment. I know it won’t cover pre-existing problems. I have a dripping tap – can you send someone out now?’
‘What do you mean ‘natural gas’?’
‘Is there a gas metre in your home?’ I asked.
‘I don’t know. How am I going to know that?’
‘Can you tell me who my water board is?’
‘Can you put me through to an overseas number?’
‘I’m trying to get through to…but they’ve got an 0845 number. Yours is a Freephone number, so can you put me through?’
And I work for an insurance company.
