topic Re: Customer service reps who call you by your first name in Community Chat

Customer service reps who call you by your first name

KathyPet — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 21:48:26 GMT

I just finished a awful telephone call with the Business services customer service people at Comcast. I am trying to get my deceased husband's business account cancelled and they are really giving me a hard time. They actually transferred me to the retention unit where they try to get you to,stay as a customer. I kept explaining that he was dead but they insisted I had to go through their stupid procedure before they could issue a request to cancel service. Kind of hard to talk a dead person into keeping their Comcast service.

Anyway, they asked for my name and I gave it. From that point on all the people I spoke to started off the conversation by addressing me by my first name. This is a business call. I am not these people's friends and most of them are probably young enough to be my grandchild. I expect to be addressed as Mrs. (Last name) unless I tell them it is,okay to use my first name.

Re: Customer service reps who call you by your first name

chrystaltree — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 21:55:13 GMT

Then you should have told the customer service reps to address you as Mrs. They aren't mind readers. The fact is we live in causal times and most of us are okay with being addressed by our first names.

Re: Customer service reps who call you by your first name

Jacie — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 23:20:59 GMT

First, I am so sorry for your loss, not easy.

Second, unfortunately, it's Comcast. I think when you deal with any cable company you end up having to wear extra armor. They don't do much right.

I'd forget trying to speak to someone, send a letter with a copy of the death certificate. We had to do that after my Dad passed. It went far more smoothly.

Good luck.

Re: Customer service reps who call you by your first name

Laura14 — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 22:00:27 GMT

I'm with you @KathyPet. It's very unprofessional to be so informal with a stranger unless they say, "Call me Kathy." I'm in customer service and I would never even if the company policy was such. My manners come first.

I'm so sorry about your husband and the nonsense you are dealing with now. I hope it's over soon.

Re: Customer service reps who call you by your first name

QVCkitty1 — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 21:59:22 GMT

No, the rep. Should have asked if they could use her first name. That is just basic good manners.

Re: Customer service reps who call you by your first name

faeriemoon — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 22:07:50 GMT

@KathyPet First let me say that I'm sorry for your loss. However, your post gave me a giggle. I don't like it when someone very young who has no idea who I am or how old I am calls me by my first name over the phone. I'm not that old, but it just seems rude.

I had kind of the opposite experience yesterday at a lighting store when a young employee called me "miss." It's been a long time since I was a miss and not a ma'am. I'm sure he thought the words were interchangeable, but it gave me a thrill. (Well, a smile maybe.)

Re: Customer service reps who call you by your first name

Mothertrucker — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 22:16:18 GMT

So using first names is "too familiar"? Huh? I always call people by their first names..in fact when I meet clients for the first time, they frequently only GIVE me their first name..."Hi, I am_______" and I do the same...

I am certainly never offended when someone calls me by the name my parents gave me...why would I be?

What if the C/S person answered the phone by saying "hello, I am Mrs Johnson, how can I help you?" Would that offend some because they thought she was "demanding respect" that she didn't deserve?

Perhaps if you want to be addressed by a title, you should tell people that.."To whom am I speaking?" "Mrs. Jones"... Simple as that...

Re: Customer service reps who call you by your first name

DiAnne — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 22:10:02 GMT

Comcast is my cable company and they are well known for this. The local news has actually had recorded calls of someone trying to cancel service and the hoops they had to jump through.

Re: Customer service reps who call you by your first name

Burnsite — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 22:16:19 GMT

I agree, Nothing is worse than "young lady" but the first name is bad.

The day I fired Comcast and hired Directv, I had a lot less conflict in my life, even though in FL Directv is out everytime it rains, which is a lot.

Weaned me off TV, which was a boon.

Condolences on your loss, KathyPet. You were doing a sad chore and hit someone very insensitive. But Comcast are absolutely the worst company in the world, if not the galaxy. QVC reps are always respectful--or 9 times out of 10 anyway. Good training.

Re: Customer service reps who call you by your first name

spix — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 22:18:33 GMT

Doctors & Dentists do the same thing, you are, first name, they are Dr. last name, so they're basically telling you that they are "above" you. When I first met my internist, she came into the room, hand extended, saying Hi Mrs "last name", I'm Lexy, that has continued for 20+ years, also the hospital she is affiliated with does the same, I've always been addressed there as Mrs

Went to a new dentist, he kept calling me by my first name, but whenever in the conversation it came up, he was Dr so & so, until I finally called him by his first name, kind of shook him up, & he was young, I don't go to him any longer, not because of that but thought his dentistry was below par.

As been stated we live in a very informal world, manners are a thing of the past for the most part as are many other things.

@KathyPet, sorry for your loss & what you are going thru, been there done that, so I know how awful it is

Re: Customer service reps who call you by your first name

ChynnaBlue — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 22:17:26 GMT

My last name is very difficult to pronounce and spell. When I introduce myself, I only use my first name because I don't expect anyone to try and jump through the hoops of saying my last name correctly. My first name is, in fact, my actual name; I have no problem with people using it.

If you call me honey, dear, or sweetie, that's another story. I hate it when people I don't know call me by pet names.

Re: Customer service reps who call you by your first name

Kachina624 — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 22:20:16 GMT

I can't even remember the last time someone called me Mrs._______. Everyone from my doctor to my auto mechanic is on a first name basis with me. It's just a sign of the times. Go with the flow.

Re: Customer service reps who call you by your first name

scotnovel — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 22:20:27 GMT

I'm in mid 60's and I don't care if a customer service rep calls me by my first name. Life is too short to get upset when a stranger uses my first name.

Re: Customer service reps who call you by your first name

Group 5 minus 1 — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 22:21:04 GMT

All you have to say is call me Mrs. Jones. I do and have never had a problem. I once had a receptionist at a dr.'s office call me sweetheart and I told her I wasn't her sweetheart.

Re: Customer service reps who call you by your first name

Preds — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 22:30:20 GMT

@KathyPet ... they do this to try to make you feel more at ease. I'm dealing with this now. They aren't meaning to be disrespectful, but it does sound that way. This is a hard time for you and very understandable ... it should be. I hate it, but ... just tell them that you prefer to be addressed as ... Mrs.

Sending hugs ... because we all need them. Sending strength because you have it and need it now.

Re: Customer service reps who call you by your first name

DiAnne — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 22:39:30 GMT

@ChynnaBlue wrote:
My last name is very difficult to pronounce and spell. When I introduce myself, I only use my first name because I don't expect anyone to try and jump through the hoops of saying my last name correctly. My first name is, in fact, my actual name; I have no problem with people using it.

If you call me honey, dear, or sweetie, that's another story. I hate it when people I don't know call me by pet names.

@ChynnaBlue

I also have a difficult last name and I do the same thing.

Most doctors are I go to are called Dr. .... but my dentist just goes by his first name.

I could not agree with you more about honey, dear or sweetie, etc. That is just demeaning.

Re: Customer service reps who call you by your first name

hoosieroriginal — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 22:39:57 GMT

I remember when I had my home phone turned off (because I got a cell phone). OMG! They harassed me telling me if my house was on fire no one could locate me - I had to tell them numerous times TURN THE DANG PHONE OFF! It was just weird - you would have thought the money was coming directly out of the rep's pocket!

Re: Customer service reps who call you by your first name

3cupcakes — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 22:43:59 GMT

@ChynnaBlue wrote:
My last name is very difficult to pronounce and spell. When I introduce myself, I only use my first name because I don't expect anyone to try and jump through the hoops of saying my last name correctly. My first name is, in fact, my actual name; I have no problem with people using it.

If you call me honey, dear, or sweetie, that's another story. I hate it when people I don't know call me by pet names.

@ChynnaBlue I feel the same about pet names from people I don't know.

A stranger calling me "dear" or "sweetie" sounds so condescending to me.

Re: Customer service reps who call you by your first name

gidgetgh — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 22:46:09 GMT

Nothing surprises me with Comcast. They're my #1 "please...please....don't make me call them" company.

My married name is easy to pronounce, but yet they slaughter it every single time.

My sympathies to you kathypet. First name, last name, whatever, but it shouldn't be that difficult to cancel an account.

Re: Customer service reps who call you by your first name

Sooner — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 22:51:31 GMT

I never mind people using my first name or last, but I have chewed out two people on the phone recently (one from health care org. and another from somewhere else) for calling me "Miss First-Name." It is totally inappropriate. It's what you call three year olds. We get that straight real quick now.

Oh and "darlin'" or "hon" or such never bothers me because that is simply colloquial to where I live in the South. I might send hot biscuits back if I didn't get called "hon"--or "Here you are darlin'". No place that doesn't do that couldn't really have great biscuits. . . LOL!!!