I have seen these charlatans for what they are. I call it the Big City Hustle. They try to wear you down with an endless stream of barely intelligible inanity, hoping to get what they want when service folks get tired of the game and just give them what they want just to get them outta their roundhouse. I have refused to play the game. I tell them what they are entitled to and try to help them understand what they are entitled to. When they see that I am a stone wall, they say, "I wanna tok to your manna-ger." So I let them talk to the manager. Good managers have backed me up. I had one who would roll every time.
a.) Recognize the Big City Hustle.
b.) Keep your cool. They want to get you angry.
c.) Do not refer to them as Ma'am or Sir. Get their name, early in the conversation. Write it down. Call them Mr or Ms. (last name).
d.) Keep the conversation focused on the business at hand, don't let them ramble. Don't hang up on them, it is an angry reaction. Try to wrap up the conversation by summing up what you understand they want. Tell them the options they have and ask them to consider the options, then call back.
e.) If that doesn't end the conversation, they usually say, "I wanna tok to your manna-ger." So let them. But not until you have explained the entire scenario in detail to the manager. If your manager caves in, it's on him.
At the point where the caller could not recall her insurance carrier, the service rep had her
'out'. She should have said, "I work with hundreds of different plans from a dozen carriers. Why don't you hang up, look for your dental insurance card, then call me back, okay?"
"I wanna tok to your manna-ger."
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