The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
Part of my recovery includes dealing with some financial demons of the past. I have worked to get many of my past debts cleaned up one at a time as I cannot do them all at one time. I returned a call from the guarantor of my student loan which I have been making sporadic payments to. I reached a very nice gentleman of which I explained all the gorey details of why the account is the way it is. He was very understanding and helpful. I needed to contact him the next day to further resolve some of this issue and create appropriate payments. He offered up several options to me that I felt comfortable with. When I attempted to contact him the following day he was out. I simply wanted to leave a message for him to return my call. The rep that I got was pushing for information about the reasons why. I told him that I was not comfortable doing so again as it was an extremely personal matter. I said that I understand your job is to obtain the monies I owe and I respect that but that it was hard enough to admit it one time to the rep I had established working relationship with. I also tried to explain the information to this rep the info the 1st rep mentioned - he appeared to be ignoring me and continued telling me all of my wrongs. Now by now I am frustrated and it did come out in my tone which I am aware of but felt little control over. I was very upset when I got off the phone with this 2nd rep.
I finally did reach the rep I had initially spoke with and yet again needed to get in touch with him today. I called & spoke with a nice young woman who asked me if I would like to leave a message or work the situation with her. I told her thank you for her offer of assistance but I had established relationship w/ 1st rep. I did speak with the rep I needed to but found when I was done I failed to ask him a question that was very important so I could budget correctly. I tried to call him back and was met with the same kind of rep who grilled me and was refusing to take a message. I asked to speak to a supervisor who refused to take my call. I ended up leaving a message for the rep I need to speak with - but I am not sure if it will get to him.
Each phone call I am being asked to provide them with personal information to obtain the account. I am also being told over and over how delinquent the account is and so on (like I dont know). I am so very frustrated by what I view as poor customer service and what I feel to be disregarding what I am asking for. I mean how difficult is it to take a message and pass it along? It almost makes me want to just scrap the whole repayment process - which would be my normal pattern. I realize it is not their job to make me feel better about my debt - but I feel they are disrespecting me when I simply ask to speak with the rep I choose to deal with.
I am having a hard time getting past this right now and it has me wondering if I am being unreasonable about it all. I do want to get this resolved which is why I initiated everything. I just dont want to feel like I am being penalized for trying to do the next right thing.
__________________
Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care. Love you all!
Karen
I think the first thing that needs to be recond with is that these people work in customer service. Working as a cashier all day I can personally garentee you that my customers 1) expect me to read their mind: it really doesn't matter that they don't tell me directly what they want, I'm supposed to psychicly guess anyway what it is; 2) my customers treat me like crap: some how the fact that I'm "only a cashier;" I "only work for $6.50 an hour;" I "only work in retail;" makes me lower than them; what it really does is gives them an excuse to be derisive, upbraiding, and condescending toward me. Nothing pisses me off more than when my customers tell me how to do my job, then complain to my manager that they're not getting 5 star customer service. The last thing I think needs to be realized is we don't just deal with you: at any given time, my performance is being documentd by video camera, by "secret shopper," or by out and out supervisor stalking the floor. At any time, my "higher ups" can "rip me up" for not "giving it up" to you.
Now, having said all of that, I think the first thing that needs to be done is ask this guy that you like working so much with if he has a direct extension. My customers that like me have taken the time to ask some of my managers when I work, have made it a point to come early in my shift when they know I'm not completely, totally, absolutely frustrated--when they know I'll go all the way up to the district management for their loyalty (because I have, acutally. ) Additionally, I would write down the names of the people that you've worked with that haven't worked out--the customers that didn't like the customer service they got made sure to "save their shopping" for days when they knew I was either in, or when there was a good sale, because of bad cashier experiences. Lastly, you're dealing with an agency. There's beuracry. Be willing to be a little flexable, put a little out there. There's a way to get the idea across that stuff has gone down without betraying too much. And you know, if these are federal student loans, who are they gonna tell? One of the things I've learned from working within the University is that, in most cases on alot of things, I'm just a number. There is nothing so significant about my story that it's gonna show up on the evening news. And you know what, some stuff has shown up on the evening news about people I love--life went on.
Well I don't think you are being unreasonable no. I think the people you are dealing with are paid to "collect" and that is their bottom line. The A I live with gets tons of collection calls, at least 6 a day (funny how he can never pay his bills but that is another story). They range from polite, indifferent, automaton, belligerant, angry the works. I very very rarely speak to any of them anymore. In fact the calls have broken the telephone and the answering machine so that says a lot about their attempts to collect.
I think for me I can get all tied up in what I think people should behave like like (like the A) and take it personally.
Do you have to take it pesonally that they are just out to get your money?
Thankfully, thankfully I am not married to the A none of the debt is in my name. I have a hard enough time with the truck which I bought which he uses.
Thankfully in time your time your time with dealing with these agencies will be over. You are on the road to recovery. I think about that a lot the time after the A when I have a home where things won't get smashed, where I have a life where I'm not wondering what the next disaster will be. I will have a home of my own in time I know it.
Thank you for your comments. I to work in customer service and have for many many years. Never would I dream of treating a customer the way that I have been treated. I dont think that I tried to tell these people how to do their jobs but I will reflect upon that thought further. While I know that to many of these people my story wont make a difference to them - but it does to me and it is painful to tell. I guess your comment about being just a number is possibly what is affecting me. I am a human being and wish to be treated with the respect I give to those I come in contact with. I work hard at providing good customer service to all of my customers that I assume all those who work in the field are like me. I hear the horror stories from my hubs who works retail about how he is treated - and it really is a shame that customers can be so rude.
__________________
Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care. Love you all!
Karen
I think the people you are dealing with are paid to "collect" and that is their bottom line.
I think you hit the nail on the head there. Whoever gets the money and closes the deal gets the the bonus or a percentage. Unfortunately they don't realize that being kind to someone would get them a lot further. It sounds like some have the policy of trying to intimidate you in to submission.
Like Tiger said, see if you can get his extension (he may not have one) if possible and stand firm that you will only speak to him. You don't have to answer squat to anyone else.
hang in, Christy
__________________
If we think that miracles are normal, we will expect them. And expecting a miracle is the surest way to get one.
) Additionally, I would write down the names of the people that you've worked with that haven't worked out--the customers that didn't like the customer service they got made sure to "save their shopping" for days when they knew I was either in, or when there was a good sale, because of bad cashier experiences. Lastly, you're dealing with an agency. There's beuracry. Be willing to be a little flexable, put a little out there. There's a way to get the idea across that stuff has gone down without betraying too much. And you know, if these are federal student loans, who are they gonna tell? One of the things I've learned from working within the University is that, in most cases on alot of things, I'm just a number. There is nothing so significant about my story that it's gonna show up on the evening news. And you know what, some stuff has shown up on the evening news about people I love--life went on.