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"...I think you ought to take a stress pill and think things over...Dave?..."
I want to speak with your supervisor. I worked in a call center for a big insurance company. We actually used three-ring binders (this was only a year ago) and had dummy terminals--probably a form of UNIX. The three-ring binders contained our "scripts", all the approved statements/answers to questions that we could use. It was amazing how we would all gravitate toward one or two golden answers that would relate to many questions.
We even had an answer for "Are you reading from a script?" "Yes, reading from a script ensures that your information is accurate and consistent with law blaw blah". I thought it might be easier if we all had PDAs with keyword search, because we would literally be flipping through that binder, stalling with "I will have your information in a moment", or, "let me see...the...answer...to...your...question...is..."
Oftentimes we would be reading information that they just heard on the automated system. It seems to sink in better when a unique voiceprint/timbre is regurgitating the answer and not a chipper recording.
Anyhow, many people had the automatic habit of asking for my supervisor (another scripted response: "I am trained and qualified to answer any question you may have... Would you still like to speak with a supervisor?"). I wonder if that is a valid question for the chatbots. It is a legitimate concern for some people--there was a marked difference in the depth and confidence between the supervisors and most of the CSRs on the floor.
Ask for the supervisor next time, and make a point of absolutely refusing until you get one. I don't know how the bot (or if it is a human) will deal with that--probably by refusing with a canned response. I would then get--as in "Dark Star"--phenomenological on their ass.
Posted by: Alfred Cloutier at April 24, 2003 7:19 PM
Ahahhahaa! I like the "Dark Star phenomenological" idea.
Excellent points about the robotized behavior of humans in customer-service work. I worked the phones for a summer once, with a pollster, and similarly had to stick to the script. Which is, as we've pointed out before in these pages, the gorgeous irony of today's A.I. and customer service: The robots are seeming more and more human, while the humans are getting increasingly robotic.
Posted by: Clive at April 27, 2003 12:24 AM
I am finding the reality of AI and that robotic client service is more convienent and easily more desirable than their generally lowtech lowlife human counterparts.
I cant recall one instance of robotic gum-chewing or bad-hair days that left me so infuriated that I find myself screaming in to the phone for a supervisor and spewing promises to rain hell, like Max Cady in Cape Fear, on there worthless cubefarming asses.
But I am an angry sort of fellow.....
Posted by: Jim at April 29, 2003 11:31 AM
It's true -- there are definitely times when I'd *rather* deal with a robot!
There are times when I'd rather *be* a robot.
Posted by: Clive at May 4, 2003 3:41 PM
Posted by: El Rey at May 28, 2003 7:26 AM
Posted by: El Rey at May 28, 2003 7:27 AM
Libenter homines id quod volunt credunt - Men gladly believe that which they wish for. (Caesar)
Posted by: Anonymous at July 7, 2004 3:58 PM
You are invited to check out the pages about... Thanks!!!
Posted by: Anonymous at February 6, 2005 7:33 PM
"...I think you ought to take a stress pill and think things over...Dave?..."
I want to speak with your supervisor. I worked in a call center for a big insurance company. We actually used three-ring binders (this was only a year ago) and had dummy terminals--probably a form of UNIX. The three-ring binders contained our "scripts", all the approved statements/answers to questions that we could use. It was amazing how we would all gravitate toward one or two golden answers that would relate to many questions.
We even had an answer for "Are you reading from a script?" "Yes, reading from a script ensures that your information is accurate and consistent with law blaw blah". I thought it might be easier if we all had PDAs with keyword search, because we would literally be flipping through that binder, stalling with "I will have your information in a moment", or, "let me see...the...answer...to...your...question...is..."
Oftentimes we would be reading information that they just heard on the automated system. It seems to sink in better when a unique voiceprint/timbre is regurgitating the answer and not a chipper recording.
Anyhow, many people had the automatic habit of asking for my supervisor (another scripted response: "I am trained and qualified to answer any question you may have... Would you still like to speak with a supervisor?"). I wonder if that is a valid question for the chatbots. It is a legitimate concern for some people--there was a marked difference in the depth and confidence between the supervisors and most of the CSRs on the floor.
Ask for the supervisor next time, and make a point of absolutely refusing until you get one. I don't know how the bot (or if it is a human) will deal with that--probably by refusing with a canned response. I would then get--as in "Dark Star"--phenomenological on their ass.
Posted by: Alfred Cloutier at April 24, 2003 7:19 PM
Ahahhahaa! I like the "Dark Star phenomenological" idea.
Excellent points about the robotized behavior of humans in customer-service work. I worked the phones for a summer once, with a pollster, and similarly had to stick to the script. Which is, as we've pointed out before in these pages, the gorgeous irony of today's A.I. and customer service: The robots are seeming more and more human, while the humans are getting increasingly robotic.
Posted by: Clive at April 27, 2003 12:24 AM
I am finding the reality of AI and that robotic client service is more convienent and easily more desirable than their generally lowtech lowlife human counterparts.
I cant recall one instance of robotic gum-chewing or bad-hair days that left me so infuriated that I find myself screaming in to the phone for a supervisor and spewing promises to rain hell, like Max Cady in Cape Fear, on there worthless cubefarming asses.
But I am an angry sort of fellow.....
Posted by: Jim at April 29, 2003 11:31 AM
It's true -- there are definitely times when I'd *rather* deal with a robot!
There are times when I'd rather *be* a robot.
Posted by: Clive at May 4, 2003 3:41 PM
1!
Posted by: El Rey at May 28, 2003 7:26 AM
1!
Posted by: El Rey at May 28, 2003 7:27 AM
Libenter homines id quod volunt credunt - Men gladly believe that which they wish for. (Caesar)
Posted by: Anonymous at July 7, 2004 3:58 PM
You are invited to check out the pages about... Thanks!!!
Posted by: Anonymous at February 6, 2005 7:33 PM