CDW asked me to evaluate my service rep..

Post #97,919 by deSitter 4/22/03 3:22:13 PM Reply	CDW asked me to evaluate my service rep.. ..behind her back. Here was my response: Dear Ms. Svoboda: As a happy and satisfied CDW customer, I am VERY pleased with my rep, Laura Hamlin, and you'd better tell her I said so - because I am VERY MUCH PISSED OFF by this sniveling attempt to evaluate her behind her back, instead of interacting with her directly. If you'd TALK to her instead of doing this kind of chickens**t "survey", perhaps you'd discover that. She's a GREAT person to work with - YOU are the assholes in this equation, for this kind of garbage. -drl Light is heavy: R{} = (2R/W)T - (1/2W){D-2,D-2}W Heavy is light: (D-3)(RF[] + 5/4 g) = 0
Post #97,920 by inthane-chan 4/22/03 3:23:32 PM Reply	So much for Ms. Hamlin's career...
Post #97,925 by deSitter 4/22/03 3:28:17 PM Reply	Not At All I'll give you 10-1 they'll fall all over themselves apologizing. I even CCed my rep. Can't wait to hear from her. -drl Light is heavy: R{} = (2R/W)T - (1/2W){D-2,D-2}W Heavy is light: (D-3)(RF[] + 5/4 g) = 0
Post #97,940 by screamer 4/22/03 3:48:47 PM Reply	LMAO... Way to go, Sitter... By the way, what's my current graphic? Just a few thoughts, Screamer Living is easy with eyes closed misunderstanding all you see, it's getting hard to be someone but it all works out it doesn't matter much to me J. Lennon - Strawberry Fields Forever
Post #97,943 by deSitter 4/22/03 3:51:16 PM 4/22/03 3:54:11 PM Reply	It's ALF, okay? and more I intend to contact the C.E.O. of CDW, and make absolutely certain that he understands who is doing them a favor - Ms. Hamlin with her excellent service - and who is not - you and your surveys. -danny ross lunsford ----- Original Message ----- From: <research@cdw.com> To: <______@kranzbody.com> Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2003 2:30 PM Subject: RE: CDW Account Manager Experience > Thank you for your unbiased look at our research. In order to calm your > nerves and language, yes we do share the results with our co-workers. -drl Light is heavy: R{} = (2R/W)T - (1/2W){D-2,D-2}W Heavy is light: (D-3)(RF[] + 5/4 g) = 0 Edited by deSitter April 22, 2003, 03:53:45 PM EDT Edited by deSitter April 22, 2003, 03:54:11 PM EDT Expand All History
Post #97,971 by admin 4/22/03 4:45:26 PM Reply	ROFL. Regards, -scott anderson "Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
Post #98,186 by screamer 4/23/03 10:48:01 AM Reply	Okay, I was too stoned when I saw it too... but if you're interested in this guy (so beautifully retouched by Andrew) you can find him at [link\|http://flesh-gordon.cinephiles.net/\|http://flesh-gordon.cinephiles.net/]. I'm sticking with him for a while. He's my favorite monster of all time... Just a few thoughts, Screamer If I ever loose my mouth, All my teeth, north and south, If I ever loose my mouth - away - I won't have to talk... Y. Islam - Moonshadow
Post #98,439 by rcareaga 4/23/03 11:59:02 PM Reply	Flesh Gordon. Ick. Utterly witless. It was the second half of a double bill (anyone remember double bills?) at the old Sash Mill Cinema in Santa Cruz sometime in 1975. My friend Susan and I had gone for the main flick (now forgotten, oddly), but remained for "Flesh Gordon," which was billed as satire. At about twenty minutes in we turned to one another simultaneously (probably moved by some conspicuously egregious bit), silently nodded in unison, got up and left. I think it may be the only film I've ever walked out on. cordially, "Die Welt ist alles, was der Fall ist."
Post #98,452 by Ashton 4/24/03 2:39:28 AM Reply	Similar response, more recent Friend had picked up the latest Star Warz whatever, a few months back (Judeo - The Christian Martial Arts? as I think Peter piped once) .. after another process shot of some humongous city which made all sentient life appear ant-like, and an inept teen-throb mouthing some more proseless death - we happened to turn in the same way, and hit the STOP button. Think it was a freebie at Bunker Busters that week. At least they knew its value. Oh well - back to Plan Nine from.. Ashton Give some to Mikey; he won't eat Anything..
Post #98,920 by pwhysall 4/27/03 3:59:31 AM Reply	Judeo is a calypso martial art. Peter [link\|http://www.debian.org\|Shill For Hire] [link\|http://www.kuro5hin.org\|There is no K5 Cabal] [link\|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org\|Blog]
Post #98,996 by Ashton 4/27/03 9:32:55 PM Reply	{whap whap} Of course! it is..
Post #98,478 by Silverlock 4/24/03 8:53:29 AM Reply	Oh c'mon The penisaurus was an instant classic. The world is only a simple place to the simple.
Post #98,534 by screamer 4/24/03 12:29:48 PM Reply	Had you had the wherewithall to stay until the end, you would have found the final monster scene worth your time. Yeah, the movie sucks... There is absolutely no question about it. It would doubly suck if I were with a "date" viewing it. There is absolutely no redeeming social or even entertainment value to this movie. It is more a frat house drunk at 3:30 a.m. type of flick. All of that said, the monster is the bomb. Just a few thoughts, Screamer Living is easy with eyes closed misunderstanding all you see, it's getting hard to be someone but it all works out it doesn't matter much to me J. Lennon - Strawberry Fields Forever
Post #98,821 by tuberculosis 4/25/03 10:18:45 PM 8/21/07 5:53:58 AM Reply	"Saw" it at a drive-in Was kinda preoccupied and drinking to boot - I "remember" it fondly though. "Packed like lemmings into shiny metal boxes. Contestants in a suicidal race." - Synchronicity II - The Police Edited by tuberculosis Aug. 21, 2007, 05:53:58 AM EDT Expand All History
Post #97,944 by Ashton 4/22/03 3:51:21 PM Reply	I know.. I know - ..er, one of the millions of victims of WMDs - in Iraq? ;-)
Post #98,033 by Andrew Grygus 4/22/03 8:23:15 PM Reply	Well, it could use . . . . some color and aspect correction to make it more visible. [image\|http://www.aaxnet.com/images/danhead.jpg\|\|danhead\|70\|70] This version is at www.aaxnet.com/images/danhead.jpg. [link\|http://www.aaxnet.com\|AAx]
Post #97,941 by Ashton 4/22/03 3:49:23 PM Reply	C'mon deS - call it "trickle down" When the Puppet Govmint is overtly spending billions to institute the Dissembling Fear-based Rat-Them-Out Warfare State\ufffd.. (and collect massive dBases of the umm 'disloyal') -where- would you expect! to find the highest concentration of despicable loooser mentalities ready, willing and able to follow the Leader -- wallow in chickenshit, launch predestined 'surveys' -- and generally treat people as expendable commodities ? [no cheating] [c'mon - think Hard!] [hint: "While Growing the ___"] Bizness." (Miss this one and.. curl grad V != 0)
Post #97,961 by deSitter 4/22/03 4:25:53 PM 4/22/03 4:47:29 PM Reply	Followup This is my letter to the CEO of CDW: Mr. John Edwardson CEO, CDW Inc. 200 N. Milwaukee Ave. Vernon Hills, IL 60061 Mr. Edwardson: Recently I received unsolicited email from your Customer Relations department. The purpose of this email was for me to evaluate \ufffd behind her back \ufffd my service representative, Ms. Laura Hamlin. Let me say first off that Ms. Hamlin has done an outstanding job for us \ufffd my primary source of hardware and software is CDW, largely because of her excellent service. She deserves an extra day off on the company. We are a smallish family business, but our systems are our lifelines, for us to service OUR customers in the best way we can \ufffd and Ms. Hamlin treats me the same way she would a mega-million dollar customer. This foul business with the sneaky online survey really raised my hackles though \ufffd I don\ufffdt know what person there convinced you this was a good idea, but let me tell you \ufffd it is not. You cannot get your people to provide good service by sneaking around behind their backs. You get good performance from your people by 1) hiring good people 2) putting them under good management 3) treating them like people, not survey targets. We at Kranz have a loyal and committed customer base because we treat all our customers like they are the most important ones \ufffd which, of course, they are. We don\ufffdt need to sneak around with hidden surveys with fawning, fake preambles, asking if our mechanics and sales reps are doing a good job. We know they are \ufffd because they are part of our family and we treat them that way \ufffd and they are good to begin with. In short, I would recommend you send out a few less surveys, and instead put Ms. Hamlin in charge of Customer Relations. She and her coworkers are the reason you are succeeding in this impossible market. Sincerely, Danny Ross Lunsford CTO Kranz Automotive Body Co. -drl Light is heavy: R{} = (2R/W)T - (1/2W){D-2,D-2}W Heavy is light: (D-3)(RF[] + 5/4 g) = 0 Edited by deSitter April 22, 2003, 04:47:29 PM EDT Expand All History
Post #97,991 by Ashton 4/22/03 5:22:51 PM Reply	Yes.. I think that's a nice balance. And even if, as the reply to your note suggested - they do 'share' such material [all of it??] - the implication to the recipient remains.. as you said. And such an inference is likely to inhibit the more honest replies anyway! ie. A self-cancelling 'survey' with negative fallout. Ashton
Post #98,014 by Fuat 4/22/03 6:39:44 PM Reply	Re: CDW asked me to evaluate my service rep.. Perhaps your service rep was so good to you BECAUSE she knew her performance was going to be evaluated later via survey... For example, Cisco's tech support folks always know that each case is followed up by a "bingo" card. Favourable responses lead to bonuses and advancement, and at the end of a case, they usually remind you to please fill out the survey when it arrives in email. I think it is admirable of a company to follow up and make sure their customers are satisfied with the performance of their employees. Waiting until a customer is pissed off and takes the time to complain is reactive rather than proactive. How many other disgruntled customers just walked away never to do business with the company again?
Post #98,037 by Silverlock 4/22/03 8:27:52 PM Reply	You assume the agent is aware of the followup. What Ross described doesn't seem to fit that scenario. The world is only a simple place to the simple.
Post #98,040 by Fuat 4/22/03 8:41:59 PM Reply	Re: You assume the agent is aware of the followup. I think it is common for front-line support people in service organizations to expect that feedback and monitoring of their work occurs. Calls monitored for quality, customers per hour rates monitored, tickets closed per hour noted, etc. How else does a manager provide useful performance evaluations if the only input were to be negative feedback from pissed off customers.
Post #98,043 by Silverlock 4/22/03 8:46:44 PM Reply	OK unwind your panties. not that big a deal. The world is only a simple place to the simple.
Post #98,071 by deSitter 4/22/03 9:43:07 PM Reply	Well you fail to consider.. ..that I can read between the (phone) lines. I know when the other person is faking. -drl Light is heavy: R{} = (2R/W)T - (1/2W){D-2,D-2}W Heavy is light: (D-3)(RF[] + 5/4 g) = 0
Post #98,313 by jb4 4/23/03 3:29:50 PM Reply	Hey Fuat, You just delineated the PROBLEM... to wit: [...] customers per hour rates monitored, tickets closed per hour noted, etc. This is part of (if not most of) the problem, not of the solution. If I were to call into CDW (or any other service boilerroom, for that matter), I would want the rep focusing on my problem regardless of how long it took, not his/her call-per-hour rate (which my calls tend to lower, because, I demand detailed solutions to the problems I call in with, not a cursory look down the preprinted problem sheet.) It takes longer to think and analyze that to read a bunch of bullet points off a FAQ sheet! jb4 "Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning." Rich Cook
Post #98,368 by Fuat 4/23/03 5:39:34 PM Reply	Re: Hey Fuat, You just delineated the PROBLEM... So, don't measure performance, don't ask the affected customers how they felt about the service they got via surveys, what's left? Just spy on all the calls in real time? :-)
Post #98,375 by jb4 4/23/03 6:16:18 PM Reply	Calls-per-minute is not PERFORMANCE! It's a measure of throughtput, which has no bearing on performance. I suppose you still think that lines-of-code per programmer per day is a valid measure of a software engineer's "performance", too? Puh-LEEEEZE! jb4 "Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning." Rich Cook
Post #98,400 by Fuat 4/23/03 7:59:43 PM Reply	Re: Calls-per-minute is not PERFORMANCE! How about bugs fixed per year? Projects completed successfully per quarter? Or should a manager just wait for the "real soon now" completion promise without actually trying to measure progress. And yes, lines of code over unit time is a valid way to estimate project velocity, as is bugs opened per week, bugs closed per week as estimates of a development project's stability/maturity. And as for call centers calls per time is a valid measurement of performance as well as throughput. If calls aren't being completed fast, customers are wasting their time on the line, which makes for unhappy customers. Of course, a blow off response to get a customer off the phone just causes more calls, complaints, etc. so there is a built-in limit to how quickly you can get someone off the phone.
Post #98,443 by deSitter 4/24/03 12:07:12 AM Reply	Re: Calls-per-minute is not PERFORMANCE! What should be measured is the manager's ability to motivate his people. Once upon a time, a manager managed, and was accountable - not countable. You make the usual false assumption that people are tunable resources. I assume you are management - you sure talk like it. -drl
Post #98,541 by Arkadiy 4/24/03 1:20:10 PM Reply	I assure you he is not (I wish we had a manager like him, but alas). -- Inquiring minds want to scream.
Post #98,500 by jbrabeck 4/24/03 10:50:59 AM Reply	KLOC & CPH KLOC (for those to young to know = K lines of code) measurement example... X=IIF(Color=Red,True,False) becomes X = Blank; Rem clear var If Color = Red then X = True else X = False EndIf I've just increase my line count 7 fold. I had a new programmer on staff. After seeing the size of his programs, we performed a code review. Showing how to be more efficient, cut the size from 3K to < 700 lines. Did I just make him a less "productive" programmer? How to increase CPH (Calls per Hour) Problem? Try this, if it doesn't work call back. Problem? Yuo tried it, didn't work, try this, call back... [link\|mailto:jbrabeck@attbi.com\|Joe]
Post #98,542 by Arkadiy 4/24/03 1:26:15 PM Reply	No "measure" will work if you don't have good people. People who care about their jobs will use measures to improve the performance. People who play the games like you described should be fired immediately. -- Inquiring minds want to scream.
Post #98,600 by jb4 4/24/03 5:01:38 PM Reply	If you can't keep up, take notes! Once again, for the comprehension impaired: throughput != performance And as for call centers calls per time is a valid measurement of performance as well as throughput. No, guy, Calls-per-time is strictly a measure of throughput (or "velocity" as you somewhat inaccurately described it in the preceding paragraph). Performance would be the percentage of calls that resulted in a satisfactory resolution of the problem presented by the caller. Got it? jb4 "Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning." Rich Cook
Post #98,756 by Fuat 4/25/03 1:43:08 PM Reply	Re: If you can't keep up, take notes! When I call a telephone support line, the LONGER the call takes, the UNHAPPIER I am, and thus the chances of a long call being a SATISFACTORY call are quite slim. Yes, some long calls are of higher quality, but in general the shorter the call, the better. Perhaps it is the New Yorker in me, but long dawdling conversations with sales staff, telephone operators, etc. is not might idea of time well spent. If until proven otherwise (e.g. via complaints) you assume two equally competent operators, and measure calls per unit time, you might make the rough guess that the one that took more calls has perhaps made more customers happy... Like any other measurement, this one should not be the sole basis of an evaluation of a person's value, but it certainly doesn't hurt to know this data point. I suppose surveying customers for a more specific assessment would be an option, but you never know when that might irritate the customer and provoke a letter to the CEO.
Post #98,813 by Ashton 4/25/03 9:29:30 PM Reply	I shouldn't be an expert on this.. But after some calls to Dell, and being filled-in on owner's previous history - and checking around with others about Dell's Massive Scam re non-corporate "help": I think I Am. It emerges that Brownie points there are awarded for "case / situation Closed" ergo -- most every call of whatever length is (most often falsely) shown as 'Closed incident'. Blame the tech? In some cases yes, but: in Dell case, it is apparent to any ept listener that these guys are Reading Scripts, that they are obv. 'encouraged' not to deviate -- that it takes real verbal and psych Skill to finally elicit an "honest reply" on some isue. Yada & yada. This is Corporate Obfuscation by design. And it means that next time you call with echoes of an ongoing POS machine; You Will be subjected to Square One. In Dell's case - they'd prefer to keep you on-line for 3-5 HOURS, multiple times than: Acknowledge a Fucked product and honor their [Hah] "24/7 Service Contract". I'm now convinced of this Being Policy by - too much info to list. (A lawsuit is pending on this one). So I think the above semantic game is irrelevant. Maybe there are few around as Bad-by-Design as the execrable Michael Dell troupe [??] but it's clear-enough that this dance of management assigning carrot/stick points as some ass-holish Tech Rating: is as bogus as a M$ "Warranty of Satisfiction". This whole industry is staffed at the top by Real Slime, with notably (and few) brilliant exceptions. Only the color-shading of the turds - varies. Sorry for you All (who are not slime / are also not at the Top). Ashton
Post #98,853 by Silverlock 4/26/03 8:33:14 AM Reply	I work at a call center My job is supporting employees and systems so I've seen them at work with the customers and checked out the rules they follow (both official and un). Maybe it comes from being privatly owned for so long before the corp bought us, but our philosophy can be best summed up as "a happy customer is a loyal customer". As an example, when ending a call they always use some variation of "Is there anything else I can do for you?" and mean it. If there is another problem, the agent opens another ticket and works it right then. I've heard the manager tell them "If someone calls back on the same problem, we haven't done our job." So some calls might last for an hour. But the problem usually gets solved. I think the only reason the call center hasn't been moved to India is that we are considered a (buzzword alert) "pocket of excellence". We actually get managers in unrelated parts of the business coming to visit to learn how we do things. The world is only a simple place to the simple.
Post #98,910 by Ashton 4/27/03 1:49:00 AM Reply	Glad to hear that such a place exists! I believed that a few would get it, since that principle is so unarguable. Just rarely hear of those. But the trouble with multi-tier like Dells - where business level actually gets service but individuals don't: even personal boycotts (after the experience) are swamped by their wholesale business numbers. Something like, "bad money drives out the good"? Anyway, aside from the necessary drill w/ court (for mere self respect) - life's too short to make a crusade over Dell; it has lots of company(s) out there schooled to become Slime, a bit more each day - under guise of ROI, no doubt. Cheers, Ashton
Post #99,127 by jb4 4/28/03 5:20:45 PM Reply	Echo Ashton, and reiterate the premise of this subthread: Throughput != Performance Hey, Fuat...Here's your counterexample! I've heard the manager tell them "If someone calls back on the same problem, we haven't done our job." So some calls might last for an hour. But the problem usually gets solved. Whoomp! There it is! jb4 "" We continue to live in a world where all our know-how is locked into binary files in an unknown format. If our documents are our corporate memory, Microsoft still has us all condemned to Alzheimer's." Simon Phipps, SUN Microsystems
Post #99,178 by deSitter 4/28/03 8:56:29 PM Reply	Behold the Liberal with Ironclad Proof! :) -drl
Post #99,190 by Silverlock 4/28/03 9:40:16 PM Reply	Snicker. Good one. As the "proof" supplier, I appreciate it. The world is only a simple place to the simple.
Post #99,191 by Ashton 4/28/03 10:03:45 PM Reply	Hmmm - then for the Illiberal - a gun will suffice? ;-)
Post #99,189 by Silverlock 4/28/03 9:36:08 PM Reply	Didja ever get a response? The world is only a simple place to the simple.

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