• 14 Comments
  • July 5th 2007

Insider tip - They ARE listening

On hold with our ISP tech support right now, sixth call, less than 2 hours into the workday. Through this laborious process I did manage to learn a secret: When you’re put on hold, they can hear everything you’re saying.

“Okay, I’m back. I heard you mention that the other computers were seeing the same thing?”

But, wait, how, you heard that? That was a few minutes back, and there was music playing, and I was holding.

So watch what you say on hold. “This jackass doesn’t know what he’s doing and I’m getting sick of hearing his voice” may not be the wisest thing to say while holding. So keep your mouth shut, and that V.I.P. service won’t turn into S.H.I.T.

  • http://www.skanwar.com Satish

    Oh shoot, I think I’ve done that a few times… telcos, go figure.

  • http://www.skanwar.com Satish

    Oh shoot, I think I’ve done that a few times… telcos, go figure.

  • http://creativebriefing.com Verne

    Ah ha! I knew it. Out of suspicion I’ve actually tried to use it to my advantage. I guess my intentional “geeze these TELUS deals are so affordable” lines while on hold with Rogers may have something to do with my conveniently affordable wireless plan. :)

  • http://creativebriefing.com Verne

    Ah ha! I knew it. Out of suspicion I’ve actually tried to use it to my advantage. I guess my intentional “geeze these TELUS deals are so affordable” lines while on hold with Rogers may have something to do with my conveniently affordable wireless plan. :)

  • http://noelhurtley.com Noel Hurtley

    I always suspected they were listening. I guess I wasn’t being paranoid afterall.

  • http://noelhurtley.com Noel Hurtley

    I always suspected they were listening. I guess I wasn’t being paranoid afterall.

  • http://www.blogtrepreneur.com Adnan

    Lol I didn’t realise that they would be listening.
    And there’s me slagging off the phone companies who outsource their phone centres to India.

  • http://www.blogtrepreneur.com Adnan

    Lol I didn’t realise that they would be listening.
    And there’s me slagging off the phone companies who outsource their phone centres to India.

  • http://www.younggogetter.com/ Eric

    OMG I always thought about that - bastards!

  • http://www.younggogetter.com/ Eric

    OMG I always thought about that - bastards!

  • http://smartwealthyrich.com Jon - SmartWealthyRich

    haha, yep they can, I worked for about 5 years for a telecom company (mostly marketing department, but did a lot of phone stuff) here in Montreal, and we could hear every single word when the customer was on hold :)

  • http://smartwealthyrich.com Jon - SmartWealthyRich

    haha, yep they can, I worked for about 5 years for a telecom company (mostly marketing department, but did a lot of phone stuff) here in Montreal, and we could hear every single word when the customer was on hold :)

  • Michiel Trimpe

    Hehe, that stuff is beautiful. I still remember being one of the three lead supervisors for a starting Cable ISP.

    I was training this employee when the client said: “I’m sure I’ve got a real rookie on the other end of the line. I bet he just started working today and is feverishly flipping through the manual right now to find the right page.”

    I still remember answering: “Excuse me, I’m very sorry but I just started here today and I’m flipping through the manual right now and I’ve just found the right page …..”

  • Michiel Trimpe

    Hehe, that stuff is beautiful. I still remember being one of the three lead supervisors for a starting Cable ISP.

    I was training this employee when the client said: “I’m sure I’ve got a real rookie on the other end of the line. I bet he just started working today and is feverishly flipping through the manual right now to find the right page.”

    I still remember answering: “Excuse me, I’m very sorry but I just started here today and I’m flipping through the manual right now and I’ve just found the right page …..”