Ahh, the joys of reading skills !!

Santiago G · Jun 12, 2015 08:40:15 AM

This just happen to me today. I got the reply from Customer Support so I don't really have a problem with it. But I found it funny enough to post it here in Coffee Break. To protect all the small children and furry animals that have nothing to do with this, I'll leave names out!!

I sent a ticket to CS a couple of days ago.... or a week ago..... or something like that. Got a reply that requested screen shots from me. Ok. No big deal. Sent the screen shots. Got another reply. The standard "we're on it" type of canned answer. Ok, no big deal there. I'll just wait.

Got the answer reply from CS today. Sure enough, it was an acceptable reply.

Unfortunately, the reply was addressing the OTHER CS Rep that originally replied to the message I sent !! Well, isn't this magical ?

It seems the second person to reply decided not to read the TITLE under their own co-workers name!! I could be seeing things but it looks pretty clearly written there to me!!

I thought there would be easier ways to for them talk to each other?!! Aren't they sitting next to each other or at least in the same room?!! They couldn't text each other or something?!!

No, this doesn't really help the standings of CS here. But I thought it was pretty funny anyway!!

Preston H · Jun 20, 2015 01:20:38 AM

re: "Aren't they sitting next to each other or at least in the same room?"

Yes, what you saw IS funny.

To answer your question seriously, though... No I don't think customer support representatives actually are sitting next to each other in the same room.

I think most of them are contractors hired to work from home.

Ramon B · Jun 20, 2015 03:21:01 AM

I'm not even sure they are acually different people. Twice now I've had the same person responding to me under a different name then cutting me off when they realised what happened.

Preston H · Jun 20, 2015 06:10:48 AM

Ramon, if the same person is responding to you using different names, then I see only three possible explanations for this:

A) you are mistaken; the way that customer service reps use canned answers created a confusing situation wherein you thought two different reps were the same person.

B) a single rep is using multiple names, for whatever reason, contravening Upwork's intended CS systems.

C) Upwork for some reason has set up customer service structures in which individual reps use multiple aliases.

Santiago G · Jun 20, 2015 07:05:08 AM

@ Preston

It seems like your third possible explination would be about right. The idea behind it being to give the appearances of having a much larger group of reps compared to what's really there.

But that entire purpose gets defeated when they reply to each other (or "themselves")!! Right answer, wrong person...... sorry, try again next week !!

And if you are correct about the reps being contractors, whoever hired the reps at Upwork really should check the reading skills first!!

It still looks pretty clear to me that a title is written there under the reps name. Anyone would think it's kinda hard to miss it..... apparently that thought was not entirely accurate!!

@ Ramon

Well, at least there's a chance you're not wrong!!

Jean S · Jun 25, 2015 05:16:09 AM

I was reading a blog post by Upwork where they said they have 300 bricks and mortar people and over 700 people working from home, while employees of Upwork.

John B · Jun 25, 2015 09:15:53 AM

1000 workers run the only show in town...

Preston H · Jun 25, 2015 11:20:19 AM

re: "run the only show in town..."

I'm not sure what you mean by that.

Upwork is not the only freelance work platform. I know of many others, and I personally have accounts on other platforms. Upwork is the only one I use right now, but it isn't the only one.

Isabelle Anne A · Jun 25, 2015 09:41:52 AM

I think Upwork CS uses Zendesk, which is a horrible tool. Maybe that's why they got it mixed up. Then again, I know that many CS representatives don't read questions & issues properly / at all, so that's probably more likely.

Santiago G · Jun 25, 2015 10:33:52 PM

Great......

According to Jean, out of possibly 1,000 people working in Upwork CS, I get the one that doesn't read the title showing under the names in the message.

How's THAT for a "luck shot"?

Define mixed emotions.....

Yes, I hit the luck shot!! BOO YAA !!

Aw CRUD. I really "didn't" get the reply from the ONE rep that doesn't read the titles!! Well I hope those two had a great conversation!!