[SqueamOssi]

I don't doubt being a rep is difficult. However, if customers were able to reach someone quickly without enduring maddening phone trees and were able to speak with someone who was friendly and actually empowered to provide help, I think the customers would generally be pleasant to work with. So I don't think aggressive customers are the only problem. A lot of the issue can be resolved by the company's willingness to truly help their customers. A company that is willing to commit to training and managing their staff and empowering them to be helpful will generally be greeted with delighted customers.

[yunohn]

I’m not sure what you’re saying - IF everything were different, things would be better? Sure, but we live in a reality where CS is expensive but also underpaid and customers are mean.

[lancesells]

There's a lot of things companies can do to make it easier for customers. I try live chatting all the time and it's typically answering 10 questions for a stupidly dumb bot, finally getting someone online and then answering the exact same questions. Then telling CS my issue in detail and being given a macro answer that ignores everything I just wrote.

The level of training of CS is bad in a lot of companies and I can become that mean customer. I don't use abusive language but I'm upset having to explain myself repeatedly and getting nowhere.

[muttled]

I think you hit on something here. In phone situations where I'm able to help, I've found them to be generally positive, even if the person started off a little angry. It's the ones where you're stuck between company policy and an angry customer who also happens to be in the right where it really grinds you down. That said, there's only so much you can take of people coming in angry at you and having to cheer every single one of them up.