Are you pond life or a platinum partner?

[mandy]

Computer systems are being used to snub you more effectively, depending on your value to the company you're calling.

This is how it works. In the customer record is a field that rates your importance, based on your spending power. If you have deep pockets, you may merit a "1", marking you as first-class customer whose calls should be answered pronto by a senior customer service agent.

The same field, in the record of a poor customer, might contain a 3, which tells the system to treat you like a third-class customer (or pond life, as one IT executive described non-priority customers). The system will put you to the back of the queue. If you eventually get through, your call will be routed to the cheapest call centre...

This is achieved through customer relationship management (CRM) systems, the databases of customer information that companies exploit to "cross-sell" or "up-sell". It's 10 times cheaper to sell to existing customers than it is to find new ones...

full article: http://technology.guardian.co.uk/weekly/...67,00.html

[sneakymagenta]

I'm sure my file says [glow=red,2,300]POND LIFE [/glow] in big blinking letters.  :'(

[dnc_ont]

Well, that sure explains a lot about my life.

Bastards.

[stardust]

[quote author=sneakymagenta link=topic=2907.msg10377#msg10377 date=1141583225]
I'm sure my file says [glow=red,2,300]POND LIFE [/glow] in big blinking letters.  :'(
[/quote]
I thought the correct title was "Pond SCUM" .... 

[amy]

If you eventually get through, your call

There must be a level below pond scum for customers who are pushed to the webforms only service line--like on eBay.