NRA Phone Teller Rude with Me

[357-RevolverGuy]

I'm really upset about this and felt like I need to share. I've been a proud standing member with the NRA for years and was always paying for the yearly or 3 year membership fees. It was through this forum that I had heard about them offering the $300 upgrade to Life Member. So after pay day this weekend I went ahead and called in earlier tonight to become a Life Member. Understand, $300 for me is still a lot of money. I saved up for it. I'm in my early 30s and have bills and a car payment.

What I dealt with was at first a very kind lady who spoke with me for about 5 minutes. She explained that she wasn't able to get me the discount and that I would have to be transfered to another teller in order to get that offer.

So I waited about a minute and was transfered to the next teller. What I ended up getting was a lady that kept talking too fast. She sounded like she was a robot who was reading everything on a screen and I am being serious, she would just keep talking, sometimes interrupting me when I would ask her to repeat herself or to slow down. I had a very hard time understanding her on the phone. She'd just jumble words together without even pausing. Imagine someone speaking like this, "hellowhatcanIdoforyou,holdaminutewhileIgetyouraddress..canIgettheaccountnumber?" It was becoming very frustrating and took us 10 minutes just to verify my account number and address.

I was trying very hard to maintain my politeness. I mean I've always thought highly of the NRA and imagined that as a member who was willing to pay $300 to help a cause he believes in, that the teller would have been considerate enough to slow down and talk to me at a comfortable pace.

Things just seem to get worse. I had to put her on speaker phone because I could not understand what she was asking me or saying. It sounded like she was trying to do many things at once and then mumbling things, hurrying me up to give her my credit card number.

Finally, after much back and forth I was able to give her the card number. I had to repeat it 3 times. The first two times she kept reading me back numbers that were incorrect. The first time she only got the first 2 (out of 16 numbers) right.

I couldn't take it anymore so I had to interrupt her and just tell her how I felt. I said, "Maam, I don't want to sound rude but I cannot understand a word you are saying. I am trying my hardest but I need for you to SLOW down. Stop talking to me so fast. You talk too fast and you are mumbling things and I am trying to ask questions and you just keep interrupting me..." She was quiet at first and then responded, "Sorry. I am talking too fast..." And then, she just kept at it again. This time, after taking my card number she had the audacity to ask me if I wanted to donate to the NRA fund. I declined, then she asked me about donating to some Sandy Hook thing... oh man by this point I was just mad. All I heard at the end of the conversation was that I should be getting something in the mail in a few weeks. No "thank you", no, "glad to have you become a Life Member, sir..." Nothing. I feel like I just called the electric company and paid a bill. But even the electric company sometimes acts like they care...

Does anyone know if there's a number or site I can leave a complaint? I hate to do that but I am really upset.

 

[Moonman]

Tom Gresham of GunTalk radio had an NRA hotline setup.
1-888-678-7894
You get right through usually, the $300 deal.
It may take 10 days or so before your membership shows LIFE
on your NRA membership status.
It took a few days for my Credit Card to be charged also.
This was all hand written info, not computerized.
You are also dealing with CALL CENTERS usually.

I don't of a complaint number, they've been swamped with new members and upgrading member requests.

 

[radar1972]

I'm guessing it's a Call Center, too. But that's still no excuse. You need to let NRA know what happened.

 

[quneur]

I think I talked to that gal once when I called my doctor to set up an appointment. Took me nearly a half hour just to get my name right and its a very simple name. My mother was there and kept saying to talk more clearly. How more clear can you get when saying, 'Sam'?

 

[amazingflapjack]

Don't know the person, or their name, but it sounds like speed to me.

 

[DeathGrip]

I've called them several times and it's been my pleasure. I kept it brief and got to the point and they did as well. The last one was great and fixed me right up. I told him that I didn't want to waste his time but we made small talk just the same.

He was an American for sure. Think about that. Really? Do we think the call center is from India?

Where do you think this rep was from?

 

[357-RevolverGuy]

Well I have no idea where that lady was from. I kept trying to see if I could pick up an accent or something. She sounded like she was on drugs or eating a banana.

I went ahead and sent the NRA an email. They have a form that let's you contact them on their website. I got an email kicked back that said a representative would be contacting me shortly. I'll let you know if I hear anything back.

 

[Evil Dog]

She also works for several of the "Computer Tech Support" services.

 

[BlueOvalBandit]

Tom Gresham of GunTalk radio had an NRA hotline setup.
1-888-678-7894

I'm in the same boat as the OP with money and Ladder13 was sponsoring members for the $300 life deal that was as good as it gets. I spent close to 4 hours on hold over a couple days trying to get through. Then back on January 10th when I first heard of this through Gun Talk I called that number and got right through. Spoke to a really nice lady took my info, it took until Jan 27th to charge my card, so I imagine they've been swamped when the word got out.

 

[rwsmith]

Pretty bad

That's pretty bad and I bet you have a terrific headache. It's no excuse for how she acted but it's possible that they are as overwhelmed as everybody else having anything to do with guns. She does sound like she was about to freak out.

On a good note, I had a call to RCBS where the person talking sounded like she didn't have time to talk to me. She said if I returned a part she would send me the replacement and an extra different piece. All of this in a very big hurry of course. I thought sarcastically 'sure they'll do that' and I waited for something in the mail. Just about when I was ready to give up and just order another part, the package came in the mail with everything just like the lady said. I was pleasantly shocked!

 

[cussedemgun]

"NRA phone teller rude with me"

I will admit that as I age, I get harder of hearing & grouchier. When trying to do business on the phone I will start with "who am I speaking to?". If you have to ask them to speak louder, or slower, more than twice, I will call them by name & ask to speak to a supervisor.

Guarenteed, you will get respect & compliance, or they will hang up (but remember the "calls recorded thingie") plus you have their name.

I am polite to others & appreciate the same in return. In a business contact, I will not put up with rudeness.

'Nuff said!

 

[FishingPilot]

There's always one that has some issues. She could have been working long hours and was hyped up on 5 Hour Energy or the like. I've setup systems for call centers before. By looking up your account number, they should be able to see all of the calls you've made and who handled them. If you want to file a complaint, they can find out who you were talking to easy enough.

 

[handejector]

CLICK.

Good Lord, people.

HANG UP the phone.
Redial the number.
The chances of getting the same idiot are 1,000,000/1.
Sure, you might lose some hold time, but which is less aggravating???

I've done it a bunch!
Especially helpful when trying to reach the Betty in New Delhi that I can understand.

 

[sipowicz]

My mom always told me that a person is not being rude to you...they are being rude to the 500 people before you...




"NRA, this is Betsy Johnson...how may I offer excellent service to you gun loving people of America?"

 

[walkin jack]

I had a call from them...a guy said his name was Chris. I'm sure hoping it wasn't THE Chris. He was down right insulting and tried his best to make me feel like a bad American because I don't have hundreds of dollars to donate.

Did I mention he was very very pushy? He was very very pushy! Aggressive strong-arm types never get anywhere with me. I finally had to cut him loose. I was furious and called the main number on my membership card.

I don't remember who I talked to but he was most sympathetic and apologetic and promised me that it would never happen again. And it hasn't after over a year.

One thing I believe is important here is for us to not lose sight of just what the NRA does for us and that it does cost money. I read now and then where some members drop out because they are angry with a high-pressure solicitor but I would hope that cooler heads might prevail.

I appreciate the NRA and all they do. It can't be easy. But I would never discontinue my membership over some of their aggressive money collecting tactics. It wold be like the old parable: cutting off your nose to spite your face. Lets stay in focus here and keep our priorities in order.

Just my 2 cents..........

 

[mc5aw]

You can't hold a personal grudge against a phone rep who is merely reading off a menu of things to say. Speaking too fast? Okay, I get that. Mumbling? I get that too. But asking about donating to various causes is NOT her doing; it's a requirement of her phone duties. Add in that she works for a low wage, and has to repeat the same rap all day long to countless people. Cut her some slack; why complain about something so trivial when there are big things in life to worry about. Like the Boss said, hang up and redial if you don't care for whom you're speaking with.

 

[357-RevolverGuy]

You guys are right. I'm sorry if I sounded like I was upset with the NRA. I have no intention to drop membership, I really do appreciate what they do (especially in these times.) I was just upset with the way the call was handled. I guess I had been worked up about upgrading to Life Member since first hearing about the discount offer in January. The past few weeks I had been saving money and waiting to make that call and then when I did, the experience sort of left me feeling let down. I sent them an email but I don't expect anything in return, just want them to know that customer service does still leave first impressions.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Somewhere out in Forum cyberspace....

RANT: I work at the NRA membership call center and these gun owners are driving me nuts! Half of them don't listen and the other half are deaf from shooting guns. If I dare take a breath while describing the membership benefits, they interrupt and start telling me stories about broccoli and expired ChapStick.

 

[dpowers311]

When I encounter someone (usually a young lady)talking fast I speak real slow, the faster they talk the slower I talk. They catch on pretty fast and slow down. They do get frustrated.

 

[BigCityChief]

Somewhere out in Forum cyberspace....

RANT: I work at the NRA membership call center and these gun owners are driving me nuts! Half of them don't listen and the other half are deaf from shooting guns. If I dare take a breath while describing the membership benefits, they interrupt and start telling me stories about broccoli and expired ChapStick.

LOL!! You put a big smile on my face after a long day at work - great sense of humor!