The double debit on the billing line
Puja works in a Guwahati BPO on a mobile-network billing process. Her call is from a customer whose 299-rupee recharge failed but whose bank shows two debits of 299 rupees on the same day. The customer is shouting, says he has called three times, and threatens to post on social media. Puja's screen shows one successful recharge and one failed attempt; the failed amount should auto-reverse in 48 hours, but the customer's bank statement already shows both debits. Her supervisor is in a meeting, the queue has 14 waiting calls, and a colleague offers to 'check the number on his personal WhatsApp' because the CRM is slow.
1. Write the first 60–90 seconds of Puja's response: what she should say, what she must verify, and what she must not promise.
Read the worked answer
She should open calmly: 'Thank you for holding, Mr ___. I can hear this has happened three times and that is frustrating. I will check the two 299-rupee transactions now and explain exactly what I can see.' Then verify identity using the approved questions, not a full Aadhaar number or an OTP. She should confirm the mobile number, the date and time of the recharge, the payment method and the last four digits of the bank account or card, and read back the two transaction references.
She must not promise an instant refund, because the screen shows a 48-hour auto-reversal process and the bank may post it later. She can say what is expected: one recharge succeeded, one failed, and the failed amount is normally reversed within 48 hours. She should give a reference number and explain the next step. She must not argue about the social-media threat or admit fault on behalf of the bank without evidence.
2. How should Puja respond to her colleague's offer to check the number on personal WhatsApp, and what should she do about escalation?
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She should decline the offer. Customer data must stay in approved systems, and a personal WhatsApp account is not an authorised channel: it leaves a record outside the company, risks a data-protection breach and could expose the customer to further contact. She should tell the colleague politely that she will log the issue in the CRM and use the approved escalation route.
Because the supervisor is unavailable, Puja should create or update a ticket with the two transaction IDs, the customer's verified details, the bank statement claim and the auto-reversal timeline, then escalate to the back-office or on-duty team leader according to the process. She should tell the customer the ticket number and the expected callback time. With 14 calls waiting, she should be efficient but not skip verification or close the call prematurely; quality and data handling matter more than clearing the queue.
3. Draft the closing part of the call and the follow-up actions. How should Puja balance the 48-hour SLA with the customer's demand for an immediate fix?
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The close should summarise: 'I have recorded both transactions, the failed one is due for auto-reversal within 48 hours, and your reference is ___. If the amount is not credited by ___, call us with this number and we will escalate it as a failed-reversal case.' She should confirm the customer's preferred callback number and whether a callback is appropriate, thank him and end politely.
She cannot create an instant bank reversal, so honesty about the SLA is better than a false promise. She should explain what she can control: the ticket, the escalation and the follow-up. After the call she should update the CRM, flag the repeated-contact history, set a reminder for the SLA expiry and pass the case to the back office if the bank statement is attached. If the customer remains abusive, she should follow the escalation and call-handling policy rather than continue alone.