IB Customer Service is Poor

Quote from def:

Cscott, you obviously have not used the ticket system lately.

In regards to your above post:

1. wrong, you aren't limited to a certain amount of characters.

2. wrong again, the ticket system allows you to attach files

3. not sure about you but I type on the same keyboard for both the ticket system and the email system. granted you have to log into your acct mgmt to access the ticket system but it does provide a SECURE method of transmitting and storing information.

a. wrong again, all tickets are saved and you can review them by clicking on them. there is even a box that says "print" should you care to save a hard copy.

b. easier to keep track of for who? I certainly prefer when I call my bank, broker, credit card co, etc. that they can quickly review previous correspondence. the ticket system enables that functionality. the ticket system offers a vast improvement for IB CS to communicate amongst each other and for reps to quickly review current issues/queries from clients. regardless, I'll still state you are wrong as you can review all your tickets in the same place and also click on the setting to be notified via mail.

c. completely false

cscott, most clients do not fire off numerous email queries every day. In fact, most active clients have little need to contact IB CS on a regular basis. Looking at the big picture, we're confident most of our clients will find the ticket system a step in the right direction to providing better service. In any event, I urge you to please do a bit of homework on your side before posting or sending questions to customer service. In the end, that will benefit us all.
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Well, the things I mentioned did not work when I tried the ticket system, and it has not been that long ago. JFYI, I ALWAYS do my homework before I ask a question, and who said ANYTHING about firing off numerous emails EVERY day. I don't do that, and doubt many others do either.

Oh, and you forgot ...

d. you are not confined to typing in a small box TRUE
 
Quote from cscott:

JFYI, I ALWAYS do my homework before I ask a question
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LMAO ... and if anyone had any doubt they could check the first (dumbest ever question) and second (duh ... I just don't get da internet) posts from Cscott.

Scotty, you are a halfwit as well as a lowlife. :p
 
Quote from IBj:

Customer Service is the environment for which the expression "you can't please all the people all the time" was probably coined. IB's customer service is NOT perfect. But it's imperfection is not related to the fact that we don't spend time and $$ on it. Consider the following:
  • the quantity of data each CSR must know is HUGE. We are not running a Sears appliance support where there may be 20 questions covering 99% of the inquiries. No other broker anywhere has the diversity we offer and must support. Our website, which has as much info as we can get out, itself only covers a fraction of the inquiries we get on a daily basis. Imagine you had to know everything about: 6 asset classes, 57 different exchanges in 14 countries, thousands of different products, 25+ order types, risk management, margin rules, SMA, all our account types, security issues, liquidation systems and practices, market data issues, all the functionality of the TWS, etc. And I haven't even touched on the banking items like ACATS, ATON, ACH, etc or the thousands of variations on trade problems. The fact is not all of our CSRs are equally expert on all topics. We are still working on our inquiry routing systems which will optimize the pairing of the topic with the CSR who is both available and most knowledgeable on that topic.
  • Traders want answers NOW, not in 15 minutes. sometimes a CSR who is 90% confident of his answer will give it because the delay to get that certainty up to 99.9% is unsatisfying to our clients. We try to give the best answers as fast as possible but how long are you willing to wait to get a more perfect one?
  • Inquiry volume is not smooth. When something goes wrong, 10'000 people call all at the same time and 9900 of them will be upset because they have to wait. Then it will be quiet and we get to the answers in seconds. Suggestion: if the issue is not urgent, time your call to midday (1100-1400) in the time zone of the market you are trading, or IB desk you are calling.
  • Suggestion: don't send email. Aside from the fact that it is being desupported in a few weeks, it is the lowest priority for us. Use the web ticket system. I hear some complaints in this thread about these 'disappearing'. Look on the 'Inactive' tab. Try logging in to acct mgmt again. If there really is a problem, PM me because so far we have never seen a case of true disappearance. BTW, the web ticket system is the only system we are investing effort in.
  • We have suggestions on how to contact us for various topics. http://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/general/contact/bestService.php
  • Courtesy: Used to be a big problem. I think it has improved dramatically. People here agree, others don't. Let's not mix up being direct with being courteous. I have set the policy for CS to talk straight, directly and to the point. Answer the question and try to make yourself available for other clients. We get clients who want to meander through the service interaction like a Sunday walk, pleasant but without direction or purpose. IB does not support this, sorry. But let's be clear: I have zero tolerance for rudeness; efficiency and rudeness are not related.
  • Feedback: at the end of every Web ticket or chat interaction, clients are given the opportunity to rate the service experience. We are sending emails asking clients to rate specific recent service experiences. DO IT! Whether it was great, middling, or poor, tell us. That is the best way to improve things. Griping here on E-T will change little. Rating us from an emotional position is also not so useful. If it took too long but the answer was appropriate, make sure to distinguish what was good and bad. Rate us, good and bad. Then come back to this thread in 1-2 months here and see the reaction.
I am in charge of Client Operations for IB. Our entire business model is self-help, targeted to people who know are independent in both their trading and their support needs as much as possible:
* go first to our website for answers (the search is easy to use)
* check your own understanding of issues. Make sure you have all the facts and are prepared to be accurate with them and specific.
* THEN call/write us.

LASTLY, We are open to suggestions. If you have ideas or suggestions about our service channels (web-ticket, chat, or phone), you can email me via E-T or even add them to the IB suggestion system on our web site.
AND RATE US via the feedback systems.

IBJ
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And given how I hate to have displaced an important post. Here it is again. Cheers :)
 
Sorry, I need to qualify a previous statement I made: when using WebTicket, the opportunity to rate the service is presented when the issue is resolved, i.e. it is either closed by the CSR or the client.
If there is a back-and-forth dialogue, the issue is still open presumably, so it doesn't really make sense to rate the service.
 
Quote from cscott:

Look in the mirror, kiwi. Pot. Kettle. Very, very BLACK!
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It would be great if we could leave the name calling and other irrelevent posts in the playground sandbox.

I assume the thread started for a real reason. I am interested in the problem posed by the thread subject and not by who has the most 'colorful' vocabulary. IB contribution is intended to inform and learn from our clients and other intelligent commentators. Why would anyone want to be in the middle of a name calling exercise which helps nobody and, aside from some mild amusement factor, serves no purpose.
 
Quote from IBj:

It would be great if we could leave the name calling and other irrelevent posts in the playground sandbox.

I assume the thread started for a real reason. I am interested in the problem posed by the thread subject and not by who has the most 'colorful' vocabulary. IB contribution is intended to inform and learn from our clients and other intelligent commentators. Why would anyone want to be in the middle of a name calling exercise which helps nobody and, aside from some mild amusement factor, serves no purpose.
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I agree with you 100%. I have been trying to raise this problem to Baron's attention, among other reasons, because I am concerned that this type of behavour might discourage IB from continuing this sort of very productive interaction with its customers. I wrote about this problem in a feedback thread at http://elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=75750&perpage=6&pagenumber=1. My voice counts for very little, but maybe IB, and its concerned customers, should give some feedback to Baron, on how they would prefer to have discussions limited to serious participation and criticism, instead of abusive and juvenile behavour.
 
True story.
Question to IB."Can I buy pk stocks in my margin account?"
IB reply."Contact our trade desk for help selling your pk stocks".
 
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