It's called the internet, use it you lazy ignoramous!

[Gimli]

Can't really go into too much detail about what I do without giving away where I work, but suffice it to say that it involves a fair amount of customization and prolonged and involved contact with customers on site. I frequently handle multiple customers at a time, am adept at it, and have been told that I could sell sand to a desert dweller. That said, this is what happened tonight:


I was waiting on 2 people on site, not a horribly busy night, when the phone rang. Now, normally I'll answer and if it's a quick question I'll handle it and go back to the people I have face to face. If it's pretty involved, I'll jot down name and number and call the phone customer back. This guy was one of the customers I dread to get on the phone. Not only could I not break away from him, he wanted me to check specific features for him over the phone. Now, he volunteered the information that he was logged into our website while he was talking to me. AND HE'S ASKING ME FOR INFO THAT HE HAS ON THE SCREEN RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIS FACE.


Cast:

Lazy Assed Dude: LAD
Store Manager who wants to throttle LAD: SM


LAD: Yes, I need some information on your event guest books
SM: Yes, sir. What questions did you have?
LAD: The 'specific style' is generic, yes? No wedding stuff on it?
SM: Yes, that's right.
LAD: What type of lines are on the pages? Are they specific? (FYI, this info is on the website)
SM: Sir, I'm sorry but I have a couple of customers here that I was waiting on previously. Let me get your name and number and I'll call you back as soon as I get them squared away.
LAD: No, I need this info now. Tell me what the pages look like.
SM: Sir, you're on our website now, right? Okay, you should be able to click on the item and see the pages. In the meantime, let me get your number so I can call you right back.
LAD: How many pages are in the book?
SM: Sir, I'm sorry but I don't know right off the top of my head. The website should list that info.
LAD: Go count it for me.
SM: Sir, I'm sorry but I am not able to do that for you right now. Let me get your number so I can call you back, please.
LAD: Why don't you know?
SM: Sir, please let me get your number so I can call you back.
LAD: If I came in this evening, I'll be able to wait while you do my order, right?
SM: Unfortunately, no, Sir. Our process takes a little time to complete. The fastest we could have it for you would be tomorrow evening if you ordered this evening.
LAD: Thanks for nothing.


I have to say, both the on site customers I was assisting were wonderfully patient through this whole thing. One was a regular who has seen me deal with this type of thing before and has stated that she doesn't know how I avoid throwing things at some of the idiots I deal with. The other had a really good sense of humor and his remarks about LAD just cracked me up.

[Food Lady]

I love when the good customers support you. I have some of those and they are wonderful.

[XCashier]

I just can't comprehend the mindset of people who refuse to even look at the directions. It's the same as the people who can't figure out how to work self-scans, even when the computer has the directions both written on the screen and spoken audibly. How does it make it better to have a living person tell you what to do when you will not read the instructions written right in front of your face?!

[emax4]

Couldn't you have just set the phone down on the counter without hanging it up? Let him talk to himself and hear silence while you handle custys. He might think you're looking the information up when in reality you're helping said customers in front of you. Management can't yell at you since you haven't hung up on him, and you're already helping customers. I would think that would earn you some multitask points or something.

[PepperElf]

yeah but he'd probably notice that you were talking to other customers etc. and then complain that you were helping other people not him etc.

[Sonoma]

Plus, he'd still complain that he'd been 'disconnected'.

[Pixilated]

I just can't comprehend the mindset of people who refuse to even look at the directions. It's the same as the people who can't figure out how to work self-scans, even when the computer has the directions both written on the screen and spoken audibly. How does it make it better to have a living person tell you what to do when you will not read the instructions written right in front of your face?!

Because these people are WAAAAY too important to, you know, actually read directions or look stuff up themselves! That's what lowly paid peons are for!

As for the self-scans ... have to admit I was very wary of them at first. My solution was simple -- go to the checkouts with people at them! (Yes, I can now use the self-scans without sidling up to them like a small prey animal to a cat ... )

[MoonCat]

He's a jerk who gets off on making people do things for him that he could do just as easily himself. It's a power trip.

[Gimli]

He's a jerk who gets off on making people do things for him that he could do just as easily himself. It's a power trip.

Exactly. Fortunately, I was following company procedure and my DM backs us so long as we do that and remain courteous. The guy was a jackass.

[TonyDonuts]

I just can't comprehend the mindset of people who refuse to even look at the directions. It's the same as the people who can't figure out how to work self-scans, even when the computer has the directions both written on the screen and spoken audibly. How does it make it better to have a living person tell you what to do when you will not read the instructions written right in front of your face?!

I've got employees who refuse to look at the instructions. For anything.

As near as I can tell, because when I ask for an explanation I get blank stares, they seem to believe that written instructions may be part of an elaborate practical joke, diabolically designed to make them look and feel stupid.

"Well, I saw what it said, but I wasn't sure if that's what you wanted done," is something I hear a lot. A lot.

Whereas verbal instructions from an authority figure must be good and valid and right. Right?

So something I now ask people in interviews is, "Can you read and follow written instructions, or do you need somebody to read them to you?"

[Argabarga]

I get that a lot too.

Now, granted, pretty much EVERYONE I have to deal with already failed the "read the instructions" test because they ignored the NO PARKING sign. But, it gets even better (read: worse) when they come in and can't follow further instructions like

* Have a form of payment ready, cash credit or debit. I already told you on the phone we don't take checks, so don't whip your checkbook out and then get angry. Also, don't say we can just "mail you a bill" later, that also was NOT an option I gave you over the phone.

* Ask for a manager, despite the fact I told you on the phone (seeing a pattern here?) that there isn't one in until the morning.

* Call someone on your cellphone and demand I talk to them. I don't care who's on the other end, they aren't relevant to this conversation. YOU need to give ME $115. Nowhere in that transaction are any 3rd parties required or desired. There's nothing I can say to them that I haven't already said to you.

* Get lost on your way to the impound lot. I told you to walk out the front door, turn left, and follow the wooden fence to the steel gate. So why did you turn right into the employee parking lot and bitch at me that "my car isn't here!"? or Cross the street? Or walk past the gate, down the hill a whole block, and then call me up angry that I mislead you?

* People who ask for turn-by-turn directions on how to get here. Sorry, I don't have the time to talk you in like ATC. There's no excuse these days for not being able to find a place given a street address, the phone you're calling me from now likely is GPS and Google equipped, make do with the tools society is giving you. Unfortunately, the easier you make it, the more people secede their critical thinking skills so they still don't have to do any "work" and you literally get folks who can't add 2 and 2.

[XCashier]

Unfortunately, the easier you make it, the more people secede their critical thinking skills so they still don't have to do any "work" and you literally get folks who can't add 2 and 2.

I think you've hit the mark there. Things are too easy nowadays, and the logic and critical thinking areas of too many people's brains have atrophied. The prophecy of Idiocracy is coming true, much earlier than the movie predicted.

[earl colby pottinger]

Blame

Another reason is to have someone else to blame if they do anything wrong.

Do it themselves and it is their fault if they mess up.

But if they talk to someone no matter how disconnected to their problem it is always the person they talked to fault that things went wrong.