I have to verify the STATE

[SnapAddict218]

There was another post about people that have a hard time with the states they are in, which reminded me of my former job. It was with a mortgage company, and every call I had to verify the complete property address. House number, street name (and title, avenue, blvd, road) city, STATE and zip code.

People would run though their address and usually leave the state out...some people would understand when I reminded them I had to verify *everything*. Most people would raise a stink (SHOCK!) A lot of our clients were in LA and we got to deal with Katrina (Dear God that was awful), but people would get down right mad when they said they lived in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreeveport or some other LA city and I would make them tell me what state that was in. "What are ya, stupid? New Orleans [yelling] LOUISIANA!!!!!!!!!!" (I know, but they are listening to all the calls...I have to ask that)

Or some other gems:

Me: Alright, please verify the city, state and zip code.
SC: KCMO
Me: Right...could please verify the full city state and zip?
SC: KC.........MO
Me: ...*sigh* Sir, I need the full name of the city and state
SC: [now pulling out the idiot voice] For the 3rd time, ok? LISTEN CAREFULLY: K.....C.....M......O.
Me: *audible sigh* Sir, I need you to say the FULL name of both city and state for verification. Please.
SC: (irritated) Oh hell! This is stupid! KANSAS CITY.....M...O...!
Me: ..................Sir....<twitch>...I'll ask you for the last time, I cannot continue untill you verify for me, by saying the full name of the state in which you live. This is for Verification, and I can not accept M.O. as a state name. As much as I would like to.......<twitch>....I can't
SC: Oh, MISSOURI. THERE can you wrap your feeble head around that? Kansas City, Missouri.
Me: Thank you...thats what I needed from the very beginning


Me: Asking the same question as before
SC: Bradford, P.A.
Me: (headdesk) Ok and verify for me the full name of the state please.
SC: Whaddya not hearin' me? I said (shouts) P.A.! Turn up ya head phones or somethin'
Me: Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Until
SC: You ah a pretty dumb broad aintcha? What is so haaad for you to comprehend about BRAD-FORD P. A.?
Me: *having enough* Sir, you have to verify the state name for me, not just give me the initials. Just say "pennsylvania" so that we can move on. OK?
SC: Oh, well why didn't you say so? pennsylvania!

That guy called back numerous times, and each time I had the identical conversation with him.

Also not acceptable when asked to verify city and state:
N.Y.C.
M.D.
D.C.
L.A.
And any stupid ass local nicknames for the area you live in. News Flash: I don't care.

[nekoro]

You're the stupid one? You?

...

[draggar]

I hope I never get you, the city I live in has 3 or 4 different names, depending on which utiity you're going by. :S

[MadonnaC]

El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Poriuncula, California

[SnapAddict218]

I hope I never get you, the city I live in has 3 or 4 different names, depending on which utiity you're going by. :S

Oh, yeah, I completly forgot about those. GOD FORBID you have a different town name on YOUR LOAN PAPERS. That makes me EXTRA stupid, dontcha know.

[felixxkatt]

somehow it never occurs to me to say "NY" as the state name. because it sounds stupid to me or something, it's awkward. i would always say "New York". . .

[TwoScoopsSciath]

I used to live in the DC area. Most people there aren't used to saying "Washington DC" on account of we's lazy.

[Imogene]

Me: Alright, please verify the city, state and zip code.
<snip>
N.Y.C.
D.C.

Where'd the zip code go?
To the customers, second off, NYC and DC aren't exactly states.

[Will-Mun]

I used to live in the DC area. Most people there aren't used to saying "Washington DC" on account of we's lazy.

Shouldn't you technically say "Washington District of Columbia?"

[CurlyLocks]

somehow it never occurs to me to say "NY" as the state name. because it sounds stupid to me or something, it's awkward. i would always say "New York". . .

Here in PA we often just say "PA" and it sounds normal, but "NY" definitely doesn't sound right.

[ThePhoneGoddess]

El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Poriuncula, California

Nice---my home town's full name is La Villa Real de Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asis, en la Camino Real, Nuevo Mexico.

[cpux]

Just be glad you're not from Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysilio gogogoch. Just try pronouncing that, let alone entering it into a database.

(Yes, the place exists, in Wales, and yes, I C&P'd the name cause there's no way I could spell all that)

[Jester]

I have to say, in your customers' defense, that is a pretty stupid policy you have that they have to say the full name of the state when you already know it from what they have said.

Don't get me wrong, I am not defending the people who are being a-holes about it, but if they say P.A. and you know that that is Pennsylvania, why would they have to say it? Mind you, I am not criticizing YOU, merely the POLICY.

Myself and many other Zonies often refer to our home state as A.Z. I know here in Florida they often say F.L.A. (Not F.L. though.)

Places like KC, NYC, DC, and L.A. are often referred to as much by their initials if not more so than their full names. I mean, honestly, I most people I know say "L.A.", not "Los Angeles."

Also most people I know refer to Vegas, not Las Vegas. Or St. Pete, not St. Petersburg. Or Philly instead of Philadelphia.

Again, not criticizing you at all, you're just doing your job. It just seems like an idiotic policy.

[SnapAddict218]

Again, not criticizing you at all, you're just doing your job. It just seems like an idiotic policy.

Oh Jester it is! Believe me, it is. The Nazi's I worked for would give you an auto-fail if you couldn't pry the complete state name out of the caller, should they be auditing the call. Jacktard says "Bradford P.A. 123456", they hear that and fail my ass for not fully verifying SECURITY. 3 auto fails and your butts out on the curb! Yeah, that's right, you blow past the ssn and start giving loan level information you are in the same amount of trouble as some one who can't get the asshat on the other line to realize that I need him to say the state's name.

What I don't understand is why it's so hard for people to say the complete words after I ask them to.

[Jester]

They won't let you confirm it in the following way?

YOU: "And your city, state, and zip code please?"
CALLER: "Phoenix, A.Z., 85001"
YOU: "That's Phoenix, Arizona, is that correct sir?"
CALLER: "Yes."

It just seems it would make more sense and be less, oh, I don't know....stupid.