Wherein I hang up on a guest

[bhskittykatt]

So last night I take a call from a guest. He has some trouble articulating what exactly he's trying to do but after a minute I figure out there's a block of rooms booked by someone else and he's picking one of them up.

At this point in time, I'm the only one at the desk.

Right then a guest comes up to my desk so I ask to put him on hold, and at first he's okay with it. I put the caller on hold, answer a quick question asked by the guest in front of me, and as I'm about to go back to my call, four people walk into my lobby to check-in (carpool for a group conference). They're my priority, so I'm going to have to call the guest on the phone back.

Me *returning to the call*: "Thank you for holding. I'm sorry but some other guests just arrived in my lobby. Can I get your name and number and I can call you back as soon as I finish checking them in?"
SC: "No, this is the only time I can call. I'm very busy!"
Me: "I'm sorry, but I do have guests in my lobby that need assistance. If I can get your number..."
SC: "You can assist me! I'm on the phone with you right now. Can't you just help me?"

At this point more guests walk in, this time a family with a couple kids who aren't crying yet but look like they're tired and getting close to.

Me: "Sir, I'm very sorry but I'm going to have to call you back shortly as soon as I take care of the guests standing in front of me. Can I please get a name and number to call you back at?"
SC: "I don't see why you can't help me now. I was on the phone first! You just need to..."
Me: *eye twitch* "I'm sorry, if I can't call you back then you'll just have to call me again in half an hour." *click*
*heavy sigh*

Guest checking in: "Wow. You know, you sounded pretty reasonable there."
Me: "Thank you. Now, how are you this evening?"

I quickly get the guest checked in (I was expecting to get hit with waves of carpools for the conference throughout the evening, so I already had keys pre-made and was all set to expedite the check-ins).

As I checked in the second guest, I got a phone call from the same area code as my previous caller. I answered and immediately asked to place the caller on hold. They hung up on me. The second check-in saw me shake my head as I hung up the phone and laughed since he figured out what was going on.

I sent a quick email to my manager after explaining what happened in case the guy called back. Manager emailed me back thanking me for the heads up and also thanking me for taking care of the lobby guests first, so I'm in the clear.

[RealUnimportant]

Never fails to surprise me how many people cannot recognise that those in front of you are more important than anyone else, especially those who aren't even contributing to your company's income... le sigh.

[earl colby pottinger]

Busy

And the reason the guy on the phone says he must be dealt with is that he is a very busy person.

However, it is clear the person at the front desk is also a busy person.

The busies cancel each other out and he just becomes another customer, and you are always suppose to handle the closest customer first.

[AmbrosiaWriter]

I've been put on hold for varying reasons over my course of phone talking. I just set my phone onto speaker and then go about doing other things, and when I hear the person talk to me again I take it off speaker and continue as was.

Being on hold does not mean you have to just stand there with the phone to your ear with your entire life on hold, dumb bunnies.

[Teefies2]

I've been put on hold for varying reasons over my course of phone talking. I just set my phone onto speaker and then go about doing other things, and when I hear the person talk to me again I take it off speaker and continue as was.

Being on hold does not mean you have to just stand there with the phone to your ear with your entire life on hold, dumb bunnies.

Well, actually in the Dark Ages..... when there were only landline phones <gasp!> you DID have to stand there with the phone to your ear - there was no *speaker* either. But I digress .... good for you for taking care of the guests in front of you first!

Now get offa mah lawn

[eltf177]

Agreed, the customer in the store is far more important than the might-be-one on the phone, even if in this case he was a customer he's still not there and others are.

Buy a clue, moron - when the rep says they're busy and will call you back you're _not_ going to get good service from a harried employee. Just wait and you'll get better service and not a rush job where without fail things get overlooked, which BTW is _your_ fault for making them rush but of course you will blame on them...

[prjkt]

Had a similar situation while working the entertainment counter at the Mart of K.

"I need you to see if you have these DVDs in stock (rattles off a list)"
"Sorry mate, it'll be about five minutes before I can check for you, I have a large queue here"
"WHAT? I made the effort to call up and you will check before I waste my time coming down"
"Unfortunately for you, people that make the effort to come into the store take priority"

[Android Kaeli]

^This so much.

When I worked more at Random Craft Store, especially when I was on register duty, I'd get people calling to play Twenty Questions. I don't mind answering or asking questions but if I repeatedly have to tell you I need to transfer you to someone else, don't be a stupid idiot and start screeching to me that you don't want to be transferred. Because one of two things will happen: I will put you on hold and page someone to take the call, or I will 'miss' the hold button and 'accidentally' hang up on you.

[shanarocks]

The refusal to be transferred is the worst. Sometimes they get transferred a few times by the time they reach me. I get the frustration but if it's something I tell you I can't help with for lack of the program to get it done with but this other dept has it, then fighting me on getting transferred wont get you any closer to a resolution....

[mhkohne]

The refusal to be transferred is the worst. Sometimes they get transferred a few times by the time they reach me. I get the frustration but if it's something I tell you I can't help with for lack of the program to get it done with but this other dept has it, then fighting me on getting transferred wont get you any closer to a resolution....

If they refuse transfer startbtalking about sports or something. When they ask what's going on, you tell them that since you can't help them, and they won'tblet you transfer them, you thought you'd fill the time with casual conversation.

[Mr Hero]

I remember a staff meeting where we were asked who was more important between guests in the lobby and guests on the phone. The "correct" answer was they were equally important. Not sure I quite buy into that now that I've worked the industry for several years. Besides, the needs of many outweigh the needs of the one.

[notalwaysright]

I remember a staff meeting where we were asked who was more important between guests in the lobby and guests on the phone. The "correct" answer was they were equally important. Not sure I quite buy into that now that I've worked the industry for several years. Besides, the needs of many outweigh the needs of the one.

Here's the thing, if both are really treated as if they are equal, then everyone should be placed in line equally. Because right now, I feel like people on the phone are treated better. I know I've said this before, sorry, but it irritates me.

At our store, if we're really busy we tell them that we have no one available, and sometimes even tell them about how many people are in line. "I'm sorry, I have no one available to help you, every associate is at the register and the line is about 25 people long." People call back, specifically to complain. But we'd get complaints if we took the call, too. We sometimes get people angry that we even answered the phone at all.

[raudf]

All of this is because corporations no longer want to hire enough people to deal with both phones and counter. At MW repair, there had to be two of us at all times, so when one was handling the phone, the other could tend the counter. Our manager's rule was the customer at the counter is more important, but if you can at least answer the phone and put that customer on hold, you should. We had a different answer than that... we'd put empty lines (because we had like six phone lines to two people!) on hold "ghosting" 'em when he wasn't there.

Got less chewings due to lines being busy than we did when we answered and put them on hold!

[Dentarthurdent]

One time when I worked front desk I had about 8 different parties waiting in line at the desk and got a phone call.
"<my hotel> Front Desk, could you please hold?"
"<bitchy growl> NO!"
"*sweetly* Okay!! <CLICK>."
I was mortified that I'd done that for about two seconds and then moved on with my day. She never did call us back.

[blas]

So wait, he called back and hung up on you? Like, for revenge?

What was he, 15?