I JUST had a conversation with my boss about this yesterday.

[Food Lady]

As many of you know, when you are on the phone you most likely have to secure/verify information before helping someone with an account. This has been my weakness and yesterday when going over my stats with my boss it was brought up. I've been correcting that. I am required to get the caller's name, company, account number, and email or phone. I have to no matter what they're calling about.

This morning I had a woman call about getting a tax form. I asked for the account number. She didn't have it. Well, I can get it from an invoice number, but she didn't have that either. She asked why I needed it since she didn't need any information about the account itself. I told her I was required to get this information on every call. She said something about she didn't know why; "it's public knowledge." I thought, Your account number is public knowledge??
I don't remember how, but I was able to figure out that she had a rental, not a lease contract, so she was in the wrong department anyway. I could've just skipped it all at risk of getting dinged and told her she could find the form on our website, but I still needed to look at her account to see *which form* she needed anyway. So I told her I needed to get her to the rental department. [I don't have access to anything to do with rentals. I'm dedicated to leasing accounts.]
Well, cue catbutt face I couldn't see. The hold was 20 minutes over there. She wanted a supervisor and I said sure, it would be a couple of minutes. I waited for one to be free, but anyone available was helping someone else or on a call. I went back to check on my customer and she'd hung up. Good. [/Grumpy Cat]

I feel for her, but if I don't verify stuff I can lose my job. It doesn't matter if it's stupid or not.

[csquared]

I think that she meant that the form was public knowledge.

As for company policy, I am thinking that this post should have gone in MIM.

[Food Lady]

I think that she meant that the form was public knowledge.

Oh, that makes sense. So then she should've looked it up instead of waiting on hold for a half hour.

[csquared]

Yes, she should have. And anyone with two brain cells to rub together, would have found it themselves.

[Food Lady]

Yes, she should have. And anyone with two brain cells to rub together, would have found it themselves.

I was talking about this with a coworker and she said one of her customers said just that. Her customer was upset because she figured the high call volume was "people too stupid to google" She wasn't angry at my CW, but the other customers.

[csquared]

But then again, it does help keep most of us employed.

[Ironclad Alibi]

[I don't have access to anything to do with rentals. I'm dedicated to leasing accounts.]

Wait a minute. There is a difference between leasing and renting? I always thought they were different words for the same thing.

[Food Lady]

Wait a minute. There is a difference between leasing and renting? I always thought they were different words for the same thing.

So did I. A lease is more binding in that it involves a signed contract that requires payment for a certain amount of time. If you cancel early you still have to pay out all the time period and our company will charge and early termination fee. Our rentals are usually verbal agreements and the rate can change, whereas with a lease it's the same payment always.

[Sliceanddice]

Generally Leases have contacts that are renegotiable and nenewable while rentals have strict bind non-negotiable contracts.

I.E. you please an apartment as a place of residence and rent a vacation place for a trip.