THE bus to THE casino!!

[Peppergirl]

I work in a travel call-center. We take calls from agencies all over the US.

Me - Duh
SC - Of course


Me: "Thanks for calling (agency with specific word TRAVEL in its name), this is Peppergirl. How can I help you?"

SC: "Yeah, what time does THAT bus leave for the casino? "

Me: "Ma'am, I think perhaps you have the wrong number. This is a travel agency"

SC: "Yeah, so what time does THE bus go to THE casino, then?"

Me: "Ma'am, I don't know what you mean."

SC: "Well, isn't this XYZ Travel???"

**It bears noting at this point that this is likely a small mom-and-pop agency in the middle of nowhere, and it's roughly 9pm on a Saturday night, so the odds of the agency being open would seem slim, TO ANYONE BESIDES AN SC, that is. There is also a recording that each agency plays on the weekends and after hours, explaining that the office is closed, but if this is a TRAVEL EMERGENCY, please push 1 (or whatever number) to be transferred to our emergency travel center.

Me: "Well, we are the emergency after hours travel line for many agencies around the US, so I'd be happy to help you if I can get some details from you."

SC: (getting all snippy) "So you're not going to tell me what time that bus goes to the casino, then?"

Me: (having lost my patience at this point) "Ma'am, as I've explained. We are the EMERGENCY after hours travel office for many agencies around the country. So I'm sorry that I have NO idea WHAT bus going to WHAT casino in WHAT state you're referring to."

SC: "Well!" *click*



Now keep in mind, as a customer service 'professional', I can deal with stupidity and confusion. I can even deal with you if you're being a bit of a bitch. But the minute you cross into that dreaded domain of being stupid AND a bitch, all bets are off.

I was perfectly polite and patient with this woman, and would have probably forgone my professionalism and googled the info for her, if only she had acted like a civilized human.

She's probably still sitting there scratching her head, clicking her tongue inside her slack-jawed mouth, trying to figure out how she's going to find out what time THE bus goes to THE casino.

[myswtghst]

I'm very much the same way, when I get wrong number calls, or calls for other departments at work. I understand that we're a huge corporation, and you seem to, so why can't you understand that I can't handle ALL the equipment we make?

I will often google a phone number for an outside agency if you called the wrong number, or transfer you/redirect you with a phone number for the proper department, but only if you can act decent. I didn't ask you to call me, I'm simply trying to do my job, and I can't help it that you're a git who dialed wrong.

[MisseLaneius]

I'm always amazed at how SCs call us to do their thinking and remembering for them.

I'm very similar - I often have to ask people where they have travelled (I work for a cashless tollway), and I don't mind them not knowing the entry and exit point. But the magical question, "What suburb did you start and finish in?" shouldn't be too much trouble to figure out.

Problem is, there are a lot of people in the world that are just too lazy to think. And that irks me.

[d962831]

oh but it was an emergency...to her. Wow, I don't know how, but it will never cease to amaze me at how hopeless some people can be. Ah sweet humanity, we're all F*CKED!

[Peppergirl]

I know, right? I've been doing this for so many years, but it still never fails to amaze me what constitutes an emergency to some people.

We routinely get calls late at night on a Saturday or Sunday, where someone has pressed they key to get us to inquire about cruise packages a year later. Bonus points when they get mad and yell when we inform them that they need to call their office during business hours.

[Shabo]

When I answered the operator phones at my school, we would occasionally have people calling up saying stuff like, "Transfer me to *such and such department that is incredibly busy at the time they are calling* and DON'T give me ANY VOICEMAIL!"

Which is exactly what I transferred them to. Look, buddy, even if I called over there, from within the university, I'm likely to get a voicemail myself. Don't call the billing office right before school starts expecting to get a human being on the phone. And don't yell at me for them being busy. I don't even know if they are actually in the office because they're in another building. Oy.

[princess4life]

SC: "Yeah, what time does THAT bus leave for the casino? "

Me: "Ma'am, I think perhaps you have the wrong number. This is a travel agency"

SC: "Yeah, so what time does THE bus go to THE casino, then?"

she may have been referrring to something we have here in Utah referred to as the Fun Bus. the bus takes you from some of the larger cities in Utah to Wendover and back. So you can drink while you are there and not worry about driving home or needing to drive yourself out there. Also they have games on the busses on the way out like bingo.

http://www.lebus.com/casinotours.htm

[Peppergirl]

she may have been referrring to something we have here in Utah referred to as the Fun Bus. the bus takes you from some of the larger cities in Utah to Wendover and back. So you can drink while you are there and not worry about driving home or needing to drive yourself out there. Also they have games on the busses on the way out like bingo.

http://www.lebus.com/casinotours.htm

Probably so. And if she would have quit being an SC long enough to at least tell me what state she was located in when I asked her, I might have been able to find the info for her.