Our company phone # is one digit off from the local hospital. That said, we get about 10-30 calls for the hospital a day. Some people hang up when we answer, and we know it was a hopital call. Some completely don't hear our spew when we answer (Thank you for calling <us> this is <victim> speaking, how may I help you?) and ask for a room number or to be transferred to whatever department. Some get really confused and ask if we are sure we are not the hospital. Some actually apologize. This was today's little treasure:
First thing in the morning, there is a lengthy message on our machine. The message it plays when it picks up clearly says our business name as well as our business hours. The message I recieved was as follows:
SC: "I'm allowed to talk to my mother! This is outrageous! This is Mr. Asshat calling and my number is xxx-xxxx, my mother is in room xxx, I want someone from the nurse's office to contact me IMMIDIATLY!" (Insert an additional 2-3 minute rant on how he can't believe hospitals have implemented answering machines, what if there was an EMERGENCY!?)
I deleted it.
I should have checked the caller ID on that, because I was caught unawares for this a bit later on:
**phone rings**
Me: "Thank you for calling <us> this is <me>, how may ---"
SC: "ROOM XXX."
Me: ".... I'm sorry, sir, you've reached <us>. The hospital's number is ---"
**click**
and then, not 5 secs later from same call ID:
Me: spew
SC: "Yeah, I need room xxx."
Me: ....
SC: "Hello?"
Any advice on what should have come forth from my mouth at this point? I was literally struck dumb. My brain still hurts. It could have probably been anything in the world besides an explanation that he dialed the wrong number, because that was obviously something physically impossible for him to comprehend/hear.
What I did say (and it felt mildly good, yet just short of being truly satisfying):
Me: "We. Are. Not. The. Hospital."
SC: .... **click**
First thing in the morning, there is a lengthy message on our machine. The message it plays when it picks up clearly says our business name as well as our business hours. The message I recieved was as follows:
SC: "I'm allowed to talk to my mother! This is outrageous! This is Mr. Asshat calling and my number is xxx-xxxx, my mother is in room xxx, I want someone from the nurse's office to contact me IMMIDIATLY!" (Insert an additional 2-3 minute rant on how he can't believe hospitals have implemented answering machines, what if there was an EMERGENCY!?)
I deleted it.
I should have checked the caller ID on that, because I was caught unawares for this a bit later on:
**phone rings**
Me: "Thank you for calling <us> this is <me>, how may ---"
SC: "ROOM XXX."
Me: ".... I'm sorry, sir, you've reached <us>. The hospital's number is ---"
**click**
and then, not 5 secs later from same call ID:
Me: spew
SC: "Yeah, I need room xxx."
Me: ....
SC: "Hello?"
Any advice on what should have come forth from my mouth at this point? I was literally struck dumb. My brain still hurts. It could have probably been anything in the world besides an explanation that he dialed the wrong number, because that was obviously something physically impossible for him to comprehend/hear.
What I did say (and it felt mildly good, yet just short of being truly satisfying):
Me: "We. Are. Not. The. Hospital."
SC: .... **click**
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