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or "how I discovered getting pissed off at work first thing in the morning works better than cofee" - but that was too long!
My company is contracted by others to provide roadside assistance. For example, that neat little offer by your cell phone company to add roadside assistance for x amount of dollars a month - yeah. When you call your cell phone company to utilize that service - they send the call to us.
Usually its not too much of a problem, however, there are plenty of times where things get lost in translation. Your little phone company is not really on "real time" with us. Sometimes, they operate telling you an arrival time, then we will call you back with a more accurate one. Sometimes its sooner, sometimes, its not.
I called such a person to tell them that their service was going to be between now and 9am. This is 45 minutes later than her provider told her. Shit happens.
But, OH NO! Not to her it doesn't. This can't be!
It went something like this....
(AL - ass lady)
ME: *explains name of service provider and time of arrival*
AL: WHAT? But ***** told me 8:15.
ME: I understand, but those times are not guaranteed. Depending on service calls, it took be extended.
AL: I HAVE to be at church at 9:00!!! They have to be here and gone in time for me to go to church.
(Now, I'm sorry, needing to be at church is just another one of those instances that we do not consider an emergency. Unless you are late for a wedding and you are actually the bride, groom, or the person with the rings - then MAYBE we'll prioritize your service call)
ME: I do apologize for the increase, but the driver is possibly on another call and needs time to finish.
AL: Well, (the service call was for a key make) if I provide you with my VIN number, can they make it on the way here.
(first of all, there are just so many things wrong with believing that the locksmith could operate his key making machines AND drive. I have a novel idea - don't lose your freakin' keys!)
ME: (already knowing the answer - but just wanting to be evil and put her on hold to stew - my bad - but it's early!) Ma'am, when the driver gets there, they usually have to do more than just merely make a key. Sometimes, there's work they have to do to the door panel to ensure the key will work.
AL: Well, heres what I'm going to tell you. ****** told me 8:15. Now, you're telling me 9:00am. This is unacceptable. You work for *****, you need to call ****** and tell them the ACTUAL time you are running.
ME: Ma'am, that's not how it works. We get the call and we call the person who needs the service.
AL: No! You need to call ***** and tell them the REAL TIME!
ME: Ma'am, there is no guarantee on the "real time". That's why we call you. The times are different for every call.
AL: GET ME YOUR SUPERVISOR!
ME: Fine, but they will explain to you the same thing.
AL: We'll see about that. GET me your supervisor, I know you are not there alone.
(Oh, how badly I wanted to say,"Well, yes I am. I run the entire operation by myself for 10 hours on Sunday" But I just immediately put her on hold)
Although she wasn't too sucky, just bitchy and bordering on EW - this got my blood boiling enough to make the sleepy go away. So, while she was on hold waiting for me to connect her to my supervisor - which honestly could've taken 1 minute, but I needed to tell my fellow dispatcher the situation since it was a call in her territory and I wanted this lady to sit on hold...
So, I pick back up with only a quick, "okay, hold on" and dumped her on the supervisor on duty.
Now, fully awake, I re-confirmed my decision to never be a supervisor.
(I talked to the sup later - not only could she not get a word in edgewise, she told AL the exact same thing)
My company is contracted by others to provide roadside assistance. For example, that neat little offer by your cell phone company to add roadside assistance for x amount of dollars a month - yeah. When you call your cell phone company to utilize that service - they send the call to us.
Usually its not too much of a problem, however, there are plenty of times where things get lost in translation. Your little phone company is not really on "real time" with us. Sometimes, they operate telling you an arrival time, then we will call you back with a more accurate one. Sometimes its sooner, sometimes, its not.
I called such a person to tell them that their service was going to be between now and 9am. This is 45 minutes later than her provider told her. Shit happens.
But, OH NO! Not to her it doesn't. This can't be!
It went something like this....
(AL - ass lady)
ME: *explains name of service provider and time of arrival*
AL: WHAT? But ***** told me 8:15.
ME: I understand, but those times are not guaranteed. Depending on service calls, it took be extended.
AL: I HAVE to be at church at 9:00!!! They have to be here and gone in time for me to go to church.
(Now, I'm sorry, needing to be at church is just another one of those instances that we do not consider an emergency. Unless you are late for a wedding and you are actually the bride, groom, or the person with the rings - then MAYBE we'll prioritize your service call)
ME: I do apologize for the increase, but the driver is possibly on another call and needs time to finish.
AL: Well, (the service call was for a key make) if I provide you with my VIN number, can they make it on the way here.
(first of all, there are just so many things wrong with believing that the locksmith could operate his key making machines AND drive. I have a novel idea - don't lose your freakin' keys!)
ME: (already knowing the answer - but just wanting to be evil and put her on hold to stew - my bad - but it's early!) Ma'am, when the driver gets there, they usually have to do more than just merely make a key. Sometimes, there's work they have to do to the door panel to ensure the key will work.
AL: Well, heres what I'm going to tell you. ****** told me 8:15. Now, you're telling me 9:00am. This is unacceptable. You work for *****, you need to call ****** and tell them the ACTUAL time you are running.
ME: Ma'am, that's not how it works. We get the call and we call the person who needs the service.
AL: No! You need to call ***** and tell them the REAL TIME!
ME: Ma'am, there is no guarantee on the "real time". That's why we call you. The times are different for every call.
AL: GET ME YOUR SUPERVISOR!
ME: Fine, but they will explain to you the same thing.
AL: We'll see about that. GET me your supervisor, I know you are not there alone.
(Oh, how badly I wanted to say,"Well, yes I am. I run the entire operation by myself for 10 hours on Sunday" But I just immediately put her on hold)
Although she wasn't too sucky, just bitchy and bordering on EW - this got my blood boiling enough to make the sleepy go away. So, while she was on hold waiting for me to connect her to my supervisor - which honestly could've taken 1 minute, but I needed to tell my fellow dispatcher the situation since it was a call in her territory and I wanted this lady to sit on hold...
So, I pick back up with only a quick, "okay, hold on" and dumped her on the supervisor on duty.
Now, fully awake, I re-confirmed my decision to never be a supervisor.
(I talked to the sup later - not only could she not get a word in edgewise, she told AL the exact same thing)
)
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