Tweet
This is long, but contains a pretty accurate transcription of what happened on the phone tonight at my Aid of Rite. By the end of it I wanted to tear my hair out and was making gestures at my coworkers pretending to do so.
How To: Make Me Rip My Hair Out
I'm just about ready to go home (yay!) after a nice, very short shift (yay!) when the phone rings and Coworker picks it up.
"Red electrical cords? Um. I'm not sure if we have those, let me go check." Puts caller on hold to deal with customer at his register.
I'm thinking this will be an easy phone call and get in and out real quick, yeah? So I ask Coworker what it was and pick up the line.
"This is ralerin, you were asking about electrical cords?"
Old Lady: "Um. Yes. Um...I wonder what you have for red electrical cords and what lengths you have."
"Well, we have several, is there any particular length?"
"Oh. I don't actually know...tell me what you have? It needs to go around my apartment."
I go and check what we have and tell her we have a 9' and a 25' one.
"Oh. Ok...let me check with my neighbor to see what I need."
*record scratch* You're the one who needs the extension cord and you need to ask your neighbor what he thinks you should have?!? Logic?!? I have none?!?
*insert 5 minutes of sound of knocking on doors, muttering about how this neighbor is not home, then someone answering the door and a conversation*
"Well, I got Aid of Rite on the phone right now! They got orange electrical cords! Not red ones! Tell me what I should get! What? No, I need EXTENSION cords!"
*turns attention back to me* "Well, is there any way you can hold one until Monday?"
"No, I can't. Tomorrow is the latest I can do for you."
*turns attention back to neighbor* "No, they can't hold it until Monday! I need to know what I need! It needs to go around my apartment! Oh! You think the 25' will work? Ok."
*turns attention back to me* "So, there's no way you can hold this until Monday?"
"Afraid not."
"Can you hold both of these for me until tomorrow?"
I collect her name and number, give her assistant managers name since I won't be working tomorrow and hang up.
Time wasted: 10 minutes
Five minutes later
"I think I just talked to you. Um. Can you check the prices of the cords for me?"
"The 9' is $7.49 and the 25' is $14.99, it's twice the price."
"Oh, so the 9' is more expensive?"
"No, the 25' is more expensive, it's longer."
"Oh. What was the price again?"
*lather rinse repeat for another 3 minutes*
"Oh. ok. I think I got it. Can you hold the 25' for me?"
"Sure can! Just that one?"
"Oh. Um. Maybe just the 9'."
"Ok. So you want the 9' instead?"
"Oh. Um. No...hold both of them, please. And I can return it if it doesn't work, yes?"
"As long as you have your receipt."
"Even if it's in a box?"
"Well, it's not in a box, it's got a paper label on it. Bring everything and your receipt and we'll take care of it."
"Ok. Thank you."
Time wasted: 7 minutes
15 minutes later
Poor coworker on lunch answers phone because other coworker has a line from here to Timbuktu and I've punched out and have my purse and everything in hand and am walking down the aisle to go home.
"Hey, ralerin! How much were those orange cords again!"
"$14.99 for the 25' and $7.49 for the 9'!"
"Ok. *silence* Ok...we can do that for you...yes, my name is <blah>. Ralerin's going home at the moment. She's got them behind the counter for you...oh yes...yup...yeah...bye bye now."
"She called BACK?!?"
"Yup. She wanted to know the prices."
"I just TOLD her the damn prices!"
Other coworker: "It's probably the lady with the shaved head..."
Awesome manager: "Well, next time, you have every right to tell her we're busy and to go away. But, ralerin, that's good customer service! I wouldn't have had the patience to do that."
She might have called back after that, but I was gone like a rocket out that door. She also asked, at least 5 times, when we closed and when we would open and when she should pick up her items and whether we could hold them until Monday.
How To: Make Me Rip My Hair Out
I'm just about ready to go home (yay!) after a nice, very short shift (yay!) when the phone rings and Coworker picks it up.
"Red electrical cords? Um. I'm not sure if we have those, let me go check." Puts caller on hold to deal with customer at his register.
I'm thinking this will be an easy phone call and get in and out real quick, yeah? So I ask Coworker what it was and pick up the line.
"This is ralerin, you were asking about electrical cords?"
Old Lady: "Um. Yes. Um...I wonder what you have for red electrical cords and what lengths you have."
"Well, we have several, is there any particular length?"
"Oh. I don't actually know...tell me what you have? It needs to go around my apartment."
I go and check what we have and tell her we have a 9' and a 25' one.
"Oh. Ok...let me check with my neighbor to see what I need."
*record scratch* You're the one who needs the extension cord and you need to ask your neighbor what he thinks you should have?!? Logic?!? I have none?!?
*insert 5 minutes of sound of knocking on doors, muttering about how this neighbor is not home, then someone answering the door and a conversation*
"Well, I got Aid of Rite on the phone right now! They got orange electrical cords! Not red ones! Tell me what I should get! What? No, I need EXTENSION cords!"
*turns attention back to me* "Well, is there any way you can hold one until Monday?"
"No, I can't. Tomorrow is the latest I can do for you."
*turns attention back to neighbor* "No, they can't hold it until Monday! I need to know what I need! It needs to go around my apartment! Oh! You think the 25' will work? Ok."
*turns attention back to me* "So, there's no way you can hold this until Monday?"
"Afraid not."
"Can you hold both of these for me until tomorrow?"
I collect her name and number, give her assistant managers name since I won't be working tomorrow and hang up.
Time wasted: 10 minutes
Five minutes later
"I think I just talked to you. Um. Can you check the prices of the cords for me?"
"The 9' is $7.49 and the 25' is $14.99, it's twice the price."
"Oh, so the 9' is more expensive?"
"No, the 25' is more expensive, it's longer."
"Oh. What was the price again?"
*lather rinse repeat for another 3 minutes*
"Oh. ok. I think I got it. Can you hold the 25' for me?"
"Sure can! Just that one?"
"Oh. Um. Maybe just the 9'."
"Ok. So you want the 9' instead?"
"Oh. Um. No...hold both of them, please. And I can return it if it doesn't work, yes?"
"As long as you have your receipt."
"Even if it's in a box?"
"Well, it's not in a box, it's got a paper label on it. Bring everything and your receipt and we'll take care of it."
"Ok. Thank you."
Time wasted: 7 minutes
15 minutes later
Poor coworker on lunch answers phone because other coworker has a line from here to Timbuktu and I've punched out and have my purse and everything in hand and am walking down the aisle to go home.
"Hey, ralerin! How much were those orange cords again!"
"$14.99 for the 25' and $7.49 for the 9'!"
"Ok. *silence* Ok...we can do that for you...yes, my name is <blah>. Ralerin's going home at the moment. She's got them behind the counter for you...oh yes...yup...yeah...bye bye now."
"She called BACK?!?"
"Yup. She wanted to know the prices."
"I just TOLD her the damn prices!"
Other coworker: "It's probably the lady with the shaved head..."
Awesome manager: "Well, next time, you have every right to tell her we're busy and to go away. But, ralerin, that's good customer service! I wouldn't have had the patience to do that."
She might have called back after that, but I was gone like a rocket out that door. She also asked, at least 5 times, when we closed and when we would open and when she should pick up her items and whether we could hold them until Monday.
Comment