"No i'm not lying to you!" (Grrrr)

[COMINATCHA]

I work in a call center for directory assistance. People call me for phone numbers, and I give them the phone number - if it's listed in the computer's system. Obviously if it's not listed I can't give the customer anything.
I don't like telling them that, cause they usually get peeved with me (cause it's all my fault of course).

So anyway, a couple of days ago I had this woman ring in, and she asked for a bakery. It was called 'The Bakery,' and she gave me the name of the street that it was on which was helpful of her (sometimes people call me saying they want the number to something a few streets away from them - but they have no idea what it's called or where it is *sigh*). I did a search for this bakery, and didn't get a listing for it. I double checked the spelling of everything, and the location.
She said that what I had was correct, and I said
"I'm sorry but there is no listing for that at all."

She started raising her voice. "What do you mean it's not there?? I got the number off you people the other day! It is there, look AGAIN."

I really wanted to tell her that she should have written it down the last time, but I knew she was most likely just making that up.

I couldn't search again unless I had new information, cause it would just come up with the same result - nothing. So I asked her if she has any further information.
"Yes, it's called THE BAKERY, and it IS there, stop lying to me and give me the number."

I told her that with the information that SHE had given me, there was no listing.
She was getting really angry "How the hell can there not be a number if I got it before? Are you stupid or something?"

I sighed. "No i am not stupid, and i'm not lying to you. I don't have a number for anything called 'the bakery,' sorry."

"YOU ARE LYING TO ME!!"

*stunned silence from me* ... "NO...i'm not a liar. I don't like to tell people that there is no listing, i'd rather help them. But there really isn't a number for that....do you want me to put you through to a supervisor?"

"NO I DON'T WANT A SUPERVISOR, WHAT THE HELL WOULD I WANT THAT FOR??!!"

"They can double check for you...?"

"WHY THE F**K WOULD THEY NEED TO DO THAT - YOUR SUPPOSED TO KNOW HOW TO DO YOUR JOB!"

"I do know how to do my job, but you don't seem to believe me when I tell you that there is no listing, so I thought maybe a supervisor would be a better person to tell you that..."

"OH F**K OFF YOU STUPID LYING S**T!"

*click*

I was stunned. And the call were rolling in straight away after that one had finished. I was shaken up from being yelled at - i'm a sensitive person. There were even tears welling up, so I finished the next call and went to the toilets to cry. Yes it's pathetic, I know.

[iradney]

it's not pathetic - she was a sucky, nasty person who completely overreacted when she didn't get what she wanted.
you're a better person than she is.
She'll have to go her whole life throwing tantrums when she doesn't get what she wants until she crosses the wrong person.
here, have a choccie...

[Rubyred]

Wow...if she reacted like that to not being able to get the phone number to a bakery thats only "a few streets away" , imagine what happens when she has a real problem.







Don't worry about her....she's just a waste of breathable air.

[playtime]

At least one of the banks over here fines you if you are rude to their call centre employees.

I was mistakenly called back by the guy I had just that minute been talking to and informed that I had been abusive and would be reported then fined.

I gave up abusing call centre staff a long time ago (they don't make up the crappy system and get paid sod all) partly because it doesn't help solve the problem you rang them about in the first place.

Oddly enough I *had* given someone their a piece of my mind the day before on a related matter as they we're being deliberately obstructive and I reported them to their supervisor.

After protesting my innocence, I asked to be put through to this guys supervisor to clear it all up, which it was in due course.

I think fining people is not a bad idea although the cash should go straight to the abused employee and I bet it goes straight in the company coffers.

[Kiwi]

those are the times when you thank goodness that your a much better person than the one screaming down the phone

you handled that really professionally, what a cow!

you lasted a lot longer than me in a call centre, I just couldnt take it...ugh

its times like that, when I was on the phones that I wanted to shout....get off your freaking butt and go get it yourself!...if the bakery was only a few streets away then why didnt little miss importance herself go for a damned walk!

[lordlundar]

imagine what happens when she has a real problem.

With any luck, she'll implode.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Wow...if she reacted like that to not being able to get the phone number to a bakery thats only "a few streets away" , imagine what happens when she has a real problem.

I bet it will involve the police somehow. It's not as if they ignore people cursing like sailors.

[XCashier]

I was shaken up from being yelled at - i'm a sensitive person. There were even tears welling up, so I finished the next call and went to the toilets to cry. Yes it's pathetic, I know.

The only pathetic one was the vicious SC who swore at you. I think someone on these boards has the sig line, "Profanity is the result of a feeble mind trying to express itself forcefully." Well, that SC definitely had a feeble mind, and horrible manners.

A lot of us have been driven to tears by abusive SCs. Believe me, we're all quite sympathetic. Just imagine what happens when evil SC meets Mr. Chipper.

[karma_gypsy]

As if calling someone names and berating them on the phone will make them want to give you the information anyway . . . For goodness sakes, lady, if the info ain't there, it's not gonna show up by yelling at the poor rep on the phone.

I just can't believe she didn't want to talk to the supervisor. It's obvious that "woman" was just have a crappy day and wanted to take it out on someone. I hate it when people get treated like verbal punching bags . . .

[Sofar]

Let's review this from another point of view.

Woman 1: "OH F*** OFF YOU STUPID LYING S***" /Throws telephone handset to the floor and stomps on it./

Woman 2: "Wow, what was that about?"

Woman 1: "Oh, I called directory assistance, but they didn't have the number I was looking for. You can imagine I'm pretty angry about that."

Woman 2: "Okay, don't worry, I'm going to go make a call, and then you'll get the help you need." /Runs to call the local mental institution./

[COMINATCHA]

Let's review this from another point of view.

Woman 1: "OH F*** OFF YOU STUPID LYING S***" /Throws telephone handset to the floor and stomps on it./

Woman 2: "Wow, what was that about?"

Woman 1: "Oh, I called directory assistance, but they didn't have the number I was looking for. You can imagine I'm pretty angry about that."

Woman 2: "Okay, don't worry, I'm going to go make a call, and then you'll get the help you need." /Runs to call the local mental institution./

That made me laugh, thanks.

I had another lady who was really rude to me yesterday because i couldnt find a number for a shopping center's center management. She didn't swear, but she rattled me a bit. There was a whole list of the stores in the shopping center, but there wasn't a listing for center management. I don't know why, but it just wasn't there.

I told her there was no listing and she said "Are you serious? That's ridiculous! It must be there!"

I told her it wasn't and she said "Well you obviously don't know how to do your job. Maybe I should call back and hopefully get through to someone who knows what they're doing!"

I said to her "Well I know how to do my job, but maybe you should, because I don't get paid enough to deal with rude people like you." and I hung up! And I felt a little bad about it, but then I felt kind of empowered - I stood up for myself, yay.

[JustaCashier]

if the bakery was only a few streets away then why didnt little miss importance herself go for a damned walk!

That is due to the mass quantities of baked goods that she has consumed to date.

They have provided her with a large, fat ass that is much too hard to remove from her chair.

Comi, it was not pathetic for you to be upset by that caller. I'll bet that most here have, like I, developed a bit of a thick skin in dealing with the public for many years. That being said, it still sometimes stings to be verbally abused, and falsely accused. We are only human, and limited to what our knowledge, experience, and available resources provide us. For an SC to accuse us of stupidity, lying, or otherwise not performing our job to their unrealistic expectations is insulting to our integrity.

(Note to SC's Yes, we have integrity!)

Mike

[chainedbarista]

soon, we shall all be like this; seriously, standing up for yourself shouldn't make you feel bad; those wenches, if they had hearts, should apologize for their inexcusable behavior.

if it's not listed, that's that; if they can do your job better, i say let them bring their sorry butts to where you work and prove it, but i don't see them actually doing anything but sucking up more precious oxygen.