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Got another one yesterday. It seems as if the SC powers that be heard me say that I haven't had to deal with SCs lately and they decided to change that.
Background: As you know, I work for emergency roadside assistance run by a HUGE corporation. HUGE. Anyway, in some cities this HUGE company has their own fleet of trucks. The rest, they subcontract out to other tow companies. In one city, they bought one of the subcontractors and made it their fleet, however, that company still runs it's cash business that is kind of separate from the HUGE corporation. We dispatchers handle all the calls for that cash business in the call center that's nearly 50 miles from the physical lot.
A woman called in on the cash line yesterday to get an estimate for a long tow - about 50 miles. The vehicle she wanted to tow was a 78 Grand Prix that had been abandoned and sitting "for quite a long time". Now, technically, a 78 Grand Prix is rear wheel drive and can be towed with a wheel lift. However, towing an abandoned vehicle that has not been moved for who knows how long on a wheel lift could present some issues. You know, mechanical parts that haven't moved for awhile are now hoisted and being pulled down the highway at 60 MPH for 50 miles. Things could happen.
I told the dispatcher that answered to quote her the cost of a flatbed because that would make more sense to hoist in onto a bed. That's $80 for the truck. Then $1.50/mile per running mile (meaning both ways - to the tow destination and back to the shop = 100 miles roughly 150.00) Even if it wouldn't be a flatbed the wheel lift would be $55 and possibly dollies for an extra $25. You're looking at $230 - 250 easily. This is an estimate!!!
He tells her the estimated cost and then the cycle begins, I only hear his side first.
OD - Other dispatcher
SC - you know
ME - yours truly
OD - *gives her the estimated cost*
pause
OD - Well, I apologize, ma'am, I am not sure who told you that cost. The cost I am giving you is only an estimate. I cannot guarantee that the bill will be $200 or less.
His side of the conversation - Wash. Rinse. Repeat. over and over and over and over until...
OD - Well, if you want to call $1.50 a mile there and back $3.00 a mile, I suppose you could, it's almost the same. (pause) Ma'am, I didn't mean to imply you weren't intelligent.
Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
OD - Who's my supervisor?
Now, he complicated things a little bit here because he gave the name of his supervisor here in the call center. This was a cash business call and the supervisors here in the call center have no involvement over that aspect of our job. There is a separate manager that deals with that. I heard this and tried to whisper to him that he needs to give her that manager's name and not the call center sup's name. She must've heard me and asked who I was and he said his "trainer". She wanted to speak to me.
ME - How can I help you?
SC - I want *insert call center sup name here* number
ME - I apologize, but she will not be able to help you. You need to speak to *insert manager name here*
Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Over and over and over and over....you get the point.
ME - Is there something I can help you with?
SC - I just have general questions, I need *insert sup name here* number.
ME - Well, if it's just general questions I can help you with that.
SC - I want *sup name* number.
ME - She can't help you. I can. What can I do for you?
SC - I have some general questions.
Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
SC - So, am I getting this right, you are refusing to give me the number?
ME - I am offering you the correct name of the manager you need to speak to. SPeaking to the supervisor here will not help you as she has no involvement with ****** towing.
SC - So, you're refusing to help the consumer.
ME - The consumer is refusing the help I can give her!!
SC - hold on a second, let me put you on speaker so that my witness can hear this.
*puts me on speaker*
ME - Ma'am, I am offering you help. You are refusing the help I can give you. There's no need for witnesses.
SC - So, let's hear this. You are refusing to help the consumer.
ME - You are refusing the help being offered. The person you are asking for CANNOT help you. I can help you, *manager name* can help you, but *sup name* CANNOT HELP YOU!
SC - I just want her number.
Wash. rinse. repeat.
Then I tried to explain to her that the other dispatcher made an error in giving out his sups name in the first place because she is the sup for *insert corp name here* that owns *insert cash business here* - and that she was calling *cash business* and *manager name* is the one she needs to speak to. When I mentioned the name of the corporation that owns the cash business, I swear I heard her perk up as if she was considering "deep pockets!" even though I am not sure what she thought she could get from this conversation - I am sure she was thinking compensation!
Finally after going round and round one more time and realizing she was not getting past me and she could take the manager's number only and call him on Monday....
SC - Well, I am going to have to say Good day...
ME - *cut her off mid-sentence* Yes, Good-bye, have a nice day! *click*
That call acutally made me break a sweat! I never yelled at her but I was very stern and matter-of-fact and was NOT going to give her any more information then what I was, I don't care how many times she repeated herself!
Background: As you know, I work for emergency roadside assistance run by a HUGE corporation. HUGE. Anyway, in some cities this HUGE company has their own fleet of trucks. The rest, they subcontract out to other tow companies. In one city, they bought one of the subcontractors and made it their fleet, however, that company still runs it's cash business that is kind of separate from the HUGE corporation. We dispatchers handle all the calls for that cash business in the call center that's nearly 50 miles from the physical lot.
A woman called in on the cash line yesterday to get an estimate for a long tow - about 50 miles. The vehicle she wanted to tow was a 78 Grand Prix that had been abandoned and sitting "for quite a long time". Now, technically, a 78 Grand Prix is rear wheel drive and can be towed with a wheel lift. However, towing an abandoned vehicle that has not been moved for who knows how long on a wheel lift could present some issues. You know, mechanical parts that haven't moved for awhile are now hoisted and being pulled down the highway at 60 MPH for 50 miles. Things could happen.
I told the dispatcher that answered to quote her the cost of a flatbed because that would make more sense to hoist in onto a bed. That's $80 for the truck. Then $1.50/mile per running mile (meaning both ways - to the tow destination and back to the shop = 100 miles roughly 150.00) Even if it wouldn't be a flatbed the wheel lift would be $55 and possibly dollies for an extra $25. You're looking at $230 - 250 easily. This is an estimate!!!
He tells her the estimated cost and then the cycle begins, I only hear his side first.
OD - Other dispatcher
SC - you know
ME - yours truly
OD - *gives her the estimated cost*
pause
OD - Well, I apologize, ma'am, I am not sure who told you that cost. The cost I am giving you is only an estimate. I cannot guarantee that the bill will be $200 or less.
His side of the conversation - Wash. Rinse. Repeat. over and over and over and over until...
OD - Well, if you want to call $1.50 a mile there and back $3.00 a mile, I suppose you could, it's almost the same. (pause) Ma'am, I didn't mean to imply you weren't intelligent.
Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
OD - Who's my supervisor?
Now, he complicated things a little bit here because he gave the name of his supervisor here in the call center. This was a cash business call and the supervisors here in the call center have no involvement over that aspect of our job. There is a separate manager that deals with that. I heard this and tried to whisper to him that he needs to give her that manager's name and not the call center sup's name. She must've heard me and asked who I was and he said his "trainer". She wanted to speak to me.
ME - How can I help you?
SC - I want *insert call center sup name here* number
ME - I apologize, but she will not be able to help you. You need to speak to *insert manager name here*
Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Over and over and over and over....you get the point.
ME - Is there something I can help you with?
SC - I just have general questions, I need *insert sup name here* number.
ME - Well, if it's just general questions I can help you with that.
SC - I want *sup name* number.
ME - She can't help you. I can. What can I do for you?
SC - I have some general questions.
Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
SC - So, am I getting this right, you are refusing to give me the number?
ME - I am offering you the correct name of the manager you need to speak to. SPeaking to the supervisor here will not help you as she has no involvement with ****** towing.
SC - So, you're refusing to help the consumer.
ME - The consumer is refusing the help I can give her!!
SC - hold on a second, let me put you on speaker so that my witness can hear this.
*puts me on speaker*
ME - Ma'am, I am offering you help. You are refusing the help I can give you. There's no need for witnesses.
SC - So, let's hear this. You are refusing to help the consumer.
ME - You are refusing the help being offered. The person you are asking for CANNOT help you. I can help you, *manager name* can help you, but *sup name* CANNOT HELP YOU!
SC - I just want her number.
Wash. rinse. repeat.
Then I tried to explain to her that the other dispatcher made an error in giving out his sups name in the first place because she is the sup for *insert corp name here* that owns *insert cash business here* - and that she was calling *cash business* and *manager name* is the one she needs to speak to. When I mentioned the name of the corporation that owns the cash business, I swear I heard her perk up as if she was considering "deep pockets!" even though I am not sure what she thought she could get from this conversation - I am sure she was thinking compensation!
Finally after going round and round one more time and realizing she was not getting past me and she could take the manager's number only and call him on Monday....
SC - Well, I am going to have to say Good day...
ME - *cut her off mid-sentence* Yes, Good-bye, have a nice day! *click*
That call acutally made me break a sweat! I never yelled at her but I was very stern and matter-of-fact and was NOT going to give her any more information then what I was, I don't care how many times she repeated herself!
The manager could have answered her questions . . . so what was her obsession with the supervisor? She must not have been listening to your or somethin', like dyslexia of the ears . . .
She could take my help or call back on Monday, I didn't care either way. It was the cash business and I don't believe she was going to be a customer anyway.
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