My (Not) Favorite Customer

[MoonCat]

This guy makes my stomach hurt.

He often asks for me, god knows why. We're all capable of taking his ad. He's high maintenance--there's always a problem. Once he complained because the photo that appeared online with his ad was in black and white. What he was selling was black and white. The only other color was a red stripe in the background (not part of the item being sold).

So today, he's giving me his credit card number. As you probably know, Visa and Mastercard numbers come in four groups of four digits.

Customer (reading numbers): XXX (pause) XXXXX (pause) XX...(etc.)

Of course, this gives me the "invalid number combination" message. I read them back. He confirms them. I tell him something is incorrect or missing.

He reads them back but this time he gives me a fourth digit at the beginning. You'd think we're good to go, but no--somewhere he leaves out a number or gets one wrong (there were a lot of zeroes). Yeah, rinse and repeat several times, but now he's going XXX (3 digits) again...

I asked about that missing digit. "Let me finish, don't interrupt blargh..." So I let him finish and sure enough....invalid number combination. Finally I said let me try that "1" that you left out the first time but gave me the second time....
Sure enough, it goes through. Then he wants to know if I'm "new".

Um, if you thought I was new here, how come you asked for me this morning before I even got into work, and asked for me again later when you called back? And how can I get you to not ask for me ever again?

[EvilEmpryss]

Sorry, but you already proven to him that you have a level of patience with him above and beyond your CWs. You've shown yourself capable of handling his stupidity and suckiness without cussing him out (at least not while he's still on the phone). You've proven that you will drop everything else to take his phone call and work on his order before all other customers (at least as he sees it).

You are now his speschul lit'le cupcake and have doomed yourself to having to deal with him whenever he calls your department.

I am sorry for you. I'll bake you a batch of triple-chocolate cookies as a condolence.

[MoonCat]

Sorry, but you already proven to him that you have a level of patience with him above and beyond your CWs. You've shown yourself capable of handling his stupidity and suckiness without cussing him out (at least not while he's still on the phone). You've proven that you will drop everything else to take his phone call and work on his order before all other customers (at least as he sees it).

You are now his speschul lit'le cupcake and have doomed yourself to having to deal with him whenever he calls your department.

I am sorry for you. I'll bake you a batch of triple-chocolate cookies as a condolence.

Mmmmm.....triple-chocolate coooookiieeeesss..... Yum!

For a while my manager was his cupcake....he fixed the photo problem for him so Mr. High Maintenance kept calling him directly...

[GroceryGIrl]

I hate the ones who assume you don't know how to do your job because you have trouble grasping THEIR mistake.

[hotelnpa]

When you book reservations, we must have a credit card to guarantee the room.

Most people are pretty good, reading the four numbers in each group. (Tip: Please have this info. ready when you call. We don't have time for you to fidget in your purse/wallet.)

But then you'll get the ones who read the numbers are in a jumbled fast phrase or the ones who read the numbers so slow you feel like ripping your hair out.

[emax4]

It shouldn't matter what sequence he reads them off (3 digits, 4 digits, etc), as long as its 16 digits for Visa, MC and Discover and 15 for AmEx. Visas start with a "4", MCs with a "5", Discover with "6" and AmEx with "3". Next time he starts off with a wrong number and misses or gets a digit wrong, I'd advise him that he need to come down & pay in person with a valid CC or else you'll have to report whatever number he gives you for fraud. Even if you don't do it, scaring him should work.

[Krivak]

"Oh, sir, hold on a second, i cant hear all those numbers real well, let me transfer you to another person with a better headset"

[MoonCat]

emax4 is of course correct, but this guy kept leaving out digits. I know those cards can be hard to read, but geeez, five times in a row he read it wrong...

Next time he starts off with a wrong number and misses or gets a digit wrong, I'd advise him that he need to come down & pay in person with a valid CC or else you'll have to report whatever number he gives you for fraud.

I'd love to try this....they'd hear him screaming in the next county...