Annoying things that SCs do

[wasabi999]

1. Hold conversations, play loud music/tv, host the entire neighborhood's untrained offspring when I answer the call. (I love wasting time repeating opening spiel.)

2. How much is/do you have X? (Can't you read the website? And don't you realize that what you're looking for doesn't exist?)

3. I ordered this Friday for "next day delivery", you guys delivered it 3 days late! (No, you needed to pay for Saturday delivery cheapskate!)

4. Has my X been delivered yet? (No, you placed your order half an hour ago and the provider has only been open for an hour. Go figure!)

5. Why didn't you deliver my expensive item? (It is not possible for provider to put the complex item you ordered on the website at midnight together and deliver it half an hour after opening. What were you thinking?)

6. (Since you don't sell X,) Can you tell me where I
can get X? (Duuuuuuuuhhhhhhhh. Can you say google?)

7. I've tried placing my order online 19 times and it doesn't go through! (Well, don't you think you should check with your bank to find out why your card keeps getting declined?)

8. Can I send you a money order/Will you take a check)? (And just how do you expect your order to get submitted without proof of valid payment?)

...and that's just a few examples. Love to hear yours!

[bainsidhe]

How about some continuations to your existing list?

1) Put me on hold. Huh? Didn't you call me?

2) How do I make an alteration to my existing equipment so that I can install yours? (I can tell you how our equipment is normally installed, anything beyond that involves liability and breaking warranties. No, I will not help you do that, check online forums please)

3) When we quote 7 working days that means 7 working days. We do not work weekends.

4) When we quote 4 working days that means we will ship in 4 working days. You are on the other side of the US and UPS takes a week transit time. Yes, transit time is in addition to the 4 working days. Oy!

5) Large orders take longer to manufacture. Other customers placed their orders before you. Go figure.

6) You called the wrong number. No we are not Staples. No, I will not get you the number for Staples. *sigh*

7) You see the wording in the big, bold RED print? It tells you not to click the "checkout" button more than once. Now we have to reverse 18 of the 19 transactions you just submitted. Although we'll do that immediately, it make take a couple days to show on your account. Please check with your bank should you have questions.

8) Sure, but please note that lead time is 7 working days AFTER we receive your payment. Please also note the sales order number on the check, otherwise accounting won't know why they're receiving money.

And I'm sure there are many many more...

[MoonCat]

One of the most annoying things they do is THEY DON'T READ. We offer a specific type of ad for free. There are promos scattered all through the want ads telling all the details and conditions.

They never see anything but the word FREE. Especially the part that says No Calls Please. It instructs them to place the ad via our website or by mail. We are not supposed to take them over the phone. Does anybody read that part? Of course not...thus I get numerous calls every day from people trying to do this by phone. Gahhhh....

[XCashier]

One of the most annoying things they do is THEY DON'T READ.

This, a million times this!

Let's say we have the Brand A Broadcloth on sale for $1.99/yd. Someone will invariably come up with the Brand B 100% Cotton, and when I tell them that it's $3.99/yd, they flip out and INSIST that "it's $1.99, the sign said so!" Cue me taking them to the sign, showing them where it says, "Brand A Broadcloth" and the label on the bolt says, "Brand B 100% Cotton". Naturally, they'll complain, "Well, that's too confusing!" Sure, it's confusing, if you don't read the signs and labels!

Every week, a new sale, different fabrics, same situation.

RTFS!!!

[Sheldonrs]

My contribution to the list stems from way too many e-mails and phone calls that follow the same pattern:

"I made a donation on line through your web site and i wanted it in memory of_____ (or in tribute of___, etc.) and your site doesn't offer that! Isn't that kind of stupid (or the dreaded "R" word)?

My reply is : We DO offer cards and certificates you can request. You just need to click on the link right below where you enter your donation amount. The one that says "Would you like to send a card or certificate?".

I get this at least 5x per day.

[Kitten in the box]

1. Are you SURE you don't have it? (even though you checked the back 50 million times)
2. Why can't I get a money order? Can't you make an exception this one time and open early?
3. Why do I need to show my ID to buy alchalol/ciggs? You can see I'm well over 18
4. This is ridiculous I have to sign up for a card to get the club card price
5. Why can't I return baby forumula on WIC or have substitutes?

My responses are:

1.Yes we are out of the item...we have no more whatsoever
2. We CANNOT and WILL NOT make an exception to open customer service early.
3. It is the law and company policy. I am NOT going to loose my job over ciggs/alchahol
4. If you want the club price you need to sign up for the card. I mean come on, its free.
5. Because its company policy. We don't know if you put any "extras" in there. Sorry no go.

[Justsomegirl]

1. it is a pack of 50 and can I get 25 of this color and 25 of another color. (No it comes to us that way I can not brake it up)
2. I was at your store and they did not have what I was looking for. Could I get free shipping as I drove 2 hours to your retail store. (No if you want some thing for sure call me befor you go to the store or call the store)
3. Will you wave the $10 to rush my shipping? (no she never even gave me a reasin to why I should, SO NO)
4. This one was great guy having a fight with his wife and cursing alot while on the phone with me
5. On the phone with me and going to the bathroom
6. item is out is the backorder date for sure. (NO) can you get me a for sure date

[superhotelworker]

1. Come up to my desk on their cellphones, and get mad when I won't serve them. Deal with it, I'm not talking over your wife / boyfriend / girlfriend / child/ friend / boss whatever!

2. Demand a service I don't offer. Like a an elevator. Sure.. let me pull that and a pool out of my ass..

3. Tell me "You must be bored down here.."
No no no no no no. Don't say this. Ever.

[MoonCat]

More:

1.) Fax in a long ad/death notice/whatever written in scribbly longhand, with a pen that skipped, with many words crossed out and re-written, and then request an emailed proof. If you have email, why the hell didn't you email it to me so I can copy & paste!!

2.) Refuse to leave a voicemail for your regular sales rep and then complain you "can never reach her." She's here 7.5 hours a day and returns calls promptly (probably wishing she didn't have to, in this case).

3.) Insist you have to speak with your rep right now and you only know the person's first name. Sorry, the company phone directory lists employees by last name. I can't dial every "Lisa", "Sue" or "John" in the building (the sales reps are usually out seeing customers anyway). They give you business cards every time they go out to your place, it's not my fault you can't find even one of them!

4.) Run their mouths constantly without a pause from the moment I answer the phone. STOP TALKING FOR GOD'S SAKE AND LISTEN TO ME! I have questions to ask you and information I need to give you. Oh, you're "in a hurry"? Then the sooner you shut up and listen, the faster I can convey what you need to know.

[ShinyGreenApple]

1) See my light on, me standing there grinning like freaking Flo from Progressive, and ask me if I'm open. No, I don't even work here. I do this because it makes me feel SEXY. Or I've beaten up a real Volde-Mart employee and stolen her clothes.

2) See my "LANE CLOSED" sign at the end of the belt, me picking up the trash and wiping everything down, and ask if I'm open. What is this, reverse psychology?

3) Bring me something from Housewares/Domestics/Garden/Toys etc and tell me it had no price on it, but you want it. And you couldn't find someone who worked that department . . . WHY?

4) Come to the express line with what seems like a small number of items, but that turns out to be three separate orders and then four more WIC orders. You make everyone behind you all grumpy, and I don't like it.

[SourRobot]

1) See my light on, me standing there grinning like freaking Flo from Progressive, and ask me if I'm open. No, I don't even work here. I do this because it makes me feel SEXY.

Nice one.

I hate:

1. When people don't wait their turn. I'm helping out another customer and another one will come up and start talking or asking me a question. Wait your freaking turn.
2. When I tell the customer the total of their purchase and then they decide to start looking for their coupon/cash/credit card. It's usually the women with the bottomless pit type bags.

One of the most annoying things I have to deal with on a daily basis:

3. When people ask me to make the decision for them.
"Which one do you like better?"
It never fails. A customer likes two things, but instead of asking me which looks better on them (as if it really mattered anyway) they ask me which one of the two I like or I would choose. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT I LIKE, I'm not the one buying it and going home with it. I try to tell them that in the end it's their decision, but of course that's not what they want to hear. And for your information, I hate just about everything in the store, so whatever answer you get from me will be a lie to get you to hurry up and either buy something or GTFO.
I've had two men in a row buying sunglasses and not only didn't know what they wanted, but ended up having me make the decision from which glasses to buy to which bag they should choose to put the sunglasses in. You're not children; you're free to make your own decisions. Take advantage of that!


And another one:
4. When a customer is ready to purchase something they'll tell me that it's on sale or as I'm scanning will ask me how much does it cost. Listen here dummy, once I scan your crap it will come up with the price. If it's different from what you thought then tell me! Or just shut up until the price shows up.

5. I also hate it when I'm scanning their items and I tell them the total they say, "What? How much was it? What did you ring up?" The damn screen is right in front of you! It tells you everything!

6. And when the screen says, "Hand your card to the cashier" and they still swipe their card through. Or when I take the card and swipe it and punch in the numbers, then hand the card back and then they swipe it through the not working card reader. It happens with almost every customer I get. Pay attention.
We used to cover the slot with a note that said "Hand card to cashier please" but the managers would rip them off whenever they came around, so that stopped.

[MoonCat]

And when the screen says, "Hand your card to the cashier" and they still swipe their card through

The stores I shop at most often use a machine that says things like "hand card to cashier" but the cashiers never take the card, they just hit a button on the register. Got a feeling they aren't supposed to do that...

AND I just had another one...
--Customers who say "well, years ago you used to...(whatever they want that we don't do anymore, if we ever did)"....I can't believe I have to say this, but THIS ISN'T YEARS AGO. IT'S NOW.

Especially when they gripe about prices. "Years ago, it only cost..." Look, years ago bread was 5 cents a loaf, milk was 10 cents a gallon and gas was 49 cents a gallon. I wanna go back to those prices myself, but it ain't happening, ducks, so unless your Wayback Machine is is fired up and ready to roll, give up on "years ago" already!

UPDATE: Yeah, I just had another one of these people! "You used to have those ads that just ran continuously until the item sold" (yes, we did and I wish we never had)...."So, if I didn't sell my item then, can I just get that ad going again for free until I sell it?" THAT WAS FOUR...MAYBE FIVE YEARS AGO! IT'S NOT EVEN IN THE COMPUTER SYSTEM (completely new system we got in 2008!)...GAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

[Kristev]

Mr. Break-it. This pathetic excuse for a man will break a piece of inventory in my store, and not bother to tell anyone he did it. Certainly makes no offer to pay. Worse if he has kids and allows them to break things in the store at will.

The bathroom complainer. I'm cleaning the bathroom and this type of consumer will invariably demand that I get out of the bathroom and let them in. When I refuse, they go get management. I've almost lost my job, quite recently, for refusing a manager's instruction to let someone in. The reason I refused is a safety matter: The floor is soaking wet because I've finished mopping, but only just started dry-mopping. So the floor is, of course, as I said, soaking wet. One foot on it, and you'll get to play "Slip & slide" and I'll lose my job. Not happening. Add in the fact that my toilets and sinks are covered in chemicals that haven't dried yet, and as a safety matter, I simply cannot allow people to intrude on me while I'm cleaning bathrooms, even at management's command.

It's not like we don't have alternate bathrooms in the store. Come to think of it, it's not like we have an abundance of janitors doing janitorial work anymore.

If I hear one more person, usually a man, declare that if I don't let him in, he's going to relieve himself right there outside the bathroom one more time, that person is going to be drinking my disinfectant!

[Sarcastro]

1. Phonebangers. The jerks who call to report a power outage/set up an account/inquire about a bill and decide to hand off the phone to every member of the family one by one, making me repeat the same damn thing 40 different times.

2. The Big Shot. The people who think they can intimidate me into giving them whatever they want by asking for every bit of my information. All this does is make me think you'll be pulling the call for a lawyer or service commission, which means at that point I can't bend the rules for you. I have to stick to policy just in case.

3. Mr.HerpDerp. People who want to start their electric service and don't know the address. I don't mean they sort of know it but have it partially wrong, but the people who just don't know where they live. How the frig am I supposed to know where you live? I can't bring a Ouija Board to work! The lady next to me is very Christian, she'd freak out. Wait, maybe I can have her ask God for you he's supposed to be a pretty smart dude, hold on...

4. The Liar. Listen, if your car was registered to a house 5 months before you claim you moved in and in said house there was a disconnection that same day you just happen to be moving in, and the electric consumption just happened to go from 0 to (number that shows that home is obviously occupied) 5 months ago, there's a chance you may be telling me the truth. It's about the same chance I have of discovering I'm from planet Krypton and can melt your face with my butt lasers. Please, don't take my pleasant tone as idiocy.

5. The Racist Buddy. Though I no longer have my accent when I speak English, I'm still very much Hispanic. So trying to get all "buddy buddy" with me making fun of my race will really do nothing but make you feel dumb when you ask what my name is at the end of the call because you obviously didn't hear my very obvious Hispanic name when I introduced myself. Seriously, I'd rather have overt racists cursing my race than people like "racist buddy" trying to build a rapport at the expense of my culture.

6. The Crusader. Ok, so you want to go on a crusade against my company for some perceived ill it's done to you. That's cool. I'm really not the person you should be speaking with. If these threats were made in order to get something taken care of, some problem addressed then I'd be happy to help. But The Crusader doesn't want help. They just want to tell you how badly they're going to screw your company and that all your children will starve and you'll be homeless. But every monster has a weakness, Dracula has crosses, Wolfman has silver, and nards, but what wards away The Crusader? A simple sentence really. "So you didn't call for help or clarification, what exactly is the purpose of your call?" Say this and The Crusader will soon be gone having been exposed for the bags of hot air they are. Oh they'll be back to prey on trainees but that's how we separate the wheat from the chaff. Two men enter one man leaves.

wow, weird turn at the end. I need some sleep.

[batmoody]

1. Wait until i have bagged the entire order in plastic bags then "remember" that they wanted paper bags.

2. Bring in reuseabe bags and place them at the END of the order so that i don't notice them until I have practically bagged the whole order!

3. Come up and swipe their payment card straighway before reading the screen, then bitch at me becasue they have to swipe it again AFTER they've selected payment type.

4. Not emptying their hand baskets of groceries. Reaching up and in those things does a number on my neck and shoulders. You would empty your shopping cart right?

5. Leaving personal items/wallet/prescriptions/keys/cell phone etc in the bottom of the hand basket and expecting me to hand it all to you at the end. I don't want to touch any of that stuff, really, had a guy accuse me of stealing his movies that way.

6. Accusing me of not giving their club card back to them. Like I WANT to keep that? ugh...

7. When I ask if they have a club card and they just start popping off a phone number. It's a yes or no question and I'm not even at the phone number screen, thanks for the warning. Now whats the number again? Then they get mad that they have to repeat it.