Sucky Phone Encounter

[papercut]

My first new thread...please go easy on me!

So I answer the phone. 4 hours before we close. That was my bad.


SC: Is so-and-so there?

Me: No. So-and-so is not here now. May I take a message or can I help you?

SC: When will So-and-so be there?

Me: One moment I will look at the schedule.

Now.... it is technically against policy to give out anyone's schedule due to some laws and such, but since we work on commission, we basically will give out someone's schedule unless they request we don't. So I go off to look for the schedule because it is not posted openly because of privacy laws. It's not there. I have next week's (tomorrow's) schedule, but today's schedule was removed...Since it's 4 hours before closing.... I ask everyone in the dept if they have a copy of the schedule. No one has one. I walk across the store to the office. There is no schedule in the office. I look for a manager. No manager in the store has the password to the HR comp.


Me: Thanks for holding. I'm sorry I don't have today's schedule so I don't know if he's working the closing shift. If you'd like I can take a message and if so-and-so comes in I'd be happy to make sure he gets the message. If he comes in tonight, he will be in in just a few minutes. Otherwise, he's in tomorrow morning.

SC: WELL... <scoff> is there ANYONE ELSE who can look up the schedule since you can't seem to do it right?

Me: No ma'am. The schedules are posted in one place and the computer system with the schedule is password protected. But I'd be happy to take a message, and if he comes in in the next few minutes, then he can call you. Or tomorrow.

SC: Well that doesn't do me any good.

Me: Well, if you leave a message it will do as much good as me answering your question about whether he's in tonight. If he's in, HE WILL BE IN IN FIVE MINUTES. If he's not, then he will be in in the morning. Or else I might be able to help.

SC: <laughs disdainfully>

At this point I'm fed up with this SC after everything I've done for her, so I just laugh back and say "Oh yes, you are right, it is VERY funny!"

SC:That's not funny at all that you are so incompetent you can't find a schedule.

Me: Oh really? I thought you thought it was funny since you were laughing.

SC: I'm laughing at your incompetence.

Me: Oh then it really IS funny since I'm competent enough to ask him to call you back if he comes in in the next five minutes, or to take a message, or answer your questions.

SC: You are one sorry person.

Me: Oh yes, I am quite sorry that I'm not psychic. Or patient enough to wait five minutes. Anything else I can do for you?

<click>


Two seconds before she hung up on me a co-worker handed me a schedule she found . He doesn't work tonight. But of course I'm not gonna tell her that.

Usually I'm a lot more considerate than that. But I can't stand it when I do absoutely everything I possibly can for a customer. And then they act like I could possibly do more. If I tell you I've done everything I can do, then I have. And if you think I'm lying about that, then why would you even want to talk anymore to someone you believe is a liar? It just doesn't make sense.

[godaistudios]

You owned the customer well, that was awesome. (and working in a call center, I've had my share of calls where I got fed up and got snarky with a deserving SC.)

Considering it's your first thread, color me impressed.

[Sapphire Silk]

Yeah, you handled the bitch pretty well.

Given that she didn't want to leave a message, and really wanted to know badly about whether this person was coming in, my guess is she's an ex-girlfriend wanting to hassle her co-worker at work, or an overly aggressive bill collector trying to nail a debtor at work.

When I used to work in the ER, we used to get a lot of calls wanting to know who the doc on duty was. We always gave them the "we're not allowed to give out that information" spiel. It was always our frequent flyers wanting to know if Dr. Soft Touch was in so they could get their narcs.

[MaseMan]

Yeah, I wouldn't be shocked if it was a bill collector. They are usually evasive and rude like that.

[Kristev]

I'd have to say my guess was a bill collector as well. Next time, just say "I can't tell you that."

And welcome to the boards.

[Whiskey]

Now.... it is technically against policy to give out anyone's schedule due to some laws and such,

If i recall correctly, its an offshoot of anti-stalking laws. Its a lot easier to stalk someone and get their routine down when all you have to do is call and ask. I never tell anyone about anything regardless of who they are.

[MoonCat]

I think you handled that pretty well. The caller was an asshole. I get calls like that fairly often, they act like it's the end of the world that the person they want isn't there, and then it always turns out it was something I could have taken care of in ten seconds, if they had been decent enough to tell me what they wanted.

We've never had a policy against telling a customer what someone's schedule is, but I'm thinking we should. Too many crazies these days.