Joining the Ranks of the Elite

[ExRetailDrone]

I hit a milestone in my working career today. And I'm honestly surprised it's taken this long, but I really have been lucky overall in my experience with retail and food service compared to most others. I got the f-bomb dropped on me today, used in a personalized manner.

Me:
SC:

Me: Thank you for calling <hotel>, this is ExRetailDrone.
SC: Hey, what are you up to tonight (in a sort of 'hey baby' type voice)
Me: ... Not much. How may I help you tonight?
SC: Do you know who this is?
Me: ...
SC: Take a guess.
Me (not one for playing along with stupid pranks): How may I help you?
SC: Did you not just hear me?! I told you to guess who this is! And you're all <mocking>How may I help you?</mocking>. Blarglewafflesnort. Fuck you!
Me: <click>

Seriously, dude? You have nothing better to do on a decent Sunday afternoon than sit around calling hotels trying to show off how much of a man you are to your pathetic loser friends? Because that's what I got out of this encounter. But thank you for helping me reach that benchmark that I've been itching to cross.

[MoonCat]

SC: Do you know who this is?
Me: Complete douchnozzle loser.
SC: Got it in one.

Only in fantasyland, I know, but you can dream...

[Teskeria]

SC: Did you not just hear me?! I told you to guess who this is! And you're all <mocking>How may I help you?</mocking>. Blarglewafflesnort. Fuck you!

Aunt Susan! Aunt Susan, you know I cannot take personal calls at work.

[bhskittykatt]

This sounds like the same guy who calls me about every six months at my motel.

[Mr Hero]

Before I started there, my supervisor got a few calls just like that. Then finally he called again.

SC: Do you know who this is?
Supervisor: Yeah, you're that son of a bitch who keeps calling and won't leave us alone.

[bainsidhe]

I have a customer that pulls the "Hey, how are you today!" in a schmoozey, saleman-like tone without identifying himself. Even though I now recognize his voice, I pretend I don't know who it is until he tells me. I talk to many people each day and our other customers identify themselves. I hate playing the game of "Guess who's calling". Add to that, the sales calls our business receives (scammers!) pull the same stunt. If you won't tell me who you are or the name of your company, no I will not look up our printer's model number.

[EricKei]

If you won't tell me who you are or the name of your company, no I will not look up our printer's model number.

At my former office, we found that asking these people what company they're with will get them to hang up immediately. No muss, no fuss

[Mr Hero]

I've never been asked, but what's the harm with giving out the model number for a printer?

[laborcat]

I've never been asked, but what's the harm with giving out the model number for a printer?

Because there are companies that get this information, then send you toner cartridges and then bill the hell out of you.

[Ironclad Alibi]

Because there are companies that get this information, then send you toner cartridges and then bill the hell out of you.

Having heard of this scam, I am tempted to give them my printer model numbers should they ever call me. However, I would never consider using those substandard toner cartridges in my printers.

[laborcat]

We actually got an email at work a couple years back because someone at one of our stores actually fell for that. If you search for it (because I forget where it was and I'm too lazy to look for it) on one of the consumer complaint sites, there is something that says if you are sent something you didn't order, and didn't pay for, and don't send it back, it's considered a gift or something like that.

Maybe our resident postal experts can chime in on this subject?

[Sparky]

If you won't tell me who you are or the name of your company, no I will not look up our printer's model number.

And if the DO tell you the name of their company, still don't tell them anything. Toner phoners are a big-time scam. They get your info and later someone else calls and you think they're legit because they know your info. They'll try scams like "your toner is being discontinued" or "we'll send a sample" and they send stuff and charge ridiculous amounts.

[Betweenshades]

I've never been asked, but what's the harm with giving out the model number for a printer?

Pretty much what Laborcat said.

I've been asked this a few times. I always respond with "Who is this and what's this in reference to?" and get hung up on.

So, whatever their intentions, it can't be for my benefit.

[Aethian]

Maybe our resident postal experts can chime in on this subject?

We don't get into the middle of that. If someone writes refused on the unopened package we ship it back. At a cost to the ones who sent it out.

However if any part of the package I's opened, including that envelope on the front of many packages, it's yours unless you pay for return postage.

[Andara Bledin]

Ah, the toner scammers and their ilk.

You want a guaranteed way to get rid of them, just ask for their account number with your company. Then when they say they don't have an account, just tell them that you cannot accept deliveries from unauthorized accounts and if they want to attempt to become authorized, they must snail-mail their credentials in to the purchasing department. No names, just the department.

They usually just hang up somewhere near the beginning.

^-.-^