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Backstory - at our company we give clients the option of paying their invoices by credit card. They can either do a one shot payment, or have their card charged on a monthly recurring basis. Because of the dollar amount of the charges (we have one client paying over $20K monthly on their card), we have a form we require them to fill out and will not simply take a credit card number over the phone. If some head honcho at XYZ Company wants to know "who the hell authorized that?!!" well, usually it's helpful to actually know that.
Most people are fine, even appreciative that we take this precaution. Notice I said most.
SC: OK, so, it's a Visa card, number-
Me: Well sir, for your protection and ours, we actually don't expect payments over the phone, I have a form that I'll need you to fill out. I can e-mail or fax it, whichever you pre-
SC: Oh GEEZ!!! Can't you just take this number down?
Me: I'm sorry, sir, I'll really need you to fill out this form.
SC: Listen boy, I don't have all day to fill out some stupid form in triplacate. Just take my card number. It's a Visa, number-
Me: Sir, it's just asking for name, address, dollar amount, your address, and a signature.
SC: I can give you all that over the phone!
Me: I'll tell you what, sir. I'll take your information down over the phone, but I'll still need to send you the form so you can sign it.
SC: But (and this is my favorite part) the fax machine's TWO ROOMS AWAY!!
Strangely, the general whining was still out of his system, but man oh man. I fought back the impulse to explain to him by the time he had finished his bitch fest, he could have had the form in his hot little hands and sent it right back.
Most people are fine, even appreciative that we take this precaution. Notice I said most.
SC: OK, so, it's a Visa card, number-
Me: Well sir, for your protection and ours, we actually don't expect payments over the phone, I have a form that I'll need you to fill out. I can e-mail or fax it, whichever you pre-
SC: Oh GEEZ!!! Can't you just take this number down?
Me: I'm sorry, sir, I'll really need you to fill out this form.
SC: Listen boy, I don't have all day to fill out some stupid form in triplacate. Just take my card number. It's a Visa, number-
Me: Sir, it's just asking for name, address, dollar amount, your address, and a signature.
SC: I can give you all that over the phone!
Me: I'll tell you what, sir. I'll take your information down over the phone, but I'll still need to send you the form so you can sign it.
SC: But (and this is my favorite part) the fax machine's TWO ROOMS AWAY!!
Strangely, the general whining was still out of his system, but man oh man. I fought back the impulse to explain to him by the time he had finished his bitch fest, he could have had the form in his hot little hands and sent it right back.
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