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I'm training at a new-to-me account today, one that mainly involves answering phones.
The phone system and employee directory here is - in a word - broken. There's actually two companies here, and one has a phone directory application and the ohter just has a freaking Excel spreadsheet with names and extensions. There are no departments, job titles, managers, direct reports, or anything else listed. So aside from a VERY limited number of exceptions (A/P, A/R, stuff like that) we simply CAN'T connect a caller to a person without a name.
Oh, and they recently switched from 4 digit extensions to 7 digit extensions, so if you give me an old 4 digit extension I will still need the name to I can determine the 3 digit prefix for their number.
Of course, the SC can't be blamed for any of the above, but when they can when they simply refuse to cooperate.....
Me: [Company] how can I direct your call?
SC: Ring extension 1234 please.
Me: I'm sorry but I'm going to need a name.
SC: Extension 1234.
Me: Ma'am that extension is no longer valid. We've switched to 7 digit extensions so I need the name to--
SC: No, you don't need a name. Just ring extension 1234! I'm trying to [BLARGLE!!!].
Me: I still need the name ma'am.
SC: WHY IS THIS SO DIFFICULT?!
Because you are refusing to answer a simple question, that's why!!
We ended up taking a guess at the prefix (there's about 10 of them, but there's 2 really common ones).
Oops, that was wrong! So she called back.
SC: Extension 1235.
Me: I still need a name.
SC:............................................... ......................................
Me: *sighs; takes another guess*
Thankfully, the guy who was training me traded places with me at this point so I could take a break....and she called back again!
Maybe it was because she was talking to a different person, but all of a sudden she had a name. Needless to say, neither extension she'd given us was even clos to correct.
The phone system and employee directory here is - in a word - broken. There's actually two companies here, and one has a phone directory application and the ohter just has a freaking Excel spreadsheet with names and extensions. There are no departments, job titles, managers, direct reports, or anything else listed. So aside from a VERY limited number of exceptions (A/P, A/R, stuff like that) we simply CAN'T connect a caller to a person without a name.
Oh, and they recently switched from 4 digit extensions to 7 digit extensions, so if you give me an old 4 digit extension I will still need the name to I can determine the 3 digit prefix for their number.
Of course, the SC can't be blamed for any of the above, but when they can when they simply refuse to cooperate.....
Me: [Company] how can I direct your call?
SC: Ring extension 1234 please.
Me: I'm sorry but I'm going to need a name.
SC: Extension 1234.
Me: Ma'am that extension is no longer valid. We've switched to 7 digit extensions so I need the name to--
SC: No, you don't need a name. Just ring extension 1234! I'm trying to [BLARGLE!!!].
Me: I still need the name ma'am.
SC: WHY IS THIS SO DIFFICULT?!
Because you are refusing to answer a simple question, that's why!!
We ended up taking a guess at the prefix (there's about 10 of them, but there's 2 really common ones).
Oops, that was wrong! So she called back.
SC: Extension 1235.
Me: I still need a name.
SC:............................................... ......................................
Me: *sighs; takes another guess*
Thankfully, the guy who was training me traded places with me at this point so I could take a break....and she called back again!
Maybe it was because she was talking to a different person, but all of a sudden she had a name. Needless to say, neither extension she'd given us was even clos to correct.
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