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Many years ago, before the internet became as common as the DVD player is in the home, I worked at Bellsouth for the Employee Locator department. This department was a department that helped individuals locate employees' phone numbers and/or address they were employed at. The customers would call a phone number, which was connected to one line, and one line only. There was no switchboard or other employees to handle the calls. Just me!
In addition to this, I also handled things that went on in the conference center, such as arranging airline tickets for management employees and helping with food services for meetings held in the conference rooms. So, my work load was cut out for me here.
However, many people thought the employee locator line was a "I'm going to get around things" department. For example, on days that they would take job applications by phone, which in turn that line was pretty busy on those days, customers would call the locator line as a last resort of hope that they could get a job application put in through me. "But I've been calling the employement office's number for an hour and it's always busy! I really need a job!"
I also recall the people who would look for someone not employed by Bellsouth, and when you told them they could not be found, it was "Well, what if I described her to you?" Never mind we have hundreds of buildings anyone could be working out of.
But, the big all out story I have is the lady who called for a number to get a job, and practically shot me down with every answer I gave her. When I gave her the first number we had for the employment office, she answered with, "No! I called that number and all I get is a recording!" (The recording at the time primarily was that they were not accepting any applications at that time). I then provided her with another number we had, and her answer, more loudly and harsh was, "No! I already called that number and all I get is a recording! I wanna talk to somebody!" Now, prior to me taking this job, I was told to never give out the direct number to the employment office manager, because then, she would be flooded all day long with calls. But, this bitchy lady demanded it, to which in turn I told her I could not give it out under any circumstances. "What is your title?" to which I told her I was a clerk. "Just a clerk? Hah!" At that moment, the call disconnected, to which I thought it was because she hung up. Lo and behold, she called back, ranting. "You hung up on me! What is your name and who is your supervisor?" It went on and on to where she told me she was a relative of the vice president, who was "going to give her a job" and when he did, she would make sure I was the first person fired. I never heard from her again, nor did I ever hear of a follow up to this one.
Does anyone else work in a department where customers make requests that are not a part of your department?
In addition to this, I also handled things that went on in the conference center, such as arranging airline tickets for management employees and helping with food services for meetings held in the conference rooms. So, my work load was cut out for me here.
However, many people thought the employee locator line was a "I'm going to get around things" department. For example, on days that they would take job applications by phone, which in turn that line was pretty busy on those days, customers would call the locator line as a last resort of hope that they could get a job application put in through me. "But I've been calling the employement office's number for an hour and it's always busy! I really need a job!"
I also recall the people who would look for someone not employed by Bellsouth, and when you told them they could not be found, it was "Well, what if I described her to you?" Never mind we have hundreds of buildings anyone could be working out of.
But, the big all out story I have is the lady who called for a number to get a job, and practically shot me down with every answer I gave her. When I gave her the first number we had for the employment office, she answered with, "No! I called that number and all I get is a recording!" (The recording at the time primarily was that they were not accepting any applications at that time). I then provided her with another number we had, and her answer, more loudly and harsh was, "No! I already called that number and all I get is a recording! I wanna talk to somebody!" Now, prior to me taking this job, I was told to never give out the direct number to the employment office manager, because then, she would be flooded all day long with calls. But, this bitchy lady demanded it, to which in turn I told her I could not give it out under any circumstances. "What is your title?" to which I told her I was a clerk. "Just a clerk? Hah!" At that moment, the call disconnected, to which I thought it was because she hung up. Lo and behold, she called back, ranting. "You hung up on me! What is your name and who is your supervisor?" It went on and on to where she told me she was a relative of the vice president, who was "going to give her a job" and when he did, she would make sure I was the first person fired. I never heard from her again, nor did I ever hear of a follow up to this one.
Does anyone else work in a department where customers make requests that are not a part of your department?
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