All of the below conversations happened in the same hour.
Exhibit 1:
Caller: Is Attorney X there, it's very common first name.
Me: (My boss' office has a glass wall facing me. I can see Attorney X in there with my boss and the door is closed.) I'm sorry, Attorney X is in a meeting.
Caller: He just called me!
Me: (I know he's been in there for half an hour.) I am, at this moment, looking at him in a meeting. He's been in there for half an hour.
Caller: I'm his brother! I told you that!
Me: Would you like me to take a message?
Exhibit 2:
We have an attorney that is of counsel to the firm. Essentially, he pays us rent to use an office in our building and be on our letterhead. We do take messages for him, but that's the limit of what firm secretaries are supposed to do for him. Mind you, of counsel's office is literally a two minute walk from my desk.
Caller: Is of counsel attorney in?
Me: (transfers call to of counsel secretary. the call comes back, which means, for whatever reason, she couldn't pick it up.) His office isn't picking up, would you like me to take a message?
Caller: This is really important, where is of counsel secretary?
Me: I don't know. She isn't able to pick up, would you like me to take a message?
Caller: Go find her! This is important! It's your job to do this!
Me: Actually, that's not my job. It is my job to take a message. Would you like me to do my job?
Caller: *click*
Exhibit 3:
Caller: Is Attorney X in?
Me: He's on the phone, would you like me to take a message?
Caller: I've left four messages and he hasn't called me back. Do you think it's worth it for me to leave a message?
Me: Sir, I can take a message or not, what would you like me to do?
Turns out, Caller No. 3 hasn't paid his bill in over 9 months.
I can't tell you how happy I am it's Friday.
I... wow. I mean, I've worked in technical support (and retail, for that matter), and I know people act like this, but...
ReplyDeleteHope your weekend is calm and relaxing.
What idiocy. I don't understand people who ignore the fact that the strangers they're dealing with are, you know, also people. It makes no sense.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI took my current job in large part because, for the first time in decades, it is one that does not involve heavy phone work. It does involve driving a van around and picking up heavy boxes with a dolly, but hey...
ReplyDeleteQ: You load 16 tons and whaddya get?
A: As far from your fellow man as you've ever been yet.
A belated TGIF to you, PF.
Exhibit 2:
ReplyDeleteCaller: Go find her! This is important! It's your job to do this!
Me: Actually, that's not my job. It is my job to take a message. Would you like me to do my job?
Caller: *click*
What they had to talk about must have been incredibly important then.
Oh sorry, did I say "important"? I think I left out the prefix "self-".
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_prizes_for_evidence_of_the_paranormal
ReplyDeleteHOW NOSTRADAMUS WON ALL THE PARANORMAL PRIZES!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nostradamus
THE HIGH PRICE OF REVOLUTION
youtube.com/user/xviolatex?feature=mhum
There is a website devoted to stories like these, usually retail folk having to deal with outrageously self-important or stupid customers (often both combined):
ReplyDelete(The customer is) Not Always Right
http://notalwaysright.com/
I suppose it's possible that any particular story there is a joke, but there are so many on that site that have to be true because the behavior described is too ridiculous to be fiction. Fiction, as you know, has to make sense.