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Dumber by the Day
I sell computers. I've heard many questions in my time. Most of them are reasonably intelligent. Some are funny only to geeks like me. Some are genuinely stupid. And some... well...
This is a phone call I had. The guy was asking for a particular laptop. It was very high-end, and our store didn't stock it because we're not in a market to sell many of them. He starts off as your general repetitive customer, but then he came up with one of the dumbest questions I've been asked in a long time.
Me: (on phone) No, I don't have that one in stock here. But I can order it for you.
Caller: You can?
Me: Yes. I can ship it either to the store or directly to you, no cost for shipping.
Caller: How much I have to pay?
Me: Just the price of the computer and sales tax.
Caller: I don't want to pay for shipping.
Me: You won't have to if I place the order this way.
Caller: Okay, but what is shipping cost?
Me: Zero. No shipping cost.
Caller: No shipping?
Me: Right.
Caller: Oh. Okay. How long?
Me: About a week from the day you come in to make the order.
Caller: How long?
Me: One week.
Caller: That's a long time. (and here's the kicker) How many days is that?
Me: A week? That's seven days.
Caller: Only seven days?
Me: Yes.
Caller: You said it would take a week.
Me: I did. There are seven days in a week. (I'm getting funny looks from a customer now; she's been waiting patiently with wireless router questions since this guy finally grasped the no shipping charges concept.)
Caller: So I get the computer in a week?
Me: Yes.
Caller: That's seven days?
Me: Yes. Seven days.
Caller: So, today is Monday. I get the computer on... on... Mo--... Monday?
Me: Yes. That's seven days from now.
Caller: Okay. I come make the order, and I get it in seven days. Thank you! *click*
I hang up the phone and turn to Router Customer.
Me: And how can I help you, ma'am?
RC: Did he seriously ask you how long a week was?
Me: Yeah. Yeah, he did.
RC: And here I thought my question was going to be the dumb one!
Sigh. At least the caller was nice about it. And I got to have a good laugh with Router Customer (her questions were actually very common questions from people interested in wireless routers). It was just my DUH moment of the day, and I felt I had to share.
This is a phone call I had. The guy was asking for a particular laptop. It was very high-end, and our store didn't stock it because we're not in a market to sell many of them. He starts off as your general repetitive customer, but then he came up with one of the dumbest questions I've been asked in a long time.
Me: (on phone) No, I don't have that one in stock here. But I can order it for you.
Caller: You can?
Me: Yes. I can ship it either to the store or directly to you, no cost for shipping.
Caller: How much I have to pay?
Me: Just the price of the computer and sales tax.
Caller: I don't want to pay for shipping.
Me: You won't have to if I place the order this way.
Caller: Okay, but what is shipping cost?
Me: Zero. No shipping cost.
Caller: No shipping?
Me: Right.
Caller: Oh. Okay. How long?
Me: About a week from the day you come in to make the order.
Caller: How long?
Me: One week.
Caller: That's a long time. (and here's the kicker) How many days is that?
Me: A week? That's seven days.
Caller: Only seven days?
Me: Yes.
Caller: You said it would take a week.
Me: I did. There are seven days in a week. (I'm getting funny looks from a customer now; she's been waiting patiently with wireless router questions since this guy finally grasped the no shipping charges concept.)
Caller: So I get the computer in a week?
Me: Yes.
Caller: That's seven days?
Me: Yes. Seven days.
Caller: So, today is Monday. I get the computer on... on... Mo--... Monday?
Me: Yes. That's seven days from now.
Caller: Okay. I come make the order, and I get it in seven days. Thank you! *click*
I hang up the phone and turn to Router Customer.
Me: And how can I help you, ma'am?
RC: Did he seriously ask you how long a week was?
Me: Yeah. Yeah, he did.
RC: And here I thought my question was going to be the dumb one!
Sigh. At least the caller was nice about it. And I got to have a good laugh with Router Customer (her questions were actually very common questions from people interested in wireless routers). It was just my DUH moment of the day, and I felt I had to share.
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