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This incident happened today at work. The subject line should read... apparently I held a customer against their will which is unconstitutional.
I received a call on my work cell phone to help a customer at the exit gate at one one of the garages I work at. I was not too far from that garage, & so I got there quickly. I go to help the customer, a young male with who looked like to be his father and a younger kid in the backseat. When I got there, there were at least 3 cars behind them. Here is what happened.
I go up to the customer at the exit gate. He tells me that the ticket he pulled is unreadable. So I call the main office where the call came from. I read off the ticket number on the ticket, I tell the person who answered the time that is indicated on the ticket, and I tell him that the ticket will not work. He tells me that the customer owes $6.00. So I tell the customer that. That is when he and his father argued with me.
Young male: $6.00!! I owe six dollars!! I was only here for twenty minutes.
I read off the time on the ticket to him.
father: We are not paying $6.00. We had to wait for someone to help us. We should only have to pay $2.00.
me: I can only go by what I am told to do.
Young male and father: Well... we are not paying $6.00. We should only pay $2.00
So I tell the young male that he will have to speak to the call box. I press the call box button on the pay machine at the exit gate. He had a surprised look on his face. He speaks to the person who answers the call. That person tells him that he owes $6.00. He and his father argue with him as well. They tell him the same thing they told me. Meanwhile, there is a line of cars behind them.
So I call that office to find out what I am supposed to do. I was told to have the customer fill out a debit voucher, which I had with me. So I tell the customer that he has to fill out a debit voucher for $6.00. He tells me...
"Before I do that, I need to name and phone number of a supervisor."
So I call my direct supervisor, who is over the parking garages that I work at, but I get her voice mail. So I call the supervisor who is over all of the porters, like me. I tell him why I am calling as well as the fact that I did call my direct supervisor, but I could not reach her. He tells me that he will be there soon.
While I was waiting for him to arrive, the people in the cars behind the customer begin to honk their horns. One of the customers behind the customer gets out of his car and walks up to me. Here is what happened.
guy: "I need to leave. I need to get out of here."
me: "You need to speak to the customer at the exit gate. He chose to not pay for his parking, and he is causing the backup. So you need to speak to him about that."
guy: "Do you work here?"
me: "Yes, I do, but I am not the one to complain to. You need to complain to the guy at the exit gate. He asked to speak to a manager. I am waiting for one to arrive."
At that point the customer at the exit gate holds up something in his hand to where I could see it, sticks his head out the window and says "You are holding me against my will. That is unconstitutional."
The manager I spoke to finally arrives. He walks up to the guy at the exit gate. The guy tells him that 1) he is being told that he owes $6.00, 2) he had to wait for help to arrive, and 3) he should only have to pay $2.00. So that manager asks him for his ticket, and he inserts it in the pay machine. He tells the guy that he owes $6.00. The guy and his father argue with him telling him that they will not pay the $6.00, that they are being held against their will, and that this is unconstitutional. Meanwhile the guy who complained to me is standing outside his car. He tells the manager "I need to leave. I will pay the $6.00"
So he gives the manager his credit card. The manager processes the payment. The customer finally leaves.
I received a call on my work cell phone to help a customer at the exit gate at one one of the garages I work at. I was not too far from that garage, & so I got there quickly. I go to help the customer, a young male with who looked like to be his father and a younger kid in the backseat. When I got there, there were at least 3 cars behind them. Here is what happened.
I go up to the customer at the exit gate. He tells me that the ticket he pulled is unreadable. So I call the main office where the call came from. I read off the ticket number on the ticket, I tell the person who answered the time that is indicated on the ticket, and I tell him that the ticket will not work. He tells me that the customer owes $6.00. So I tell the customer that. That is when he and his father argued with me.
Young male: $6.00!! I owe six dollars!! I was only here for twenty minutes.
I read off the time on the ticket to him.
father: We are not paying $6.00. We had to wait for someone to help us. We should only have to pay $2.00.
me: I can only go by what I am told to do.
Young male and father: Well... we are not paying $6.00. We should only pay $2.00
So I tell the young male that he will have to speak to the call box. I press the call box button on the pay machine at the exit gate. He had a surprised look on his face. He speaks to the person who answers the call. That person tells him that he owes $6.00. He and his father argue with him as well. They tell him the same thing they told me. Meanwhile, there is a line of cars behind them.
So I call that office to find out what I am supposed to do. I was told to have the customer fill out a debit voucher, which I had with me. So I tell the customer that he has to fill out a debit voucher for $6.00. He tells me...
"Before I do that, I need to name and phone number of a supervisor."
So I call my direct supervisor, who is over the parking garages that I work at, but I get her voice mail. So I call the supervisor who is over all of the porters, like me. I tell him why I am calling as well as the fact that I did call my direct supervisor, but I could not reach her. He tells me that he will be there soon.
While I was waiting for him to arrive, the people in the cars behind the customer begin to honk their horns. One of the customers behind the customer gets out of his car and walks up to me. Here is what happened.
guy: "I need to leave. I need to get out of here."
me: "You need to speak to the customer at the exit gate. He chose to not pay for his parking, and he is causing the backup. So you need to speak to him about that."
guy: "Do you work here?"
me: "Yes, I do, but I am not the one to complain to. You need to complain to the guy at the exit gate. He asked to speak to a manager. I am waiting for one to arrive."
At that point the customer at the exit gate holds up something in his hand to where I could see it, sticks his head out the window and says "You are holding me against my will. That is unconstitutional."
The manager I spoke to finally arrives. He walks up to the guy at the exit gate. The guy tells him that 1) he is being told that he owes $6.00, 2) he had to wait for help to arrive, and 3) he should only have to pay $2.00. So that manager asks him for his ticket, and he inserts it in the pay machine. He tells the guy that he owes $6.00. The guy and his father argue with him telling him that they will not pay the $6.00, that they are being held against their will, and that this is unconstitutional. Meanwhile the guy who complained to me is standing outside his car. He tells the manager "I need to leave. I will pay the $6.00"
So he gives the manager his credit card. The manager processes the payment. The customer finally leaves.
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