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After starting this new job, where I actually interact with customers, I was prodded into actually posting my interactions with some of societie's "finest." So, a bit of quick background, about this job. I work for an office supply company now, as the receptionist. We deal in everything you'll ever find in an office, right down to the over-priced, and aged to prefected hardness, candy. Our office is rather small, in that we have 3-5 customer service agents (one is also our office manager, another is also our A/P person, so I rarely send them calls) 2 people in printing, 1 A/R (who actually never gets C/S calls, but has some funny stories of her own) and 19 sales reps (who are almost never in the office, for which I am eternally greatful, they're bad enough over the phone). Also, because our office is so small, I can hear everyone. Some of my stories will actually come from the other members of our well-oiled machine, as my interaction with people is usually limited to, "How may I direct your call?" "Just a moment"
Okay, that out of the way, on with our story.
Me: "Thank you for calling (Co name), how may I direct your call?"
Customer: "I'm looking for a pen."
M: "Okay, let me get you over to customer service. Just a moment."
Female Agent: "Thank you for calling Me (her name there). What can I help you with?"
C: I'm looking for a pen.
(I would like to take a moment to point out that, as previously mentioned, this is an office supply company, the sheer number of pens we have available is mind-boggling)
FA: Okay, do you know the product number?
C: um...no
FA: okay, what kind of pen is it?
C: well...you see...it's an inky kind
(hmmm...as opposed to a dry one? Alright, benifit of the doubt, it's not a Gel pen, we're now down to about 10,000 different types of pens)
FA:...
FA: Like liquid ink?
C: Well...it's blue.
(YAY! We have a color, we've now narrowed our search down to 5,000)
FA: Okay, can you tell me who makes the pen? Like Pentel, BIC, ect.?
C: Um...it has this squishy thing at the bottom of it.
(Last I checked "Squishy thing" wasn't a brand. Okay, a finger pad, at the bottom of the pen, I think we've now got our search down to 2,000)
The rest of the conversation went on like this, with my poor Female Agent trying to narrow this search down, to something that might fit the customer's needs. In the end, they ended up picking a random liquid ink pen, with a grip. Haven't heard from this customer ever since.
Okay, that out of the way, on with our story.
Me: "Thank you for calling (Co name), how may I direct your call?"
Customer: "I'm looking for a pen."
M: "Okay, let me get you over to customer service. Just a moment."
Female Agent: "Thank you for calling Me (her name there). What can I help you with?"
C: I'm looking for a pen.
(I would like to take a moment to point out that, as previously mentioned, this is an office supply company, the sheer number of pens we have available is mind-boggling)
FA: Okay, do you know the product number?
C: um...no
FA: okay, what kind of pen is it?
C: well...you see...it's an inky kind
(hmmm...as opposed to a dry one? Alright, benifit of the doubt, it's not a Gel pen, we're now down to about 10,000 different types of pens)
FA:...
FA: Like liquid ink?
C: Well...it's blue.
(YAY! We have a color, we've now narrowed our search down to 5,000)
FA: Okay, can you tell me who makes the pen? Like Pentel, BIC, ect.?
C: Um...it has this squishy thing at the bottom of it.
(Last I checked "Squishy thing" wasn't a brand. Okay, a finger pad, at the bottom of the pen, I think we've now got our search down to 2,000)
The rest of the conversation went on like this, with my poor Female Agent trying to narrow this search down, to something that might fit the customer's needs. In the end, they ended up picking a random liquid ink pen, with a grip. Haven't heard from this customer ever since.
Welcome!
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