How may times do you answer the same question?

[excuse me??]

How may times do you answer the same question?

In our warehouse store, I was the 3rd clerk to handle this customer... She refused to accept that we were out of stock, even though we clearly pointed it was not in top-stock or below. She refused to accept what she was seeing herself, and kept asking the same question if we had it in stock (The three of us probably answered her same question about 15 times). She wasn't rude, maybe had dementia or other psychological issues, but still, there has to be a limit to this sort of nonsense and all the time it took.

[Racket_Man]

When I worked for a company that built exhibits I had that situation all the time from one of the west coast divisions.

I usually arrived at work about 7:30am (in that early for the conversion and upgrading for Y2K). at about 7:45am each and every morning the phone would ring. The person calling was from the San Fransisco office. They would enquire as to how to perform XYZ (some morning function they needed to do with their local machine). Each morning I would instruct them how to perform XYZ function. The next morning they would call again.

I send them numerious e-mails with detailed instructions. I faxed the same instrustions to them AND thei supervisor.

After a while I just gave up and waited until the Y2K conversion was done (no more local machine).

AHHHHHH relief.

[Pixilated]

It might depend on what your company will permit. Some companies demand you keep answering until the customer walks away. I think personally after the fourth attempt I'd close the conversation and go find something to do and literally ignore any further attempts by the customer to get the answer she wants rather than the one that corresponds with reality, but that's not always possible.

[PepperElf]

depends on how rude you get to be without getting in trouble.

my first thought is "what part of 'out of stock' don't you understand?" but... that'll probably get you trouble.

[EricKei]

If said custy had come into the stockroom on their own, unescorted, to press the issue, the first, most reasonable response I can think of would have been, *beep boop boop* "Hello, police?"

[MoonCat]

I had this about a week ago. A woman was placing an ad for apt rental. She kept wanting to say something about renting to medical students. I kept repeating that we cannot refer, in any way at all, to potential tenants. She kept repeating "students", "medical students," "for students," until finally I said, "Look, how many ways can I tell you this? We CANNOT say that in an ad."

She finally got it.

[Marmalady]

Each morning I would instruct them how to perform XYZ function. The next morning they would call again.

I send them numerious e-mails with detailed instructions. I faxed the same instrustions to them AND thei supervisor.

Had a co-irker like this once. We'd been on the same course, but in her case it had been a waste of two days. She would constantly be interrupting me with 'How do I do this? What does this mean? What if I want this expanded?' etc. She could have picked up the manual, or her course notes, but that would have required effort on her part rather than mine.

Finally, after a morning in which I'd only got half my work done thanks to her constant interruptions, my boss told her that she wasn't to interrupt me any more and if she did, he would conclude that she was either too lazy or too dumb to do that particular job and he'd take it away from her.

[taxguykarl]

My mom counted 30 in one sitting, but then she was dealing with my Alzheimer's-afflicted great uncle at the time.

[sms001]

...boss told her that she wasn't to interrupt me any more and if she did, he would conclude that she was either too lazy or too dumb to do that particular job ....

Awesome boss is awesome! (Did it work?)

[raudf]

I gotta say, dealing with the SCs constantly asking, "Is it ready yet?" or, "Are you sure you don't have any more in the back?" and not listening to the answer has prepared me for being a parent. At least with my kids I can honestly say, "Go look it up yourself," or "Ooh, look! A SQUIRREL!!!"

[The Hurting]

Too many to count.

"Do you work here?"

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, I HAVE A NAMETAG AND A SHIRT THAT SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT I WORK FOR THE STORE!

[Marmalady]

Awesome boss is awesome! (Did it work?)

Yes it did!

That was just about the best boss I ever had. Worked his socks off, made decisions and stood by them instead of holding countless meetings about the same thing.. And if another dept. moaned about something one of us had done, he would always defend us against them.. he might say to us privately afterwards 'Next time, it would be better to do X and then Y ' or whatever - but he'd never throw us under the bus to please someone else.

[Seshat]

Had a co-irker like this once. We'd been on the same course, but in her case it had been a waste of two days. She would constantly be interrupting me with 'How do I do this? What does this mean? What if I want this expanded?' etc. She could have picked up the manual, or her course notes, but that would have required effort on her part rather than mine.

I have quite literally told people "you do know that all I'm doing is looking it up - just the same as you could do? You're just transferring effort from you to me."

In some cases, the question changed to 'do you know X off the top of your head?' 'No, sorry' 'Okay, I'll look it up'. Which I don't mind, actually.

[MadMike]

She would constantly be interrupting me with 'How do I do this? What does this mean? What if I want this expanded?' etc.

One of my coworkers kept doing something like that in a training session once. The instructor kept telling him, "I'll get to that!" It finally started to sink in, and he told her, "OK I'll shut up then!" One of my coworkers, who was obviously annoyed at him constantly interrupting like that, muttered under his breath, "That'll be a first!" Unfortunately, he said it just a little too loud, and the whole class started laughing. Well, everyone except one person.

[gremcint]

"What's the difference between a notebook and a laptop?" from every customer ever.