I got one of GK's customers, I swear...

[Shabo]

Lately at my office, we have all been taking turns on the operator phones for the *college* that I go to. That's important to note. Ok, on to the story...

Me: Fantastic customer service lady!
SC: Stupid Caller

I really didn't think these people existed...

Me: *College name*, how may I help you?
SC: Yes, may I speak to the principal please?
Me: I'm sorry, did you ask for the principal?
SC: Yes, the principal.
Me: I'm sorry, I think you have the wrong number. *trying really hard not to laugh*
SC: Maybe you can help me then. *I think to myself, if you are looking for a principal, I'm afraid you're SOL here lady.* You see, I work with *company* and we do reference checks for articles. blah blah blah blah, *drops name of professor who wrote the article, but I didn't quite catch it since she pronounced it wrong.*
Me: I can transfer you to the professor, but other than that, I don't know of any department that deals with reference checks like that. Could you repeat the professor's name? I'm going to have to look up the number.
SC: *pronounces professor's name wrong again, but this time I caught it.* blah blah blah, goes on about something but I"m not really listening.
Me: Do you mean *professor's name pronounced correctly*?
SC: Yeah... *repeats professor's name correctly*.
Me: Ok, I can transfer you, hold on.
SC: But blah blah blah blah blah.
Me: I'm sorry maam, but all I can do is transfer you to *professor*.
SC: Ok, *pronounces professor's name wrong again*. That will be fine.
Me: It's *correct pronounciation*.
Me: *mash keys for transfer*

Now I'm thinking that she's an idiot. Most published articles come from higher education professors, IE college professors, and call me a monkey if there is a single college out there with a "principal".

A few other callers I had that day:

Me: *standard intro*
SC: The admin building please?
Me: Which department?
SC: Administration?
Me: Who do you need to talk to?
SC: Um, housing?
Me: *that's not even close to the admin building!!!!* Hold on, I'll transfer you.

Me: *Intro time!*
SC: I need to speak with the provost!
Me: Hold on one moment while I look up the number.
SC: I need his direct number! His secretary is on vacation! I need to talk to him! Are you going to give me his secretary's number? She's not there!
Me: I can look up a number for his direct line and transfer you, but there's not much else I can do for you sir.
SC: Well, can you tell the provost that Dr. *so and so* called, and that it's urgent that I speak to him?
Me: Let me transfer you.

Dude, I'm not even in the same building as this guy. I have no idea if he's even in today. And I'm clearly NOT his secretary. I don't care who you are. You don't get him on the phone? NMFP. You know, email works too.

Every few callers, I get one of these gems...
Me: *Intro!*
SC: *Barely containing anger* I need to talk to *department*, and DON'T give me ANY voicemail!
Me: Hold on, I'll transfer you. *transfer jerkface to most generic number I have knowing full well they will probably get voicemail.*

Hey, they want to be nice? I'll help them out. They want to call and yell at me when I've never spoken to them before? Tough luck for them. I'll transfer them... but they'll be lucky I'm nice enough to give them the right number.

The omniscient telephone operators will know!

Me: *That pesky intro thing*
SC: Yeah, I keep trying to call *department*, and no one is answering. Do you know if they're in today?
Me: *And I would know this how?* I'm sorry, I don't know. I suggest trying the number again or leaving a voicemail since that department is very busy at this time of the year.
SC: Oh, ok.

Seriously. I know we live in an age of instant gratification, but come on. An entire department not being there? Not likely. And no, I never know if a specific person is in or out for a day.

I can half understand this one...

Me: *intro*
SC: Yes, I'm calling from *company* and I just wanted to verify the mailing address of the school.
Me: *verifies info*
SC: Thank you, have a nice day.

Ok, not really sucky or stupid, since I'm sure he was assigned to do his job... but why would a major university suddenly change their mailing address? Perhaps the town would change a mailing address... but there's not really much chance of that, IMO.

Wow. I need to stay off those phones. I might catch teh stoopid.

[air914]

Eh I can understand some of these....

1) the whole department not answering - I've called places where "EVERYONE" is in a training.... or I used to call social workers and it seemed they were ALWAYS in a training - and so were their bosses, etc. Although some of the places that I called were really bad and they didn't even have voice mail so you left a message w/ a person knowing that it probably wouldn't get to the intended recipient (yeah guess how many times those messages ever got returned). Or the voice mail will be for the entire department and you want to leave a message for someone specific and you can't..... so yeah, it can happen that the entire department isn't there...

2) Mailing address of school - sometimes that is the hardest thing to find on school websites and I have no idea why. Or the address won't contain a street address - it will just be "University of _____" City, State, Zip. It seems like something's missing there... yes, I know it's a University, but still - you'd think they'd have a street address somewhere on their website.......

[Shabo]

Eh I can understand some of these....

1) the whole department not answering - I've called places where "EVERYONE" is in a training.... or I used to call social workers and it seemed they were ALWAYS in a training - and so were their bosses, etc. Although some of the places that I called were really bad and they didn't even have voice mail so you left a message w/ a person knowing that it probably wouldn't get to the intended recipient (yeah guess how many times those messages ever got returned). Or the voice mail will be for the entire department and you want to leave a message for someone specific and you can't..... so yeah, it can happen that the entire department isn't there...

2) Mailing address of school - sometimes that is the hardest thing to find on school websites and I have no idea why. Or the address won't contain a street address - it will just be "University of _____" City, State, Zip. It seems like something's missing there... yes, I know it's a University, but still - you'd think they'd have a street address somewhere on their website.......

Oddly enough, #1 never happens at my school. Sometimes the departments are just that busy, especially right before a semester starts all the way up til a month into the semester. But there is never an entire department out at once during a busy time.

And for #2, he read the address to me, and I said yes that's correct. So he did have it. I suppose I should have clarified that in the OP.

[Becks]

call me a monkey if there is a single college out there with a "principal". [/I]

I wouldn't know about THAT, but some have principles.

Lame, I know. Sorry.