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Wherein Irv makes an old lady cry
I was the only salesfloor person for general merchandise today. I took an outside call this morning.
The caller was an old lady who asked me if we still had desk calenders. In my company, calenders are seasonal. They arrive in the fall and are returned March of the following year. We sell a lot of them during Christmas and just after the new year begins. The vendor rep packed up our remaining stock and took it all back last week, so I had to tell the old lady we didn't have any calenders any more.
"OH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Seriously kids, I had to jerk the phone away from my ear.
The next five or so minutes were spent listening to the poor thing blubber about how she had her heart set on coming to the swamp and getting her desk calender, and couldn't I get her one anyway? Please? Please?
I had to keep telling her we didn't have calenders any more. The woman sounded like a shut-in who can't just up and go to the store whenever she wants, and I didn't have the heart to be sarcastic or tell her we'd had calenders in the store for six months before they went back. The whole time the woman was blubbering and choking back sobs.
Then she asked to be transferred to jewelry for something, so I transferred her call. I'd be interested in knowing who took the call and what the old lady said to her.
I think I have to be setting a record in my store for making people cry. This is about the third person I've driven to tears through customer service.
The caller was an old lady who asked me if we still had desk calenders. In my company, calenders are seasonal. They arrive in the fall and are returned March of the following year. We sell a lot of them during Christmas and just after the new year begins. The vendor rep packed up our remaining stock and took it all back last week, so I had to tell the old lady we didn't have any calenders any more.
"OH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Seriously kids, I had to jerk the phone away from my ear.
The next five or so minutes were spent listening to the poor thing blubber about how she had her heart set on coming to the swamp and getting her desk calender, and couldn't I get her one anyway? Please? Please?
I had to keep telling her we didn't have calenders any more. The woman sounded like a shut-in who can't just up and go to the store whenever she wants, and I didn't have the heart to be sarcastic or tell her we'd had calenders in the store for six months before they went back. The whole time the woman was blubbering and choking back sobs.
Then she asked to be transferred to jewelry for something, so I transferred her call. I'd be interested in knowing who took the call and what the old lady said to her.
I think I have to be setting a record in my store for making people cry. This is about the third person I've driven to tears through customer service.
I used to print calendars for my mom, it was kind of fun. 
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