What part of "not our company" do you not understand???

[Dave1982]

I'm covering (for what is hopefully the last time before switching territories) at my most hated account that I've dubbed "Phone Hell."

I just got off the phone (at a time when I'm supposed to be OFF the phone queue) with a woman who wanted to be transferred to the cafeteria.

While this isn't an unreasonable request, the problem is, this is a multi-tenant office building with at least 5 companies. The cafeteria is run by yet another company and is wholey separate from THIS company. I can't transfer calls to them because they aren't connected to our phone system.

No, I don't have a phone number for them.

Why not? Because it's a completely different company! I only have numbers for THIS company. Why the hell should I maintain a listing for other businesses here that have nothing to do with us? I'm not directory assistance!

Then she asked for a contact name for them, because she really just needs to mail a letter to them. Once again, this is a totally different company!!! I DON'T HAVE information for anything at OTHER COMPANIES!!!!! You might as well have asked me to connect you someone who works for Wayne Enterprises, for all the good it'd do you.

"Well then what would you suggest???"

How about just putting the address and writing "ATTN: CAFETERIA?"

"But how will i KNOW it'll get there without a name?????"

Sorry can't help you with that.

"You know what? Never mind!" *click*

Aaaaand one more crazy person out of my life forever (hopefully).

[Seanette]

Answering the subject line, that would be the part where you so spitefully refuse to do everything for the speshul snoeflayke so she doesn't have to lift a royal finger on her own behalf. After all, she's the customer, you're the lowly worker, therefore you must exist to cater to Her Majesty's every whim.

[KellyHabersham]

The cafeteria is run by yet another company and is wholey separate from THIS company. I can't transfer calls to them because they aren't connected to our phone system.

I experienced that every so often when I worked in the church office, with people calling and wanting to speak to preschool/daycare center staff. Never had to deal with the level of suck you've described from this lady, but I did get a few people sounding a bit annoyed that I couldn't transfer them directly to the other building, and that they'd have to dial that number themselves.

[MoonCat]

I've had callers wanting me to transfer them to a salesperson's cell phone.

I just....what??

[RealUnimportant]

I've had callers wanting me to transfer them to a salesperson's cell phone.

I just....what??

It's not impossible, but it requires a specialised phone system & not all companies are gonna spring for that kind of kit or the cost of making the extra calls.

As for the question asked of the OP, there's no way to KNOW that it'll be delivered correctly unless you do it by hand personally.

[wolfie]

I've had callers wanting me to transfer them to a salesperson's cell phone.

It's not impossible, but it requires a specialised phone system & not all companies are gonna spring for that kind of kit or the cost of making the extra calls.

Unless the landline and cellphone providers are the same company, such a system is likely to tie up 2 outside lines for the duration of the call - one for the inbound call from the customer, and one for the outbound relay to the salesperson's cell phone.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I've had callers wanting me to transfer them to a salesperson's cell phone.

I just....what??

Not gonna happen in a milion years. Sure the operator can transfer you to their voice mailbox but that's the extent of it. But they're not going to just willy nilly give out a sales rep's mobile number just b/c somebody from Bubba Gump called and asked for them.

Luckily for me, the folks I usually need to call I have phone numbers for stored in my iPhone so at any given moment in the day when I need to contact one of them, I can quickly send a text (or a couple of them I have to call b/c they don't have texting with their work phones.)

Some people's children, I swanee . . . they just don't think.