You Work There, You Must Know!

[Misty]

I work the receptionist desk at a risk management company. My job is to answer phones, sign for packages, order kitchen supplies, and clean the kitchen. I do some other stuff too, but none of it involves actual risk management.

A guy called the font desk and immediately launched into a long rambling monologue that eventually led to a question about his account. I interrupted him and said that I wasn't the person to talk to and that I would connect him to someone who could help him.

He gave a short, condescending laugh and said "well you work there so you must know."

Sure, I know all about risk management. That's why I make the big bucks answering calls from jackasses like you. Oh, wait, no, the guys who make the big bucks hire idiots like me to answer calls from jackasses like you.

I think it might be time to go back to school.

[emax4]

"Well, the janitor works here too. You think he or she knows about risk management? Why don't you wait until the office is closed and ask the janitor yourself?"

[TheWolfEmperor]

Ah yes. The person who answers the phone wants to hear my whole life story because my problem is just that damned important. Surely, once you have heard my preamble you will be moved to find the answers that I seek.

[Rosco the Iroc]

let me xfer you to fuck distribution, so you can talk to someone who gives a fuck

[Trixie]

Once every so often I'll answer a call for our pharmacy and the caller expects my help (I'll overlook that they ignore at least 4 prompts asking if they want the pharmacy I want to stay in a good mood). There are callers that refuse to believe I can't help them, those I transfer right back into recording hell.

We also have a clinic in our store that's run by an outside hospital. For sure I can't help anyone calling that one. I had one woman who NEEDED to speak with someone at our clinic. We have an 800 number we have to give. Not good enough. She wanted me to take a message. NO, I CANNOT DO THAT. After a good 5 minutes of this (okay maybe 2) and slightly amused looks from the coworkers in the vicinity she took the 800 number.

[Pixelated]

I just finished a contract job at a law office, and boy, can I sympathize ... although the callers there weren't usually as much of a jackass as that one. I have lost count of the number of times I've had to say "I AM THE RECEPTIONIST, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT LAW" ... but usually, that shut them up and I would either take the relevant info or just hand them off to a lawyer.

I did have one infuriated client wanting to talk to someone RIGHT NOW about whatever was bothering him about his case (I think he wanted an update, or perhaps a cheque hadn't shown up yet ... something). Me: "Do you want to go on hold, then?" Him: "YES. I WANT TO TALK TO SOMEBODY!!"

The lawyer in question was in a mediation session that was expected to last until hell froze over, so I asked his assistant, who futtered and fumbled and finally sighed (I sympathized with her too) and said, "Okay, I'll talk to him."

Hate to tell ya, people, but personal injury cases go on forever. Personally, unless there was a very definite and long-lasting injury, I wouldn't waste the time, money or energy on one.

[Sparklyturtle]

Back when I was a receptionist in a physical therapy clinic I was under strict orders to not offer any medical advice, as I wasn't credentialed to do so. I had no problem with that, and most patients didn't press the matter if I told them I couldn't hazard a guess as to what might be wrong with them. But this one patient...she went on and on about some shoulder issue she was having, and I explained that I wasn't credentialed to give medical opinions. She then said, "Well, then, what good are you if you don't know anything?" Hey. I ran that place. I did the administrative work in addition to acting as receptionist, and I kept that place from degenerating into chaos.

[Buzzard]

Back when I did the security guard thing at the mondo-deluxe, walled 55+ housing development, there were clear orders about Thou Shalt NOT do anything remotely medical related, as not trained medical, lawsuits, and 3 levels of managment plus lawyers would eat thine head for even considering it. This went all the way down to not even offering a hand to help up someone who had fallen for ANY reason.
The answer to anything remotely medical related is: Call in the effing professionals, and fill out a report. Good/Bad thing is the Fire/Paramedics were just a half mile away, and were well versed in how to get there. (I never did like doing that kind of paperwork)

[notalwaysright]

He gave a short, condescending laugh and said "well you work there so you must know."

I had the exact opposite problem when I worked in the office of the roofing company. We had a sheet of very basic information to get from customers calling to get estimates. Simple stuff, do they have a type of roofing they're interested in (comp, metal, etc), how many stories is the home, is the current roof leaking, etc. I could get all the info in just a minute or two if the person was cooperative, and with that information they would get the roofer who could help them the best.

Some guys would not tell me ANYTHING. "Put me through to a roofer." Was the response to any question. Well guess what, roofers don't stay in the office all day, it's a small company we don't have a dedicated "office roofer" or whatever the big companies do. We often called back same day, but it was rarely instant unless they called early in the morning or later in the afternoon. Anyway, I guess my point is, it's impossible to predict what nonsense a SC will demand. "You must know everything!" or "you don't know anything!"

[Food Lady]

I get this stuff all the time. The people who close contracts are in Central America. Even if you did want to make an international call they don't take them. That's why I have a job. I take the calls and send them the work and they do it. I can't control the fact that they don't update you on what's going on nor the fact that it takes a month and a half. It just does and I would have no idea how to process a cancellation just like I have zip to do with drafting the contracts in the first place. I'm not in sales either. I also don't calculate buyout cost and I don't know how that's done. All I can do is tell you where to send to request for that. And while we're at it, I also am not trained in government billing. I'm literally not allowed to answer your questions about billing. There are all kinds of special rules for that. I do lease and rental billing, period. It's not that I don't know anything. Do you want me to abandon calls to learn all this stuff? Who's going to help you then??

[LadyofArc]

I get this a LOT at work, since I am the second/third port of call for some of our mentors.
I have made it painfully, painfully clear that I am not a nurse, I cannot provide any argument surrounding scope of practice.

[KellyHabersham]

When I worked in the church office, I got this sort of thing from some of our more "crabby" congregation members. Mostly it happened because the pastor whom I initially worked with wasn't always good about keeping me "in the loop" on things, so when people would call the office looking for information, they'd get upset with me for not being able to answer questions/help them.