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Hi all! 
Here is a tale in which Angry Man gets angry for reasons that puzzle me.
I don't post often, and haven't for some time.
BG- In December, I moved from my home town (largest city in my country) To a smaller city closer to our capital than where I grew up. This was because I saw an opportunity and grabbed it! I am now Assistant manager at this city's H-Curtains.
Settling in has been hard in some ways and easy in others. There is a metric crap-ton of paperwork that this position comes with (on ACTUAL paper, yes) but my team is great. Lots of interesting an amusing things have been happening which I will share at some point, but the one I had to come and post about was Angry Man, or AM for short.
AM rang the store and my manager MG answered in the office. AM wanted to make an appointment for one of our consultants to come out and do a measure and quote for new blinds. MG let the gentleman know that she would need to pass him on to another staff member on the cordless phone to check the appointment diaries, and passes the phone to me so she can continue with the paperwork she had to sort out rather urgently. It's been a busy few weeks!
I take the phone, and realise he must be hard of hearing, as he's halfway thru explaining what he wants to thin air.
(MG later tells me he had already agreed to be passed to another co-worker- perhaps he thought it was instantaneous. There was approx. 5 seconds between her passing me the phone and me answering.)
I greet him and introduce myself.
AM: What! Who am I talking to now?
Note- from this point on, he sounds about half a room away from the phone, and I am struggling to hear him for most of the call.
Me: Oh, sorry, it's (Name), I understand you wish to book in for a measure and quote appointment?
AM: How can you help me if you don't know what I want???
Me: (sighs inwardly) You wish to make an appointment with one of our consultants to come to your home, is that correct sir?
AM: Yes, (kind of blind he wants)
Me: Alright sir, Are you in (city) or an outlying town? (The two consultants have different areas they do, and have different days for measures in the city. There are a lot of rural areas and small towns in this region we cover)
AM: (Address, very quickly and quietly)(Note here that I also don't know most of the street names here, so little scraps of words don't help me a lot.)
ME: Sorry sir, can you repeat that please?
AM (Address, just as quickly and quietly, but angrier, with me straining to hear)
Me: Any days in particular that are better for you for your appointment, or that you aren't able to do?
AM: I don't see why that matters! (Here is the first thing he got angry about that actually puzzled me.)
Me: Just so we can find the earliest appointment that's convenient for you, sir. (Consultant) had (day) available in the morning? Or (day) if you prefer?
AM: It doesn't matter, does it? Can't it be (day I already mentioned)?
Me: Certainly it can be! Anywhere between (time) and around (later time), what is suitable for you?
AM: (Further annoyed grumbling)
(I may have to stop using that middle phrase. No-one seems to understand what it means. They think it means ONLY (first time) OR (other time), with no other options.)
We finally settle on a day, then a time. Next step is to find out how big a job it is, so we know how much time to block out for that appointment.
Me: And how many rooms would you like to have measured for? (Standard sort of phrasing of the question)
AM: (now quite angry) What?! Why do you want to know that? It's a massive property! You might as well say two of your regular houses they would come and do! If you're going to make this so difficult I'll just give my business to another firm!
Me: Oh, so, a whole house measure then, sir?
AM: NO!
Me:
So, how many rooms will you be getting measured at this appointment, sir?
AM Why does that matter??
I try explaining, twice, that this is so we can let the consultant know how big a job it is, and book the right amount of time. He then tells me, twice, that it's a great big place, but I cannot get a firm answer from him whether it's a whole house-lot or just some of the windows. I figure it's safer to assume the latter.
Me: Alright then, can I get your name, please?
AM: (Last name)
Me: Thank you, and first name please?
AM: What do you need that for?!?!
Me:
I get the rest of his information and once I confirm all the details he hangs up, I assume angrily.
So, in summary, Angry man was angry because-
1. He was put on to another staff member (not even transferred or put on hold)
2. I couldn't hear him very well, and he couldn't hear me very well. (Ok, yes, that's maddening)
3. I didn't already know what he wanted.
4. I didn't know what days and times he was free.
5. I dared, DARED ask for his first name!!!!eleventy!111
There is no code to put in the appointment diary for this. The consultant I booked for him happened to be in the office doing paperwork, so I gave her a heads up about his temperament. MG asked later what his name was. I told her and she smiled sagely, nodding, almost painfully.
"Ah, yes, Mr. (name). We've done work for him in the past."
Should I find myself a fallout shelter now?
UPDATE 1.
The consultant went to his place to measure yesterday or today, I forget. I'm dying to catch up with her to see how it went.
I'm glad he got the hardass consultant and not the sweetie- she's on holiday for 2 weeks thru Vietnam, Cambodia and Singapore. I hope we get to see pictures- I'd love to travel in Asia.
UPDATE 2.
Hard-ass Consultant, aka HAC told me today she's measured for custom work for this guy before, at their last house. At that time, he wanted us to do something that no soft furnishing company will do, us included- Make new window coverings out of the fabric of his brother's old ones. Nobody with a LICK of sense will do a make with customer's own fabric because it is waaaay too risky, for all sorts of reasons.
If it's not stock fabric/current fabric we've ordered from our suppliers for you- we can't get more if it's flawed/damaged/factory screws up one part/it goes missing while being freighted back down the country/and more besides. At least I don't think he tried that on this time around.
What he did do, however, is double-book HAC with a consultant from "ClimateBoss" blinds.
This is basically the rudest thing you can do to a consultant, short of deciding to cancel the appointment without actually telling us and not being at home when the van arrives.
HAC pulls up, ClimateBoss van pulls up about 10 seconds later. AM's wife, Reasonable Woman, comes out, all apologetic- I don't actually think she knew about the double booking either.
RW- "Oh dear, I'm so sorry about this- can you wait 15 minutes?"
HAC- "No, I can't! This is the time I have been booked for, and if I can't start the measure now, you will just have to re-book your appointment for another day!"
HAC did her measure.
Now, we all hope he goes with Climateboss. Although I do feel bad for anyone, anywhere, that has to interact with the bloke.
Here is a tale in which Angry Man gets angry for reasons that puzzle me.
I don't post often, and haven't for some time.
BG- In December, I moved from my home town (largest city in my country) To a smaller city closer to our capital than where I grew up. This was because I saw an opportunity and grabbed it! I am now Assistant manager at this city's H-Curtains.
Settling in has been hard in some ways and easy in others. There is a metric crap-ton of paperwork that this position comes with (on ACTUAL paper, yes) but my team is great. Lots of interesting an amusing things have been happening which I will share at some point, but the one I had to come and post about was Angry Man, or AM for short.
AM rang the store and my manager MG answered in the office. AM wanted to make an appointment for one of our consultants to come out and do a measure and quote for new blinds. MG let the gentleman know that she would need to pass him on to another staff member on the cordless phone to check the appointment diaries, and passes the phone to me so she can continue with the paperwork she had to sort out rather urgently. It's been a busy few weeks!
I take the phone, and realise he must be hard of hearing, as he's halfway thru explaining what he wants to thin air.
(MG later tells me he had already agreed to be passed to another co-worker- perhaps he thought it was instantaneous. There was approx. 5 seconds between her passing me the phone and me answering.)
I greet him and introduce myself.
AM: What! Who am I talking to now?
Note- from this point on, he sounds about half a room away from the phone, and I am struggling to hear him for most of the call.
Me: Oh, sorry, it's (Name), I understand you wish to book in for a measure and quote appointment?
AM: How can you help me if you don't know what I want???
Me: (sighs inwardly) You wish to make an appointment with one of our consultants to come to your home, is that correct sir?
AM: Yes, (kind of blind he wants)
Me: Alright sir, Are you in (city) or an outlying town? (The two consultants have different areas they do, and have different days for measures in the city. There are a lot of rural areas and small towns in this region we cover)
AM: (Address, very quickly and quietly)(Note here that I also don't know most of the street names here, so little scraps of words don't help me a lot.)
ME: Sorry sir, can you repeat that please?
AM (Address, just as quickly and quietly, but angrier, with me straining to hear)
Me: Any days in particular that are better for you for your appointment, or that you aren't able to do?
AM: I don't see why that matters! (Here is the first thing he got angry about that actually puzzled me.)
Me: Just so we can find the earliest appointment that's convenient for you, sir. (Consultant) had (day) available in the morning? Or (day) if you prefer?
AM: It doesn't matter, does it? Can't it be (day I already mentioned)?
Me: Certainly it can be! Anywhere between (time) and around (later time), what is suitable for you?
AM: (Further annoyed grumbling)
(I may have to stop using that middle phrase. No-one seems to understand what it means. They think it means ONLY (first time) OR (other time), with no other options.)
We finally settle on a day, then a time. Next step is to find out how big a job it is, so we know how much time to block out for that appointment.
Me: And how many rooms would you like to have measured for? (Standard sort of phrasing of the question)
AM: (now quite angry) What?! Why do you want to know that? It's a massive property! You might as well say two of your regular houses they would come and do! If you're going to make this so difficult I'll just give my business to another firm!
Me: Oh, so, a whole house measure then, sir?
AM: NO!
Me:
So, how many rooms will you be getting measured at this appointment, sir?AM Why does that matter??
I try explaining, twice, that this is so we can let the consultant know how big a job it is, and book the right amount of time. He then tells me, twice, that it's a great big place, but I cannot get a firm answer from him whether it's a whole house-lot or just some of the windows. I figure it's safer to assume the latter.
Me: Alright then, can I get your name, please?
AM: (Last name)
Me: Thank you, and first name please?
AM: What do you need that for?!?!
Me:
I get the rest of his information and once I confirm all the details he hangs up, I assume angrily.
So, in summary, Angry man was angry because-
1. He was put on to another staff member (not even transferred or put on hold)
2. I couldn't hear him very well, and he couldn't hear me very well. (Ok, yes, that's maddening)
3. I didn't already know what he wanted.
4. I didn't know what days and times he was free.
5. I dared, DARED ask for his first name!!!!eleventy!111
There is no code to put in the appointment diary for this. The consultant I booked for him happened to be in the office doing paperwork, so I gave her a heads up about his temperament. MG asked later what his name was. I told her and she smiled sagely, nodding, almost painfully.
"Ah, yes, Mr. (name). We've done work for him in the past."
Should I find myself a fallout shelter now?
UPDATE 1.
The consultant went to his place to measure yesterday or today, I forget. I'm dying to catch up with her to see how it went.
I'm glad he got the hardass consultant and not the sweetie- she's on holiday for 2 weeks thru Vietnam, Cambodia and Singapore. I hope we get to see pictures- I'd love to travel in Asia.
UPDATE 2.
Hard-ass Consultant, aka HAC told me today she's measured for custom work for this guy before, at their last house. At that time, he wanted us to do something that no soft furnishing company will do, us included- Make new window coverings out of the fabric of his brother's old ones. Nobody with a LICK of sense will do a make with customer's own fabric because it is waaaay too risky, for all sorts of reasons.
If it's not stock fabric/current fabric we've ordered from our suppliers for you- we can't get more if it's flawed/damaged/factory screws up one part/it goes missing while being freighted back down the country/and more besides. At least I don't think he tried that on this time around.
What he did do, however, is double-book HAC with a consultant from "ClimateBoss" blinds.
This is basically the rudest thing you can do to a consultant, short of deciding to cancel the appointment without actually telling us and not being at home when the van arrives.HAC pulls up, ClimateBoss van pulls up about 10 seconds later. AM's wife, Reasonable Woman, comes out, all apologetic- I don't actually think she knew about the double booking either.
RW- "Oh dear, I'm so sorry about this- can you wait 15 minutes?"
HAC- "No, I can't! This is the time I have been booked for, and if I can't start the measure now, you will just have to re-book your appointment for another day!"
HAC did her measure.
Now, we all hope he goes with Climateboss. Although I do feel bad for anyone, anywhere, that has to interact with the bloke.
. Today I had a lady get mad over a receipt...it didn't print at the pump so she had to get it in the store. Awww, poor baby!
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