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So classes start on Monday. Now not all college students are dumb. There are enough students that aren't all that bright though. There are certain things that I wished the students knew.
1. The week before school starts is the wrong time to suddenly decide to try to enroll in our college for fall semester. The friday before school starts is really really the wrong time. Please don't get an attitude with the ladies in admissions. That really won't help things.
2. Learn how to navigate an automated phone line. Don't call me back and say, "I need to talk to someone in admissions, but I need a person, not an automated line." I loose sympathy for you when the last option in the automated list is "press 0 for an operator." This will get you put on hold for the next available admissions clerk. See? That was fairly easy now wasn't it. And if we want to get to the next level of skills, you can actually press 0 at any time and get the same result. Listen to the options. Sometimes I will feel bad for someone who's having trouble with the line and I will stay on the line long enough to get them to a general clerk's line. Not if it sounds like they just don't like the idea of having to listen to an automated system.
3. A couple of our offices don't have a holding system on their phones. It sucks. I know. I hate being the one who has to tell you that I can't put you on hold so you can pay you bill and you basically just have to keep calling till the line is free. Again, it sucks. I'm working to try to get that fixed but until then, don't flip out at me. I've even been known to keep someone on hold on my phone till I can get them through if my line hasn't been crazy busy and they've been nice. Especially when I can tell they've been having a long day. Snapping at me will only get me to give you the direct number, at which point you can call yourself.
4. If you can, come in to take care of things. I know it sucks when you could in theory just as easily do it over the phone. But most every other student also wants to do it over the phone as well. Expect a long wait.
5. Find out who you're talking to before you offer to give me your social security number. Consider how many wrong numbers I get, it's not unbelievable that when I'm getting tons of calls for Lowes, they are also getting calls for us. You don't want to give Lowe's your social now do you? If you listen to the person's opening greeting, it will usually tell you where you are. Plus, just by doing that, it will place you well above most of your classmates you haven't yet learned to do so. Oh and all those people who keep asking for our lumber department....
6. If you want me to transfer you somewhere, just tell me. I don't care why. I promise. Somehow though, I keep getting someone on the line who tells me where they need to be transfered and then the second I say "one moment," or at least try to, they launch into why they need to talk to them and what their life story is. I really don't want to hear your life story.
7. When I give you a phone number, find something to write it down on or remember it or even just ignore me and call my number back later. DO NOT enter it into your phone. I know you are because suddenly there is a loud beeping in my ear. Maybe I'm a bitch, but what this means is you may still get the last 4 numbers, but I'm not waiting on the line to make sure you heard right. You just blasted my ear which makes me only a little irritated.
8. I am one person taking a bunch of calls. Please don't call me and say right off the bat "it didn't go through, can you put me through again" and then get exhasperated when I ask you where you were needing to be transfered to. I don't remember your name. I don't remember why you are calling. Don't get huffy at me for not recognizing your voice and knowing exactly where you need to be transfered.
To the parents
Yeah, I can see how it would suck that you payed for your kid to go to college and now you think they are skipping classes or have all together dropped out. No I can not tell you if they are here or not. I can't even legally verify if they are enrolled or have had any contact with us ever. Don't get pissy at me just because I won't break the law to tell you if your kids going to class or not. Also, telling me repeatedly that you payed for their schooling doesn't do anything but make me want to tell you to screw off. I. Can't. Legally. Tell. You. That simple. If it's an emergency, I can get a message to them, but all I can tell you is that if they are a student and there I'll do so. I can't tell you if we got the message to them.
1. The week before school starts is the wrong time to suddenly decide to try to enroll in our college for fall semester. The friday before school starts is really really the wrong time. Please don't get an attitude with the ladies in admissions. That really won't help things.
2. Learn how to navigate an automated phone line. Don't call me back and say, "I need to talk to someone in admissions, but I need a person, not an automated line." I loose sympathy for you when the last option in the automated list is "press 0 for an operator." This will get you put on hold for the next available admissions clerk. See? That was fairly easy now wasn't it. And if we want to get to the next level of skills, you can actually press 0 at any time and get the same result. Listen to the options. Sometimes I will feel bad for someone who's having trouble with the line and I will stay on the line long enough to get them to a general clerk's line. Not if it sounds like they just don't like the idea of having to listen to an automated system.
3. A couple of our offices don't have a holding system on their phones. It sucks. I know. I hate being the one who has to tell you that I can't put you on hold so you can pay you bill and you basically just have to keep calling till the line is free. Again, it sucks. I'm working to try to get that fixed but until then, don't flip out at me. I've even been known to keep someone on hold on my phone till I can get them through if my line hasn't been crazy busy and they've been nice. Especially when I can tell they've been having a long day. Snapping at me will only get me to give you the direct number, at which point you can call yourself.
4. If you can, come in to take care of things. I know it sucks when you could in theory just as easily do it over the phone. But most every other student also wants to do it over the phone as well. Expect a long wait.
5. Find out who you're talking to before you offer to give me your social security number. Consider how many wrong numbers I get, it's not unbelievable that when I'm getting tons of calls for Lowes, they are also getting calls for us. You don't want to give Lowe's your social now do you? If you listen to the person's opening greeting, it will usually tell you where you are. Plus, just by doing that, it will place you well above most of your classmates you haven't yet learned to do so. Oh and all those people who keep asking for our lumber department....
6. If you want me to transfer you somewhere, just tell me. I don't care why. I promise. Somehow though, I keep getting someone on the line who tells me where they need to be transfered and then the second I say "one moment," or at least try to, they launch into why they need to talk to them and what their life story is. I really don't want to hear your life story.
7. When I give you a phone number, find something to write it down on or remember it or even just ignore me and call my number back later. DO NOT enter it into your phone. I know you are because suddenly there is a loud beeping in my ear. Maybe I'm a bitch, but what this means is you may still get the last 4 numbers, but I'm not waiting on the line to make sure you heard right. You just blasted my ear which makes me only a little irritated.
8. I am one person taking a bunch of calls. Please don't call me and say right off the bat "it didn't go through, can you put me through again" and then get exhasperated when I ask you where you were needing to be transfered to. I don't remember your name. I don't remember why you are calling. Don't get huffy at me for not recognizing your voice and knowing exactly where you need to be transfered.
To the parents
Yeah, I can see how it would suck that you payed for your kid to go to college and now you think they are skipping classes or have all together dropped out. No I can not tell you if they are here or not. I can't even legally verify if they are enrolled or have had any contact with us ever. Don't get pissy at me just because I won't break the law to tell you if your kids going to class or not. Also, telling me repeatedly that you payed for their schooling doesn't do anything but make me want to tell you to screw off. I. Can't. Legally. Tell. You. That simple. If it's an emergency, I can get a message to them, but all I can tell you is that if they are a student and there I'll do so. I can't tell you if we got the message to them.
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