I want my quarter back

[Kogo Shuko]

This story didn't exactly happen to me. It happened to a friend of mine, who sat two down from me (we had dubbed ourselves Slacker Row because we really didn't like working).

Again, this phone call was a Bell Canada problem. My friend Mel picked up... "Thank you for calling Bell Canada, this is Melissa speaking, how may I help you today?"

Har-har... we can never help! Bell just overalls screws the customers.

However, this had absolutely NOTHING to do with Small/Medium Business phone lines. Or any type of phone line either. This lady was calling fro a payphone. And I kid you not, she was calling to get her quarter back. Why? Because she tried calling someone, and only got an answering machine. So instead of a) leaving a message or b) hanging up and walking away, she called SMALL/MEDIUM BUSINESS and started demanding that we give her her quarter back! And how did she call SMB? Well, by pressing the diamond button to make another call with the amount of money you've already spent. So there this idiot was demanding the quarter back that she was currently using to bitch at us with!

But all that aside, what in hell did she want Bell to DO? Have a Bell Rep go down to the payphone and GIVE her a quarter? Did she think that someone in some Bell headquarters could press a button and change could come forth from the phone she was on? She spent half an hour complaining about the poor service she was receiving, and that she demanded to have her quarter back - and she wouldn't even listen to Mel telling her even if Bell COULD help her, she was phoning the wrong department.

[Bramblerose]

It's only a quarter??? I haven't paid just a quarter for a pay phone in *years*. And for a mere quarter she seems to think teh Phone COmpany Magic is going to make her person answer teh phone? I want to live in her world!!

[Kogo Shuko]

This was last year... I think it's two quarters now, not entirely sure... I don't use payphones lol

[Eben56]

But all that aside, what in hell did she want Bell to DO? Have a Bell Rep go down to the payphone and GIVE her a quarter? Did she think that someone in some Bell headquarters could press a button and change could come forth from the phone she was on? .

Showing my age here, but...... I didn't know the phone company could no longer do that. When we had actual operators, they COULD press a button and send you your coin back if there was a problem. Ah progress.

[depechemodefan]

I remember back in the 80's if you call because the phone took your quarter (didn't make the call and the quarter didn't roll out) if you called the operator they sent you your $.25 by check.

[rerant]

I have a quarter story of my own.
When I worked at Wal Mart the 12 packs of bottled water had the barcode on the bottom of the pack, but each individual bottle also had a barcode which, for some reason, would scan for 25cents.
Sometimes the individual bottles would scan and when we noticed it we would just void it off. No biggie.
Well one day I didn't notice that one of the bottles had scanned and after completing a transaction with a customer she noticed it.
The following conversation ensued:

SC: What's this 25cent charge?
Me: *checks receipt* Oh one of the bottles from your pack of water scanned and I didn't catch it. I'll get a CSM to refund the quarter.
SC: Is this going to take long?
Me: Shouldn't be more than a couple minutes.
SC: No. You caused this problem you fix it!
Me: I need a CSM's keys to do any sort of refund so we'll have to wait.
SC: I want YOU to fix it!
Me: I can't, I'm sorry.
SC: YOU will fix it! *growl snarl foam from mouth*
Me: Is the 25cents THAT important to you?
SC: YES, it IS!
Me: Then HERE!

And I pulled a quarter from my pocket and slammed it on the counter. The woman who was next in line let out a very audible HA! as the SC took the quarter (with a look of satisfaction on her face ) and left.

Oh, and here pay phones are 50cents. I learned this last week when my cell phone died and I needed to make a call. I just stood there staring at the phone confused when it said, "credit 25cents. Please insert a coin."
Someone walked by and told me they were 50cents now, and that they had the same reaction the first time they learned this.

[Kogo Shuko]

God, you just have to love people that hold quarters in such high importance!

[chainedbarista]

say it with me, 'it's not the money, it's the PRINCIPLE.'

[depechemodefan]

SC: What's this 25cent charge?
Me: *checks receipt* Oh one of the bottles from your pack of water scanned and I didn't catch it. I'll get a CSM to refund the quarter.
SC: Is this going to take long?
Me: Shouldn't be more than a couple minutes.
SC: No. You caused this problem you fix it!
Me: I need a CSM's keys to do any sort of refund so we'll have to wait.
SC: I want YOU to fix it!
Me: I can't, I'm sorry.
SC: YOU will fix it! *growl snarl foam from mouth*
Me: Is the 25cents THAT important to you?
SC: YES, it IS!
Me: Then HERE!

I can see someone wanting their quarter back, but if the checker says he needs the manager, I can wait. Unless, like it happened before, the checker doesn't call the manager and then procedes to the next 3 people in line, and after that's done then calls the manager. That's BS to me.


The woman needs to stop adding glue to her waterbottles.

[ebonyknight]

This story didn't exactly happen to me. It happened to a friend of mine, who sat two down from me (we had dubbed ourselves Slacker Row because we really didn't like working).

Again, this phone call was a Bell Canada problem. My friend Mel picked up... "Thank you for calling Bell Canada, this is Melissa speaking, how may I help you today?"

Har-har... we can never help! Bell just overalls screws the customers.

However, this had absolutely NOTHING to do with Small/Medium Business phone lines. Or any type of phone line either. This lady was calling fro a payphone. And I kid you not, she was calling to get her quarter back. Why? Because she tried calling someone, and only got an answering machine. So instead of a) leaving a message or b) hanging up and walking away, she called SMALL/MEDIUM BUSINESS and started demanding that we give her her quarter back! And how did she call SMB? Well, by pressing the diamond button to make another call with the amount of money you've already spent. So there this idiot was demanding the quarter back that she was currently using to bitch at us with!

But all that aside, what in hell did she want Bell to DO? Have a Bell Rep go down to the payphone and GIVE her a quarter? Did she think that someone in some Bell headquarters could press a button and change could come forth from the phone she was on? She spent half an hour complaining about the poor service she was receiving, and that she demanded to have her quarter back - and she wouldn't even listen to Mel telling her even if Bell COULD help her, she was phoning the wrong department.

Sweet opportunity. You should have just hung up. What was she gonna do, put in another quarter?

[Kogo Shuko]

That's the best part - Mel wouldn't hang up because so long as she was on THAT call she didn't really have to do any work. Once when I worked Sympatico I had someone call in and ask me repeatedly if I was english and from Canada. When he finally established that I was indeed from Canada (and from the Ottawa area) he began to rant to me about the Tech department people who were NOT from Canada. He ranted for about 45 minutes, and I let him. Why? Because I'd rather be someone's free therapy than have to deal with a billing problem.

[allniter]

She sounds more like she suffers from a severe type of mental disorder, so albeit being incredibly annoying and through intense feelings of spite towards her, the operator only had to put up with half an hour of being miserable, meanwhile the crazy lady has to live a whole lifetime of being so.

[tollbaby]

That's the best part - Mel wouldn't hang up because so long as she was on THAT call she didn't really have to do any work. Once when I worked Sympatico I had someone call in and ask me repeatedly if I was english and from Canada. When he finally established that I was indeed from Canada (and from the Ottawa area) he began to rant to me about the Tech department people who were NOT from Canada. He ranted for about 45 minutes, and I let him. Why? Because I'd rather be someone's free therapy than have to deal with a billing problem.

Awesome I'm from the Ottawa area as well. I have to admit though, it burns my a$$ when I end up with a tech from India after hours who only speaks enough English to follow a script and has no technical knowledge whatsoever (sigh... why do I stay with sympatico? Cause it's easier than switching!)

[Kogo Shuko]

Ah... the days of Sympatico... I remember those days... I used to hang out free service to placate those angry fools.

[Apathy]

Me: Is the 25cents THAT important to you?
SC: YES, it IS!

I think someone needs to rework their priorities.

Excellent job in handling it the way you did.