Electronics to Ear=Lost Brain Cells

[TexasT]

Last summer I was a receptionist at a car dealership. The following are sucky phone calls I got.

I'm so confused
This happened way more often than you'd think.

Me: I'm sorry, so-and-so is unavailable. If you'd like I can transfer you to their voicemail.
SC: Yes, that'd be fine.

A minute later the phone rings with their number popping up.

Me: *opening spiel* (which, by the way, was WAY TOO LONG)
SC: You transfered me to their voicemail! I want to talk to them!

I'm so special
Me: *opening spiel*
SC: I'd like to talk to <manager/car salesman>
Me: He's with a customer right now, but if you'd like, I can take a message.
SC: No, just tell them it's "Fred" calling. He'll pick up for me.

I knew this wasn't true, but figured it doesn't hurt me. I make the announcement, "<manager>, call for you on line 1. It's Fred."

<manager>: Tell him I'll call him back, I'm with a customer.
Didn't I tell him?

I so didn't think this through
Me: *opening spiel*
SC: I'd like to talk to so-and-so
Me: Alright, if you'll wait just a minute, I'll get him for you.
SC: Sure, thank you.

I announced "So-and-so, call on line 1." Less than a minute later, the phone rang and it's the SC's number. I picked up.

Me: *opening spiel*
SC: You put me on hold! I can't be put on hold! I'm on a cell phone! I don't have unlimited minutes!
Me: Sir, the way our phone system works is I have to put you on a separate phone line in which so-and-so can pick up.
SC: Don't you dare put me on hold!
Me: I only have two options. I can take a message or I can put you on hold for him to pick up. Which would you prefer?
SC: I don't want you to take a message. I want to talk to him!
Me: Ok, then, you'll have to be put on hold.

I did the announcement again, before he had a chance to argue. I noticed the line I had transfered him to had cleared up quickly. The phone rang again and again it was the SC.

Me: *opening spiel*
SC: I TOLD YOU NOT TO PUT ME ON HOLD! HOW DARE YOU! DON'T YOU KNOW ABOUT CELL PHONE MINUTES...blah, blah, blah

As he's yelling at me, the so-and-so he was trying to reach came up. I had the following conversation while I'd muted the phone and he continued to rant.

So-and-so: Hey, I keep trying to pick up line 1, but no one's there.

I explained the situation to him. He picked up the phone, told the SC that he needed to pick him up on his line, and then took care of it. He was nice, that Mr. So-and-so.

I'm so angry
Me: *opening spiel*
SC: I'd like to speak to so-and-so.
Me: He's already left for the day, but he asked me to transfer you to his cell. Let me go ahead and do that. (He tells me to do that for every customer)
SC: Alright, thank you.

A few minutes later the phone rings and it's the SC.

Me: *opening spiel*
SC: I told you I wanted to talk to him not to his voicemail! He didn't pick up!
Me: Well, as I said, he's not here anymore, you were transfered to his cell.
SC: Well then where is he?! This is very important!
Me: I imagine he's with his family, sir, having dinner at the moment.
SC: Well that's not good enough, I need to talk to him!
Me: The best I can do is transfer you to his cell again and I suggest you leave a message.
SC: Fine! But I hope he picks up this time!

I was having flashbacks and thought I'd post them before I forgot any of these. Fortunately, I will say this, I was never actually cussed at on the phone the whole time.

[tropicsgoddess]

I know the feeling. I worked for a dealershit (no typo) before, but as an appointment setter and sometimes I would get some of the calls from the reception area if the receptionist was away or the desk was extremely busy. What part of I have to put you on hold or you'll be transferred to voicemail don't they understand?!

[Fufu487]

LOL totally understand. Did switchboard often enough at my other employment. Callers just couldnt give it up sometimes. Are you expecting me to pull said person out of my back pocket??? LOL you have amazing patience

[EricKei]

SC: Well then where is he?! This is very important!
Me: I imagine he's with his family, sir, having dinner at the moment.
SC: Well that's not good enough, I need to talk to him!

"Not good enough"? He's having calls transferred to his CELL when he's not in the office. If anything, I would call that "Above and beyond the call of duty"...

[protege]

Ugh. I work in a business (a brokerage) that is heavily dependent on the damn phone...

What pisses me off the most, are people who constantly call to "point out things" to bid on...and then get annoyed when we can't get back to them immediately. Nearly all of these twits can't understand that I either *can't* reach the boss, or he doesn't want to bid on the item. Calling me a million times within the space of 5 minutes isn't going to change things. It's only going to piss me off, and make whatever it is you were calling about...go to the bottom of the pile. Bugger off.

Then we get the wrong number people. Calling once, I can understand--shit happens. But, when you call *again* and get upset, all bets are off. We are not the taxi company, we're not Dunham's. Learn how to dial the damn phone or quit calling!

Last but not least...had to be our former CEO. Joi would love this one This guy, had a well-deserved reputation for being an asshole. He'd never been to our office, so he had no idea how things worked. Keep in mind that our office once had two different companies in it, both with their own phone systems. At the time, we were upstairs, they were downstairs. Then they went out of business, we expanded, but temporarily still had the old phone systems. Yeah, I know

Anyway, this tool called up one day asking to speak to the guys downstairs. He got upset because I said that I couldn't transfer him. I'd said that he would have to dial their 1-800 number. About that point, he went on a tirade about how I was incompetent, of questionable parentage, an idiot, etc. After listening to this assclown rant, I let my boss deal with it. He then got to hear the CEO bitch.

But, what really pissed me off? I got told that I shouldn't have said that I couldn't transfer him. I was told that I should have simply done it...never mind that it *couldn't* be done! Oh well, at least I got to go "Office Space" on the phone system when it was replaced