why me?

[Kimmik]

I agree with VRS, though most managers suck not all but a good number of them, that after hours should only be an emergency. They are entitled to down time like we are.

VRS I have to ask... what is your cheapest rental? I have the feeling that you deal with the I have money and you dont dickwads.

[poofy_puff]

I have the feeling that you deal with the I have money and you dont dickwads.

If you search for all Dave's posts, you will see that he explains all about that in his very first one.

[Dips]

They are entitled to down time like we are.

Some of VRS's managers are so spineless they make jellyfish look stiff. I wouldn't feel the least bit guilty about bugging them when they are on-call anyway.

Their ass-kissing and fawning over these self-involved idiots is probably partially responsible for creating their unbelieveably entitled attitudes. Serves 'em right to have to deal with the fallout.

[South Texan]

Some of VRS's managers are so spineless they make jellyfish look stiff. I wouldn't feel the least bit guilty about bugging them when they are on-call anyway.

Their ass-kissing and fawning over these self-involved idiots is probably partially responsible for creating their unbelieveably entitled attitudes. Serves 'em right to have to deal with the fallout.

I couldn't agree more. I often have wanted VRS to start sending these callers directly to those particular managers since the managers always end up overruling VRS and giving the SC/EW anything s/he wants - sometimes even adding a reprimand to VRS for not giving the SC/EW whatever s/he wanted.

I easily could see VRS telling those managers that since the SC/EW said it was an emergency, he took the SC/EW at the SC/EW's word since he knows the mangers wants the SC/EW to be happy, and VRS therefore does not want to do anything to make the SC/EW upset.

Then again, my wife says I could be the king of passive agression.

[Ree]

Then again, my wife says I could be the king of passive agression.

Well, if you're the king, then I'm the queen, because that's exactly how I would handle it too.

If I knew my manager was only going to overrule me anyway, and make me look like an incompetent ass in the customer's eyes, I would just go ahead and save myself some grief, regardless of whether it's the principle of the thing, or my even my own views on entitlement whores and sucky customers.

If I give in, I am almost certain I won't take heat because the customer isn't going to call my boss and compliment me on bending the rules for them, but you can be darn sure they will make a fuss if I don't.

Life's too short to take that kind of crap over a principle on a daily or hourly basis. Just my opinion, though.

Of course, there's the flip side that you give in once, they come back for more, but, as history has shown, the manager is just going to cave anyway, so what's the big deal? It all goes back to saving myself grief.

[Lachrymose]

Shoot, if I were Dave, I would have a little fun and give in to all the EW's demands since the managers would most likely anyway.

Half off? Sure, why not? Throw in some bikes? Absolutely!

And when I'd get questioned, I'd just say "From you manager! I learned it from watching you!" (Bonus for whoever gets that.)

[Record Store Tough Guy]

^^ Outstanding. 100 Internets for you. If I were in Dave's position, I'd just tell the EW right up front "I don't have the power to do that, but the manager does," and then just let the manager do whatever. It's how I handled SC's at the record store who wanted something I wasn't authorized to do without giving them the satisfaction of being smug about getting their way in the end. ^_^

[Imogene]

"From you manager! I learned it from watching you!" (Bonus for whoever gets that.)

Anti-drugs PSA... Who doesn't know that?

[Lachrymose]

Anti-drugs PSA... Who doesn't know that?

Fine then. I'll just keep my bonus points.

[Pagan]

I just keep thinking that all of these idiots sound like an EW version of HAL.

Then I realize that that's an insult to HAL.

[AnqeiicDemise]

She's calling Dave, who is at his office, I assume, and the lady is saying, "Dave, I'm at your office and you are closed."

Are there are several offices and Dave works at the main one? Are there offices and lock box at the rental properties?

Who puts the keys in the lockbox?....

With the timeshare company we work for, most of our resorts have a 24 hour front desk and let you check in whenever you want as long as it is *after* your designated check in time. There are some locations, however, where the management for the location is split.. for example, we've signed a contract with whatever units are owned by another company to book a few of their units and vice versa. *these* properties, however, are very strict about swapping out units, room changes and check in times.

And there's nothing we can do for the owners who are with us and bitch because they failed to read their damned confirmation.

It also pisses me off to know end to know that there are some people in our company that *don't pay attention and don't tell the owners about these policies at the time of booking* chiefly because they really want the freaking reservation.

I had a woman yell at me because she was checking into one of these resorts. She never read her stupid confirmation and no one went over the special policies in place...

"Who ever heard of a front desk closing at six *beeping* pm? SIX PM? Now I don't have the keys to my room and in a foreign city to me and without a place to *beeping* stay!"

I spent almost two hours of my time trying to help her only so she could hang up without giving me so much as a thank you. Calls like these make me not even want to try the next time.

.....

And I do go out of my way to tell the people I book into the resort that a) they're stuck with the unit I book them into and they cannot be moved unless there is a problem with the integrity of the room itself. b) Front desk closes in at 6pm, if you'll be arriving later than that,and that does count 6:01, call the resort ahead of time so special arrangements can be made. c) I agree, it sucks, but this resort is not completely owned by us, we only own a few of the units and therefore we have to abide by the management of company Y. and D) I'm not joking on any of these policies so abide by them or you'll be sorry.

...

I do feel bad for Dave though. I've been there and my hands are tied a lot of the time. No matter how much people bitch and complain and I try to play devil's advocate with my managers its just futile. Suck it up and deal with it.

But that's their job, and usually why they get the big bucks.

Why should the dude on the phone have to take all the heat?

-clears throat-

Because we phone drones are often considered the Front Line of Defense and it is *our job* to turn an unhappy customer's dissatisfaction with the company to a pleasant experience. On regards to certain policies it is our job to be the LAST line of defense and are often told to 'hold the line' (i.e. non-refundable fees, cancellation policies, etc), meaning, we're not to be transferring these upset, unhappy, angry people to our supervisors because it *will* be futile.

-rubs temples- Therefore, it is infuriating when we do our jobs as phone drones and the supervisors above us grant exceptions to these 'unmovable,unyielding' rules.

I get some folk who are so good at manipulating this that they ask for a supervisor before I could even try to troubleshoot the problem because they know they can get away with it. Seriously, what's the point of notating accounts if no one will read the damned things anyway?

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

Guest: Dave, I am not leaving this parking lot without a valid explanation of why nobody bothered to tell me your hours changed. If you cant give me one, then you better put a manager on this phone.

The responses that come to mind.

"Very good. We do strive to ensure that our parking lots are comfortable and we hope you enjoy your stay out there on the tarmac."

Or

"No one informed you simply because you are a fundamentally unlikeable person that no one wanted to have to deal with."

[Imogene]

Fine then. I'll just keep my bonus points.

That's okay... *looks over her shoulder* I have a horde of bonus points lying in the corner there... I curl up and sleep on them at night.

[Alpha Strike]

Because we phone drones are often considered the Front Line of Defense and it is *our job* to turn an unhappy customer's dissatisfaction with the company to a pleasant experience. On regards to certain policies it is our job to be the LAST line of defense and are often told to 'hold the line' (i.e. non-refundable fees, cancellation policies, etc), meaning, we're not to be transferring these upset, unhappy, angry people to our supervisors because it *will* be futile.

-rubs temples- Therefore, it is infuriating when we do our jobs as phone drones and the supervisors above us grant exceptions to these 'unmovable,unyielding' rules.

What's even more frustrating is that at our job some of our supervisors don't want to take phone calls. Either they don't want the work or they're tired of dealing with nasty people but regardless the result is the same: supervisors insisting that we keep repeating the same company line (even though it hasn't done any good to that point) or telling us just to "give them whatever they want" so that they'll go away.

There have even been times when we have no supervisors on the floor - they're literally all gone. That wouldn't be such a big deal except that, like a lot of places, we have to be accommodating even to the most outrageous requests.

[QASlave]

And when I'd get questioned, I'd just say "From you manager! I learned it from watching you!" (Bonus for whoever gets that.)

It's from the commercial where the stoner day is berating the kid for having a box with some wacky weed in it and that's what the kids says. You must be old like me. That was quite a while ago!