tales from the phone company

[chickengirl]

No, I don't. But I offered a reason why someone might answer a phone when they really don't have time to talk. Or they could be like me and have no idea how to work the voicemail on the office phone or may not have voicemail set up (That happened to me yesterday trying to get ahold of a doctor to sign something for me). Granted, none of those are excuses for being rude and those peoples' reactions suck.

I was gonna reply to your first post yesterday but I was on my cell phone and very hard to crop down a large post to quote properly.

Here's the thing, if a normal, rational person like you answered the phone and it was me calling, and you're not the person I need to speak to, or you are but you don't have time to talk right now, you would just take down a number so that you/they can call back. Or at least find out which company I'm from so that you can go yell at them when you're done with your procedure, "hey dumbass, pay your phone bill so they don't call while I'm in the middle of this biopsy you ordered!"

One of my coworkers took a call yesterday. One of those people who are very upset that we called because they "don't have time to talk right now!"

But somehow they did have time to bitch at my coworker for like ten minutes about it. Hmm...

2. Refuse to say if they are the person I am asking for, but instead, ask who is calling. Then they claim that the person is not there and take a message. When I have called the person's cell phone. Now, I don't know about everybody else, but chances are nobody but me will be answering my cell phone. And these idiots don't think that I have figured it out.

This is something that has confused and frustrated me for lo, going on many months. People who will do anything to dodge the question or refuse to give a straight answer when asked such seemingly simple questions as "are you the person who pays for the phone bill?" or "what is your name?"

I WISH more of these people would just pretend they're someone else and "take a message". SO many fewer headaches for me.

[Dasota]

Many times while my friends are driving, they will let me answer their phones... well all but one, but then again, I answered like this:

Me: "*Friend's pants, she's not in them."
Caller: "Uh...."

[Dips]

No, I don't. But I offered a reason why someone might answer a phone when they really don't have time to talk.

I think the OP knows that some employers makes people answer the phone even when they're doing something more important. That's pretty common knowledge. She certainly didn't indicate any impatience with people who don't blame her for the fact that they answered the phone.

Or they could be like me and have no idea how to work the voicemail on the office phone or may not have voicemail set up (That happened to me yesterday trying to get ahold of a doctor to sign something for me).

The OP did say that she has no problem with someone taking her number and calling back when they're less busy. I'm sorry you have sucky callers who don't, but she isn't one of them.

Sounds like some of you sucky callers could star in their own threads in Sucky Customers or Cursing out Coworkers, though. [Hint. Hint. ]

Granted, none of those are excuses for being rude and those peoples' reactions suck.

Exactly!

I do collections for a portable storage company.

<snip>

Ignore me, it's much easier. I will leave voice mail, document that I left a message, and if you ignore me long enough I will have your portable storage unit reposessed and scheduled for auction. Then you will be very anxious to discuss your past due bill with me.

I know. It's very self-defeating when people think ignoring their debt is going to make it magically disappear.

Sorry Mods didn't mean to complain. I was just trying to explain why someone would answer a phone when they obviously didn't have the knowledge or authority to deal with the problem. My bad.

No problem. My main goal was to keep the the thread from sliding into justifications of SC behavior aka "failing to see the suck."

But I'm glad you didn't mean it to come across that way.

By the way, your situation certainly sound very frustrating. You are welcome to start your own thread to vent about it.

People need to learn to speak to their collection agencies like normal rational people, if you don't avoid them, don't have hissy fits and don't get angry then we can get something sorted out and are willing to work something out if you can't pay it all now.

Bingo! SCs never learn, do they?

[It shouldn't]

You're standing on top of a roof with a power tool in one hand and the phone in the other.

Oh, and if you're "out in the field" (i.e., standing in a wind tunnel...) or "in the shop" (standing next to Super Duper Cruncho Machine 2000) or behind the counter with a line of customers, or in a meeting... do I have to say it one more time? VOICE MAIL!!!!!

Shut up and let me talk!

SC: What do you want?!

SC: What's this about?!

SC: You should know that already! Don't you know who you're calling?

SC: You don't need my last name! What do you want?

SC: That's not the MAIN number! The main number is 312-546-8709!

SC: Yeahyeahyeah, what's the balance?! I don't have time for this shit!

SC: 600 dollars?! That's ridiculous! I don't owe no fucking 600 dollars! I just paid you guys last month!

SC: *slams down phone*

So sorry, I see you have talked to my boss. Work for V, do you?

All the bolted lines above I have heard him say.

Again so, sorry.

[dalesys]

...subset b. You're standing on top of a roof with a power tool in one hand and the phone in the other...

The call went to voice mail because they answered the power tool...

[chickengirl]

So sorry, I see you have talked to my boss. Work for V, do you?

All the bolted lines above I have heard him say.

Again so, sorry.

My company's favorite color is not red. But apparently some things are universal.

[Cookie]

There are jobs I never want to do. Collections is one of them. I seriously want to bake cookies or something for all of you that currently work in or have worked in collections. It's like dealing with the sucky customer who flips when their credit card is declined, only you get to do it over and over...ok, you probably need booze with those cookies.

[LadyAndreca]

Many times while my friends are driving, they will let me answer their phones... well all but one, but then again, I answered like this:

Me: "*Friend's pants, she's not in them."
Caller: "Uh...."

[chickengirl]

There are jobs I never want to do. Collections is one of them. I seriously want to bake cookies or something for all of you that currently work in or have worked in collections. It's like dealing with the sucky customer who flips when their credit card is declined, only you get to do it over and over...ok, you probably need booze with those cookies.

Ironically, I have people try to pay with credit cards and get their card declined on a semi-regular basis, and I can't remember the last time anyone flipped out at me. It probably helps that our payment server hardly ever gives "insufficient funds" as a reason. It's always "generic decline", and I tell the customer, "that's the only information I have, you'll need to contact your bank for the exact reason it was declined." Most payments do go through, though.

Interesting fact: When someone says "the check is in the mail", in my experience that is true about 75% of the time.

[Dips]

It's always "generic decline", and I tell the customer, "that's the only information I have, you'll need to contact your bank for the exact reason it was declined." Most payments do go through, though.

That right there is such life saver. If I've got a customer on the phone and their card declines it goes so much better if I can truthfully tell them I have no idea what caused the card to decline. They're usually much calmer and easier to deal with if I'm not the one giving them bad news.

[mharbourgirl]

The call went to voice mail because they answered the power tool...

Monitor cleanup on Aisle 3.1415!

Dale, do you have any idea how hard it is to get coffee and Bailey's off an LCD screen????

[dalesys]

Monitor cleanup on Aisle 3.1415!

Dale, do you have any idea how hard it is to get coffee and Bailey's off an LCD screen????

Rule #1 score!

[bean]

That right there is such life saver. If I've got a customer on the phone and their card declines it goes so much better if I can truthfully tell them I have no idea what caused the card to decline. They're usually much calmer and easier to deal with if I'm not the one giving them bad news.

I had a customer's card pop up "Insufficient Funds" today at work. I didn't tell her WHY it was declined, just said it was declined.

Her reaction was pretty good.. she turned around to her teenage son (probably 13 or 14) and bellowed "Just how much did you spend today?!", laughed a little, and pulled another card out of her wallet (which went through fine).

Personally, if a bill collector is annoying me (and unfortunately, I have several looking for me), I make an entry in my phonebook that sends them directly to voicemail. Since I have Google Voice handling my voicemail, I have one group setup to get the standard "The number you are calling is disconnected or no longer in service" recording. It's gotten rid of most of them, since doing that I've gone from 10+ calls a day to a few a week. Wages can't be garnished in TX for anything except taxes and child support anyway, and I'm about to do a chapter 7...