Unfiltered Story #177134

(I work for a lab that makes prescription lenses for eyeglasses. We have one particular problem account who is always late and incomplete on payments. Our director has to call them at least twice a month to remind them to pay us. They also have a habit of accidentally leaving the patients’ names off the order forms. This day I get an order without a name, so I give them a call.)

Woman: “(Optical shop) answering service, this is (name).”

(This catches me off guard, as I have called them several times before in recent weeks and always got an answering machine, not an answering service.)

Me: “Hi, this is (my name) with (lab). I’m guessing this isn’t (optical shop)?”

Woman: “No, it is, they’re just not open right now.”

(This again puzzles me, as it’s mid-morning on a weekday.)

Me: “Oh, okay. We got a job in today with no name on it, so I was just calling to get that information.” (I give my name and phone number for someone with the optical shop to call back.)

Woman: “What kind of job was it?”

(I am again confused, as I would not expect a rep from a contracted answering service to have any knowledge about optometry or be able to relay specifics about it to the shop owner.)

Me: “It’s a (type of lens) in a (brand) frame.”

Woman: (Repeats back the lens and frame. I assume she is writing it down to pass it on later, but I then clearly hear the voice of the shop owner in the background.)

Shop owner: “(Patient’s name.)”

Woman: “Oh, that’s for (patient’s name). I’m just looking at my notes here.”

Me: “…Oh, okay. Thanks.”

(So much for not being open! I’m convinced that when the owner saw our number he thought we were calling to ask for money, so he had his employee pretend to be an answering service to avoid us!)