Unfiltered Story #244053

I work on the first floor of a town hall. Many people treat our office and phone number as reception or general complaints, and we usually direct them or give them the correct phone number from here. There are many things that we are supposed to have the customer do, such as submit tickets for concerns to be addresses on their street or in an area they know of, fill out change of mailing address forms, etc. One complaint we sometimes get is that the waste company forgot to pick up their trash or recycling. We are supposed to give the customer the phone numbers for both the waste management company as well as the town’s DPW. If they aren’t satisfied with the resolution the waste management company gives them, the DPW will contact them as a last resort. A customer comes in to complain. Note, it is currently 4:10 PM, and DPW is closed.

Coworker: Hi! How are you?
Customer: Not great.
Coworker: Oh no! How can I help you?
Customer: Well, I’m taking care of my neighbor’s house on [street] because my neighbor just went to the hospital and will be there for a little while.
Coworker: Oh, I hope she’s okay.
Customer: Yeah, I don’t know. Anyway, today is the day they pick up trash and recycling, and they missed our entire street!
Coworker: Oh, ok. That’s a pretty big street for them to miss! I can give you the phone number for the trash company, and you can let them know…
Customer: I mean, what are we even paying taxes for? Do we pay taxes for trash, or do we pay separately for that?
Coworker: Trash is included in your taxes. Here, I’m going to write the phone number down…
Customer: I saw the truck just parked on the side of the road! What are they even doing? They didn’t even pick up our recycling!
Coworker: Maybe they’re taking a break.
Customer: My taxes don’t pay for them to take breaks!
Coworker: *feeling helpful* Okay, well how about I call the trash company with you right here, and we can see what’s going on.
Customer: Okay, do that. I pay taxes to this town, you know!
Coworker: Yes, okay hold on. *oh phone with company* Hi, my name is [name] from the town hall in [town]. I have a resident here who said that his whole street never got their recycling picked up…….Right……Okay…… *to customer* Sir, what was your address again?
Customer: It’s for the whole street! It’s not just my house! It’s the whole street!
Coworker: Yes, I understand, but they need to know your address.
Customer: Fine, it’s [address]. But make sure you tell them it’s for the whole street! None of [street] got picked up!
Coworker: Yes, I know. *on phone* Okay, so it’s [address], and he said the whole street was missed…..Okay……Right……Okay……Okay, thank you…… You, too.
Customer: I mean, I pay taxes to have my trash picked up. They should pick up my trash!
Coworker: Okay, so here is your ticket number *writes down number*
Customer: What’s this for?
Coworker: They created a ticket for you, and if it doesn’t get resolved by tonight, you can call them tomorrow and reference this ticket number. So she said…..
Customer: Tomorrow?!?! I need it picked up today!!! I pay taxes in this town! My taxes pay for my trash to get picked up today!
Coworker: Right, so she put in the ticket, but she also said [street] is normally scheduled to get picked up between 4pm and 6pm.
Customer: I was there at 4! It wasn’t picked up!
Coworker: Sir, she said it was BETWEEN 4 and 6. It’s only 4:20.
Customer: But I was there at 4 o’clock, and they never picked it up!
Coworker: Sir, it’s only 4:20! There’s still an hour and a half left for that route.
Customer: The truck was just parked! They’re not even working!
Coworker: Maybe they’re taking a break.
Customer: But my trash should be picked up! I’m paying taxes!
Coworker: Look, they put in a ticket, but they did say they would be there. I don’t know what else to tell you.
Customer: They better come!
Coworker: I hope they do, too, sir. Bye, have a lovely day. *after customer leaves* The lady on the phone could hear everything. She kept saying “I’m so sorry.”
Me: But he pays taxes!

The next day, my coworker did drive by that street while picking up something for lunch and didn’t see any trash barrels still out. We hope all was taken care of.