After… Noon… It’s In The Name

I work in an appliance repair office. A customer returns our call to see if she is home for service, an hour after I called for her 12:00 to 3:00 pm time slot.

Me: “Thank you for calling [Office]. My name is [My Name]. How may I help you?”

Customer: “I’m returning your call. You left a message saying the technician was on the way about an hour ago. I’m not available. This is ridiculous; I was promised 4:00 pm.”

I check over the notes in her service ticket.

Me: “I do see that you requested an afternoon service, and when we submitted that request, we advised that we try our best to honor the requests we receive, and not every request can be made.”

Customer: “Well, I didn’t even get an afternoon time. You’re lying to me!”

Me: “Ma’am, we had you scheduled between 12:00 and 3:00, and both my technician and I called to verify if someone was home, to which we got no response, so the technician moved on.”

Customer: “You’re lying! I just checked my voicemail. It wasn’t an hour ago. And it’s not in the afternoon!”

Me: “I called you myself at 12:38; I have the notes logged in our system. And afternoon is after 12:00 pm… which it is.”

Customer: “I want to speak to your manager! You clearly don’t understand afternoon, or that I am a busy woman who needs to be accommodated.”

Me: “We contacted you yesterday afternoon regarding your appointment time, which you confirmed. It stated that our tech could arrive anywhere between 12:00 and 3:00 with a call when we were on the way. My dispatch manager is not in, but I can leave him your information for when he returns. As for your appointment, I have to reschedule as your tech is out of the area.”

Customer: “What is your name?! I will report you for not being accommodating to a working woman! What would you do if it was your appliance?!”

Me: “My name is [My Name], and I would schedule an appointment and make myself available for the time given if I wanted my unit fixed.”

Customer: *In a snide tone* “Well, you’ve just been a total pleasure to deal with. You have a wonderful day.”

Me: *In a reciprocating tone* “You as well. I do anything I can to help!” *Click*

Dispatch Manager: “Yeah, I’m not calling her. She wants her s*** fixed, she’d better answer and be available like everyone else. Not my problem.”