Unfiltered Story #56815

We have a sale going on but there’s a complication with adding a coupon to the sale that causes the prices to go back to full price. Our IT department sends a message to say that if it happens to call them and they’ll walk us through the process. I get a customer with the coupon so call IT, there’s no answer. I call three times and finally am able to leave a message. The customer is being patient but has a couple of toddlers with her and one is screaming.

Me “I’m so sorry about this, I am supposed to wait for head office to help fix this.”

Customer is still being patient and is trying to placate her child but it’s not working, it’s getting close to ten minutes.

Me “I’m sorry, I will make an executive decision, I’m going to try to do this another way, just bare with me while I sort this out.”

I manually change each price, giving them the discount and finally the very patient customer is on her way.

15 minutes later the phone rings.

IT “Hi you called me for help putting a coupon sale through”

Me “Yes I did but I had to sort it out myself and put a manager’s discount on everything”.

IT “That’s not the way it’s supposed to be done”.

Me “I had a customer with a screaming toddler, she was starting to get upset with waiting for you to call back.”

IT “Oh, ok, you did the right thing then”

Me “Ok thanks”

IT “But in future it has to be done the right way……………oh do you want me to tell you the right way?”

Me “Yes that would be helpful”

IT “You take the coupon and do (very simple procedure).”

Me “Ok thanks, bye”.

What got me is that they sent a message that said to call them and they will walk us through the process, it would have saved time if they put the one step process on the message in the first place. Would have saved the poor customer 10 minutes waiting, she would have walked out long before 25 minutes was up. I would have joined her.