Everyone Needs To Stop And Check Once In A While

Whenever a customer uses a check, we have to run the check through a scanner operated by a third party in order to make sure it’s real. Yesterday, the scanner was slow but still worked. 

The first time I get a check today, I put it into the machine, but it won’t scan. It won’t even attempt to scan. I ask a coworker to help, but she can’t make it scan, either. We call a tall male coworker over to see if he can reach behind it to unplug it and plug it back in since we are too short.

Me: “I’m sorry about the wait, sir.”

Customer: “What’s taking so long? I’ve been standing here for twenty minutes!”

Coworker: “We’re having trouble with the scanner, and we can’t reach to unplug it.”

Our tall coworker appears and unplugs it for us, but that doesn’t work, either, so we call the helpline. Maybe five minutes have passed.

Customer: “Do I even need to be here?”

Coworker: “Yes, we’re going to need you to sign some stuff once we get the check approved.”

I put the call on speaker since they have me on hold for a minute. I don’t take the call off of speaker after they pick up.

Helpline: “Thank you for calling [Company]. Can I get your ID number?”

Me: “It’s [super long number]. Our check scanner isn’t working. It’s not even attempting to scan the checks. We tried unplugging it, but nothing changed.”

Customer: *Yelling* “You tell him you have a customer here who’s been waiting over twenty minutes!”

Helpline: “Okay, do you have time for some troubleshooting, or should we try to process the check over the phone?”

Me: “Can we do it over the phone? The customer is very irritated.”

I then read the check info out loud and get approval to proceed with the transaction. Meanwhile, the customer continues to try and yell over me while I’m talking with the helpline. My coworker gets on the other line and tries to page two different managers to come help, but neither of them responds. She eventually leaves to go track one down and drag them back to me, but the manager is reluctant to come. Only after one of the service guys goes to the manager do I finally get some help.

The check is approved and I pass the phone to my coworker to do the troubleshooting while I process the transaction to get the guy out of my hair. I hand him something to sign.

Me: “And this is a down payment, correct?”

Customer: “Yeah. My ex-wife will be by later with the rest of the payment.”

I hand him his receipt and let him keep yelling at the manager. After the guy leaves, the manager approaches me.

Manager: “Why didn’t you call me?”

Me: “We did! We tried calling you and [Other Manager]!”

Coworker: “You handled that well.”

Me: “Please. I’ve dealt with worse at [Grocery Store where I used to work]. This guy was nothing, though I think I know why he and wife divorced.”

His ex-wife did come by a few hours later to pay for the other half of the car, which was in her name. She was a lot more pleasant to deal with.