I Tire Of This Call Almost Immediately

(I work in the parts department of a car dealership. As such, we sell our fair share of tires. I know not everyone knows their tire size off the top of their head, but most people know enough about their vehicle for us to be able to easily to figure the size out — things like year, model, and trim level, if need be. Not this caller.)

Me: “[Dealer] parts; how can I help you?”

Caller: “I need to get a quote on a set of winter tires for my [Our Dealer Brand].”

Me: “Okay, do you happen to know your tire size?”

Caller: “Uh… No, I don’t, sorry.”

Me: “Not a problem. What model of [Brand] do you drive?”

Caller: “It’s a 2012. or ’11. I’m not sure.”

(We get this a lot: people answering a different qualifying question than the one we asked. Things are still pretty normal it this point, but then this happens:)

Me: “Okay, but which model is it?” *lists off two or three of our most common models*

Caller: “Oh!” *short silence* “I don’t know.”

(I don’t quite know what to say. I’ve never had a customer that was completely unsure of what they drive. So after a short pause, I ask:)

Me: “Is it a car, truck, or SUV?”

Caller: “I don’t know.”

Me: *head-desking already* “Well, is it a—“ *lists off every model we currently sell, or have sold in the last ten years or so*

Caller: “No, it’s none of those.”

Me: “I’m sorry, but it has to be one of those. Are you near the vehicle? Or do you have a copy of your insurance or registration handy?”

Caller: “It’s in the garage. How can I find out what it is by looking at it?”

Me: “There should be a name badge on the trunk or rear hatch.”

Caller: “Okay.” *short pause* “It’s a—“ *garbles the model badly*

(I’m blown away. The name of the model I decipher it to be is six letters long, and pronounced exactly as it is spelled.)

Me: “You mean an [Automobile]?”

Caller: “No, that doesn’t sound right.”

Me: *head on desk* “Okay, hold on a moment.”

(I throw together a quote for some tires that may or may not fit the car, but at this point, in a matter of thirty seconds, the caller has made me lose any motivation to try and sell them some tires. I give the price and tell them that without knowing what kind of car it is, I can’t guarantee the price will be right. The caller agrees, and hangs up.)

Manager: *hearing my side of the conversation* “Fun one?”

(We never heard from them again.)