(Working in a psychology department main office.)
Caller: “Do you have the courses for a psychology graduate degree posted on your website?”
Me: “Let me check… yes, they are posted on our website.”
Caller: “But I can’t find them!”
(I spend a couple of minutes navigating her through our website. Once we’re at the right page…)
Me: “Is that all?”
Caller: “Well she’s a sophomore, so is this what she needs?”
Me: “No, if she’s an undergraduate she’ll need something else.”
(I navigate her to our undergraduate listings.)
Caller: “BUT, these are all PSYCHOLOGY classes!”
Me: “Ma’am, that’s what you asked for….”
Caller: “No, I wanted the English requirements!”
Me: “For an English degree?”
Caller: “No the English requirements for a psychology degree!”
Me: “Ma’am, do you want the Gen Ed requirements for all bachelor’s degrees?”
Caller: “YES! That’s what I want!”
(This call continues for many more minutes in which I explain that she should already have a huge packet on that from when her daughter started college. When she insists that they never got that, I actually navigate her over to the admission website, talk her through downloading the packet (a 600-page PDF), and have to explain not only what page to turn to, but where to look on the page. For her daughter’s sake, let’s hope it’s not hereditary.)