Me: “Thank you for calling [Tech Company]! My name is Katrina. Who do I have the pleasure of speaking with today?”
Customer: “How dare you say hello to me with that fake name, sixteen years after the hurricane, when I’m dealing with one right now?! You’re probably not even American. I demand to speak to your supervisor!”
My name tag says “Front End.” A couple comes into my line.
Man: “’Front End’? Who goes in the rear end?”
Woman: “[Man]!” *To me* “I’m so sorry, sweetie.”
Man: “Sorry.”
I work at a quick-service restaurant. I am training a new coworker on the front register. A gentleman comes in wearing a uniform and a name tag with his full name. He orders a particular salad. I know this could end VERY badly, but I need to ask anyway.
Me: “Sir, I promise I’m not judging based on your last name, but I do need to ask, is bacon okay for you?”
He stares at me for a minute, then starts laughing.
Customer: “Yes, bacon is fine. Thank you for checking. Actually, if it was my grandmother, she couldn’t have bacon. But me, I love bacon!”
Very relieved, I finish the transaction. After he walks to the waiting area, my coworker turns to me.
Coworker: “What was that about?”
Me: “His last name was very Indian. A lot of Indians are Hindu, but some are Muslim. And if they’re Muslim, they can’t eat pork. I needed to check if he was okay with it, but I’m so glad he thought it was funny rather than being angry!”
I’m a female with what I’ve been told is a boy’s name. Let’s just say it’s “Sky”. The issue is that I’ve literally never met or even heard of someone that has the same name as me. This happened to me recently at the brand-new hotel where I work, which is located in a city dominated by another brand. We also just opened a few months ago, so often when people stay with us, they tend to compare us to the other brand.
It is around two hours into my shift when the phone rings.
Me: “Hello, thank you for calling [Fancy Hotel Brand]. My name is Sky; how may I help you?”
Caller: “Hi. Are you actually at the front desk? Because I want to speak to someone on the property.”
I’m slightly surprised by her bluntness.
Me: “Yes, ma’am, I am here in [City]. How may I help you?”
Caller: “I wanted to book a reservation for my son and daughter-in-law tonight.”
Me: “Okay, absolutely no problem. Were you looking to book just for the night?”
Caller: “Yes. You see, I just want to hear your prices. I usually stay with [Competitor Brand], but I didn’t like the front desk person’s attitude, so I’m looking for a new hotel. Maybe you guys might be it.”
Me: “Okay, well, let’s see what we’ve got here. Were you looking for just a king bed for tonight?”
Caller: “Of course. They’re married; they’re not going to sleep on separate beds.”
Me: “Okay, I was just checking. It looks like that will be [price] for a king bed just for the night. That does not include breakfast.”
Caller: “Okay. Can I just give you the card number to have him check in?”
Me: “Actually, it’s company policy to fill out a Credit Card Authorization Form for us to use the card for someone other than the listed cardholder. If you give me a good email address, I can send it to you.”
Caller: “No. Absolutely not. I’m not doing that.”
I’m at a complete loss at this point.
Me: “Well… um… it’s company policy, and unfortunately, I can’t run your card for another guest without the form or your signature.”
Caller: “Can I come in and then book a reservation?”
Me: “Yes, as long as we’re able to swipe your card and have you sign for the room, we don’t need the form.”
Caller: “Great, then I’ll be in.”
Me: “Perfect! If you come in before 3:00 pm, I’ll be the one you’re dealing with.”
Caller: “Great. What was your name?”
Me: “Sky — S-K-Y — and I work at the front desk.”
Caller: “Wait, Sky not Skyler?”
Me: “That’s correct.”
Caller: “How do you spell that?”
Me: “S-K-Y. Like Skyler without the L-E-R.”
Caller: “And you’re a girl?”
I’m now annoyed and confused about why that matters.
Me: “Yes, ma’am, I am.”
Caller: “But that’s a boy’s name. And you’re spelling it wrong.”
Me: “I’ll be sure to let my parents know. Have a nice day.”
Public Service Announcement! Please remember: when verbally abusing Front Desk Representatives, please limit personal attacks to two minutes as we do have other guests to attend to!
A customer calls in with an address in an area with a strong Indian community. His name is Punjabi, as are most Sikhs’ names.
Me: “Thank you for calling. Can I have your name, please?”
Caller: “[First Name] Singh. I need [describes problem].”
That is his real surname, which is pertinent to the story.
Me: “I can help with that. Your security question is, ‘What is your mother’s maiden name?’.”
Caller: “Kaur.”
This is also relevant. I handle his query… and then I go off-script.
Me: “Mr. Singh, may I ask a personal question?”
Caller: “Yes?”
Me: “Are you a Sikh?”
Caller: “Yes… is this relevant?”
Me: “Well, I’m slightly concerned about the security on your account. Sikhism requires its believers to take a certain surname. Singh for men and Kaur for women?”
Caller: “Yes…?”
Me: “Well, if I wanted to hack into your account, guessing your mother’s maiden name would be very easy. If you are Mr. Singh or you wear a turban, your mother is like Mrs. Kaur. Your first name is also Punjabi.”
Caller: “Oh… oh! Can I change that?”
Me: “Yes, sir. You can change it to anything you like. For example, your first school or just a made-up password.”
He changes his password to something else.
Caller: “Out of interest, is that in your training?”
Me: “No, I’ve just had a few Sikh friends. I used to be able to name the 5 Ks.”
Caller: “Kesh, kara, kanga, kaccha, and kirpan!”
Me: “Yes, the five things you must keep on you at all times. I’m glad to have been able to help you today, Mr. Singh!”
