Whistle While You Work It Out
I work in a call center for a major bank. I help with anything from balance to lost/stolen cards to online banking. I get a call from an older gentleman who sounds like he went riding with King Richard in the Crusades.
Me: “How can I help you today?”
Customer: “I want to add someone to my bill pay.”
Me: “I can help you with that. Can you please log in to your account?”
Customer: “Where?”
Me: “Are you on our home page?”
Customer: “What is a home page?
Me: “Do you have your computer on?”
Customer: “I need to be in front of the computer? Hold on…”
I hold on.
Customer: “Do I need to turn it on?”
Me: “Yes, please. Let me know when it’s up and running.”
Customer: “I’m on the home screen. Where do I go now?”
Me: “You said you wanted to add someone to your bill pay, correct?”
Customer: “Yes, how do I do that?”
Me: “Log into your checking account on our website.”
Customer: “How do I do that?”
Me: “Double-checking: who are you going to be adding to your bill pay?”
Customer: “My mortgage company says they will accept electronic payments through bill pay. I want to do that.”
Me: “Okay, I can help you, but I need you to log into your checking account.”
Customer: “How do I do that?”
Me: “By chance is there anyone else at home that uses your computer that can help us?”
Customer: “My five-year-old grandson is here. Do you want to speak with him?”
Me: “I’m willing to give it a shot if you are.”
Customer: “Let me get him.”
It sounds like he is missing his front teeth, so he whistles a bit when he talks.
Kid: “Hello?”
Me: “Hi. I was hoping you would be able to help your grandfather with something on the computer. Do you know how to pull up a website?”
Kid: “I go on Grandpa’s computer all the time; Mom doesn’t let me go on the one at home.”
Me: “Well, I can keep that secret if you can help your grandfather with something.”
Kid: “Okay.”
I then spend the next thirty minutes walking a five-year-old and a very old man through how to set up bill pay. The kid was a wiz on the computer and was showing his grandfather where to go and what to push. He didn’t know how to read but knew all his letters, so I could spell things to him and he found them quickly.
It was the longest call I ever had, but still, ten years later, it makes me smile as the kid was so excited helping his grandfather with the little whistle when he spoke.