I worked at a sales call center for an electronics store back when every laptop had optical drives.
Caller: “I’m looking to see what you have in comparison for notebooks against a competitor’s notebook.”
Me: “I can certainly help you with that. Do you know the make or model of the notebook you wish to compare against?”
Caller: “I know it’s a DK6740.”
Me: “I’m not familiar with that particular model. Is it okay if I place you on hold while I look into it?”
She says yes, and after a few minutes of Googling, I’m turning up zero results. I bring her off hold and ask where she saw it, who makes it, etc., and then go back to Googling. I find a potential search result match, but when I click the link, it turns out to just be a DVD player.
Me: “Ma’am, can I ask what you’re looking to use your notebook for? The only result I found is for a DVD player.”
Caller: “Is it black?”
Me: “Yes?”
Caller: “That’s the one!”
Me: “Oh, okay, so you’d like a notebook that you’ll mainly be using to play movies on?”
Caller: “Exactly!”
I go over what she’d like to use the notebook for and customize a midrange system to suit her needs, along with a few accessories. Then, I tell her a price of around $450, to which she laughs at me.
Caller: “That’s a little pricey.”
Me: “Well, you mentioned that you wanted to be able to do [functions], which you can do with the laptop, but you won’t be able to even access the Internet on the DVD player.”
Caller: “But here’s the thing. I don’t want to do all that. I just want to play DVDs.”
Me: “Well, I hate to lose a customer, but a DVD player might be your better option, then.”
Caller: *Becoming irate* “What?! Why the f*** can’t you price-match it?!”
Me: “You’re asking me to match the price of a laptop to a DVD player. How would that be different than walking down to the Chevrolet dealership and asking them to price-match against a bag of grapes?”
Caller: “Those are two separate situations, a**hole! All I’m going to use the notebook for is movies!”
Me: “Then I would recommend that you just buy a DVD player.”
Caller: “But I want a notebook!”
Me: “I’m not sure you do. If we proceed with this call, then I am selling you a notebook for a notebook’s price, which is $450. Shall we proceed?”
Caller: “…I’m not sure I like you.”
Me: “I don’t think you’re sure of anything. Have a nice day, ma’am!”
When you work in a sales call center, they’ll let you end a call if you know it’s not going to end in a sale. Call volume and sales over caller satisfaction can be exhausting, but it does mean you don’t have to put up with exhausting customers!