Your Lack Of Patience Meets Our Lack Of Caring

When customers place orders using our part numbers, our protocol is to give a brief description and the price, like, “Scissors for $4.50 each.” This is to confirm that everyone is on the same page with the correct items. It’s also important to note that we do, in fact, record all our calls for quality assurance purposes.

Caller: “I need to place an order.”

Me: “Sure, what would you like?”

Caller: “I’ll take two of [part number].”

Me: “That’s screws, a dollar and—”

Caller: “I don’t have time for that s***.”

He then proceeds to rattle off about a dozen part numbers and quantities in rapid succession, auctioneer style, not pausing between line items for me to acknowledge that I’m even still on the line. Fortunately, I’m a fast typer.

Caller: “You got all that?”

The rest of the transaction goes normally. Because he was going so rapidly, I listen to the call once he hangs up to verify that I typed the numbers exactly as he said them, and I think nothing else of it. A few days later, I happen to get the same customer on the line.

Caller: *Angrily* “You guys sent me the wrong stuff!”

Once I recognized the Angry Auctioneer, I had to roll my eyes. If only there was a way to have confirmed we had the right items on order.