Friday, October 14, 2011

I answer phones for our family carpet cleaning company.

Me... Just Me... If you call, you will reach Me... At. All. Times.

This has its ups and its downs.... The ups: I know exactly what I told you. There is no pitting one CSR (customer service rep) against another. Customers like to do that you know. "Well she gave me this price..." The downs: If you call to complain about "the stupid girl who booked my job..." well... that was me too. Maybe I should start changing my name on a daily basis?

As we usually do when the weather cools down, we're getting busy. It seams that every idiot in the Phoenix Metro Area is needing their carpets cleaned these days. I've compiled a list of my favorite conversations/ questions.

1) Customer: "I need a quote"
Me: Ok what do you need cleaned? (we do carpets, tile and upholstery so I have to ask)
C: (said with a tone implying I'm an idiot) Carpets
Me: Ok, in what rooms?
C: (same tone again) All of them.

I have a variation of this conversation at least once a week. Lets get this straight: I am not standing in your living room. I do NOT know how many rooms you have.

2) Me: "We have a 3 room for $99 special"
Customer: "Well, xxx company is offering a 3 room for $125 special. Will you match that price?"

Will we charge you more? Absolutely if that's what you really want.

3) Customer: "Do you hire criminals?"

What am I supposed to say to that? Yes, yes we do. We split the profit of everything they steal from your jewelry box.

4) Customer: "Will you actually get my carpets clean?"

Again, what do I say to that? I mean we've been in business for more than 10 minutes so some customers must be happy enough to call back!?

5) If it's a woman calling, she most likely will know nothing about the size of her rooms. A man will give me measurements but then question my math.

6) I had a customer who called me, get snippy when I asked her if she had a day in mind. She is "a very busy woman, you know"

7) This was probably the first time I had ever done this, but I YELLED at a customer a couple of weeks ago. He started it ... that's all I have to say. (he still cleaned too- lol)

8) We have 4 phone numbers, they all ring to me. But people don't get it. If I don't answer the first, I probably won't answer the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th. A girl has to pee every now and again... ok? For heaven sake's leave a message!

9) Don't call at 10 o'clock at night or 10am on a sunday just to leave a message. Cause I'll answer... It's annoying, just wait till we "open."

10) Every technician we employ gets called my "husband" at least a couple of times a week. I just say "yup, he's great... who are we talking about again?"

So now you know what to do and not to do next time you need service in your home for any reason. Just don't be that idiot. Ok?

5 comments:

Bryan and Adrienne said...

Don't you just love people sometimes?

Anonymous said...

People are nuts. I work for a recruiting office and I'll get people calling "Yeah I'm interested in hearing more about the job in Texas" okay sir we have about 20 jobs in Texas you think you could be a little more specific for me?

I had some guy call once and try and say, "Well I talked to your secretary and she told me this." Which was not only wrong but a flat out lie, as I am not only the only female in the entire company besides the boss's wife, I am also very much *not* a secretary.

Customers are fun!

The Leiths said...

LOL this is so true. i don't know why people ask the dumbest questions!

Nancy said...

I am glad that you have to deal with that and not me!

The Prices said...

too funny. I'll try to not be that idiot, however, I never do know the size of my rooms.