Share Your Bad Day Stories
So, I'm sitting here at work, minding my own business, when this woman calls and asks for A's secretary. D (the secretary) is on vacation all week. A is out for 2 days. So, I try to get to P (the paralegal covering for D) but she tells me she's very busy and can't take the call.
So, this all takes place in about 2 minutes. I ask the lady on the phone if she'd like P's voicemail because she's unavailable, and the woman just says "No. No I don't want her voicemail" and HANGS UP on me.
She needed something emailed to her from that file, and I am sure she believes (based on her tone) that I was lying about nobody she needs to speak to being available.
It just ticks me off! Hang up on me because everyone you need to talk to is out of the office or unavailable. But to be honest, it also ticks me off that P couldn't just take a second to talk to the lady, write down what she needed, and email it to her in a little while. If P has anything to do at all, she says she's swamped. ALL THE TIME.
Grr.
I feel better now. :)
Anyone else have a crappy day recently?
i used to make my living by being on the phone (doing tech support for Dell) and my goodness - the characters that i would deal with on any given day. When i first started the job - those sorts of things would intimidate me. Once i became more confident and established in Dell - I actually found it to be more humorous.
At one point in my Dell career - i was a sort of "tech support/supervisor customer support role" - what that means is although we weren't supervisors within Dell per'se, we "played" supervisors to the "outside world" and we had the necessary stroke to make varied customer service based decisions (or to decline the same).
One of my favorite types of (regular) calls - abbreviated for brevity's sake:
Customer: Yes, I would like to get my Dell computer fixed.
Me: Sure, i'll be happy to look into that for you. Oh, i see that your warranty expired 6 months ago.
Customer: Well...umm...yeah, maybe - i don't know, but i didn't extend my warranty because i didn't know Dell was going to make such a piece of crap. Now, what can you do for me?
Me: Well, I'll be happy to get you over to warranty sales to see if they're able to offer any type of warranty at this point?
Customer: No, you're not going to sell me on some more Dell crap. I just want you to fix this for me.
Me: I see. I'm sorry but as the warranty is expired - quite a bit of time ago - the needed repairs would not be covered.
Customer: What?!? You guys are rip-offs. Scam-artists! Don't you stand behind your D-E-L-L products?
Me: Yes sir, of course we do - that would be the reason we offer warranties on these systems
(then comes my all time favorite line....)
Customer: What?!? Well !!!! This is outrageous (here it comes)... I'm going to report you to the Better Business Bureau and i'm also going to talk to my lawyer about this. I'm going to call up the media and tell them about this.
These types of calls were totally common and quite entertaining. I do honestly hate that the entertainment was at the expense someone not being happy - but at the same time, some measure of self-accountability really needs to come into play sometimes.
Yeah.... sounds like when I worked retail.
Ugh, retail. Every day was a bad day. :P
I finally quit when some jerk wanted to buy multiple XB360s, which is against company policy, and I wouldn't do it. He proceeded to send his wife in with his credit card (which my young coworker rang up without letting me know) and then his daughter came in with his credit card (and my young coworker DID see something wrong with that). We turned the daughter away for using someone else's card, and the man came in ranting and raving about me not wanting his business (I didn't make comission anyway).
He asked for the manager, the manager was me. :P
So, I told him he could go to another store and purchase another 360, and nobody could do anything about it. He walked out in a huff, probably threatening to call somebody or whatever.
About half an hour later, I get a call.
The guy actually CALLED me to tell me that he called several other stores, and NONE of them knew of any company policy against selling a person multiple systems. That pissed me off majorly because it showed how crappy our management training was, and it sucks.
So, I told the man "Sir, I don't know you, I don't have a personal vendetta against you. I have no reason to make up policies to make both our lives difficult. I suggest you purchase as many systems as you like from one of those stores, and if they get in trouble for it that's their business, not mine."
He asked for customer service's phone number, so I gave it to him. I also emailed my district manager, told him the story, and said that I felt it was ridiculous that there was such a huge lack of training and communication in one district. He said "Well, sorry you're upset but there's nothing you can do about other stores enforcing company policies."
Uhh... that's YOUR job, stupid. So, I called my manager and gave my 2 weeks notice that day. 3 1/2 years with that company... and I'd had enough.
oooh, i've got a *totally* bad day story...
This past Friday I did some volunteer work at a local raw vegan restaurant (as they were having an exhibit at the "Bite of Seattle" fare - which took place this weekend). Friday night was great, lots of fun, i got to make almond milk, and do other seemingly mundane kitchen tasks (quarter and peel a bucket of oranges) which actually - i found to be quite interesting (i felt all like, i dunno "Food TV networky...and all...heheheh)
So, Saturday - around 12pm - i called the restaurant to leave some contact information. The girl i spoke with was actually working at the booth (at the event) at that moment and asked if i had some free time - and if so, if i could maybe pick up some coconuts for them and bring it to the booth. Even though i live kinda far from where the event was taking place (but she had no way of knowing that), i didn't have any plans for the day and figured it might be fun to go out and about.
There was a specific place they had requested me to pick up the coconuts from. I tried to call the place a few times but no answered the phone. I didn't think much of it - presuming they were just busy. Driving over there was mistake #1. Driving through Seattle traffic, downtown - on a Saturday - is simply a mistake, no matter what the day or reason for doing the same - ugh! Traffic was, needless to say - "stop and go" with plenty of !stop! inbetween. At one point - I'm in the "next to right lane" which ..should have.. been flowing but instead was backed up. Why? Well because all the numbnuts in that lane were waiting until the very last minute to get over to the lane to the right so they could exit the freeway - thus causing two lanes of traffic to be backed up, instead of one.
So, i finally get to the produce place (it's in an industrial area). The gates on the back seemed to be closed. Hmmm. I drive around to the front. Doors locked - gee, that's odd! I called up my contact and as the produce place seemed to be closed - they were able to find another one that wasn't too far off. Without traffic, the drive from one to the other would have been about...5 minutes maybe. Not only was there traffic though (of course) but...the Seattle Sounders game was just letting out (they are a soccer team and soccer is "big time" in Seattle) which added a shitload of extra cars on the road.
Finally I get to the alternate produce place and order the coconuts. One of the guys from the store had to get the boxes of coconuts from the warehouse and bring to my car - which was parked in the garage below the produce place. Sadly, the guy only brings 9 instead of the 11 that i paid for. Once we went back to the cashier to verify - i walked back with the guy, to the warehouse, figuring it'd be just as quick to carry the 2 remaining boxes on my shoulder - back to my car. It was heavy, but manageable.
Ok, so i'm walking down the stairs and at the very bottom of the stairs is this old couple. When i saw this i'm thinking "!CRAP!". They actually moved off the stairs but for whatever reason, the gentleman decided to just ..stop... at the bottom of the stairs - UGH!!! So i said excuse me, muttered some expletive under my breath (not at him, just at my frustration) and unloaded the remaining coconuts into my car.
Then I start driving from the produce place to where the event is. I don't know my way around for shit - but luckily i'm on the phone w/my gf, who is waaay smarter then me - and she was able to guide me in the right direction. Of course, there's really only one way to get where i'm going, and it's a popular destination, on a Saturday ... afternoon - ugh! I would call this more akin to a slow moving parking lot as opposed to merely "traffic" - horrid horrid horrid (i hate traffic!).
Finally i get to the event. After a small bit of time - someone from the booth arrives to take the coconuts off my hands.
After unloading the coconuts, i attempted to find parking so i could walk around the event a bit and say hello to the people in the booth. I nearly found a spot, i pulled ahead of the spot and some douchebag raced into the spot from behind me. I was tempted to say something but i just drove away. I looked for parking but couldn't find anything else in the area so just headed home.
So............what i originally envisioned to be maybe about 2-3 hours, ended up taking about 6 hours out of my day.
In one sense, i was honestly glad to help and hopefully that restaurant got more exposure for their vegan products. The flip side was i was just beat down and flippin' exhausted from having spent the better part of my Saturday in "hurry up and wait" traffic.
And ~that~ way my....."Bad Day Story"
I was just gonna say that story sounds like retail! After a while, I would get my shits and giggles by trying to keep a smile while my customers called me stupid. I worked register in the home department at bon ton (a department store) and one woman came in asking for some sort of bed skirt thing a ma bob. i dont know what the hell she was talking about, I was just supposed to ring people up. She asked me where the ______'s were and I said "i'm sorry, I dont know what that is" "you dont know what that is??! you work in the home department!! dont you know anything?" i remember saying this:"well I am going to college to become a music teacher, I know a lot about that, but no, i'm sorry, I do not know much about bed linens" she was so pissed. so I pointed her in the direction of the people meandering around to help people find stupid shit. I just worked at the register.
another time a girl brought back a pair of USED underwear demanding to get a refund because the thread came undone. there was obviously poop in the underwear. it was nasty.
I finally quit when some jerk wanted to buy multiple XB360s, which is against company policy, and I wouldn't do it. He proceeded to send his wife in with his credit card (which my young coworker rang up without letting me know) and then his daughter came in with his credit card (and my young coworker DID see something wrong with that). We turned the daughter away for using someone else's card, and the man came in ranting and raving about me not wanting his business (I didn't make comission anyway).
that's funny - sort of reminds me how many of the Dell customers would be all like "do you know who i am? what company i work for? how much business we give Dell every year?".
Ugh! - i've never heard that before :P
I always answered that the same way though
"Sir, i thank you for your business. We like to be fair and treat every customer equally and with the same amount of courtesy and respect whether they purchase 1 system or multiple systems from us"
:)
I was just gonna say that story sounds like retail! After a while, I would get my shits and giggles by trying to keep a smile while my customers called me stupid. I worked register in the home department at bon ton (a department store) and one woman came in asking for some sort of bed skirt thing a ma bob. i dont know what the hell she was talking about, I was just supposed to ring people up. She asked me where the ______'s were and I said "i'm sorry, I dont know what that is" "you dont know what that is??! you work in the home department!! dont you know anything?" i remember saying this:"well I am going to college to become a music teacher, I know a lot about that, but no, i'm sorry, I do not know much about bed linens" she was so pissed. so I pointed her in the direction of the people meandering around to help people find stupid shit. I just worked at the register.
ok, that was kinda so wrong, but yet - so funny !!!
another time a girl brought back a pair of USED underwear demanding to get a refund because the thread came undone. there was obviously poop in the underwear. it was nasty.
:D
You should have told her the thread that came undone was obviously the one fastening her sphincter, and she should be in the ER, not customer service! ;)
Uhhhh...OK, so I'm old, foreign (after almost 30 years) and out of touch generally, but what'sa
XB360? And why can't you sell more than one per customer?
It's an X Box 360, which is a video game system. Like.... Nintendo. But it's made by Microsoft.
There's a policy against selling more than one per customer because we don't sell to dealers (people who buy them and sell them at a profit), and also because there is limited stock replenishment on systems (especially when they are relatively new on the market).
Some people would buy as many systems as they possibly could, thus making us sold out, and then they would sell the systems themselves for profit, taking advantage of the demand and our lack of supply.
I don't know why anybody cares... I just did what I was told.
^-^
You should have told her the thread that came undone was obviously the one fastening her sphincter, and she should be in the ER, not customer service! ;)
Uhhhh...OK, so I'm old, foreign (after almost 30 years) and out of touch generally, but what'sa
XB360? And why can't you sell more than one per customer?
hahaha. hilarious.
Um.....yeah....So today, I wake up to see no bowel/bladder movements in the litter box from Briggs....I do see him sitting in the litterbox as if he IS doing something, but when he got out, there was nothing to be found :(
Then G comes to tell me I have a msg on the phone concerning my unemployment. I called the # left in the msg. I get they guy's voicemail. In the vm msg, I'm instructed to leave my phone # and soc. sec. #.....So I'm thinking it is a scam but, just in case, I leave my phone # and Bday. I wait an hour. Decide to call again (just for shits and giggles....plus he did give some hard to know accurate info on his msg), the guy answers and tells me my former employer is contesting my request for unemployment benefits....GRRRRRRRRRR and it wasn't even noon yet!! (it is now 12:30)
Now I need to make some calls to various programs to that help w/ utilities. Make another call to my Dr's office, seeing as I'll be losing THOSE 'discount benefits' next month! Give Briggs an enema....FUN! FUN! FUN!
Well. mines short. just another day lately.
I sat around all day as i have barely any friends, no job, and cant drive. When my brother gets home everyone starts talking about how i do nothing and its my fault and i'm messing up my life. And then they all proceed to laugh at me for this and about how i dont have a job and mock me and call me a failure. And then i am reinforced on my new curfew that doesnt have a time yet while my mom tried to prove my brother never did what i did (leaving the house after 12, he was out drinking and having parties instead of this while i'm just hanging out, such a good role model). And said he always had a curfew when he was my age, and he proceeded to tell her he didnt after he graduated and she just said its different for me since i cant drive and dont have a job, i have to have one because i am doing nothing with my ilfe and dont understand how the world or money works and must sit around at home at night because is it around at home to much (?) I was sitting here crying in the middle of all of this and no one cared. Oh and my mo moms talking about how my dad would've thought better of me and expected more.
Gotta feel that family love.
this was kind of more of a rant, but oh well.
Sad to hear that last story but here at VegWeb everybody is loved :)>>>
another time a girl brought back a pair of USED underwear demanding to get a refund because the thread came undone. there was obviously poop in the underwear. it was nasty.
OMG, hahahahahahaha! What the hell?! Who would have the guts to do that?! I could NEVER. Ever.
Sarah, I don't know if it helps at all, but your story sounds like life with my parents when I was younger. I was the oldest, and they just didn't know what to do with me. So, they assumed every choice I made was wrong. They didn't trust me, and it wasn't possible to have a mature, adult conversation with them because THEY WERE THE PARENTS and their word was LAW.... no discussion about it.
It was awful.
But, now I'm 25, and my mom and I are best friends and my parents respect me. Granted, things with my dad are still weird (suddenly he misses me and mom says he feels like he pushed me away all those years and feels guilty now... which may be somewhat true). But overall, things have improved a lot.
So, just get through it as best you can. And try to remember, when they act totally weird and don't make sense, they're only human. And they're probably freaked the hell out and just plain worried they haven't taught you everything they wanted to about life. Which isn't possible anyway.
Good luck and hang in there!
Now my turn. I work in the forests of Canada and usually enjoy the beautiful scenery, the wildlife and the work I do. But the last few days it has been so HOT. Did I say so Hot, I meant SO HOT!!!! How hot did you ask? Well it was about 34 degrees Celcius, which is the way we measure hotness here in Canada, unless you are talking about my wife, whose hotness is measured on a different scale :-* :)>>>. 34 c. is about 95 degrees Farenheit. Now when it gets this hot here in the forests of Canada those in authority make certain rules concerning how we are to work. First we have to stop work at precisely 1 PM because they have decided that after this hour arrives anyone walking around in the forests is somehow going to set the trees on fire and burn the whole forest down, which, I admit, would sort of defeat the purpose of our work, which is to make the forests grow, although there is very little chance we will ever start a fire by what we do. So to get some work done we have to get up around 4AM and drive into the mountains and begin working before 6 AM. So my job requires me to suit up like as if I was going to the South Pole to count penguins and then carry around heavy tools and a backpack filled up with other assorted heavy objects which I never need, unless I leave them in the truck, which then requires to to climb back down the mountain to get those heavy objects which I usually never need, except when I leave them in the truck. Did I already say that? So anyway, yesterday my partner and I have decided on trying to complete a certain assignment before the day is done, which I mentioned comes at 1 PM. If we are not done by that hour we cannot stay later to finish or we will get in big trouble >:(. At least we are always threatened that we will get in big trouble, although I am not sure what they would do to us, and since we in the middle of nowhere on the top of a mountain , and it is 95 degrees, I doubt if anyone in authority is ever going to come out of their air conditioned offices to tell us what kind of trouble we would actually get in. But that is besides the point, the threat of the unknown big trouble has always worked so that we do quit precisely at 1PM. But the job we had decided to try to finish seemed a little too much to do it in the time alloted so we were pushing ourselves a little too much in the effort and neglecting to keep filled up with water. I was soaked with sweat and kept a close watch on my , um, watch, and when 12:30 came I realized that with another push we might actually get our job done in time. We were now climbing and working up a steep bank which made things even hotter. We had to crawl over some large trees and over rocks which had been pushed over the side of the road. Amazingly when we arrived at the truck it was two minutes to 1 PM and we were done. But I was really done. The heat and lack of water had fried my brain. I looked like this :D and felt like this :o. The ride home in the air conditioned truck helped some but then my legs started cramping up. First the calves, then my thighs and in between my feet. :'( It was like that all night and I was not looking forward to my 4 AM alarm clock. But by the morning I felt good enough to go enjoy another day at work. ;)b
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bnl0w_NishY
I had to do it...
Today did not start out bad. I packed and lurked around the house, ate Tofutti pizza, lurked on the internet. THEN my mommy got on my case about calling the bank and changing the amount of money transferred automatically each month from my savings at a bank here to my checking account at school. Earlier in the week we had gone into the bank here to ask about it, and the guy said I had to call the bank at school. So today I called the bank at school and the guy I talked to told me that because the other bank was sending the money, I had to talk to them. I figured that made sense and called the bank here. I talked to the same guy I talked to in person which made me feel silly. He told me he would call something and check, then call me back. Five minutes later, he called back, told me that the other bank was requesting the money, so I had to talk to them to change the amount they request. He gave me an 800 number to the other bank and some other related info. I called the 800 number, explained the situation. The guy said that they can't ask for more money, that I have to ask the bank sending the money to change the amount. I raged inside, politely said thank you, and hung up. I could call the bank here again, but I feel too silly talking to that guy again, and I think they have closed.
HARUMPH.