Ok, so I know I've already posted once for today, but I need to write these work stories down before I forget them. I hope people will forgive me, and still read my other blog that is now below this one.
I see a common thread between all the work stories I have told so far, and the ones I am about to write about, they all happen to be about final exams. So here's some more for you to munch on.
I am what you would call a supervisor at my job. This means that I get to take fun "Supervisor Calls" form angry parents who just know that the person they are talking to is a complete imbecile, so the demand to speak to a superior. I think sometimes they think we have the first people who answer the phones purposefully make up information to give them just to see if they will see through it and demand to talk to someone who knows what they're talking about. Yeah, sorry guys, that is not the case. The world does NOT revolve around you!
Ok ok, so here's the stories already. On Tuesday I took one of these so-called "Supervisor Calls." The lady on the phone (as well as her daughter) were pretty bratty and snobby to us already, so that puts me in a bad mood. It was around 4:00 PM and she wanted to request her daughter's final exam to be mailed express to her school. The express option we have is next day delivery through FedEx. Her request usually wouldn't be a problem, except for the fact that it was Tuesday at 4 and she wanted the test at the school on Wednesday. Unfortunately for her, our express cutoff time is at 2. This means that every test printed off BEFORE 2 will go out that day and make it to the destination the following day. Everything after 2 is too late and the FedEx man has already come to pick up the tests and so we can't get them out till the following day. So, when I get on the phone with her, the first thing she starts off with is that she darn well better get this test tomorrow because she was told by multiple people in our office that she could. She said "I talked to two people on Saturday, just this past SATURDAY! And one of Monday, that all told me..." At this point I cut her off and said "Ma'am, you do realize that we are not open on Saturdays, right?" She paused, and then coughed "Well it must have been Friday then..." but didn't pursue that part of her argument any further.
Then she told me how it just DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE (I capitalize to try and portray her tone of voice) that she would pay for an overnight service that doesn't get there overnight. It just doesn't make ANY SENSE AT ALL. I then proceeded to explain to this poor confused bratty woman how the world actually works. I told her how we are open much later than FedEx's express deadline is, which means we have to cut our day in half for the tests that go out express. I told her that once the little fedex man comes to get the tests from us, he then leaves and doesn't come back until the next day. She replies "You only mail things out ONCE a DAY? At 2?" Yes, you're catching on. We only have one fedexman come ONCE a day to pick up our stack of tests ONCE. You were told to call early in the day, but you didn't. Unfortunately I do not have free airplane travel so I can't hand deliver the test myself, which leaves us with one option, you wait until tomorrow.
She then started to tell me how her daughter is on a graduation deadline (like I haven't heard THAT before) and needs the grade by Monday. I told her we can get the test there by Thursday. Then she gets mad because she explained her time crunch to the previous girl she spoke with, so she shouldn't have taken her credit card information if she knew the test wouldn't get there until Thursday. I'm like, WHAT? It is not our employees job to make personal decisions for you. I told her if she would like I would happily refund her card and send the test out regular mail, which should be there in about 2 weeks. I then said, I think you're better off with the option you chose because you actually still have a chance to get the grade in time, so calm down and get off our backs. The end.
Story #2, happened today: Another Supervisor Call.
The employee on the phone informed this mother that our final exams are NOT web-based, but in fact, as clearly explained EVERYWHERE, are paper and pencil and thus must be mailed through a mailing service to a proctor, not through email. She didn't believe the employee, and demanded a superior. So I get the call, and guess what? Tell her the EXACT same thing! She says, Oh no, but me and the student's counselor understood it that it was proctored, but done on the computer. My exact words "Well, you understood it wrong." Nowhere does it say that. Sorry, but the soonest we can get it there is, Friday! Because it is again after 2:00. Of course, this student needs the grade posted by Friday, and my response is, well! That's why we tell you to get your stuff done 3 WEEKS before your deadline, not 3 minutes! Things ALWAYS go bad when you procrastinate. Good luck! And goodbye.
Ok, so I wasn't that mean, but that's what goes through my head when I talk to these people. The End again. For real.
I see a common thread between all the work stories I have told so far, and the ones I am about to write about, they all happen to be about final exams. So here's some more for you to munch on.
I am what you would call a supervisor at my job. This means that I get to take fun "Supervisor Calls" form angry parents who just know that the person they are talking to is a complete imbecile, so the demand to speak to a superior. I think sometimes they think we have the first people who answer the phones purposefully make up information to give them just to see if they will see through it and demand to talk to someone who knows what they're talking about. Yeah, sorry guys, that is not the case. The world does NOT revolve around you!
Ok ok, so here's the stories already. On Tuesday I took one of these so-called "Supervisor Calls." The lady on the phone (as well as her daughter) were pretty bratty and snobby to us already, so that puts me in a bad mood. It was around 4:00 PM and she wanted to request her daughter's final exam to be mailed express to her school. The express option we have is next day delivery through FedEx. Her request usually wouldn't be a problem, except for the fact that it was Tuesday at 4 and she wanted the test at the school on Wednesday. Unfortunately for her, our express cutoff time is at 2. This means that every test printed off BEFORE 2 will go out that day and make it to the destination the following day. Everything after 2 is too late and the FedEx man has already come to pick up the tests and so we can't get them out till the following day. So, when I get on the phone with her, the first thing she starts off with is that she darn well better get this test tomorrow because she was told by multiple people in our office that she could. She said "I talked to two people on Saturday, just this past SATURDAY! And one of Monday, that all told me..." At this point I cut her off and said "Ma'am, you do realize that we are not open on Saturdays, right?" She paused, and then coughed "Well it must have been Friday then..." but didn't pursue that part of her argument any further.
Then she told me how it just DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE (I capitalize to try and portray her tone of voice) that she would pay for an overnight service that doesn't get there overnight. It just doesn't make ANY SENSE AT ALL. I then proceeded to explain to this poor confused bratty woman how the world actually works. I told her how we are open much later than FedEx's express deadline is, which means we have to cut our day in half for the tests that go out express. I told her that once the little fedex man comes to get the tests from us, he then leaves and doesn't come back until the next day. She replies "You only mail things out ONCE a DAY? At 2?" Yes, you're catching on. We only have one fedexman come ONCE a day to pick up our stack of tests ONCE. You were told to call early in the day, but you didn't. Unfortunately I do not have free airplane travel so I can't hand deliver the test myself, which leaves us with one option, you wait until tomorrow.
She then started to tell me how her daughter is on a graduation deadline (like I haven't heard THAT before) and needs the grade by Monday. I told her we can get the test there by Thursday. Then she gets mad because she explained her time crunch to the previous girl she spoke with, so she shouldn't have taken her credit card information if she knew the test wouldn't get there until Thursday. I'm like, WHAT? It is not our employees job to make personal decisions for you. I told her if she would like I would happily refund her card and send the test out regular mail, which should be there in about 2 weeks. I then said, I think you're better off with the option you chose because you actually still have a chance to get the grade in time, so calm down and get off our backs. The end.
Story #2, happened today: Another Supervisor Call.
The employee on the phone informed this mother that our final exams are NOT web-based, but in fact, as clearly explained EVERYWHERE, are paper and pencil and thus must be mailed through a mailing service to a proctor, not through email. She didn't believe the employee, and demanded a superior. So I get the call, and guess what? Tell her the EXACT same thing! She says, Oh no, but me and the student's counselor understood it that it was proctored, but done on the computer. My exact words "Well, you understood it wrong." Nowhere does it say that. Sorry, but the soonest we can get it there is, Friday! Because it is again after 2:00. Of course, this student needs the grade posted by Friday, and my response is, well! That's why we tell you to get your stuff done 3 WEEKS before your deadline, not 3 minutes! Things ALWAYS go bad when you procrastinate. Good luck! And goodbye.
Ok, so I wasn't that mean, but that's what goes through my head when I talk to these people. The End again. For real.
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