Customer Service

Sometimes I hate being in the customer service line of work. People can be so rude and I just want to make it known that I’m not impressed with their behavior. Earlier I answered the main line “Campus Shop can I help you?” and, as it typically goes a man asked, “Is this the Bookstore?”. I could tell already he was not a nice individual by the tone in his voice. After answering him that he was calling the correct place he said he needed prices for textbooks. I told him what we tell everyone (due to so many calls and not enough staff) to go on our website and he could find all that information there. He proceeded, “I’m calling you!” and I explained that this is what we were instructed to do and then he said (in a snotted voice) “Well…I don’t have a computer”. Knowing that he was just telling me this to get me to tell him over the phone I told him it might be a few minutes but I might be able to look it up for him. I asked him how many books he needed to know about and he snapped at me that it was a certain course #. I said, “This is for a Summer class right?” and he said “No, Fall” and I said that I could not help him because that information would not be available until July 25th (which is the truth). He was still snotty and said tell me the names of the books and I said I didn’t have that info yet (which is true) and he said, “Well then give me the prices” and I couldn’t do that either considering I do not know what the books are and we haven’t ordered yet. I just kept repeating myself that the information and books should be available on the 25th. Finally he got mad and said he would be calling back on the 25th and I said “Great”.

So tell me, why do I have to put up with that? Why are people taught that it is acceptable to treat others that way? I can understand if there is an ongoing issue that you have to be snotty to get someone to listen but for this…no way.

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