On the Phone

The other day the cashier called me to the front to answer some questions for someone on the phone. It was a busy weekend and the person had already been on hold for a couple of minutes. I picked up, apologized for the wait, then asked how I could help. The customer wanted the prices for SEVERAL obscure items that we don't sell many of. I explained that the store was busy so it might take me a few minutes to get everything for her--would she like to hold, or call back later, or leave her number and I'd call her back. She said she'd hold.

As I was getting the prices I was telling other customers, "I'm helping someone right now, I'll be with you as soon as possible" or answering simple/quick questions. When, really, I should have been helping the customers who were STANDING IN FRONT OF ME first, per company policy. One of the items didn't have a price tag and was difficult to get to so it took me close to 5 minutes to get everything the phone caller wanted.

I returned to the phone, where she complained about the wait, becoming increasingly belligerent. Then she asked about another item which took even longer to get back to her on because I had to open a register and get rid of the mounds of people STANDING IN FRONT OF ME WAITING TO HAND ME MONEY. When I got on the phone this time she was extremely nasty. Despite her behavior, I apologized again, saying it was busy and I had to help customers who were STANDING IN FRONT OF ME first, as it was a company policy. After all, they took the trouble to drive to the store, not just look up a number in the phone book.

I answered her last question and she asked me to hold the most expensive item that she'd asked about (since there was only one, but since it's a slow seller, that's all we ever carry). Because of her "give it to me now" attitude, I followed company policy to a "T"--"I'm sorry, ma'am, we're not allowed to hold items." "Even though I had to wait for 20 minutes?!" Hello, it was less than 10, on a BUSY weekend, and I even warned her about the wait and she agreed to it. "No, that doesn't change the policy." She called me some names and hung up. Fine, I didn't really want your business anyway.

The thing with holding items, even if it's just for a day, is there is NO GUARANTEE that the phone customer is going to even step foot in the store, while if there's someone IN THE STORE WITH MONEY IN HAND ready to buy the item, I want to be able to sell it to them. But anyway, if she had been nicer I probably would have bent the policy and held it for her. But after the attitude she gave me, I wasn't doing anything beyond what I was required to do. In fact, I got a little snotty with her, too, although I didn't respond to her profanity.