Discriminator

Caller: I just heard there is a $25.00 fee to book with an agent.
Agent: Yes Ma'am there is.
Caller: Well, I don't want to have to pay it
Agent: You can book it online and save the booking fee.
Caller: Well, that's just unfair. You discriminate against people who don't have a computer.

note: this is a WEBSITE, for online booking!

Call Center Roulette

A customer called and asked for a specific agent. Because we work in a virtual call center we don't have direct extensions, the calls rollover to the next available agent. I explained that to the caller and offered to help him myself.

We looked up the flight/hotel he had looked at the day before. As it turned out the package he was wanting to book had changed prices since then. Of course, it had gone up.

He was upset and asked again for the agent he had spoken to the day before. He was certain she could give him the price he saw the day before if he could just speak with her. I explained again why that was not possible and that we had dozens of call centers and hundreds of agents. He hung up.

A few minutes later I get the same man again. Again he asked for the agent he had spoken to the day before and again I explained to him why he would not be able to speak her.

"Well," he said, "I'm just going to keep calling until I get her."

Visa Please.

An agent just got a call from a woman asking if we could issue her a VISA so she could go to Moscow.

Let me think about it...

There are a few areas that are notoriously expensive. One is New York City, San Francisco is one and Orlando another to name a few. An agent got a call from a woman who wants a suite in Orlando for 3 adults and 2 children with transportation, free continental breakfast, at Disney World for less than $67.00 a night. Well, guess what? She found one! And the woman didn't take it!?! Said she'd call back.

Price changes

It always baffles me when someone will go through a ridiculously long phone tree to get to an agent and then spend 10 minutes chewing us out because the price of a flight/hotel has changed. Seriously, do you think we have control over the prices? And even if we did, do you really think we care if you have to pay more? You are a stranger to us. We don't care. Besides, this is a free country. If you do not like the prices we have, well, by all means GO TO A DIFFERENT COMPANY!!! Go to another website... move on.

Caller: "There is something wrong with your website."
Agent: "Oh? What kind of problems are you having with it?"
Caller: "I've been trying for over an hour to book this flight."
Agent: "Does it give you an error message?"
Caller: "Yes. It keeps telling me the flight is sold out."

Sometimes I travel...

I don't travel much myself. I have pets that need care so it complicates any travel plans I have. Recently I had the opportunity to visit my son and his wife and their new baby. The ticket was purchased and I was ready to go! At the last minute I found myself frantically trying to find someone to fill in and care for my pets.
It just so happened I got a visit from my church members, so I explained to them the position I was in, and I asked if they knew of someone who would be willing to come in during the day. I explained my flight was confirmed and I was leaving within days.
She thought for a moment, and said "Well, the kids are all in school...". She looked pensive for a moment, her face brightened and she said, "I know! Just go in the summer! Yeah, go in the summer, the kids will be home."

Volcano

It was all over the news. A volcano erupted in Iceland and the resulting plume of smoke caused flights to be cancelled in and out of Heathrow. The results were worldwide and far reaching. As a result people were stranded like nothing we have seen since 9/11. It's a major international airport. Even here in Seattle, half a world away from the smoke and ash, flights were cancelled. The planes simply could not fly into Heathrow.

I had a businessman who was scheduled to take off from Philadelphia to Heathrow and while in route to the airport was notified his flight had been cancelled. And no flights would be going out for at least several days. He called me and wanted to see if I could book a flight to Heathrow! Really??

I really have the perfect job. I get to work at home, the pay is acceptable and absolutely no commute. Sometimes that has it's own problems. For instance when you are working from home, sometimes friends and neighbors don't think you have a real job. And sometimes it can be difficult to know when I am working.

Also, I have dogs who happen to live at my house, who consequently bark when someone comes to the door. To solve the issue of barking dogs while I'm on the phone with a customer I devised a way to notify people when I am working and when not to knock on the door.

Since I have a few neighbors who can't read I printed up a large red stop sign, and for those who can read added "Please don't knock, I'm working". Just to be sure it was well understood I explained exactly what it means when I hang the sign on the door. I couldn't have made it any clearer....and yet....I have a neighbor who, sign on the door or not, will knock, setting my two very big dogs to barking, so she can "just take a minute...."

SIGH

Puerto Rico, Mexico

Caller: I'd like to book a trip to Puerto Rico, Mexico.
Agent: Would you like to book a trip to Puerto Rico or Mexico?
Caller: to Puerto Rico, Mexico.
Agent: Those are seperate countries. Which one would you like?
Caller: Ummm, you mean I can't book a trip there?

why not?

A caller insisted I book a hotel stay for her. Problem is, she had already tried to book it online and it gave her the message "Sorry, the hotel you selected is no longer available". Is there an alternate meaning to "no longer available"??? Perhaps I should get my tools out and build an addition or better yet we could just kick one of the other guests out!