How to make CK glad it's Friday

[muck_a_luck]

My last event at the office yesterday.

A woman calls about a possible personal injury case.

I always *know* it's going to be a bad phone call when the person starts by refusing to give *their name* until they know more about me.

Then, she requested website info, but was unable to navigate the web page.

Then, she kept asking if we had a list of doctors. I said, "I'm not sure if he has a list, but I will find out." Then I asked her a basic question. I asked, "Do you need the list because you are worried about going to the wrong doctor for your case, or do you need a list in order to find a doctor?" She said, "Neither." And she explained again how a lot of lawyers have lists and she really needs to get treated. I said, "Boss just wants you to go to the doctor of your choice." SHe said, "Well, I dont' care about that. I just want to know if he has a list. I'm in a lot of pain and I need to see a doctor right away. A lot of lawyers have lists." We went around this circle for about ten mintues. When she started her 6th iteration of her response by saying, "If I go to doctor A..." I cut her off. By this point I had realized that I just needed to get her a damned list, who the fuck cared why she wanted it. When I wouldn't let her tell me the "If I go to doctor A..." story, she started berating me for not listening to her. It was 5 minutes til I needed to leave for the day. I had already been on the phone trying to deal with her for nearly 20 minutes getting nowhere. She still had not revealed her true identity. I had taken her to the website page about Boss' services, the page for new PI clients, and promised to get in touch with Boss, in Europe, at the first opportunity on Monday morning. And STILL she would not shut up. As she berated me for several minutes about my lack of phone courtesy to her, and how disturbing it was and how she listened to me why wouldn't I listen to her and she called so that she could be heard, I interrupted and said, "Ma'am, I don't think we are the law firm for you. If you want to fill out the questionnaire and send it in, please feel free. I will forward it to the lawyer right away. Otherwise, please feel free to use someone else." And I hung up on her.

A person like that will be a needy, unhelpful, time-sucking client and PI cases are a pain in the ass. I'm not going to stay late to work for an initial office contact by an idiot who wants to tell me how bad my customer service is. Jeez.

Haha. She also called back as fast as she could redial. I didn't answer. I will be amused on Monday to find out if she left voice-mail. Even more amused if she returns the form and complains about me at the same time.

Comments

[parvarteal.livejournal.com]

You have much more patience in this situation than I would have managed! Do you have a theory as to what she was really after? Or was she just a numb-nut?

[muck-a-luck.livejournal.com]

She was not a native speaker of English. When I said, "He doesn't care which doctor you go to," she reacted in a sort of "Well, it's none of his business any way" type response. So I rephrased and said, "He just wants you to go to the doctor of your choice," and she said huffily, "Well, of course I'm going to go to the doctor I choose." And yet, she kept asking me for this list of doctors. I'm pretty sure she wanted the list to be sure she went to a doctor that he teams with on his cases, but Boss doesn't work that way, so it's a non-issue, but I coudln't figure out how to reassure her about that... *rolls eyes*

[catzslave.livejournal.com]

She might have wanted a list not knowing any doctors herself but who you deal with. Since you don't work that way she has to do the work of finding a doctor herself. (Like looking in the phone book.) Which she probably doesn't want to do.

[reganatorrrr.livejournal.com]

i wish i could punch ppl through the phone too

[muck-a-luck.livejournal.com]

Where's my army of trained weasels when I need them?!

[alpha-strike.livejournal.com]

I like it when you post about your phone calls. It makes me feel better about mine. You get some real winners!

[muck-a-luck.livejournal.com]

*snorts* Whoo hoo! WIN! :D You balance it out by the masses of red tape and bureaucracy you get to fight! I never fail to be amazed and appalled (and impressed by your deft navigation!)!

[green-grrl.livejournal.com]

Boss will probably give you a raise for scaring off a crappy client. :D

[muck-a-luck.livejournal.com]

Heh. I still think he should listen to me more often. I told him about two angry clients in advance. He took them on anyway. One eventually threatened to sue us and is paying a VERY large bill in $50 bi-monthly installments and the other one fired us at the most bizzare point in the game. I tell ya. If they can't keep their anger issues under wraps talking to the hired help, you know they're gonna be trouble. Those, and the ones who won't just say thier danged names!!!! :)

Oh, but back to Boss. He has fired a few clients over time because of their interactions with me. He does listen.

Still, with this one, it remains to be seen what she will do. Maybe on Monday I will get to work and there will be a fax that matches the name on the caller ID.

[green-grrl.livejournal.com]

Yeah, he really should listen to your gut reactions, but at least he has your back with clients who are abusive to you! "The customer is always right" is such crap.