Casting About for a File
Background info: When making custom widgets we typically need casts, plaster or some such, of the end user's anatomy to make the widgets fit better.
The Story:
A call comes in from a customer.
Me: "Good morning, Widgets International, this is <PERSON>."
Customer <PERSON>: "Hi! This is <PERSON> from Rocky Mountain Widgets. We placed an order for custom widgets with you two months ago but our customer has decided to go with a different manufacturer. Can you send the end user's casts back to us?"
Me: "I'm sorry. Typically we only keep casts for about a week but-"
Karen(interrupting): "That won't work, can you check to see if you still have them?"
If she'd let me finish instead of interrupting I would have told her that we can email the electronic scan of the cast to her but fine, I'm easy.
Me: "Absolutely, may I have the serial numbers of the end user's widgets, please?"
<PERSON>: "VALJEAN24601 and VALJEAN9430."
Me: "It's going to take me a moment to check, may I put you on hold?"
<PERSON>: "...fine, but please hurry, I'm in a rush!"
Me: "Certainly! Hold please!"
I put the customer on hold and shoot a quick text over to my friend <PERSON> in our custom widgets lab.
Me: "<PERSON>, do we still have the casts for widgets VALJEAN24601 and VALJEAN9430?"
<PERSON> is usually pretty busy so he doesn't reply immediately. 588
I go and make a cup of tea. After five minutes or so <PERSON> gets back to me.
<PERSON>: "Hi <PERSON>, these casts are from two months ago?"
Me: "Yup!"
<PERSON>: "Sorry <PERSON>, we dispose of casts a week after we scan them."
Me: "Oh, I know, just humoring a customer. Can you send me the files for these."
<PERSON>: "LOL, sure thing."
<PERSON> emails me the files and I get back on the phone with the customer.
Me: "Thank you for holding. I'm sorry, we disposed of those casts a week after we scanned them, BUT."
<PERSON>: "But?"
Me: "But I can email you those scans if it would be helpful."
<PERSON>: "Oh? Oh! That'd be great! We can send those files to the other manufacturer! Thank you!"
I take her email address and send her the files.
<PERSON>: "Got 'em, thanks for all your help!"
Me: "You're welcome! Have a good day!" 588