Hurry Up and Wait
Customer calls in to place an order:
Me: Good morning, this is Widgets International. I’m LongSufferingSquid, how can I help you?
Customer: I’d like to place an order for a widget type-E.
Me: Certainly, ma’am.
I go about placing the order only to find that…
Me: Hmmm, I’m sorry, it looks like your account isn’t set up to order the Type-E. That’s probably a systems glitch. I’ll send a ticket to IT to have it corrected and place the order afterword. <sends ticket> What other specifications do you need for your widget?
Customer: I’d like it in blue with a medium interociter.
Me: Sounds good. 107
I’ll have that order placed as soon as IT gets back to me. There’s no need to keep you on the phone for that.
Customer: I’d rather wait for the order to be placed.
Me: It may take some time. I don’t want you to have to waste your ti…
Customer (interrupting aggressively): I’ll wait for the order to be placed.
Me: Very well, ma’am.
A minute of me humming and typing passes.
Customer: Well?
Me: Yes, ma’am? Is there something else I can help you with?
Customer: I want the order to be placed now.
Me: Yes, ma’am, I’m just waiting for IT to get back to me.
Customer: How long will that take?
Me (drawling): Oooooooh, could be a few hours. Hard to say.
Customer: …Fine. You better give me a call back when the order gets placed.
Me: Certainly, ma’am!
<click>
It’s now twenty-four hours later and IT has still not solved the problem. (Lucky for the customer I found a work-around.) 648