Customer service craziness

[MrsCobraBubbles]

As a librarian, one of the most annoying customer service issues was helping people find a book with only the most basic or completely obscure clues like, "The cover was red and I think there was a picture of a girl on it", or "the story had something to do with a clock and I think one of the characters was a dog"--finally figured out that one was The Phantom Tollbooth, I'm pretty proud of myself for that.

Then I had problems with trying to help people without actually doing whatever task for them. These people usually refused to let me teach them how to use the computer or a certain database. Older people would come in and say they needed to use the computer to pay a bill or do something else sensitive but they had no clue how to do it and wanted me to just do it. Public librarians are tasked with helping people access information, we can't do your taxes for you! One older gentleman was going to give me all of his sensitive financial information and got really mad at me when I said he couldn't do that. It was scary that he was willing to just give out that information.

Then there were the patrons who were mentally unstable, there were many of these as a public library is a warm, safe place with couches in quiet corners, public restrooms, and free coffee and snacks. One of our regular patrons was schizophrenic and he went off his meds pretty regularly, would be evicted from his apartment or halfway house and then spend all day in the library; he once tried to physically attack me because I wouldn't create a children's program about baseball.

 

[doxdogy]

Worked for AT&T’s stock transfer agent. One guy called to tell us someone was selling AT&T t-shirts illegally in NYC. Another spent almost ten minutes yelling about her thirty cent divend check paid abandoned to the state of New York. The best was a stock broker calling to ask if a certified death certificate expired after six months.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

As a librarian, one of the most annoying customer service issues was helping people find a book with only the most basic or completely obscure clues like, "The cover was red and I think there was a picture of a girl on it", or "the story had something to do with a clock and I think one of the characters was a dog"--finally figured out that one was The Phantom Tollbooth, I'm pretty proud of myself for that.

Then I had problems with trying to help people without actually doing whatever task for them. These people usually refused to let me teach them how to use the computer or a certain database. Older people would come in and say they needed to use the computer to pay a bill or do something else sensitive but they had no clue how to do it and wanted me to just do it. Public librarians are tasked with helping people access information, we can't do your taxes for you! One older gentleman was going to give me all of his sensitive financial information and got really mad at me when I said he couldn't do that. It was scary that he was willing to just give out that information.

Then there were the patrons who were mentally unstable, there were many of these as a public library is a warm, safe place with couches in quiet corners, public restrooms, and free coffee and snacks. One of our regular patrons was schizophrenic and he went off his meds pretty regularly, would be evicted from his apartment or halfway house and then spend all day in the library; he once tried to physically attack me because I wouldn't create a children's program about baseball.

Last week at the library I saw a guy up at the check out desk getting airplane flight time information from the employee lol

Does your library system have events throughout the year by any chance?

My library system for example the main library during tax season has tax assistance where you can set up an appointment. There is the AARP Tax Aid that is aimed at the 60+ age group though any age group can make an appointment (low to middle income bracket) and it's free. And another one that is an IRS-sponsored Volunteer Income Tax Assistance that offers free tax help to taxpayers with incomes of $54,000 and below who cannot prepare their own tax returns.

 

[tvguy]

Calls to TV newsrooms are always interesting. Sadly, we are often people's last hope when they clearly need a Lawyer, or a Doctor, or other professional, not someone in a TV newsroom

But my favorite was right after a Presidential News Conference: Viewer "I need to talk to the President" Me. "You might try calling the White House". Viewer: "No, i just saw him on your channel, he's in your building, go get him for me". Me "No ma'am, he is not in our building, that News Conference was broadcast via satellite from the White House". Viewer:" Will you just look? He has to be in your building still"

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

Last week at the library I saw a guy up at the check out desk getting airplane flight time information from the employee lol

Does your library system have events throughout the year by any chance?

My library system for example the main library during tax season has tax assistance where you can set up an appointment. There is the AARP Tax Aid that is aimed at the 60+ age group though any age group can make an appointment (low to middle income bracket) and it's free. And another one that is an IRS-sponsored Volunteer Income Tax Assistance that offers free tax help to taxpayers with incomes of $54,000 and below who cannot prepare their own tax returns.

While I will always be a librarian at heart, I am no longer employed as one because, much as I loved my job, I needed to make a living wage. But to answer your question, our branch did not offer free tax help, the local community/senior center did. And we would tell people this but they would still want us to do it for them "really quick" instead of waiting to make an appointment with someone who was actually qualified to do their taxes.

One guy walked up to the desk with a big bunch of papers in a manila folder and said it was his screenplay and he wanted me to proofread it because I was "probably good at that stuff". Lol, people place no value on a librarian's time, they think librarians stand around reading books all day long.

 

[lildreamer101]

I once had a customer come up my counter ( back when I was working at a fast food joint) after was waiting in a line (it was around lunch time) ask me with a serious voice if she would get a free burger or something for waiting in line. I had to bring the manager just so that she would believe me when I said no.

Another time, a woman came through the drive through and had spilled her drinks and come in the restaurant. My co-worker was handling the situation but had to bring over the manager. I overheard the situation. Again, she came in, explained that she had spilled the drinks she ordered and the manager thought that she was asking that we should clean up her car. But no, she just wanted new drinks. So it was just a miscommunication.

In the morning, if you buy coffee we can refill it with more coffee which was great for the seniors in the area who loved to hang out in the restaurant. Well, there was always a guy who came in with a crumpled cup who would ask for a refill of coffee and wouldn't buy it. It seemed weird.

And lastly, at the fast food joint I worked at employees get a good discount on the food they purchase but you need to have a card indicating you are an employee. Well, this one employee was going to buy his family and himself food( 5 meals not including himself). But the manager told him he couldn't do that. So he was upset, and had to pay more because the discount only applied to his meal only. The family didn't look happy with this. But rules are rules!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

While I will always be a librarian at heart, I am no longer employed as one because, much as I loved my job, I needed to make a living wage. But to answer your question, our branch did not offer free tax help, the local community/senior center did. And we would tell people this but they would still want us to do it for them "really quick" instead of waiting to make an appointment with someone who was actually qualified to do their taxes.

Ah ok gotcha yeah well at least they did have a place that could help them out just was the wrong place they were seeking help from.

One guy walked up to the desk with a big bunch of papers in a manila folder and said it was his screenplay and he wanted me to proofread it because I was "probably good at that stuff". Lol, people place no value on a librarian's time, they think librarians stand around reading books all day long.

Oh geez. I'd say that's totally crazy that people do that but I can believe it. For whatever reason as much as people might have good intentions the library isn't the place for all these random assistance (unless the library provides that assistance) for random things. I'm not even certain why people go to the library thinking that's the place for help. Only thing I can think of for some people is because it's the place they can get internet/computer access if they don't have it at home but still.

 

[Sabeking]

As a librarian, one of the most annoying customer service issues was helping people find a book with only the most basic or completely obscure clues like, "The cover was red and I think there was a picture of a girl on it", or "the story had something to do with a clock and I think one of the characters was a dog"--finally figured out that one was The Phantom Tollbooth, I'm pretty proud of myself for that.

Then I had problems with trying to help people without actually doing whatever task for them. These people usually refused to let me teach them how to use the computer or a certain database. Older people would come in and say they needed to use the computer to pay a bill or do something else sensitive but they had no clue how to do it and wanted me to just do it. Public librarians are tasked with helping people access information, we can't do your taxes for you! One older gentleman was going to give me all of his sensitive financial information and got really mad at me when I said he couldn't do that. It was scary that he was willing to just give out that information.

Then there were the patrons who were mentally unstable, there were many of these as a public library is a warm, safe place with couches in quiet corners, public restrooms, and free coffee and snacks. One of our regular patrons was schizophrenic and he went off his meds pretty regularly, would be evicted from his apartment or halfway house and then spend all day in the library; he once tried to physically attack me because I wouldn't create a children's program about baseball.

I have to say I would have never thought of some of those challenges! Yikes, I feel for you!

 

[Sabeking]

Worked for AT&T’s stock transfer agent. One guy called to tell us someone was selling AT&T t-shirts illegally in NYC. Another spent almost ten minutes yelling about her thirty cent divend check paid abandoned to the state of New York. The best was a stock broker calling to ask if a certified death certificate expired after six months.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

I have to say I would have never thought of some of those challenges! Yikes, I feel for you!

I really enjoy helping people, it makes me happy, I don't want to give the impression that being a librarian is horrible. I think it might be the best job ever and I miss it terribly. And I feel for those older patrons who were struggling to understand how to pay bills/do their taxes/manage their bank account/etc. on the computer, but if I just do it for them "real quick" (they all loved to tell me how quick it would be) then what happens next month when they need to pay the same bill/check the balance in their account/etc.? They come back to the library and expect me to do it for them again. Then they tell all their friends and before you know it, my job consists of being a personal assistant to a bunch of elderly patrons. Not to mention the nightmare scenario when someone ends up stealing their identity and their kids find out that the nice lady at the library has had access to mom or dad's banking or credit card information for months while she was helping them pay bills.

You want to talk about some challenges, I didn't even share the story about my stalker. I'm an average looking woman and I'm not used to getting a lot of attention for my looks but in my time working as a librarian I learned that there are a surprising number of men (and some women!) with naughty librarian fantasies and sadly my education did not prepare me for that

 

[Sabeking]

I really enjoy helping people, it makes me happy, I don't want to give the impression that being a librarian is horrible. I think it might be the best job ever and I miss it terribly. And I feel for those older patrons who were struggling to understand how to pay bills/do their taxes/manage their bank account/etc. on the computer, but if I just do it for them "real quick" (they all loved to tell me how quick it would be) then what happens next month when they need to pay the same bill/check the balance in their account/etc.? They come back to the library and expect me to do it for them again. Then they tell all their friends and before you know it, my job consists of being a personal assistant to a bunch of elderly patrons. Not to mention the nightmare scenario when someone ends up stealing their identity and their kids find out that the nice lady at the library has had access to mom or dad's banking or credit card information for months while she was helping them pay bills.

You want to talk about some challenges, I didn't even share the story about my stalker. I'm an average looking woman and I'm not used to getting a lot of attention for my looks but in my time working as a librarian I learned that there are a surprising number of men (and some women!) with naughty librarian fantasies and sadly my education did not prepare me for that

Ok your last paragraph is hysterical!!!
Funny you posted this today because my college age daughter mentioned wanting to work at the library this summer.
I understanding what you are saying about your elderly patrons! That’s a rock and a hard place. I bet you were a great librarian!!!

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

Ok your last paragraph is hysterical!!!
Funny you posted this today because my college age daughter mentioned wanting to work at the library this summer.
I understanding what you are saying about your elderly patrons! That’s a rock and a hard place. I bet you were a great librarian!!!

If your daughter wants to work in a public library, I highly recommend the books Quiet, Please by Scott Douglas, Free For All by Don Borchert, Casanova Was a Librarian by Kathleen Low, and This Book Is Overdue! by Marilyn Johnson for a humorous yet realistic picture of what to expect. I wish her luck! And someone should gently inform her about the librarian fetishists because I was oblivious to it until a patron grabbed my butt.

 

[Jennasis]

As a librarian, one of the most annoying customer service issues was helping people find a book with only the most basic or completely obscure clues like, "The cover was red and I think there was a picture of a girl on it", or "the story had something to do with a clock and I think one of the characters was a dog"--finally figured out that one was The Phantom Tollbooth, I'm pretty proud of myself for that.

Then I had problems with trying to help people without actually doing whatever task for them. These people usually refused to let me teach them how to use the computer or a certain database. Older people would come in and say they needed to use the computer to pay a bill or do something else sensitive but they had no clue how to do it and wanted me to just do it. Public librarians are tasked with helping people access information, we can't do your taxes for you! One older gentleman was going to give me all of his sensitive financial information and got really mad at me when I said he couldn't do that. It was scary that he was willing to just give out that information.

Then there were the patrons who were mentally unstable, there were many of these as a public library is a warm, safe place with couches in quiet corners, public restrooms, and free coffee and snacks. One of our regular patrons was schizophrenic and he went off his meds pretty regularly, would be evicted from his apartment or halfway house and then spend all day in the library; he once tried to physically attack me because I wouldn't create a children's program about baseball.

 

[AquamarineSteph]

I think I've shared this story before, but it's one of my favorites.

I used to work a bookstore. A lady called in and wanted to know if we had a book in stock that she'd seen somewhere.

Me: What's the title of the book?
Her: I don't know.
Me: Do you remember who wrote it?
Her: Not a clue.
Me: Okay, not a problem. What was the book about?
Her: I have no idea. I just know I have to read it.
Me: (slightly stumped now) Can you remember anything at all about the book?
Her: (pause before she says triumphantly) I am almost positive that the title of the book contained the word 'the' in it.
Me: (wants to pound phone on top of head)


Rest of the story: After a whole lot of other questions, I finally figured out what book she wanted. ;-)

 

[sailorstitch]

As a librarian, one of the most annoying customer service issues was helping people find a book with only the most basic or completely obscure clues like, "The cover was red and I think there was a picture of a girl on it", or "the story had something to do with a clock and I think one of the characters was a dog"--finally figured out that one was The Phantom Tollbooth, I'm pretty proud of myself for that.

Ok, I will admit that I'm guilty of doing that. But in my defense I was only 6 years old! We had just watched the movie The Neverending Story at school . I had my mom take me to the library because I wanted to check out the book that Bastian was reading in the movie. I had no clue that it was just a prop in the movie. I thought the library had every book ever printed. Of course, by the time I got to the library I couldn't remember the name of the movie or the names of any of the characters. So I was trying to describe it to the librarian and my mom. I told them it was a "book about a dog that lives in the sky". (I thought Falkor was some king of magic flying dog.) I remember my mom finding a story book about a little white dog that lived in the clouds of something like that, but of course it wasn't what I was wanting. I told them, "No, it's a big book. Like a chapter book." So they took me over to a rack of paperback chapter books. (Think Sweet Valley High or Babysitters Club.) That wasn't it either and I repeated, "No, it's a BIG book." I don't know how long we spent searching the entire children's department, but I had my poor mom and the poor librarian VERY confused. Needless to say, we never found the book I wanted.

 

[klmall]

A few years ago I supervised a Help Desk for a large government project. A month or so after we sent out laptops and printers to our temporary employees we got a frantic call from one of our more experienced people. The caller couldn't get his document to print even after several attempts so I suggested flipping the power switch off and then back on. His first response was "This printer doesn't have one (power switch)." Evidently his printer had shipped with the switch on and he had simply plugged it in. After laughing at himself he thanked me and hung up!

 

[Chirple]

I worked as a service rep in a payroll company. Incoming caller needed assistance reconciling the tax withhoding against the taxable wages. After a lengthy explanation from me, the caller did not agree with what I told him. I suggested that he consult with their accountant to go over the calculation. He said to me, “I AM the accountant.” My response to him: “I would suggest that your client find a new accountant.” Never heard another peep about it.

 

[Marchand63]

Ok,we don't do customer service lol.

But:
Him: hi, looking to where my car was towed?
Me: what road?
Him: Park drive. It was towed again
Me: Again?
Him: yeah seems it gets towed on Tuesdays
Me: let me guess street cleaning on Tuesday
Him: yeah but why other every Tuesday
Me: dude look at the sign.
Him: yeah but there's no dates on the sign
Me: Tuesday just Tuesday!!!!!! Just build 150 into your budget every 2 weeks

 

[NHdisneylover]

I really enjoy helping people, it makes me happy, I don't want to give the impression that being a librarian is horrible. I think it might be the best job ever and I miss it terribly. And I feel for those older patrons who were struggling to understand how to pay bills/do their taxes/manage their bank account/etc. on the computer, but if I just do it for them "real quick" (they all loved to tell me how quick it would be) then what happens next month when they need to pay the same bill/check the balance in their account/etc.? They come back to the library and expect me to do it for them again. Then they tell all their friends and before you know it, my job consists of being a personal assistant to a bunch of elderly patrons. Not to mention the nightmare scenario when someone ends up stealing their identity and their kids find out that the nice lady at the library has had access to mom or dad's banking or credit card information for months while she was helping them pay bills.

You want to talk about some challenges, I didn't even share the story about my stalker. I'm an average looking woman and I'm not used to getting a lot of attention for my looks but in my time working as a librarian I learned that there are a surprising number of men (and some women!) with naughty librarian fantasies and sadly my education did not prepare me for that

I absolutely loved working as a librarian . Best job I ever had . Only quit because DH was relocated.

I think good libraries feel friendly, safe and welcoming whereas many other public buildings can feel intimidating and sterile . I always figured that's why people go to the library asking for help with all kinds of things .

And, oh the books we manage to find with minimal info! I honestly loved that challenge. I guessed Phantom Tollbooth the moment I read your example . Seems to be one a lot of people have vague memories of. I was most proud of myself for actually knowing " there was a book I loved as a child but all I can remember is there were quails with paper bags on their heads" .(Danny, Champion of the World, and they were actually pheasants lol)

In our rotating front displays, we did "help me find" themes twice a year . " The cover was red" . " There was a boy and he had a dog" " there was a cabin, by a lake or maybe a stream". We'd set out thirty or so books that gut the description. Every one was based off a real search we'd done. We had a lot of fun with it, so did the patrons.

 

[RangerPooh]

In high school and part of college I worked at a fabric/craft store. One day a lady came in to make a return without a receipt.The item was bedazzling supplies. She had clearly cleaned out her closet and was hoping to get money.

Me: Ma'am we do not carry this item and I'll have to ask my manager if we can accept it for return.
Customer: It's your price tag, you have to accept it.
Me: I can see that, but we haven't sold this product in years.
Customer: I bought it recently. So you have to accept it.
Me: Ma'am, I've worked here since 1997 and we have not had this style price tag since before I started working here. Additionally, when I look at the date that the product was priced by the store it says 1994 (or whatever the year was), and it's currently 2001. Therefore I'm not sure that we can accept it.

The customer continues to demand that she speak with a manager over the refund. Manager credits her the amount (like $1.99) and informs her that future returns for items that old will not be accepted.


My more interesting customer/visitor interactions are weird. But then I was working for the US Forest Service in the middle of nowhere and weird seemed to be the norm.