The Vent and Rant Thread

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Hitch

I've had some people get the wrong number more than once. Especially for some older folks, it's...vexatious but not "inexcusable." What's inexcusable is the rudeness. Now, THAT, that's inexcusable, IMHO.

It was implied this happened multiple time in a row -- i.e. same hour/same day.

Seems like a problem to me...

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

It was implied this happened multiple time in a row -- i.e. same hour/same day.

Seems like a problem to me...

I know. I'm not saying it doesn't. But...I mean, in Rumple's case, it seems like that guy is a major PITA. I'm not really saying it's the same thing. But I've had multiple calls from the same older person, within minutes, because they can't find the "other" Book Nook. They're determined that MY Booknook(.biz) is the one they're looking for. I mean, hell, we have eBooks, right?

I refuse to be really mean to them. Hell, I'll probably BE them sooner than later! Gotta chalk up some karma points before my sled skids into that spot.

Hitch

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

We've had a law firm that had our number printed on some of their stationary. The biggest problem was they were specialized in immigration law and seemed to cater mainly towards Turkish and Arabic clients. Those people did not speak any Dutch and when you picked up the phone they started to talk in their own language, it was very hard to make clear they were provided with the wrong number.

Several times a year we would have to call the law firm and ask if they would not use that stationary any more. They would be rude, but we wouldn't get any phone calls from their clients for a couple of months. This has been going on for over 10 years, until last year I got someone from the government's immigration on the phone, who was very confused about getting a electro technical store on the phone. I explained the problem and he agreed with me that it was an awkward situation and not handled well by the law firm. He assured me he would personally make sure it wouldn't happen again (I got the impression it was a Very Important Person in immigration). And since then we haven't had a phone call from someone trying to reach the law firm.

Now, that's clout!! (Seriously, by now, I'd be staked out in that law firm's office until they changed the damn stuff. That's just ridiculous. They ought to have thrown it away forthwith upon being notified. Cheap's one thing; deliberately continuing to make your life miserable is another.)

Hitch

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Hitch

I know. I'm not saying it doesn't. But...I mean, in Rumple's case, it seems like that guy is a major PITA. I'm not really saying it's the same thing. But I've had multiple calls from the same older person, within minutes, because they can't find the "other" Book Nook. They're determined that MY Booknook(.biz) is the one they're looking for. I mean, hell, we have eBooks, right?

I refuse to be really mean to them. Hell, I'll probably BE them sooner than later! Gotta chalk up some karma points before my sled skids into that spot.

Hitch

Hmm, maybe.

Do old people really call what they know is the wrong number, merely because they have nothing better to do/try?
Or is that one of those Old People Rumors that young people say because it's "funny"?

[wodin]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Hmm, maybe.

Do old people really call what they know is the wrong number, merely because they have nothing better to do/try?
Or is that one of those Old People Rumors that young people say because it's "funny"?

Of course we do, just to piss you off.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by wodin

Of course we do, just to piss you off.

Well then, I won't feel bad about responding in kind.
I am told people of my generation are unusually talented at being rude and annoying people. Wanna bet who will win?

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Well then, I won't feel bad about responding in kind.
I am told people of my generation are unusually talented at being rude and annoying people. Wanna bet who will win?

You know, I always forget that you're really (no offense--you have no idea how lucky you are) quite young, compared to most of the geezers hanging out around here.

Nah, you won't win. One of the few joys of geezerdom is getting to the point where you really don't give a s**t. :-)

Hitch

[Cinisajoy]

I worked at a mini storage. A bed company came into town. They didn't have their phone number on their invoices. I know because the first call I got, the person on the phone said this is the number physically written on the invoice. Yes, they had a problem with the order. I got 4 phone calls from 4 different people all with problems. I called the company and the manager was super rude and said they wouldn't put down the wrong number.
I told him if I got one more call, I was going to tell the person to cancel the order. I found the district manager's phone number. I got one more phone call. I told the person that she should buy elsewhere and here is the district manager's number.
That was the last call I got for that company.
No the numbers were not close.

[wodin]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Well then, I won't feel bad about responding in kind.
I am told people of my generation are unusually talented at being rude and annoying people. Wanna bet who will win?

'Twould seem I already have.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by wodin

'Twould seem I already have.

Do I look upset?

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Do I look upset?

Yes. You look very very upset.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Do I look upset?

Akshly, you look kinda fuzzy and mauve. With a sleeping-cap on.

Hitch

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Hitch

I refuse to be really mean to them. Hell, I'll probably BE them sooner than later! Gotta chalk up some karma points before my sled skids into that spot.

I got an assortment of wrong number calls a while back, from people who swore blind they were returning my call, and my number was indeed the one in their caller ID as the number that called them, save that I hadn't called them.

The closest I could come to tracking it down were that those called were AT&T cellular customers. It was also not long after I dropped Verizon and switched to VOIP phone service through my cable company, so I had vague notions of AT&T screwing up in properly understanding what number actually called.

Those I spoke to were all nice enough when I explained that no, it wasn't me who called them, and I had no idea who did, sorry.

I was getting a spate of calls a while back from a chap who actually wanted to speak to my SO. I had no idea where he got our number or knew of her. He turned out to be calling from Jamaica the island, not Jamaica the neighborhood in the Borough of Queens. The last call, he wanted me to send him New York City phone directory, because he was trying to contact his wife who he claimed lived in NYC. I said "And does she want to talk to you?" when I refused. (If I were her, I'd be happy to be far away from him.) I want so far as contacting my cable co. to see if there was a way of blocking incoming VOIP calls based on calling number, but alas, there wasn't.

He was the only caller I ever said "You're stupid! <bleep> off and die!" to before hanging up violently.
______
Dennis

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Our line of work has a very high rate of email, per client. Our average client will email 7-12 times prior to accepting the quote, and 40x more during the 10 days or so that we have the book in the queue. Most of these emails are, quite honestly, utterly unrelated to the actual services that WE provide, and are questions about self-publishing.

Speaking of clueless client types, I just discovered a site called Clients from Hell, run by folks in the graphic arts business. Just skimming the first page or so of what contributors have written in about their clients is boggling. Read a bit, and you might conclude you have it good, relatively speaking.
______
Dennis

[Freeshadow]

joys of geezerdom is getting to the point where you really don't give a s**t. :-)

funny, because I'm this way at least since I turned thirty - which would be nearly 10 years ago. OTOH I always preferred company of people older than me. Exceptions were few.