I was just on the phone with some fine specimen of Customer Service for Go Daddy. I’m pretty computer literate, and in fact, the reason I was calling was to get some assistance with a web page I’d just designed for a client/friend. The domain was registered; hosting, signed up for. But oh, hmmm… the hosting had been applied to one of the client’s other domains. Let’s fix that, shall we?
I explained the problem to the customer service dude who told me to click the My Account button on the right hand side. There wasn’t one. I told him so. I told him what I did see – you know, so as to be helpful in navigating our situation. And then… do you know what he did? He SIGHED. He sighed like a pissed off teenager whose mother just does totally not get it, okay? GAWD and then he repeated the same sentence, instructing me to click the same non-existent My Account button. And he used his best You’re An Idiot voice to do it. I thought my eyes were going to pop out of my skull from the sheer force of fury behind them. You don’t get to sigh at me! I know how to use a computer!
“Listen,” I said, after a second sigh, “I get that you do this all day long, but I’m telling you right now that either YOU are on the wrong screen or I am and sighing at me like that is not doing anything good. For either of us.”
Here’s where the Darth Vader thing woulda come in handy. Me, smiling at my desk, my right hand making a squeezing gesture. Him, wherever he is, suddenly going ack, ack, ack! and gasping for breath while his coworkers flail, horrified and unable to stop the terror. Then I’d let go and we’d try again. See how effective that shit would be?
Back in reality, having not squeeze his guts out, I told him again what I saw and like magic, he knew what I was talking about. “Oh, yeah, they changed all this yesterday.”
Mmm hmm. I waited for a “sorry,” but duh, pissed off teenagers do not apologize. I remember. I used to be one. Even frickin’ teenagers apologize to Lord Vader, though.
Me: “And you’re so sorry and apologize for sighing at me, correct?” LOL!
Reminds me of Nick Burns, “Your Company Computer Guy”
Oh I so know that feeling, and coincidentally, by brother posted this on my facebook today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ljFfL-mL70
I work in my fiance’s office answering phones & I cannot stand when people sigh at me! Something about a dramatic sigh just gets right under my skin & I have to bite my tongue to keep from snapping on them.
I too would like that gift. Though I am sure it would get me fired.
I would have deep sighed right after he said that they changed it all then tacked on a “thank you for your apology.”
I used to be nice, I really did.
I think I may add that to my super power wish list.
Yesterday I vocalized my desire to be able to yank the customer service rep through the phone in order to show her that, despite the fact that she was using her “I’m-talking-to-a-retarded-moron voice” and enunciating more and more carefully with every repetition of her scripted dialogue, my screen did NOT contain the items she thought it should.
Hmmm, both would be nice: Yank her through the phone to show her the proof and then Vader-squeeze her so she isn’t such a b*tch to the next customer she is being paid to assist.
Death Star canteena
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv5iEK-IEzw
Good for you for stating in a calm but non-idiotic manner that *neither* of you were going to be helped by his attitude. ‘Cause, sure, we all have days like Un-Called For Dude was having, but eventually, you gotta get the job done– and sighing repeatedly while being inane doesn’t get the job done, as you so astutely assessed in the moment. (I’m serious! 75% of the time, I don’t realize these things until afterwards!)
From an old boss, I learned to do 2 things when I got off the phone with someone who was totally screwing up my day:
1) Hang up loudly and announce to anyone listening, “Some people’s kids!”
2) in the middle of the conversation, hit mute, mutter “pain in my ass!”, and then go right back to conversing.
Both excellent stress relievers. And if you have coworkers with any sense of humor and/or empathy, they’ll snicker with you, and add some levity to the soul-sucking situation.
Let’s invent something that we could plug into our ears that allows customer service reps to read out minds. Ah, it would save so much confusion in the future
-Q
Haha I love this post, and its very comforting knowing there are other women (and men!) who can relate as strongly to this as I do. Living in Germany, trying to grasp everyday conversation is hard, but I´m giving it my best and every effort is usually recognised by close friends and collegues. However, German Beaucracy just so happens to be one of the most intricate in the world, run by the most rude and inconsiderate people in the world. Even the post office manages to let out a dozen or so sighs whilst I stumble through my vocab. Makes me feel like a child! I would LOVE to have powers like this, just to watch their face as I make THEM feel small!