Adventures in Customer Service

Most of my job is dealing with the public.  I answer phone calls and emails with questions, create products for the public to use, and attend conferences to meet with the public.  Although I have been in some form of customer service ever since I began working, I have only been part of an official customer service branch for about a year and a half.  I feel like I have heard it all.  I have been yelled at and gotten marriage proposals, but this week has been weirder than normal.

First, a reporter called with a few questions about one of our files we provide online.  Reporters call all the time and they are only forwarded to our branch if someone in the public relations office cannot answer the question.  So, the reporter asked their question and I answered as best as I could.  The reporter was from a large newspaper, from a large city.  The next day, another reporter from an opposing newspaper from the same large city called to ask about the same thing.  Again, it was transferred to me.  Again, I answered, but wondered how weird it was to get the same question from the same city.  Well, it turns out the first reporter wrote a story and quoted me!  ME?!?  I am not supposed to be in the newspaper, that is why we have a public relations office!  It is not like I said anything wrong or controversial, I was just really uncomfortable seeing my name associated with an article that was not exactly friendly to my workplace.  So, today I went looking for an article in the second newspaper that called and found that my quote had been picked up in a blogger's article.  He was even more mean/rude/excessive.  It is not like either article is even newsworthy, and I am sure this will not affect any future job opportunities, but I did not like being quoted without knowing I was going to be quoted. 

Now for a second story...

Last week I talked with a nice, elderly man about a product he wanted that we do not have anymore.  I politely told him we did not have the book he wanted, but he could print some information himself off the internet.  (He does have access to the internet.) He was not satisfied with my answer because he called back and talked with a coworker to request the same thing.  I am not sure how that conversation went, but he must not have been satisfied with her either because today he showed up at work to request the same thing again!  He drove 2 hours to get here and went through all of the crazy security, just to ask for the same thing in person.  I think he also just wanted someone to tell his story to since he brought pictures of his kids and examples of his past work.  We talked for at least 30 minutes and I promised to send him some information that resembled what he was looking for.  Then, he went on his way - his 80+ year-old self, on the highway.  I really hope he makes it back ok.