we’re full
Scribbled down on August 14th, 2007 by she
Posted in Frothing At The Bit, Lighter Side
Our phone number is similar to that of a local school. Occassionally we get calls from parents who have transposed two of the numbers. Today we got a call from a woman who was trying to register her kids in grade 7. Despite the fact that the answering machine messages says “hi, you’ve reached name and name lastname, we’re not home right now. leave a message after the beep” we continually receive messages from parents to frazzled or lazy to actually listen to the message.
Tonight, the hubby tried to call the woman back to let her know she’d called the wrong number and give her the correct number for the school. The fact that the call was at 8pm should have been a hint to the woman that it wasn’t a school calling. The conversation (which I got to listen to on speaker phone) went like this:
Him: Hi, you called our house and left a message on our machine about registering your kids in school. You called the wrong number. You need to call ###-####.
Her: I’m trying to register name for grade 7.
Him: We’re not a school. You need to call the school to register. The number is ###-####.
Her: [interupting at the end of his sentence] But I need to register my kid for school. He’s going to be in grade 7.
Him: You didn’t call the school. You called our house. I’m trying to let you know you called the wrong number.
Her: He needs to be in grade 7.
Him: We’re not a school.
Her: His name is XX. What do you need for registration?
Him: We’re full. We’re not accepting any registrations.
Her: [angry] What?
Him: We’re full.
Her: What about grade 6? I can hold him back a year.
Him: We’re full.
Her: I have another son I need to register in grade 9.
Him: We don’t have a grade 9.
Her: I thought you were grades 6-9.
Him: No, we’re not a school. You called a house. You need to call the school. If we were a school, we’d be k-8.
Her: But…
Him: We’re full. [hangs up]
So much for trying to be nice and do someone a favour. During the school year, we receive 5-10 calls a week from parents who never listen to our answering machine messages and leave messages about doctor and dentist appointments, ill children, etc. If the message sounds urgent and not too much time has passed since it was received, we do try to call the parents back to let them know they called the wrong number and give them the correct one. Never seems to resolve the problem.
Oddly enough, I get more angry parents as a result of their mistakes than I get grateful ones. I have a feeling we should just stop trying…
Technorati Tags: phone calls, parents, school, wrong number
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August 14th, 2007 at 9:05 pm
It’s no surprise that they are angry. Hell hath no fury like a twit unmasked!
August 15th, 2007 at 4:57 am
OMG, She, that’s hysterical!!!
Hey, want to be part of something else that’ll be hysterical? Drop me an e-mail!
August 15th, 2007 at 11:57 pm
OK…that’s the funniest damn thing I’ve heard in a long time…
My friend Stacey used to get calls all the time for people calling who they thought was a doctor’s office…funnier yet…a gynocologist’s office. At her house one afternoon there was an unusual number of calls. At one point when Stacey had her hands full, she asked me to answer the phone for her. When it turned out to be ANOTHER request for an appointment, I told her to come in the next day at 9:00 a.m.
Good times.
August 16th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Eegads! Can you get your phone number changed? Sounds like a nightmare, to me!
August 17th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
hey! hello! hey!
August 19th, 2007 at 8:33 pm
My old home phone number was one digit off the live theater, a van line company, and a oil company. We did try to call people back about the theater, but the others could go hang. We were amazed when we used a tape in the answering machine (yup, dating ourselves here) that was the sound of a butler announcing that the residents were not available and still got messages.
Now a local automotive parts company has a 1800 number with our number. People don’t understand that if it is 1800, ya gotta dial the 1800 part. My hubby has sometimes told people that those parts are discontinued, or if he is in a particular mood, that the parts are being held for them and they better get down and pick them up.
However, the best number game I have been involved with is a former government office, in which I was the receptionist, had a line 1 digit off of the male VD clinic. My relief used to tell the callers that the tests were positive and they better start calling their partners. She used to do it with the smuggest grin on her face too.
August 23rd, 2007 at 7:20 am
Hi She! Long time no blog visit from me – that’s because my husband and I have finally entered the 21st century and got a computer that can load up tons of visuals. My old computer would freeze when I got to your blog. What luxury!
I currently work for a provincial pension agency that only handles teachers and provincial employees, but we get calls constantly from people who want Canada Pension and frankly don’t seem to mind that I’ve told them they have the wrong office. Oh how they want to go on and on!
August 28th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
That is hilarious. It is amazing how people have such a problem with listening when they have a focus. It is more amazing that people are annoyed at you for their mistake. It is great that you try to resolve the problem for them and I am sure the odd grateful one helps ease the annoyance of the others.