I have had it with these mother%$*#(%~ customers on my mother%$*#(%~ voicemail!!

[kaitou]

Ok, so please, please, please shoot me in the head.

First thing I saw when I walked into to work this morning was a message on my voicemail. And that voicemail was from one of our customers who said. "Yeah, we're having a phone conference between you, us, and our customer about these seat hinges at 2:00." Now, neither my boss the QC Manager, the Sales Manager, or the Engineer is here today. And the Sales Rep that was handling this issue quit. This whole issue's been going to and fro back and forth for awhile. But as you probably know, I've been up to my...well, really up to Shaq's eyeballs in work, and this is NOT an issue I got myself involved in. So I have NO clue what's going on, and there is NO ONE in my company that can catch me up on it.

And the customer's customer? They are a very big fish. I saw a news clip where Prez. Bush went there to give a speech about energy. I am so very, very screwed.

Why does my vacation start tommorrow instead of today?

Comments

[barthanderson.livejournal.com]

Very easy. Tell them that you're boss has asked you to act as "special liaison" on this issue for him/her today. If they ask questions about things you can't answer, just say, "I've been asked to report back on this to [NAME]. My boss is aware of this very important issue, and I know he's taking this *very* seriously. Now, tell me how else I can make things, right..." And by all means, blame anything bad on the Sales Rep who quit. I'm not kidding.

The main thing is, make the custoemr and the customer's customer feel like you're in control and they're being taken care of. All you gotta do is buy time and get through the day. It's that old waiter's trick. If you're slammed, you have 20 customers, you've got no back up, and someone says, "Sir, where's my coffee?" Say, "*I* have your coffee," and finish what you're doing.

You'll do fine.

[kaitou1412.livejournal.com]

I know. There's really not much else to do in this situation. Especially as our customer KNOWS that I don't know anything. Our Sales Manager told them so. Basically I can only say, "Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full. I'll report all of this to the appropriate person and get back to you as soon as possible."

Our actual customer is actually pretty pleasant to work with. Even when we're having problems, everyone on both sides is able to handle it cooperatively. I'm just nervous that, since it seems like it's the customer's customer that's demanding the conference be today even if there's no one to talk to on our end, they are NOT equally cooperative and pleasant. This is a really good opportunity to finally get some changes made to this part (it's a really badly designed part) but I just don't have the skill at this point to pull it off.

Thanks for the pep talk!! I appreciate it!

[exgentlemen.livejournal.com]

As you've already been given some absolutely excelent- and sesible- advice, I'll just send moral support. You are one of the toughest people I know and you absolutely CAN DO THIS!

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As you've already been given some absolutely excelent- and sesible- advice, I'll just send moral support. You are one of the toughest people I know and you absolutely CAN DO THIS! <I'd cheer... but you know I don't do that.> You are Marvelous!