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Author Topic: Polite  (Read 3378 times)

Offline Mince

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Polite
« on: August 03, 2017, 10:28:09 PM »
So imagine you're working in the customer service call centre for, say, Sony. Someone rings up saying the remote for his television is not working. You ask him to press a button on the remote which, if the remote works, will make the remote light up. He says it does not light up when he presses that button.

What's the best way of finding out whether he has placed batteries in the remote control without directly asking him and risking his thinking that you are calling him a fool? A prize is available for the best response.
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Offline Diane CBPFC

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Re: Polite
« Reply #1 on: August 03, 2017, 11:01:39 PM »
Were the batteries that you used to check fresh?
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People will come from strange lands to hear me speak my words of wisdom. They will ask me the secret of life and I will tell them. Then maybe I'll finish off with a song. The Nomad

Offline Diane CBPFC

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Re: Polite
« Reply #2 on: August 03, 2017, 11:06:50 PM »
When I lived with my parents, new batteries were something you scrounged around in draws for - hit of miss if you would find good ones. Because I have a Costco membership and buy in bulk (saving up to 75% from buying locally) we have a dedicated "battery box" it is red cardboard and I always feel rich when opening it up and peering at all the lovely new batteries. AAs; AAAs, Cs and 9-volts - at xmas I will buy some Ds for the animated santas.

plus now batteries are guaranteed for 10 years
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People will come from strange lands to hear me speak my words of wisdom. They will ask me the secret of life and I will tell them. Then maybe I'll finish off with a song. The Nomad

Offline Diane CBPFC

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Re: Polite
« Reply #3 on: August 03, 2017, 11:25:39 PM »
same with plasters/band-aids  (y)
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People will come from strange lands to hear me speak my words of wisdom. They will ask me the secret of life and I will tell them. Then maybe I'll finish off with a song. The Nomad

Offline Tarquin Thunderthighs lll

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Re: Polite
« Reply #4 on: August 03, 2017, 11:34:23 PM »
Diane, I get the feeling you're avoiding the question.

I'd have said, "Batteries, fool!". Time is money.
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Sandy Buttcheeks

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Re: Polite
« Reply #5 on: August 04, 2017, 12:02:03 AM »
Who cares how he is asked, or if he gets the remote working?

There's never anything good on TV anyway!
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Offline Mince

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Re: Polite
« Reply #6 on: August 04, 2017, 09:42:43 AM »
DIANE: Were the batteries that you used to check fresh?
That's actually really good. The assumption is that he's wise enough to install batteries. But there's also the implication that he's not wise enough to check that the batteries are fresh.

TARKS: Batteries, fool!
I love how this almost, but not quite, wholly avoids not insulting the customer.

SANDY: There's never anything good on TV anyway!
Sly, but I believe you're simply calling him a fool for buying the thing in the first place.

Anyone else?
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Offline Tarquin Thunderthighs lll

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Re: Polite
« Reply #7 on: August 04, 2017, 10:31:11 AM »
Okay - I give up. What did he/she say to you? And how did you manage to avoid feeling like a fool anyway?
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Offline Mince

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Re: Polite
« Reply #8 on: August 04, 2017, 11:19:19 AM »
I actually read this online. Apparently, you ask the customer to remove the battery lid and read out the (non-existant) reference number inside, which hopefully leads the customer to realise that they have forgotten to put batteries in.
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Offline Roger Kettle

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Re: Polite
« Reply #9 on: August 04, 2017, 03:26:32 PM »
And if he HAS put batteries in, you've enraged him by making look for a non-existent reference number.
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Offline Mince

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Re: Polite
« Reply #10 on: August 04, 2017, 06:00:44 PM »
No, you can say that it's a newer model that does not have one.
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Offline Diane CBPFC

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Re: Polite
« Reply #11 on: August 04, 2017, 06:33:25 PM »
Has the battery popped loose?  (this makes it the battery's fault)
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People will come from strange lands to hear me speak my words of wisdom. They will ask me the secret of life and I will tell them. Then maybe I'll finish off with a song. The Nomad

Offline Tarquin Thunderthighs lll

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Re: Polite
« Reply #12 on: August 04, 2017, 07:02:14 PM »
Quote from: Mince on August 04, 2017, 06:00:44 PM
No, you can say that it's a newer model that does not have one.

That's a porky. Unethical! OUTRAGEOUS!!!  >:(
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Offline Tarquin Thunderthighs lll

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Re: Polite
« Reply #13 on: August 04, 2017, 07:02:39 PM »
Quote from: Diane CBPFC on August 04, 2017, 06:33:25 PM
Has the battery popped loose?  (this makes it the battery's fault)


 ;D ;D ;D
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