Chit Chat

NWR: Why does my age matter?! Vent **Sorry kind of long **UPDATE!

emmaaaemmaaa mod
First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its First Answer
edited April 2014 in Chit Chat

So for a back story: I am 23 years old. I graduated college in August 2013 and am currently employed by a Town in NC for the Recreation and Parks Department as Senior/Special Events Coordinator. My office is in a community center owned by Town and is rented out for public use. Part of my job description is also being the facility manager.

Last week, I had 2 women rent out our center for a surprise birthday party. Their rental began at 6:00 pm. Meaning that is the time they can enter the building. Since it is a Town building, the fees are inexpensive and we do more than one rental per day most of the time. When filling out the paperwork, this is the wording I always use: "What time do you need the rental for?" "Okay, that has to include your set up and clean up time. Are you sure this is the time you need?" "Great! Here is the rental agreement. Please read over and sign it. It says you have to be 21 years old to rent, alcohol is not allowed, and you will return all furniture and property to its original location." Simple enough right?

I guess not. Last week, the renter called to ask if they could set up on Friday. I told them no, explained the rules and that there was a renter ahead of them. They want to claim I never told them that it had to include their set up and clean up. Not true. I always do. And even if I didn't, it clearly says it in your rental agreement you signed. They came to get the keys Friday. Then they were talking (right in front of me) about how they were going to get there at 4:30 and wait for the other people to leave and go in right after them. I told them, "No, you may not. You can not enter the bulding until 6:00 pm. That is our policy." Upon telling them this, she goes off. I mean yelling at me about how she can't believe the place is operated this way and how she is so disappointed. She then asked to speak to whoever is in charge and runs the bulding. I said, "I'm in charge of the facility." she then follows, "Aren't you a bit young for that?"

Really?! Obviously my boss and the Town Manager don't see my age as an issue. They believe by my ample experience and education that I can fulfill my job requirements regardless of my age. This just got under my skin, mainly because people always insinuate that I'm too young for the job.

***Come Monday, I found out that they entered the building at 5:00 pm (1 hour early), did not put the tables up, and had alcohol in the facility (found a beer bottle in the kitchen trash can, they were the only rental with access to the kitchen). Now, I have to call them and ban them from the facility.

ETF: spelling

***UPDATE!

So I called the lady who I had to ban. This is how it went:

Me: "Ms. C, I need to discuss with you about your rental on Saturday. There were some issues, as I'm sure you're aware, at hand. Would you like to come in to talk about this or do it over the phone?"

C: "I'm busy so I'd rather do it now."

Me: "Okay fine. As you were aware, your rental time started at 6:00 pm. I spoke with the rental that was scheduled before you and they told me that they left at 4:50 and your group was already in the parking lot waiting for them to leave."

C: "Well, I wasn't there. Someone selse handled that."

Me: "I'm sorry but since you fill out the paperwork and signed the documents, you are the responsible party and all issues will be directed to you. Another issue: the tables. There are designated racks and areas for the different sized table. Not only were the tables all mixed together, but the rack was moved in front of the door which is a fire hazard. Generally these few issues would be overlooked and we would issue a warning. However, we also found a beer bottle in the trash can in the kitchen. Your group was the only group with access to the kitchen. As you know and as it states in the rental agreement, alcohol is not allowed on Town property or in Town facilities. The fact that your group deliberately broke the rules by entering early, not placing furniture back to its original location, and had alcohol on the premisses the Town will bebanning you from using any town facility for one year effective March 31."

C: "I can't believe y'all are this worked up over one hour and some tables. How much money did you really lose? The beer bottle was not ours, you must have planted it there. I can't believe how bad you run that place. That's why the Town shouldn't hire teenagers to do an adults job."

Me: "I'm sorry you look at it that way, but our policies are clearly stated  in every document that you signed and received a copy of. If you are unable to abide by the rules we set in place, then you can not rent from us."

C: "I want to talk with your supervisor.'

Me: "Sure his name is RR and this is his number. He will reiterate the same information to you since this decision came directly from him. You will receive a letter from the Town going over the terms I presented along with an invoice for the extra hour you used the facility. Would you like me to forward your call to Mr. R?"

C: *click*

Gosh, I'm glad that's over.


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Re: NWR: Why does my age matter?! Vent **Sorry kind of long **UPDATE!

  • Ugh, that sucks. I feel your frustration. 

    And really, how hard is it to read the freaking document you signed that says, 'can't be in before X time, can't have alcohol, etc.?'

    But have fun banning them! There's at least some pleasure in that, right?
    Anniversary

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    I'm gonna go with 'not my circus, not my monkeys.'
  • Good grief. People are stupid. I agree, your age doesn't matter. Your qualifications are what matter. Sorry you have to deal with that. I'd love to hear how they respond when you call to tell them that they are banned though. Might be entertaining.
    Anniversary
  • @HisGirlFriday13 Exactly! I mean, read something before you sign it people. Especially since you get copies of everything.

    I'm definitely going to get pleasure out of having to ban them, knowing I won't have to deal with them again.


  • Hahaha. Oh to be a fly on the wall when they get that invoice. That would be priceless!
    Anniversary
  • I'm hopping on the "have fun banning them" bandwagon. Or maybe paddywagon is more aproppriate?
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  • emmaaaemmaaa mod
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its First Answer
    edited April 2014
    Emmy1493 said:
    eg72 said:

    @HisGirlFriday13 Exactly! I mean, read something before you sign it people. Especially since you get copies of everything.

    I'm definitely going to get pleasure out of having to ban them, knowing I won't have to deal with them again.

    Being in customer service, I have learned that people just DO NOT read. And common sense isn't so common.....


    This. How true is this whole statement. That is why I hit the high notes before they sign but it isn't my fault that they can't follow rules and try to blame it on my age?

    Edited because I can't spell


  • Part of my job also involves event planning. Most of our events are free to our members, through our sponsors, but there is a penalty fee if you don't come (it's $10 or $20). 

    You would not believe how many people RSVP for an event, don't come, and then get pissy when they get invoiced for having missed it.

    REALLY??? It's on the bottom of the e-mail. It's on the bottom of the flyer. I send you reminder e-mails. THIS SHOULD NOT SURPRISE YOU!
    Anniversary

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    I'm gonna go with 'not my circus, not my monkeys.'
  • I get that same attitude with athletics.

    Like, you signed you kid up, never brought them to practice or games, never told us they weren't participating, we give you a trophy, and you're confused as to why you can't get a refund?! YOU NEVER TOLD ME THEY WEREN'T PLAYING. People are so dim.


  •  On an individual level there are a lot of smart people out there,  When it comes to the customer service world the general public is pretty stupid.   When they don't get what they want the exaggerated everything to make everything seem worse that it really is.  They will insult anything can find .   Like really, the best comeback  you have is "how old are you?".  That's it?  That's all you've got?  ::rolls eyes::

    Sadly when you work in the CS world you will get insulted and yelled out for no good reason other than you are the "lucky one" they are dealing with at that moment.   







    What differentiates an average host and a great host is anticipating unexpressed needs and wants of their guests.  Just because the want/need is not expressed, doesn't mean it wouldn't be appreciated. 
  • phiraphira member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    I see this kind of stuff all the time with undergraduates. Individually, each person is fine, but when you tell a group of 25 students, "Participation is mandatory, here's the way to earn it, here's how much of your grade it's worth," inevitably, you will get 15 students asking you, at the end of the semester, how they can increase their participation score because they currently have a 0% participation grade and they didn't realize it was such an important part of their grade.

    I'm so frustrated on your behalf. This would have been irritating enough without the age comment!
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    now with ~* INCREASED SASSINESS *~
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  • @phira I was already annoyed by the constant calling and asking the same questions. Then trying to defy me, right in front of me, and making the age comment. I was over the whole situation.

  • The entitlement of some people! Oh sure, it says right here that we can't do something, but we'll just do it anyways... because we're better than all those dumb people they made that rule for!

    I hope you get great joy out of banning them. Did they put down a security deposit? I'd keep that as well... for the extra beer bottle clean up.
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  • phira said:
    I see this kind of stuff all the time with undergraduates. Individually, each person is fine, but when you tell a group of 25 students, "Participation is mandatory, here's the way to earn it, here's how much of your grade it's worth," inevitably, you will get 15 students asking you, at the end of the semester, how they can increase their participation score because they currently have a 0% participation grade and they didn't realize it was such an important part of their grade.

    I'm so frustrated on your behalf. This would have been irritating enough without the age comment!
    When I was working on my MBA, most classes had the same approach to participation. I went full-time and most of us were taking 2 years off of their lives to do the program. Yet participation was a constant issue. I had one prof who sent emails every other week if we were doing badly with participation. That helped- but the prof who got the best participation throw fun size Snickers bars to people who offered comments that added value or got questions right.

    Those approaches were great but most of us were in our late 20's/early 30's so it was still a bit ridiculous for them to babysit us. I guess students never get better?!
    Daisypath Anniversary tickers
  • @SBmini I think they thought thye would get away with it. All of the other trash cans were emptied and they forgot to empty the kitchen trash.

    There isn't a security deposit, a $20 non-refundable deposit to hold the date that goes towards the balance.


  • eg72 said:
    Emmy1493 said:
    eg72 said:

    @HisGirlFriday13 Exactly! I mean, read something before you sign it people. Especially since you get copies of everything.

    I'm definitely going to get pleasure out of having to ban them, knowing I won't have to deal with them again.

    Being in customer service, I have learned that people just DO NOT read. And common sense isn't so common.....


    This. How true is this whole statement. That is why I hit the high notes before they sign but it isn't my fault that they can't follow rules and try to blame it on my age?

    Edited because I can't spell

    It's not at all your fault. People are just dumb sometimes. She was probably drinking before signing the contract. lol
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  •  
    eg72 said:
    Emmy1493 said:
    eg72 said:

    @HisGirlFriday13 Exactly! I mean, read something before you sign it people. Especially since you get copies of everything.

    I'm definitely going to get pleasure out of having to ban them, knowing I won't have to deal with them again.

    Being in customer service, I have learned that people just DO NOT read. And common sense isn't so common.....


    This. How true is this whole statement. That is why I hit the high notes before they sign but it isn't my fault that they can't follow rules and try to blame it on my age?

    Edited because I can't spell


    All of this is my life every. damn. day.

    Sadly I can't ban anyone...so they contact me over and over again with the same questions that I have answered 16 times, which are ALSO answered in documents that they are supposed to have read. I am wearing exceptionally cranky pants today.

     

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  • I echo all the PP's with similar angst in terms of customer service. 

    I'll also commiserate with the age thing. I work in a sort of small office, so obviously everyone knows me here, but the majority of people I work with work in other offices or virtually. How many times do I hear, "Oh! You're so young!" when I meet people face-to-face.....
    The perfect comeback is "-and experienced enough to do the job" (<dazzling smile>). 

    There's a catch-22 involved as well. I'm definitely on the anti-aging boat, and apparently still look quite young for my age (woo hoo!) but I still want to look mature enough to be perceived as competent for my role. Ugh. 
    ________________________________


  • I get a lot of crap from some companies when I call because they're 60+ days late on their payments. They signed an agreement with our terms (net 30). We don't even charge interest when they're late! We just want to get paid. And yea, when your bill is 45 days past due, a letter-writing service will send you something say that if you don't pay your invoice, your account will go into collections. It's amazing how many people will call and say that there is no reason their account should go into collections, we can't destroy their credit rating that way, etc. Umm... pay your fucking bill and I'll leave you alone!
    ~*~*~*~*~

  • Yay, banning people! I've worked quite a few customer service jobs. Last summer, I worked in a hotel. We get a fair amount of people who get drunk and trash their rooms. So when people sign the register paper, we also were required to say "this acknowledges you won't smoke in or damage the room" to everyone, because they wouldn't read it.

    I haven't gotten the age card too much, but H does all the time at his work, mainly from his boss who doesn't like him, even though he has more experience than some of the guys twice his age.
  • Good job!

    I've worked customer service jobs for years, though usually behind the end of a phone. I've learned that people tend to lie, argue, scream and otherwise act like asses - even more than usual- when they know they're in the wrong. It's almost as though the worse their behavior, the more they take it out on you.

    You handled it well and it sounds like you have a great boss!
    Daisypath Anniversary tickers
  • Planted beer bottle lulz. 

    I'm glad at least you get to ban them and let them know their terrible behavior hasn't gone unnoticed! People always think I'm younger than I am and I know a girl my age if not older that honestly looks like she's 15 so even if you do look a bit young for the job, they just don't know. 
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  • Good for you!! That's awesome! (Well, not awesome that she hung up on you, obvs).

    I hope she does call your supervisor, and I hope he reiterates to her that this was his decision and he supports you.

    I also hope that he ban-hammers her for an additional year for being a bitch.
    Anniversary

    image
    I'm gonna go with 'not my circus, not my monkeys.'
  • You know, I was going to ignore everything they did against the rules until we found the beer bottle (Which I obviousy planted right?). It is strictly against policy and I enjoy beer as much as he next person so if I were having an event and the place I was renting from didn't allow alcohol, I probably would find another location.

    My boss is awesome. He pretty much said he'll stand behind what ever I told her.

    @wandajune6 I have worked customer service for years: retail, barista, waitress, and customer service operater for a sports complany. While working in the call center (first customer service job), I realized that people will say nastier and more horrible comments over the phone than they ever would to your face. I worked for a great company from a customer service stand point that really taught me how to excel in the field.


  • larrygagalarrygaga member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    edited April 2014
    Good for you. I love that you got to ban those buttheads.

    I am 23 and I have a baby face. Sometimes people think I'm 17. I will have to deal with not being taken seriously as an adult until I'm old enough where this becomes a compliment. I think my round face  and gangly limbs are beautiful SO THERE

    You guys should see what it's like trying to buy alcohol :(
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  • @larrygaga I don't feel like I look very young for my age. But I do get carded more now than before I was 21. I take it as a compliment :) (I am redheaded and freckle-faced, so we gingers tend to look younger)


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