Thursday 1 October 2009

Stressful

After an unusually busy day, I almost lost my temper with K, my customer from India. She called while the vet was examining Rusty*, reminding me (again) to release some containers in Mumbai to her urgently.

I told her I would see to it when I get back. She had already started pestering me hours ago and I had sent reminders to the container yard.

"Can you ask your staff to check?", she asked.

"It's almost 7pm, my dear, everyone has gone home." I answered.

I returned home to find emails from her asking the same thing. I told her to be patient and wait while the yard organises the containers.

She called again while I was cooking dinner, this time sounding frustrated. I stopped cooking and ran to check my mailbox. No replies from the yard yet.

The phone rang again while I was having dinner. This time, I couldn't help but tell her, "You've got to stop calling me every ten minutes. It's dinner time here. Please give the yard some time. I will inform you once I hear from them!"

Now, Ms K has the kind of voice that bellows. For the longest time, I had imagined her to be a big and frightening lady who could crush me like a cockroach... until I met her. She turned out to be a petite and pretty young lady with a loud, machinegun voice. While she's mostly nice, she can be extremely impatient and can come across as being very pushy and inconsiderate. Every single deal is of utmost importance and urgency!

Besides, she can be very persistent and will go on calling until she gets what she wants. Luckily the yard has replied and she can send her hauliers to pick up the containers now. Phew! At least I can sleep well tonight but I do worry for her. If she goes on like this, she'll get a heart attack one day!

*Yesterday I realised his right eyeball has turned unusually red. The condition didn't improve today, so I brought him to the vet. It's not infected or inflammed, so the vet couldn't identify the problem but she made an appointment for him to see the eye specialist next Monday. Meanwhile, I'm supposed to apply eyedrops and keep an eye on his eye. I hope it is nothing serious. It is indeed worrying.

7 comments:

charlie hotel said...

We've all known clients like that. Real P.I.T.A.

Poor Rusty!

jyankee said...

Poor Rusty! Yep, I know LOTS of clients like that. Unfortunately, the Indian customers tend to be that way the most often. One Indian customer himself told me as you wrote: by constantly calling, they think that matters will somehow get pushed through more quickly... Hmmmm maybe for them, but not so for us! Glad it got taken care of before bedtime!

Blur Ting said...

Now I feel guilty after venting especially after she sent me an email saying "Thanks alot for your great help :-)"

Blur Ting said...

Yah, he could go blind in one eye.

k@Ye_ said...

*hugs* to Ting...

Well, no need to feel guilty.. Its their culture... coz that's how they do things in their own country. :)

Hope everything will be fine for Rusty...

The World According To Me said...

That's one rude lady! She needs some patience. I would have lost my patience with her.

I hope Rustys eye is better.

WaterLearner said...

oh I have exactly the same experience!! they will not stop calling until they get what they want. even though they know it's plain unreasonable and impossible.

poor rusty, hope he gets better soon!

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