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I am such an idiot...

post #1 of 11
8/11/08 at 5:47pm
Thread Starter 
I got a call today during the lunch rush from an operator who was relaying a call from a computer. She asked me to hold, which I did. She then started reading a message about a catered event this Friday for 200 people and began to list the items wanted. I had to put her on hold to take orders more than once, and finally asked what the heck she was talking about. She told me the person was typing the message. I still didn't get it so I said, "Look, I'm really busy now and if this person wants to book a party, they can call me directly." She said she'd relay the message.

This bothered me all day, so I just called an operator and asked what this could be all about. I thought I was being scammed or something and wanted the operator to confirm that the whole thing didnt' make sense. He told me that the person was a Relay Operator. I get that but, what does that mean? He said the caller was either deaf or blind. DUH! I totally blew off a deaf or blind person and was kind of rude at that.

I am going to **** for sure.....

I am blaming the relay operator for not telling me that the person was handicapped. It's all her fault. Right?:confused:
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post #2 of 11
8/11/08 at 5:56pm
Bummer. Try to call them back, just to apologize if nothing else......
yes it was the operator that should have been specific.
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post #3 of 11
8/12/08 at 4:03am
Several years ago I took a similar call. The operator wasn't all that up front with what was going on. She did make it known that she was relaying the "conversation" and that anything I said she would have to relay. I started feeling like I was being scammed so I asked rather bluntly what this was about and she then told me that the other person was either blind or deaf. I remember being struck by the feeling that the relay operator was very impatient with me. Not sure how she was with the other person.
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post #4 of 11
8/12/08 at 4:47am
Thread Starter 
I just called to see if I could trace the call and was told that they're confidential. This operator told me that the caller may have requested that I not be told of their situation. Huh? It's not every day a call like that comes in so what is the pupose of keeping the receiver in the dark? This operator said not to worry that the caller would probably call back. I told her thanks for the vote of confidence, but that I am now on the black list as a business unfriendly to people with handicaps. Heck, my wheelchair ramp even got wiped out this winter by the snowplow.

jbd, my original operator was rather abrupt, too. Ever wonder why people take jobs like that if they don't like working with others?

sigh.
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post #5 of 11
8/12/08 at 5:54am
some i-net research will quickly turn up a number of sites with info on Relay Operator "stuff" - however, in short they are extremely limited in what they may say - and "extreme" is an understatement.

the system is also widely abused - which seems a tad unlikely in your case, but there are a lot of very clever fraudsters around . . .
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post #6 of 11
8/12/08 at 7:12am
Thread Starter 
Great. Then I'm going on the assumption that it was a scammer. That makes me feel a little better.

I do, however, have a client who is blind. I'm going to call her and see if she recommended me to anyone. Not that she knows all the blind people.....:suprise:
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post #7 of 11
8/12/08 at 9:45am
LOL, Black listed, definetly the operaters fault, thats who i would blame to, :lol::lol:
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post #8 of 11
8/12/08 at 4:42pm
Thread Starter 
I called my client and as it turns out, she DOESN'T know all the other blind or deaf people.:suprise: I was so hoping she could solve the mystery for me so I don't have to continue looking like a bozo.

I suppose I am to remain black listed indefinitely.
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post #9 of 11
8/24/08 at 5:06am

seems it might have been a scam

check out the post on catersource entitled
" New Scam Alert"

a well known caterer in Portland Oregon got a relay call like you did that appeared to be a scam
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post #10 of 11
8/24/08 at 5:51am
Thread Starter 
No kidding?! So that means that I may still be an idiot, but in this case, no social graces were seriously violated? Thanks for the info. I'll check it out.
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post #11 of 11
9/17/08 at 5:56pm
Hilarious....you made my day with that story. I will say however, I guess the operators are suppossed to be sort of like a blank canvas, because they can't relay emotions. They are automotro robotic almost. Don't worry like you said not every blind or deaf person knows each other, so the list should be short!
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