Fun with viewers...

[Marty McFly]

Every week or so, viewers call the newsroom trying to find out if they got the lucky numbers in the lottery.

Here's a typical conversation with said viewers...

Viewer: Yeah, do y'all have the winning numbers to the Powerball lottery?
McFly: Yeah, let me see if I can pull them up right here. Do you have your ticket in front of you?
Viewer: Sure do!
McFly: Alright, what's your first number?
Viewer: Eighte-
McFly: Nope, you lost! Sorry.
<Click>

Here's another...

Viewer: Yeah, do y'all have the winning numbers to the Powerball lottery?
McFly: Yes. Did you buy your ticket in New Jersey?
Viewer: No, why?
McFly: The winning ticket was bought in New Jersey.
Viewer: Well, if I matched 4 or 5 of the numbers I can still get something.
McFly: Good point. Let's continue your fantasy together! Do you have your ticket in front of you?
Viewer: Sure do!
McFly: Alright, what's your first number?
Viewer: Eighte-
McFly: Nope, you lost! Sorry.
<Click>

Needless to say... I love it when there's a drawing for the lottery!

[kneedinthegroin]

Imagine if you got treated like that at Circuit City. You'd log on here and ramble on about how you'll never go back there because they treated you like crap. Yep from now on you're going to Best Buy but not Circuit City.

If a viewer trusts your station enough to call in and ask for the lottery numbers, they are your customer and you really don't want to give them a reason to shop somewhere else just because you think you're funny.

[Marty McFly]

Off topic: I'll never step foot in Best Buy again!

Anyways, the customer of the station is the business spending 10 grand a month on advertising... not the idiot viewer blowing their money on lottery tickets.

The ignorant fools who are trying to win 50 million every week are the same fools who can't remember what station they just called.

Besides, they're asking if they won... and I'm more than willing to help shatter their silly dreams!

[Focker]

Originally posted by Marty McFly:
Anyways, the customer of the station is the business spending 10 grand a month on advertising... not the idiot viewer blowing their money on lottery tickets.True, but businesses aren't going to advertise with a station with no viewers.

But hey, I laughed at the conversation.

[ March 26, 2007, 01:10 PM: Message edited by: Focker ]

[Pennywise]

Dude, you're playing this all wrong. What you need to do is let the idiot callers read you their numbers...then tell them they WON. Then ask if they would mind doing a phone interview with one of your reporters. They'll say yes. Then you put them on hold and leave them there.

[s'news]

Or you could simply tell them that you don't know and invite them to call the another station.

[Desert Rat]

Anyways, the customer of the station is the business spending 10 grand a month on advertising... not the idiot viewer blowing their money on lottery tickets.

Just remember, the businesses spending 10 grand a month make that money on "the idiot viewers blowing their money on lottery tickets."

[The Mockingbird]

Also, you might want to remember that the idiot viewers who buy lottery tickets are the only people who still actually watch. graemlins/eusa_shifty.gif

[Marty McFly]

Yeah, but they don't have a clue who they're watching...

[photogguy]

And you might want to remember that the idiot viewers who buy lottery tickets can also call the General Manager and complain to him about how rude the idiot with the attitude who answered the phone was. It's happened before, and will happen again.

Sh1t rolls downhill, dude.

[The Mockingbird]

That's why I always answer the phone as Gene Cox.

[Marty McFly]

'Yes, Mr. General Manager, I did inform a caller that their lottery ticket, was indeed, a loser.'

[Pennywise]

Originally posted by Mockingbird Peeps:
That's why I always answer the phone as Gene Cox.Never heard of him.

[Kace]

Maybe Marty is the General Manager.

[Clever Login Name]

Originally posted by s'news:
Or you could simply tell them that you don't know and invite them to call the another station.Best trick in the book. Every lunatic I deal with I suggest they call our cross-town competitors ... even occasionally suggesting that those folks are working on a story just like what the caller is describing or have particular expertise in the area of their question, and give them the number. Of course, I suspect they do the same to us, but still ...

[Pregnant Reporter]

I side with McFly! Pregnant Reporter is running out the door to go home at almost midnight, the phone rings, Pregnant Reporter answers and gets Drunken Viewer and his lottery question.

If you have EVER taken this call, you can appreciate the story!

I really enjoy transferring annoying calls to Investigative Reporter's voice mail, too...

[TVShootist]

Originally posted by Marty McFly:
Every week or so, viewers call the newsroom trying to find out if they got the lucky numbers in the lottery.

Here's a typical conversation with said viewers...

Viewer: Yeah, do y'all have the winning numbers to the Powerball lottery?
McFly: Yeah, let me see if I can pull them up right here. Do you have your ticket in front of you?
Viewer: Sure do!
McFly: Alright, what's your first number?
Viewer: Eighte-
McFly: Nope, you lost! Sorry.
<Click>

Here's another...

Viewer: Yeah, do y'all have the winning numbers to the Powerball lottery?
McFly: Yes. Did you buy your ticket in New Jersey?
Viewer: No, why?
McFly: The winning ticket was bought in New Jersey.
Viewer: Well, if I matched 4 or 5 of the numbers I can still get something.
McFly: Good point. Let's continue your fantasy together! Do you have your ticket in front of you?
Viewer: Sure do!
McFly: Alright, what's your first number?
Viewer: Eighte-
McFly: Nope, you lost! Sorry.
<Click>

Needless to say... I love it when there's a drawing for the lottery!Ok, I doubt you said this to a viewer.

a). how could you be rude like that to someone you don't know?

b). i seriously doubt that your employer would be ok with you doing that.

If I did such a thing, my ass would be in the unemployment line.

[Pregnant Reporter]

I don't doubt he said it. I've seen all kinds of entertaining banter with callers. My policy is never pick up a ringing phone in the newsroom.

[Miss B. Haven]

Originally posted by TVShootist.:
[QUOTE]
Ok, I doubt you said this to a viewer. how could you be rude like that to someone you don't know?
Well, I wonder the same thing when I answer my phone and am treated rudely by a viewer who doesn't know me.
You saying that's NEVER happened to you?

[TVShootist]

Originally posted by Miss. B. Haven:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by TVShootist.:

Ok, I doubt you said this to a viewer. how could you be rude like that to someone you don't know?
Well, I wonder the same thing when I answer my phone and am treated rudely by a viewer who doesn't know me.
You saying that's NEVER happened to you?</font>Well here is the difference.... you are a professional that should set higher standards then your viewer. You are suppose to be respectful to everyone you serve, whether you like it or not. That's just how it is. You represent not only yourself, but your station. That may not mean much to you, but I bet your GM and ND would care.

You don't need to talk to me about rude people. I know this better than anyone on here ever will. I work in customer service, I provide computer support and deal with more rude people each day then I care to admit. However, if I pulled the **** that Marty claimed he did - my ass would be fired. End of story.

My boss's philosophy is this; regardless what type of service you provide, they are the customer and you treat them with respect.

That's just how it is.

[ March 30, 2007, 11:29 PM: Message edited by: TVShootist. ]

[ewink]

I always ask 'Do you have a meter?'

If they go 'A what?', I go *click*

smile.gif

[tom servo]

Originally posted by Marty McFly:
[b]
Anyways, the customer of the station is the business spending 10 grand a month on advertising... not the idiot viewer blowing their money on lottery tickets.The "idiot viewer" is the one watching the advertisements of your customers. If they don't watch, your customers go away. This isn't that hard.

Besides, they're asking if they won... and I'm more than willing to help shatter their silly dreams!I'm glad to see such a caring humanitarian in our midst. I'm sure some of the things you do would be stupid to others, and you probably wouldn't like it if they treated you like you treat the lottery players.

The fact that I'm explaining this to someone who's presumably graduated kindergarten is telling. . .

[ March 31, 2007, 06:25 AM: Message edited by: tom servo ]

[Marty McFly]

How am I being rude by informing the person on the phone that their lottery ticket wasn't a winner?

I would think that the person could actually have a legitimate complaint if I lied and said that their ticket WAS the winner and we wanted to come talk to them.

Instead, I quickly end the unproductive phone call the instant I hear a losing number.

I admit it... I enjoy being the deliverer of bad news and crushing their pathetic pipe dream of winning 20 million dollars.

I'm pretty confident many of you would do the same thing after a dozen of the same phone calls.

[Marty McFly]

Originally posted by tom servo:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Marty McFly:
[b]
Anyways, the customer of the station is the business spending 10 grand a month on advertising... not the idiot viewer blowing their money on lottery tickets.The "idiot viewer" is the one watching the advertisements of your customers. If they don't watch, your customers go away. This isn't that hard.

Besides, they're asking if they won... and I'm more than willing to help shatter their silly dreams!I'm glad to see such a caring humanitarian in our midst. I'm sure some of the things you do would be stupid to others, and you probably wouldn't like it if they treated you like you treat the lottery players.

The fact that I'm explaining this to someone who's presumably graduated kindergarten is telling. . .</font>[/QUOTE]Wow, you're 17th post on Medialine sure was a keeper! :rolleyes:

Hey servo boy... anybody who is taking those 70,000,000 to 1 odds and expecting ANYTHING to come out of it is a FOOL.

[Miss B. Haven]

Originally posted by TVShootist.:
regardless what type of service you provide, they are the customer and you treat them with respect.
That's very admirable. I'll keep that in mind. Until the next time I pick up my phone and the very first thing I hear is someone say, "Yeah, your hair looks like sh*t today!"
With callers like that, I have no problem reciprocating. And I still sleep very well at night.

[tom servo]

Originally posted by Marty McFly:
Wow, you're 17th post on Medialine sure was a keeper! :rolleyes: I wasn't aware that post count lent authority to anything, especially here where we're supposed to be smarter than the kids on facebook. But if it does then someone with over 2200 of them should be able to write higher quality ones than yours, doncha think?

Hey servo boy... anybody who is taking those 70,000,000 to 1 odds and expecting ANYTHING to come out of it is a FOOL.No disagreement there. A lottery is a tax on people who are bad at math. We all know that. Doesn't mean we have to be a jerk to them. The way you claim you are handling those calls is rude. If I pulled that crap in my shop and management found out I'd be fired. There's nothing wrong with being nice to people, even if they aren't as smart or wise as you.

[Marty McFly]

So tom, where exactly was I rude? Can you please point out the rude comments?

Should I have not told the viewer that their ticket lost?

[tom servo]

Originally posted by Marty McFly:
So tom, where exactly was I rude? Can you please point out the rude comments?

Should I have not told the viewer that their ticket lost?you interrupted them - rude point #1. You then hung up on them. Rude point #2.

Especially considering we're in a business where the general public is eagerly searching for any possible fault they can find with any of us, it's especially unwise to respond to their questions like that.

[Marty McFly]

Oh, I get it. Because the viewer didn't finish saying 'eighteen' and only got out 'eighte', it's rude to tell them that their ticket is just like you and them: A LOSER.

In the future, I'll let them get out that 'en' part since it seems to be such a critical piece of the conversation.

Lord knows if they said 'eleve' and I said that it was a miss, that would be rude! But if they said 'eleven' and THEN I said it was STILL WRONG, that would be okay!

[phil413]

it makes we crazy when you answer the phone and get a harsh 'WHO'S THIS"...
-----

seems like some people call in and think we're a tax-supported agency and they are entitled to something.
-----

[Marty McFly]

Originally posted by phil413:
it makes we crazy when you answer the phone and get a harsh 'WHO'S THIS"...
-----

seems like some people call in and think we're a tax-supported agency and they are entitled to something.
-----Amen to that!

&lt;Phone rings&gt;
Marty: Newsroom, this is Marty.
Viewer: Who is this?!?!?!
Marty: NEWSROOM, THIS... IS... MARTY.

And THEN the conversation goes straight to lottery numbers...

[TVShootist]

Well, regardless what you think without viewers there would be no reason for your TV station to exist; that reason alone is why you should treat each and every viewer with respect, and yes that includes not cutting them off and hanging up on them.

I know in your mind you think that's fine, it's not. The public already has mixed perception about the media, some which are very negative... every chance you have to interact with the media you should attempt to make it a positive experience for them. If you honestly did what you claim you did, that just left a sour taste in that viewers mouth and left them with a really bad experience that chances are they will probably go and tell all their friends about.

The viewer that called you did so to find the powerball numbers, not to be cut off in the middle of spitting out the first number only to be told "sorry you lost" and then hung up on.

Give them the numbers and move on, it takes 5 seconds to do and in the end everyone is happy. And by the way, some stations don't leave the damn lotto numbers up long enough to get them. It's not uncommon for me to see lotto numbers up for about a second before they go to the next one.

Stop being so arrogant and treat your viewers with respect. Regardless what your opinion is of the viewers, in the end it is because of them you have a job.

I'm sure your GM and ND wouldn't be all too happy.

[ April 01, 2007, 03:50 PM: Message edited by: TVShootist. ]

[Marty McFly]

Who said I was the one hanging up?

[TVShootist]

Originally posted by Marty McFly:
Who said I was the one hanging up?Well.. given that you put &lt;click&gt; after saying "Nope, you lost! Sorry" both times I have to assume that you're the one hanging up. I doubt the viewer is the one hanging up after you just rudely cut them off.

[Marty McFly]

Bad assumption on your part, Einstein.

Maybe the fact I confirmed that they LOST was too much for them to bear.

[TVShootist]

Originally posted by Marty McFly:
Bad assumption on your part, Einstein.

Maybe the fact I confirmed that they LOST was too much for them to bear.I doubt it.