Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Now I wish I'd asked for a pony.

I like it when real life presents you with dialogue (or rather 'dramatic beats' I suppose) no script editor would ever let you get away with in real life.

ON THE PHONE

ME: Hello, I was coming up to London for a meeting, but that's just been cancelled, so I'd like to cancel my hotel reservation please. Just one night, for, erm, sixty quid,
LASTMINUTE PERSON: Okay, let me just check. (she wanders off for a bit) Right, the hotel has a 'within twenty four hours' cancellation policy, so there'll be no charge there.
ME: Marvellous.
LASTMINUTE PERSON: ... however, lastiminute.com do charge twenty pounds admin fee for cancellation.
ME: (mildly) Tch, that seems a bit excessive.
LASTMINUTE PERSON: (immediately) Okay, we'll revoke that.
ME: Really?
LASTMINUTE PERSON: Yup, we'll refund the full amount.
ME: Er, right, great, brilliant.
LASTMINUTE PERSON: Anything else?
Me: No thank you.

4 comments:

SebiMeyer said...

A script editor would likely tell you it is obvious the person on the phone has no motivation.

Well, yeah. It *is* her job, so why is that surprising? :)

Stef the engineer said...

Sometimes it can be frustrating when you've geared up for an argument. I took £79.50 of leftover bits to B&Q after a "shelving project" for a refund. I spent 20 minutes rehearsing the argument in the car. It was so frustrating when they gave me the refund with barely a second glance. I felt cheated.

Anonymous said...

Hmm, I think I'd rather have the anticlimax than the being-charged-an-admin-fee-that's-most-of-the-cost-of-the-ticket-because-the-passenger-who-told-you-to-order-both-tickets-has-now-worked-out-he-can't-come-after-all (glares in the general direction of The Train Line...)

Jayne said...

I'll swap you this for my experience in the Apple Store in Regent Street last week. Grrrr.