A little vignette about work.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

I work in a brokerage, and we have a lot of clients calling in to the office to check on their accounts. Usually, it’s the broker’s assistants that have to deal with the calls, but sometimes the calls will bounce over to my desk.
The other day, I had a collect call for a broker. Company policy is that we do not accept collect calls, as we have a 1-800 number that works across North America. The caller was the broker’s brother, calling from Toronto. Incidentally, he’s a millionaire.
The broker’s assistant came up to my desk, irate. How dare I refuse a collect call, If he calls again, we will accept, he’s a client for god’s sake! So I run it by the management. Company policy equals no collect calls. The assistant, lets call her Bev (it’s her name, after all) is furious, and seriously bad mouths me to the management. In the end we take the call, although the management ‘reassures’ me that I did everything right.

Why would someone be that cheap? Why would this woman be so pushy when she knows she’s wrong as to take this so far? Did this guy get to be so rich by always calling on the other guy’s dime? There’s something fundamentally nasty at the bottom of this.

[slappypan]

1. interesting

Is there some reason he might specifically not want the call to appear on his phone bill? (Insider trading of some kind?)

[Screaming Lord Byron]

3. You might think so, but I couldn't possibly comment!

Work computer and all!

[slappypan]

4. keep your ears open

I understand blackmail can be a very lucrative entrepeneurial opportunity.

[alwynsw]

2. Now you know why he's a millionaire

He likely got "there" on OPM and is continuing the habit.

[TrogL]

5. You're both right

You followed policy. Policy is there for a reason.
Sometimes policy needs to be bent or changed as in a special case like this one. You didn't have the authority to do this, she did.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

6. Of course, but what I'm really getting at is the client's cheapness.

That's what sticks in my craw.
Thanks for the input though.
You're from Drayton Valley, right?