Shawn Richards (8/28/2013)
To be honest I find this disgusting and have had first had accounts of this many times while working in a Tech Supply Company Support Department around the turn of the century. We had 3 very capable females.If we had someone request a male technician specifically we would direct them to one of the females if they were available and if someone did not want to talk to a female after the initial service we would send them to a special extension which was in a bin at the back of the room with a phone wrapped in a towel.
We would all laugh when we heard the muffled ringer :).
When they rang back we would direct them back to a female. If they still had an issue they were directed to the manager which would explain that the only person with the right skills to help them at this time was a female and they could call back later if they wanted, if they opted to call back they went onto a register so the next time they called they would be directed to a female.
We seriously got 2 every week.
I worked there for 4 years and I know for some products they were actually the better technicians.
Yep the good old days when we everyone was so professional that we could afford to let customers go to the wastebasket. Many companies that had that mindset eventually went out of business. The more professional thing is to direct them to the person they wanted to work with. If the customer is paying, they get to dictate what their relationship with you will be. There are enough other companies out there that if you screw with a customer he not only can, but he will take his business elsewhere. But rest assured, you sure stood up for something. Don't forget to collect your unemployment check.