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Its not a threat
I work at the help desk of a mail order company. Like all call centers we occasionally get busy. I work in the customer service department which was very busy last week with stupid customers. As a result our order department left us a list of customers that need to be called back for various reasons when I came across this little gem. The memo read:
Customer upset that she received catalog that states it may be her final. Feels we are threatening her wants callback immediately.
Ok, maybe the rep was in a hurry and wasn't paying attention to his vocabulary and its not like it sounds. So I figure what the heck and call
Me: This is David calling for * customer service.
Cust: Hello
Me: We received a message stating that you requested a callback and I'm returning the call I understand that you had a problem with a catalog you received?
(I let her tell her side of the story)
Cust: Yes I just received a catalog that says this may be the last catalog if I don't order again.
(I check her file and it shows that she's placed one order back in Febuary, borderline for the final catalog)
Me: I'm sorry about that. I do show that you have placed an order with us recently it was just a system glitch that the catalog was sent to you. I can make sure it doesn't happen again.
(And the shit hits the fan)
Cust: (Starting to get irate) Well I don't like that you are threating me and you are demeaning me.
Me: I'm sorry ma'am it wasn't intended to be threating just (now she cuts me off)
Cust: (Irate)Well it is, my daughter orders from you alot (well you're not you're daughter) and I've told several people people about your catalog. I want to know why I received this.
Me: Again I apologize it wasn't intended as a threat. If a customer hasn't ordered in a while we do send out a catalog that indicates it may be the last (Cuts me off again)
Cust: Well I want to know who sent this out to me.
Me: The decision is made by our marketing department.
Cust: All my credit cards are in good standing, I have good credit, all my family has good credit.
Me: Again we only send it if a customer hasn't ordered in a while, the catalog was not a threat.
(Now I have to put myself on mute because I can't hold in the laugh anymore)
Cust: Well I want to know how came up with this asinine policy I want there phone number.
Me: I don't have their phone number but a can give an address to our corporate office.
(Actually I do have a phone number for corporate but they don't like for us to give it out, on retrospect they would have gotten a good laugh out of it)
Cust: Well you sent this through my post office and in big black letters it says my name *** This will be your last if you don't order from us. Embarrassing me and my family. I am degreed (exactly like she said it), all of my siblings are degreed, my daughters and son are degreed and we're intelligent, and you threaten and embarass us with this. No other company would treat a paying customer this way
Me: Again ** it isn't intended as a threat. We have the same policy as most other mail order companies. I will submit a complaint on your behalf.
*******
Now imagine another 20 minutes of this
*******
Cust: (Now she's all high and mighty) Well I want a written apology on company letter head from the idiot who came up with this policy, or I'm showing this catalog to all my friends an relatives and I'm telling them that you threaten and harass your customers, I'll go to the BBB and I'll go to the news. (Go right ahead and tell them I'll send a list of psychiatric institutions in the Dallas area)
Me: Well again I apologize, it wasn't intended to be a threat but I will submit a complaint on your behalf.
Further proof that higher education isn't, Old age doesn't make you smarter, and the ability to speak doesn't indicate a form of intelligent life.
Customer upset that she received catalog that states it may be her final. Feels we are threatening her wants callback immediately.
Ok, maybe the rep was in a hurry and wasn't paying attention to his vocabulary and its not like it sounds. So I figure what the heck and call
Me: This is David calling for * customer service.
Cust: Hello
Me: We received a message stating that you requested a callback and I'm returning the call I understand that you had a problem with a catalog you received?
(I let her tell her side of the story)
Cust: Yes I just received a catalog that says this may be the last catalog if I don't order again.
(I check her file and it shows that she's placed one order back in Febuary, borderline for the final catalog)
Me: I'm sorry about that. I do show that you have placed an order with us recently it was just a system glitch that the catalog was sent to you. I can make sure it doesn't happen again.
(And the shit hits the fan)
Cust: (Starting to get irate) Well I don't like that you are threating me and you are demeaning me.
Me: I'm sorry ma'am it wasn't intended to be threating just (now she cuts me off)
Cust: (Irate)Well it is, my daughter orders from you alot (well you're not you're daughter) and I've told several people people about your catalog. I want to know why I received this.
Me: Again I apologize it wasn't intended as a threat. If a customer hasn't ordered in a while we do send out a catalog that indicates it may be the last (Cuts me off again)
Cust: Well I want to know who sent this out to me.
Me: The decision is made by our marketing department.
Cust: All my credit cards are in good standing, I have good credit, all my family has good credit.
Me: Again we only send it if a customer hasn't ordered in a while, the catalog was not a threat.
(Now I have to put myself on mute because I can't hold in the laugh anymore)
Cust: Well I want to know how came up with this asinine policy I want there phone number.
Me: I don't have their phone number but a can give an address to our corporate office.
(Actually I do have a phone number for corporate but they don't like for us to give it out, on retrospect they would have gotten a good laugh out of it)
Cust: Well you sent this through my post office and in big black letters it says my name *** This will be your last if you don't order from us. Embarrassing me and my family. I am degreed (exactly like she said it), all of my siblings are degreed, my daughters and son are degreed and we're intelligent, and you threaten and embarass us with this. No other company would treat a paying customer this way
Me: Again ** it isn't intended as a threat. We have the same policy as most other mail order companies. I will submit a complaint on your behalf.
*******
Now imagine another 20 minutes of this
*******
Cust: (Now she's all high and mighty) Well I want a written apology on company letter head from the idiot who came up with this policy, or I'm showing this catalog to all my friends an relatives and I'm telling them that you threaten and harass your customers, I'll go to the BBB and I'll go to the news. (Go right ahead and tell them I'll send a list of psychiatric institutions in the Dallas area)
Me: Well again I apologize, it wasn't intended to be a threat but I will submit a complaint on your behalf.
Further proof that higher education isn't, Old age doesn't make you smarter, and the ability to speak doesn't indicate a form of intelligent life.
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