I'm rude AND annoying!

[Misanthropical]

I called a guy tonight about his past due bill. He, of course, denies any knowledge of said bill. I look and see he has been sent three letters about it. He denies getting them.

I explain to him what the bill is and why he owes it. He denies it and asks me to once again explain why he owes any money. Once again, I tell him. This goes on for awhile. He is keeping track of how many times I have told him, since he mentioned I have said the same thing 5 times. I explain to him that he doesn't seem to get it and that is why I keep explaining it to him.

He tells me he has wasted 15 minutes listening to my bullshit. I look at the clock on my phone and tell him it's been 1 minute 30 seconds and not 15.

He tells me I'm not only rude, but annoying and wants my supervisor RIGHT NOW! I tell him that's fine, but before I get my supervisor he asks for my name. I tell him my first name. He asks for my last name. I tell him I will not be giving that out.

He tells me "FINE! I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK TO ANYONE THEN! YOU'RE RUDE AND ANNOYING!" and hangs up. I mention to my coworker what the guy said and she heard the whole call and not once was I rude. I was firm with the guy, but not rude.

On break, I called home and told my husband about how some guy thinks I'm rude and annoying. My husband told me I should have told him that I'm cute too.

[bainsidhe]

Your husband sounds like a swell guy. And I agree with him.

[earl colby pottinger]

Is this

Is this a service or just money owned?

If it is a service like telephone or power make sure there is a note that he made a comment of how many times you told him he owned money, and date and time when it took place.

Be fun when he is cut off.

[ThePhoneGoddess]

I love how when someone is confronted with a bill that they have ignored for some time (since it's obviously been sent to collections, being that you're calling on it) they are still not at fault for any of it. You're still the one in the wrong for calling them and being rude and annoying. Gotta love it, man.

[Norton]

I feel your pain! (First post, BTW - I've been lurking for weeks)


I'm a secretary at a very small company. Now that business is slowing down for the season, my bosses have me call the deadbeats to try to collect the money they owe.

There's this one man I've spoken with a few times over the course of a year regarding his debt. Yesterday, he returned a message I left him. One of my bosses was in the room with me at the time he called. The following conversation is not verbatim, but is the best I can recall.

DB = Dead Beat
B = Boss
Me = Hi there!


DB: Yes, I'm returning your phone call.
ME: *calmly, politely* I'm calling regarding the past due balance on your account. I have one invoice dating back to 2005 (before I worked here), and one from last year. I'd like to find out when we can expect a payment.
DB: *condescendingly* Well you know, have *boss* call me and we'll discuss it.
ME: Hang on a moment, please. *turns to boss* Hey boss, he wants to talk to you.
B: I don't want to talk to him. I just want a check. It's been too long to talk about it.
ME: *speaking to DB* *Boss* says he doesn't want to speak to you, he only wants a check.
DB: Oh, is that so? Well I won't pay anything until I speak with *boss*
ME: *firmly* No. There is no discussion. You've owed us money for two years now.
DB: *talking over me* This is between me and *boss*
Me: No, it's not. Part of my job is collecting money owed to us. Just because I'm a secretary...
DB: *talking over me* I didn't like your attitude the last time you called, either, and I'm asking you to stop contacting me!
Me: I'll stop contacting you when you p-

*click*


My boss heard all of this, and called him a few choice words. A minute later, DB calls my boss on his cell. I was kind of hoping boss would stick up for me to the guy, but he's a better schmoozer than anything. I know he thinks I handled it well, though he didn't say so to DB. They're supposed to meet and work something out.


The good thing about being part of a small company is when my bosses ask me to call someone, and they tell me "Don't be nice to them".


Sorry if I threadjacked you, Misanthropical.
I just hate when a customer calls me rude/annoying because I'm trying to collect an outstanding debt. Pay up, and I'll stop calling!

[Tito]

Gotta love people who don't pay their bills, & then get all bent of of shape when companies call them up looking for the money.

[Peppergirl]

On the flip side, there's the collection agencies that can't seem to get it straight. Perhaps some collections specialists can tell me how I could have handled this better:

Background...

I lived in Florida for two years of my nearly 40 years on this earth, from 1998-2000. The rest of the time I've been here in Ohio.

My parents, who moved to FL in 1998 and continue to live there. They receive a call from a collections agency two weeks ago looking for me, but with their number. Mind you, I haven't lived there since 2000, and even when I did, I did not reside with my parents.
My parents, of course, refuse to give them the number and say they will pass the message along. I get the message from my parents and call to inquire as to what they are calling about. Seems I had an account with Fingerhut (who I had never heard of, until then) from 2001, for around 300.00 that was never paid. Long story short, I tell them I've never heard of fingerhut, and give them my current phone number and address and ask them to send me a notice, detailing what I supposedly owe. I'm thinking maybe my now ex-husband opened something in my name. Anyway, long story short...I never received a document in the mail, and they called my parents today AGAIN, as if it were a new situation. With my permission, she gave them MY number again, with another instruction on not to call THEM again. I am at work and havent been home yet to check my machine, but I'm curious to see if they have called.

What could I/should I have done differently?

Sorry for the threadjack...but I'm just baffled as to how to handle this.

[Misanthropical]

Peppergirl, that sounds like those shady places that buy old debt. I would keep asking them for the proof you owe anything.

[gunsage]

Fortunately, I don't have to make people pay up. In any case, it's somehow strangely satisfying when one of the following happens...

1. You're disabled because of security violations.
2. You're disabled for a non-pay disconnect.

When a customer calls up ranting and raving, claiming we didn't tell them what to do or how to do it in regards to securing their computer, I call bullshit. Sometimes on the first occassion, I will simply explain what the customer must do to prevent such occurrences from happening again and neglect to mention that third + occurrences result in disablement and up to termination. Why? I like to be optimistic, believing the customer will ACTUALLY do what I say.

On the second occurrence, I ALWAYS tell the customer what will happen on future occurrences, even if I think they'll be mad. I mean, come on, they're mad now, but how would they feel if I DIDN'T tell them and they got disabled? Chances are they won't reach me, but they will reach one of my coworkers and they really don't deserve that.

In any case, I find it amusing when they vent their frustrations to me because by now we've told them at least once over the phone and DEFINITELY twice by mail the situation...and suddenly I'm magically supposed to give a rat's ass? Sorry, no, you're an idiot.

[Brighid45]

Just a brief and temporary hijack here:

Peppergirl: OMG--you're dealing with the Consummate Evil that is Fingerhut. They are a mail-order company (and by now they probably have a website) with the worst accounting/collections department ever. My mother ordered from them for years until they changed their accounting practices. She started getting calls and letters stating her payments were late. Since Mom always paid on time, she couldn't understand what was going on . . . until she sat down with her bank and figured out Fingerhut was holding her checks back and not cashing them for several months, then claiming her payments were 'late' as a consequence. She finally closed the account but had to put up with threatening and harassing calls for ages.

I would suggest you get as much documentation as possible showing you do not owe them any money, and get aggressive with them when they come after you, as they inevitably will.

Misanthropical, how DARE you insist that deadbeat pay his debt! I mean really, how rude, annoying and totally unreasonable of you! He should be allowed to rip off anyone he likes, just because he says so. How can you NOT understand that?