While working at a financial institution, I was once enrolled in a training class for a new software package.

The training required a live connection from my computer directly to a training account on the vendor’s system, and since that kind of connection wasn’t allowed from within the corporate network, I agreed to participate from home using my personal computer.

Although I had registered using my personal email along with my home address and phone number, the vendor was required to email the course material to me at work, so I had to forward it to my personal email to be able to access it from home.

Within an hour, my manager texted me, needing to speak to me about an urgent matter.

Automated security software detected that I had sent an unencrypted email to an outside email address containing confidential customer information as well as a user ID and password. The notice he had received recommended terminating me immediately.

The customer information was my own name, address, and phone number, contained in the training packet cover sheet. The user ID and password were for logging into the training system.

I think it’s safe for me to reveal that they were “admin” and “password”.

My manager agreed that this was ridiculous, but he was still forced to choose from among the allowable responses, the least of which was to perform “corrective instruction”, and there was no way that he could remove the blot from my employee record, although he could add the results of his investigation.

Very soon afterward, everyone in the department was required to install email encryption software, and we were no longer allowed to send any unencrypted email outside the company.

My manager told me that he had set this policy after my “breach” because if anybody was to unthinkingly email anything as sensitive as their own tax information to their personal accounts without encryption, he would have to fire them.

I received a letter from my mother’s bank, where I had a joint account with her. She passed away two years ago, and I thought the account was closed. But it seems it wasn’t; they asked if I would please call to close it.

I spent over thirty minutes on the phone with an employee, who wanted my credit card information, home address, social security, etc. I guess they were trying to confirm my identity.

After all that, I asked how much was remaining…

Fifteen cents!

I work at a credit card call center taking inbound customer service calls. The day after the bank takes a government bailout, we get a call from a guy with a huge balance.

Customer: “I’d like to know when my wife’s and my cards will be paid off?”

Me: “Uh… sir, the bailout from the government isn’t going to be used to pay off anyone’s credit card balances.”

Customer: “Why not?!”

Me: “Because you’re responsible for your own debt, sir. The government isn’t.”

Customer: “If the bank gets a bailout, why don’t I?! That’s so unfair!” *Click* 

Y’know… maybe he had a point, but you’d still be amazed at the number of people who are completely clueless about how their credit cards work.

I used to work in a call centre for a major UK bank. It’s been a very long day, and then I get this call from a customer.

Me: “Good afternoon. You’re speaking to [My Name] at [Bank]. How can I help you?”

Customer: “I want to speak to Rob.”

Me: “Okay, can you tell me which Rob you need to speak with?”

Customer: “Just pass me through to Rob. He called me.”

Me: “Right, sir, do you have a last name or an extension number?”

Customer: “No… pass me through to Rob.”

Me: “Sir, I need a little more information here. Can you tell me which department he’s in? Or is he at your local branch?”

Customer: “I don’t know… Why aren’t you transferring me? I told you I need to speak to Rob!”

Me: “Okay… Well, can you at least tell me what the call is regarding?”

Customer: “That’s none of your business! Just pass me through!”

Me: “Sir, if you’re not willing to tell me any information, then I can’t help you here. I really need to know what the call is about or which department he works in.”

Customer: “This is ridiculous. Pass me through to Rob!“

Me: “Sir, you are calling a company with literally tens of thousands of employees across the entire country! This call centre alone has nearly a thousand employees, so asking for Rob isn’t going to get you anywhere! There are at least four people on my floor alone who are called Rob. Sorry, but you need to be more specific because this is like a needle in a haystack!”

Customer: “Ugh… I’m hanging up! This is ridiculous! Been passed from pillar to post by you idiots! All you had to do was find one person! Absolute disgrace!” *Click*

Yeah… who would’ve thought finding one person with no information would be such a challenge! I don’t miss customer service at all!

My mother works in a downtown bank where parking is expensive. I work near enough that I can drive her and save the expense, but I get there earlier than she was done, so I sit in the parking lot in a customer spot. I have an account with the bank and there is never a shortage of spaces. The lot also has contract parking. Most of them are empty by 4:30.

At 4:35, one day, a person comes in, parks in a contract spot, and walks next door to the gym. (Oh, yeah, irony not lost). As I am invisible from the angle of my windshield, they don’t see me. I go in and mention the fact to the receptionist and then return to my car and my book. A member of the police department foot patrol comes by and slips a notice under the wiper of the car in the contract spot.

At 5:30, the owner leaves the gym and sees the notice, tosses it, and leaves.

The next day, the same person returns and does the same thing. The police now give a ticket. The owner tosses THAT and leaves. On the third day, the police officer waits for a tow truck.

The owner returns to find their car missing and tries to get into the bank. No luck as it closed at five. (Offices are open until six.) I see them walk away.

Mom comes out after her day and tells me how this owner called the bank ranting and raving. They were informed that the towing was done under a city contract and that the car was likely towed as it had no permit. “But it was only thirty minutes!” the owner screeched. “Not according to our lot attendant,” they were told. More screeching.

Three days later, after the weekend, the car is back. The owner makes a point of looking around for the “lot attendant”. I happen to notice this from the skyway across the lot as I am returning from getting my after-work potato cakes (curse you, crinkle cuts). I go straight to the receptionist instead of going to the car first. All six employees still on duty at 5:30 and I watch the car owner now get arrested for trespassing and illegal parking.

After they are driven away, I approach the remaining officer and ID myself. We share a laugh as I point out my position. The officer informs me that the gym offers parking for $3 an hour. The fine for the parking was $600. The tow was around $300. The trespass will be likely a couple thousand dollars in fines.

I later heard that the car owner was suing the bank and the gym. Mom left the place a year later and no one parked without a permit again. Now, the light rail goes through where that office was, so parking is more expensive.