I am working a normal shift at my local cell phone store. For a chunk of the time, we are called for tech support. Even though we are only sales, we do our best to help out. It doesn’t always go smoothly, like with this phone call.

Me: “Hi! How can I help you today?” 

Customer: “Hi. I have a cell phone with you guys, and I have a problem connecting it to my Wi-Fi. I also got a text message saying I’ve used all my data. How? I never use my phone at home. It just sits here and now I got overage charges on my bill.”

Me: “If you don’t use your phone at home, what might have happened was it automatically updated some of your apps or the phone software while it was sitting there.” 

Customer: “But I wasn’t using my phone!”

Me: “You don’t have to use your phone if it is doing automatic updates.” 

Customer: “I wasn’t using my phone. How could I use all that data if I wasn’t using my phone?”

Me: “For automatic updates, you do not have to use your phone for those updates to download onto the phone. Like I said, what might have happened while your phone was sitting around at home is that it downloaded a few big updates, and since you were not connected to Wi-Fi, that’s what could have used up all your data.” 

Customer: “But I don’t use my phone at home!”

Me: “…” 

Sometimes there is just no helping people — especially those who come to you for help but don’t listen to what you tell them.

In the early 2000’s when unlimited calling only really applied to in network and to everyone after 9 PM, we had a plan where, depending on what plan you were on, you could choose to either have unlimited calling after 7 PM to anyone, or have 5-10-20 people outside the network you could call for free – the amount of people you got to add were dependant on the plan you were on.

Caller: “I want to have twenty out-of-network people to call for free, for [price].”

Me: “[Price] is for our lowest-tiered plan, which allows five out-of-network people.”

Caller: “That’s not what your commercial says! It says I can pick the 7 PM or up to twenty out-of-network calls for free!”

I had just seen the commercial in the break room, so I knew what he was talking about and tried to explain the infographic and the voice over guy, both say “depending on plan.”

Caller: *Getting mad.* “I’m gonna go watch the commercial again and call back when I can prove that you’re wrong!”

He never called back…

A guy comes into my place of work, very angry.

Customer: “Y’all saying I missed my payment date, and now I have to pay extra to turn my phone back on!”

I look up his account details.

Customer: “It was due at midnight, and y’all aren’t open at midnight, so how was I supposed to pay?”

Me: “We are open until 7:00 pm every day but Sunday.”

Customer: *Screaming* “Well, unlike you, I actually have a job!”

At my job.

Whilst doing my job.

Me: “You’re right, sir. I don’t work here. I just do this for fun.”

I worked in a cell phone store that had a veteran’s support office behind us.

One day, an older gentleman was waiting in the queue. When it was his turn, I called him up.

Me: “Hello, sir, what can I help you with?”

Customer: “The veteran’s hospital is claiming that my vision impairment is only 20% disability! It feels much higher!”

Me: “Sir, I have to agree!”

I offered to walk him to the correct building and told him I would be a witness for him.

As many who’ve purchased a cellphone in the last few years now know, phone manufacturers don’t include charging blocks with their phones anymore, only the cables. On top of that, the cables that are included are made to fit the newer, fast-charging USB-C blocks that most people don’t have instead of the old, bigger USB-A blocks.

As someone who works in cellphone sales, this happens most of the time when I go to sell someone a new phone.

Me: “In regards to charging this phone…” *gestures toward the phone they are buying* “…ALL YOUR OLD CHARGERS WILL WORK. However, if you wish to use the cable that your new phone comes with, you may need to buy a new charging block, as well. They changed the end of the cable that goes into the wall, and if you don’t have this kind of charging block…” *shows them the new block* “…your new cable won’t work.”

Customer: “MY OLD CHARGERS AREN’T GOING TO WORK ON THIS PHONE?!” 

Sigh…