Unfiltered Story #236166

I work at a company that has 2 buildings: a visiting office and an administration office. People deal with the visiting office from the start, so the only way to know the address, is when they look onto our website in a hidden corner. Somehow, people think that ‘Main Office’ means upper management is present, who can help them if they complain loudly enough. However, our upper management has very different tasks from customer service and in fact, cannot help because they have no knowledge of situations. I’m the receptionist. I see an older lady limping in, with her face on thunder. Please imagine she is shouting the entire conversation.

Woman: I want to speak to the one in charge! I have a complaint and you haven’t replied to my letter I send 4 weeks ago. I have damage and you need to reimburse the costs.

I am not supposed to help people (protocol and privacy), but since she’s an older lady, I decide to help her anyway.

Me: You are at the wrong office, ma’m, there is no one here to help you. But let me see what I can find out. What is your address?

Woman: What?

Me: *louder* What is your address?

Woman: What?

Me: *louder* Where do you live?

Woman: Oh, I am a bit deaf. *gives address* People were supposed to call us, but they didn’t! This is an outrage! I have damage because you waited too long.

Me: Ma’m, I see they have been trying to call you for the past 14 days already. No one answered the phone.

The lady falls silent. In case she didn’t hear me, I repeat the information again and ask if she has an answering machine.

Lady: Yes… no… But no one called!

Me: They have been calling, ma’m. Quite a lot as well.

Lady: Yes, but we are rarely home *gives a busload of private medical information – one of the reasons I am not allowed to help people in this open, public setting*. Can’t you call the one who tried to call me?

I’m imagining the lady keeping my only phone occupied for at least 15 minutes; shouting in a hallway – that is, if the person she’s looking for is available.

Me: I can ask the person to call you back; do you have days or moments we have the best chance of reaching you?

Woman: Well, I’m available now… and home this afternoon… *and then goes into a lengthy, detailed list of where she’ll be the coming days. Since she shouted her address throughout the hallway, any malicious person could now have a field day at her home*

Me: I’ll pass on the message. And if you haven’t heard of us within 5 business days, call our customer service.

Woman: You have a customer service? What’s the number?

This lady has been our customer for many years. The number is printed on any letter she received, including our website (where she must’ve found our address). I wrote the number down, including the date she could call. After that, she hesitantly left, without giving a shred of thanks, muttering how no one had called her.