Account Witholder

(I work in customer service for a telecommunications company. Part of my job is to sell people new phones and phone contracts. In doing so we have to gather a lot of the customers’ personal information, such as address, date of birth, etc. One afternoon before close, a very tall middle-aged man enters the shop. I am the only female in store; there are two other male coworkers on with me. The customer gestures to me for assistance and I go over to him.)

Customer: “You guys keep a lot of people’s information on file, don’t you?”

Me: “Is there something I can help you with?”

Customer: “Yeah, can you check my details are up to date?”

Me: “Sure, I’ll just need a few details from you first, starting with your phone number.”

(I then go behind the desk and put the phone number he gives me into the system. He cannot see my screen. The account of the number he gave me belongs to a woman. Following procedure, I then ask him to verify his identity before I can access the account. He starts getting agitated.)

Customer: “Look, I just need to check you have the correct address!”

Me: “I’m happy to help you do that but first I’ll need you to verify you are the account holder.”

Customer: “So you’re refusing to help me? I’ve come all the way down here and I’m being refused service!”

(I repeat exactly the same thing. By now my coworkers are sensing a difficult customer and are hovering near me.)

Customer: *yelling* “B****! You’re all b****es! She f***ing stole everything I have and I just need to find out where she’s gone!”

(Then my coworkers stepped in, one calling security while the other told the customer to leave. They were prepared because that kind of thing was pretty regular.)