Being Fed A Line

(My flatmate and I work with in a telecommunications company. Our job is to inspect the company’s stores and exchanges, looking for dishonest practices. We often find employees using random lines to make phone calls. We get a phone bill showing a call to Canada which neither of us has made, so my flatmate rings billing.)

Flatmate: “Hi. I have a problem on my phone bill. It shows that there was a call to Canada made on my line but no one here has called Canada.”

Billing: “Your account clearly shows a call to Canada was made and you have to pay for it.”

Flatmate: “No one here made that call. I think someone at the exchange used our line to make the call and I want it removed from my bill.”

Billing: “There is no way that could happen. That is just a rumor.”

(They then go off on a rant about how my flatmate is trying to get a reduction on the bill by being dishonest about the phone call.)

Flatmate: *cutting him off* “Can you do one thing for me then?”

Billing: “Yeah, sure. What?”

Flatmate: “Could you scroll up on your screen to the very top, look to the very right of the screen, and tell me what it says?”

Billing: “Um, okay. It says… um, STAFF.”

Flatmate: “Yes, and I am a stores inspector.”

Billing: *now sounding panicky* “… Um, okay. We’ll just remove that from your bill. Sorry for the inconvenience. Bye.”