Customers Are Experts At Time Dilation

Me: “Thank you for calling [Company]. How can I help you today?”

The caller describes a problem that three particular coworkers are trained to handle. They don’t get in until noon, and we have been asked to simply take a message and offer a callback, as we are not permitted to discuss employee schedule information with customers. I offer the lady a callback and she leaves her number.

Twenty minutes later, the same customer calls in describing the same issue.

Me: “Madam, I have your number. Our agent will call you back as soon as they are available; we won’t brush this off.”

Caller: *Yelling* “You told me that three hours ago and I’ve called at least six or seven times, and you idiots just either put me on hold, transfer me to someone else, hang up on me, or tell me someone will call me back! This is poor customer service! I want the manager! Now!”

I’m the only agent on the floor for the first two hours due to the low call volume in the early mornings.

Me: “Madam? We only opened forty-five minutes ago.”

Caller: “Bulls***! You open at six in the morning!”

Me: “Not since two weeks ago when our hours changed. Our automated greeting states that, but in case you missed it by pushing a button for our department, opening hours are now 9:00 am until 10:00 pm, so I don’t know who it was that you were calling six or seven times and getting transferred around or put on hold or hung up on by since 6:00 am, but it wasn’t [Company]. No one was even here.”

Caller: *Click*

Not today, lady. Not today!