Dial Tone Deaf
Right after college, I moved from the East Coast to the West Coast, but I kept my East Coast phone number. A few months later, I discovered a new Sam’s Club had opened in my old hometown. Apparently, their phone number was a single digit different than my cell phone.
I found out by being woken up by my phone ringing.
Me: *Not fully awake.* “…Hello?”
Caller: “What time do you open?”
Me: “I’m sorry, what was that?”
Caller: “What time do you open?”
Me: “I don’t?”
Caller: “What. Time. Does. The. Store. Open?”
Me: “…I think you have the wrong number. You’ve called my cell phone.”
Caller: “I would like to speak to your manager.”
Me: “I don’t have one.”
I hung up. I immediately get a call back from the same number.
Me: “You have called my phone. It’s 3 am. F*** off.”
I hung up again. I went back to sleep and regrettably forgot to block the number. When I woke up, I had put it out of mind… until late afternoon.
Me: “Hi, this is [My Name].”
Caller: “Hello. I called this morning and spoke with a very unpleasant employee.”
Me: “Oh! That was me. I’m very sorry, you have the wrong number. You’ve dialed a personal cell phone number. I do apologize for my language this morning, but—”
Caller: “I called the right number. Being on your cell phone at work is extremely unprofessional!”
Me: “…Again, as I was saying. You called my cell phone.”
Caller: “This is Sam’s Club.”
Me: “It’s not.”
Caller: “I want to speak to a manager.”
Me: “I don’t have one. This is a personal number.”
Caller: “You shouldn’t be on your cell phone at work!”
Me: “…do you not understand how phones work?”
Caller: “I just want to f****** know what time you open!”
Me: “Then call Sam’s Club!”
I hung up and blocked the number. Looking at my recent calls, the man had apparently called back four times in the early morning, and I had apparently slept through it. He used another phone to call back a few days later in order to complain to me. About me. Sadly, I am still not a Sam’s Club and am not paid to care.
