Doesn’t Have The Equipment To Deal With That Stress

(I work part-time in a call centre alongside my studies. I work for a telephone, TV, and broadband provider where if you cancel, everything must be sent back; otherwise, there will be a fine that will rise if not paid.)

Me: “Hi, this is [My Name]. How can I help you today?”

Customer: “You need to come and collect my equipment.”

Me: “Okay, what you will need to do is fill out a returns slip, which I am sending right now for you, free of charge. Then, you take this to a collect plus store; from there they will send it back to us.”

Customer: “No, you are not listening. You need to come and collect it.”

Me: “I’m afraid I cannot do so, as it has to be done through a third party. I have no contact with this third party, so I cannot arrange for someone to collect it.”

Customer: “What? That is absurd! I will not have that!”

Me: “I’m afraid we cannot send someone to your address to collect your equipment. You will need to take them to a collect plus store.”

Customer: “Uh, fine. What is the closest one to me?”

(I have a look at this and see that there is one 1.2 miles away from his house. I let him know this and this is where it gets ridiculous.)

Customer: “Okay, I shall do so tomorrow. When will the credit be cleared?”

Me: “I’m sorry, sir, what credit do you mean?”

Customer: “Well, I will get money to cover my petrol to return this, right?”

Me: “No, we cannot do that—”

Customer: “What the f*** is this? First, you cannot send someone out to collect it for me. Now you’re telling me I have to pay out my own f****** pocket to return your f****** equipment?! Forget it! I will just keep it.”

Me: “Sir, if you do not return it you will be fined for keeping it, and if this is not paid it will get higher and higher.”

Customer: “Well, pay for my f****** petrol, then, you bloody idiot!”

Me: “I have already informed you that I cannot do that sir—”

Customer: “Get me your manager. He will do something, I am sure.”

(I go and get my manager and tell him a rough idea of what this is about. He bursts out laughing and sends me off to tell the customer that he is busy and can’t take it. I tell the customer this and he gets even angrier.)

Customer: “What do you mean, he is busy? I bet you didn’t even get him, you imbecile. Get him for me right this instant; if you do not, I will be filing a complaint against you and [Company] for fining me because you are not helping me!”

(I go back to my manager and tell him this again. He looks at me dumbstruck. He honestly thought I was kidding and that was why he laughed the first time. He gets up and gestures for me to transfer the customer over to him right away.)

Me: “Okay, I have now gotten his attention; I am going to transfer you through right now.”

Customer: “Good! It’s the only decent thing you’ve done for me today. Goodbye.”

(Oddly enough, during this call my lunch break was due to start, so I take this straight after. I come back just before my break is over as I want to know the aftermath of this nonsense. I go up to my manager and he hits me with this:)

Manager: “[My Name], that was a pain. He only hung up a couple of minutes ago.”

Me: “What did you tell him? He refused to listen to me whatsoever.”

Manager: “Oh, just the truth. I simply told him if he did not return it he would have the fine and this cannot be waived. I also told him we will not apply a credit to cover his petrol to go to the nearest store. He didn’t like this and said he was not driving there out of his own pocket. So I simply told him to walk, as that way he wouldn’t need to pay and since it is only 1.2 miles away, it shouldn’t take long. He hung up swearing and cursing. I expect a complaint to be filed any time now.”

(There was no complaint ever filed.)