Doody To Your Duties

I have a reputation for exercising my initiative, even when it isn’t expected of me. This is my best example so far.

Me: “Thank you for calling [Company], [My Name] speaking. How can I help?”

Caller: “I want to activate a SIM card.”

Straightaway, something doesn’t feel right.

Me: “Certainly. May I please have your name?”

Caller: “[Traditional English Name].”

Me: “And are you the account holder?”

Caller: “Yes.”

Me: “Thank you. Could I also have the password on your account?”

Caller: “[Password].”

Me: “That’s excellent. One minute while I pull up your account.”

The caller speaks with a foreign accent but has a traditional English name. Her address is in an area which is typically English, white, and middle class. That’s why it doesn’t feel right, so I investigate.

Her account shows that an upgrade was recently ordered online. The upgrade is for a top-of-the-range iPhone, but with a delivery address 200 miles away from the billing address. Apparently, someone hacked her online account and ordered an upgrade. The system sends an order confirmation to the real customer. To avoid alerting them, the fraudster needs to deactivate their phone immediately and intercept the order confirmation. Looks like a clear case of fraud. However, I can’t deny them access because they passed security. Instead, I go off script and throw them a curveball.

Me: *Quickly* “What’s your address?”

The caller drops the call.

Surely someone should know where they live? I’m definitely convinced they are trying to scam a new smartphone from us. I do not intend to let that happen, whether it is in my job description or not. I cancel the order.

Meanwhile, I check the account again. Unfortunately, the fraudster has tried the same trick again. This time, they got through to a colleague who did things by the book. The new SIM card got activated. I transfer the service back to the real customer and lock the account. The next time someone calls, they will be asked to contact the Fraud Department. Then, I get a reply to the order cancellation.

Order Reply: “It’s too late to cancel the order by this procedure. However, if you contact the warehouse at [email], they can stop it.”

Since it’s my lunchtime, I decide I’ll deal with it later. I go for some food and come back in one hour.

Me: *To the warehouse* “Hello, please cancel order [order number]. It is fraudulent because of [reasons].”

Warehouse: “Sorry, it was dispatched ten minutes ago.”

I knew I should have done that before lunch. I left copious notes on the account, throughout. The next day, my manager comes in.

Boss: “So, [My Name], apparently, you thought you had a case of fraud. You tried to stop the order, and locked the account?”

Me: “Yes?”

Boss: “That isn’t part of your duties; you should leave that to Fraud Department.”

Me: “Read through the notes I left. Have you seen a clearer case of fraud?”

Boss: “It isn’t in your duties!”

Me: “You have got to be kidding. And doesn’t it take the Fraud Department a week to get round to this sort of thing?”

I wasn’t formally written up, but I was more careful in the future to choose employers who appreciated initiative.