Fired Or On Fire? Pick One

I am doing customer service for a health insurance company, which is always stressful for the people calling because the US healthcare system is a mess. I try to be patient and understanding with my callers because of this.

This particular caller, however, is at 100 before I can even get my greeting out. The usual thirty-second process of getting her information so I can pull up her account takes about five expletive-laden minutes, and she refuses to explain her issue, deciding instead that I personally have caused every problem that has ever happened in her entire life with my stupidity, poor attitude, and existence.

I barely say more than ten words the entire time because I’ve found that interrupting a rage-rant goes nowhere.

Suddenly, the fire alarm goes off. I am forced to cut in.

Me: “Ma’am, I need to hang up; the fire alarm is going off.”

This sets her off even more.

Caller: “If you hang up on me, I will get you fired! That fire alarm is fake! You need to stay here and help me!”

Me: “I will call you back, ma’am, but I have to leave due to the possible fire.”

She continues screaming at me.

Caller: “If you leave, I will make sure you are fired!”

My supervisor comes by on her way out and sees me still on a call.

Supervisor: *Yelling* “Hang up and get out! This isn’t a drill!”

Me: *To the caller* “Ma’am, I have to go.”

And I disconnect. Then, my supervisor and I race down six flights of stairs and out of the building to wait for the fire department to come.

It turns out someone on another floor lit a trash can on fire. After about an hour, we all troop back inside to get back to work. Five minutes later, one of my coworkers tells me:

Coworker: “I just talked to a woman who was screaming about getting you fired for hanging up on her!”

This particular office doesn’t have a good support system for their staff, and my supervisor in particular is not fond of me, so I am worried.

A while later, my supervisor comes by.

Supervisor: “[Caller] just called and told me to fire you.”

Me: “As she promised.”

Supervisor: “I advised her that if she ever threatened one of the representatives again, then I would have her insurance canceled and have her blacklisted from the company.”

I’m not sure if that’s actually possible, but I loved that one time they actually defended us! I can’t imagine being so entitled that I would try to force someone to stay when they might burn to death.

Some people are so determined to be unhappy, they’ll go to wild lengths to bring others down to their level. Check out more curmudgeons with 12 Great Stories About Grouches, Grumps, And Gripers!