His Contacts Fell Out

I work at a mobile phone store in a mall. While it has its fair share of snippy customers, this job doesn’t require us to bend over backward for them. I was told from day one that we don’t have to take abuse and can shut everything down, kick them out, and/or call security.

A guy comes in to pick up his phone that was sent off to be repaired. I give him his phone, he gives back the loaner phone, and he leaves. I factory wipe the phone, as policy, and then put it back out in the cupboards.

About thirty minutes later, he calls, flipping out because his contacts were erased from his phone.

Customer: “My contacts aren’t in my phone. Where the h*** are they?”

Me: “Well, when your phone is sent out for repair, the service centre wipes your phone, which is why we tell people to back up their contacts.”

Customer: “I didn’t agree to have my phone wiped, and no one told me that!”

Me: “Actually, when you give us the phone to be sent away, you’re agreeing to just that. It’s even on the paper you signed before we ever sent it to repairs. In fact…”

I dig up the store copy.

Me: “…I am looking at your signature and date acknowledging that you know that backing up your contacts is your responsibility.”

Customer: “I had hundreds of contacts on that phone! Are they still on the loaner?”

Me: “No, I factory cleared it, as policy. Sorry.”

Customer: “I didn’t agree to that, either! Get me a manager. You just lost me millions of dollars!”

I give the phone to my coworker, since the manager isn’t here. She basically reiterates what I said. The customer then screams that someone’s getting fired over this, and my coworker slams the phone down.

About thirty minutes later, the customer comes in, throws a phone across the counter at me — it doesn’t hit me, but it’s done in a hostile type of way — and demands that I transfer his contacts over.

I can’t do it because the phone he wants me to do the transfer from is ancient.

He starts flipping out and screaming, calling us all sorts of names, and causing a scene.

Coworker: “Mister, you either calm the h*** down, or I’ll have you removed by security.”

Customer: “Don’t f****** bulls*** me! Do it. Do it! Call security, c***! And while you’re at it, get me the motherf****** manager, because you’re both losing your jobs now!”

I pick up the phone and dial. The other end is barely picked up with “Mall Secur—” when the man spews forth a long stream of (often repeated) swear words and verbal abuse at top volume.

Me: “[Store], please.”

I will admit, I’ve never seen three linebacker-sized security officers sprint into our store at that speed before.

The man was eventually removed and even banned from the mall entirely! They had to threaten to get the cops over before he would leave, but he’s banned nonetheless. As they were walking out of the mall, he was still screaming about his lost millions.

He called about four more times that day, pretending to be other people who “witnessed” this event, and every time he did it, he was told to basically f*** off and don’t call back. There had been only one other guy in store at the time, and I know it wasn’t him.