It Sounds Crazy On Paper

I am working customer service, which includes answering the phone. It is a rule in our store if someone calls and asks for the manager to ask why, because frequently their problem or question is not something they actually need the manager for.

The phone rings; it’s an older sounding male.

Me: “Hello, [Store]; how can I help you?”

Caller: “Yes, hi, I’d like to speak with your store manager.”

Me: “Well, he’s not actually in right now, but—”

Caller: *Cutting me off* “Another manager, then. There must be someone there!”

Me: “Yes, sir, of course, there is. Can I just ask why you need a manager?”

Caller: “Well, I guess I might as well just tell you, then!”

Me: “Okay?”

The caller proceeds to spend nearly ten minutes complaining about the fact that ever since his wife died seven years ago, he’s been getting letters in the mail in her name, even though he’s contacted them to stop. The letters are from a charity organization that he says our store sponsors. I try to explain that even if we sponsor them, we cannot control what mail they send out, and he needs to talk to them to stop them sending him letters.

Caller: “I know you can’t make them stop; that’s not why I’m calling!”

Me: *Slightly confused* “Okay… Why are you calling, then?”

Caller: “Because it’s a waste of paper! Haven’t you been listening? They’ve been sending me letters for seven years! I don’t want them, so it’s just a huge waste of paper and money! They’re killing trees!”

Me: “I understand why you’re upset; that is definitely an awful waste of paper. But why are you calling us instead of [Charity Organization]?”

Caller: “Because you support them! And they’re wasting money sending letters to people who aren’t interested! They could be putting all that money to much better use. I just want you to tell your managers that what they’re supporting is a huge waste of money and they should sponsor someone else who doesn’t kill trees! Just tell them to call me back as soon as possible!”

He gives me his phone number and then hangs up on me. Sometime during the conversation, a customer has come up to the desk.

Customer: “What was that all about? You looked really confused.”

Me: “This guy basically just spent ten minutes ranting at me that another company has been killing trees and wasting money by sending letters to his dead wife.”

Customer: “What?”