Makes You Want To Pound The Whole Thing

I’m helping a customer on the phone. They don’t sound elderly or very young. They are having a hard time putting in their card info as it keeps saying it was not entered. The system tells them to enter their card number followed by the pound key.

Customer: “I don’t know why it’s not working. I put in my card number but nothing happens.”

Me: “Did you press pound after putting in your card number?”

Customer: “What’s pound?”

I’m thinking they may be younger than I thought and don’t know the symbol by that name.

Me: “The hashtag.”

Customer: “The what?”

Me: “The number symbol.”

Customer: “…”

Me: “On your keypad.”

Customer: “I don’t know what you mean.”

I’m running out of ways to say it at this point.

Me: “The little tic-tac-toe board on your keypad.”

Customer: “Oh, that button. Should I push that after putting my number in?”

Me: “Yes, you have to press that button.”

The customer tries again.

Customer: “It worked! I don’t know why it wouldn’t work the first time.”