How Not To Be Taken Seriously: Yell

(I work in a supply call center where our customers call in to order more supplies. I get a call from someone we’ve worked with for over eight years and has always been pleasant to deal with. I pull up his information from the phone number.)

Me: “[Supply Company]. This is [My Name] speaking. How can I help you today?”

Customer: *in a whispering voice* “I’m sorry for this; just play along, okay?”

Me: “I’m sorry, what?”

Customer: *suddenly yelling loudly* “I’m calling to complain about your prices for supplies! I’ve been a loyal customer for years now, and I demand you give us a discount!”

Me: *thoroughly confused* “I’m sorry, but I think you’re mistaken. You’ve been getting the loyalty discount for the past two years now.”

Customer: “That’s right! You’d better give me that discount! We give you a lot of business! You rip-off artists had better give us a free gift as well!”

(My manager pops his head out of his office. I’m embarrassed, since he is yelling over the phone loud enough for people to hear. I look over his account and see that he does receive a free gift supply due to the bulk of how much his company orders.)

Me: “Sir, you already qualify for the free gift item, and you’ve been receiving it for the past several years.”

Customer: “Look! I know that d*** well, but I don’t care! If you guys don’t do as I say, then we’ll take our business elsewhere! Furthermore, I demand [Product that we sell them] at [discounted price] instead of [price without the loyal customer discount].”

Me: “Sir, I need you to stop yelling at me. What you’re ordering now is what you’ve gotten the past three years. There is no need for this hosti—”

Customer: “Manager, now!”

(I look over at the manager and he nods for me to transfer the call. I’m a bit unnerved right now, and go I to take my break. When I come back, the manager calls me into the office.)

Manager: “So, I talked to [Customer]. I was about ready to rip into him for treating you like that, when he stopped yelling and started apologizing. Apparently, his company got a new supervisor who is one of those idiots who thinks that by yelling you can get better deals. He told me to tell you he’s sorry he had to yell at you.”

(I was a bit blindsided by that, but put a note on his file for the next person so they would know not to take it personally. A few days later, I got a lovely apology basket from that caller.)