Reading Requires Reason

(I work at a very busy college, with around 10,000 spread over three sites. During office hours, all calls divert to the main free-phone number, which just happens to be covered by me.)

Me: “Hello, [company name], how can I help?”

Caller: “Yes, I want to make a complaint. I sent an email around two weeks ago and still haven’t heard anything back!”

Me: “I’m sorry to hear that. Let me check the records and I’ll call you back in ten minutes.”

(I then check all emails from two weeks ago, then three weeks ago. No luck. When I look for one week ago, I find the enquiry and the reply, sent within three hours. I call the client back.)

Me: “Our records show that we responded within three hours of your enquiry. You may be looking too far down in your mailbox as the replay was sent one week ago, not two.”

Caller: “Well, I haven’t checked my email.”

Me: “Wait, if you haven’t checked your email, why have you called to complain?”

Caller: “Well, I don’t read my emails very often!”

Me: “I’m sorry, but we can only send the email, not make you read them.”