I work for a streaming service’s customer support for tiers one and two support. A customer calls in to get their service back up and running. She sounds like she’s in her late teens to early twenties.

Me: “Ma’am, it looks like your payment has lapsed, so I need to take a payment to get it working again. May I ask for your payment card information?”

Caller: *Suddenly freaking out* “You’re a scammer! The real [Streaming Company] customer service would never ask for card information!”

Me: “Ma’am, if you want to get your service up and running again, we need a payment and a payment card on file, especially if you have had your card replaced. If you’d prefer, you can type it in yourself on our website.”

Caller: “No! You’re scammers trying to steal my card information! I don’t trust [Official Website], either!”

Me: “How are we the scammers if you called us? Where did you get the number to call us?”

Caller: “I got it from the app.”

Me: “Well, if you’re calling the number on the official app itself, then you must have the right place.”

Caller: “No! You must be scammers, and I’m going to call again to not get a scammer!”

Me: “You’re welcome to do that, but you’re going to run into the same issue with the next agent when they ask for your payment information or suggest that you type it in yourself on the website.”

Caller: *Scoffs* “We’ll just see about that!” *Click*

Of course, she called the same number back — supposedly the same scam number. The agent a couple rows away got her and asked me over our internal chat service what had happened because the caller was pissed when she was asked for information to make a payment. I just explained.

A few days later, the caller’ boyfriend called up and got it done with his own card information. He was much nicer about it, according to the account notes.

Back in the days of dial-up internet, I get this call.

Caller: “My Internet ain’t working!”

I check, and he’s getting every dial-up connection error imaginable. There are even a couple of errors that I (a tier-three call center representative taking overflow calls) haven’t even dealt with before.

In our job, we’re trained to ask about noises in the background. As we are checking that the cable is, in fact, plugged into the phone jack, I hear an engine in the background.

Me: “Is someone mowing the lawn nearby?”

Caller: “No, that’s my generator. A tornado came through last night and tore off the back half of my house. I wanna email my folks and let ‘em know I’m okay.”

I mute. I sigh. I unmute.

Me: “Sir, you’re calling on your cell phone, right?”

Caller: “Ayuh.”

Me: “Forgive me for asking, but why don’t you just call them?”

Caller: “Well, gosh, I hadn’t thought of that! You technical guys are smart! Bye!”

I work in a call center environment where agents can get different calls depending on training. 

I received an email from a supervisor stating that their agent was getting hundreds of incorrect call types that they were not trained in, and I needed to fix it immediately. 

I could look up every call the agent had taken for the past year; I saw that they had gotten one rollover call, meaning the queue had rolled over the call from a different skill due to zero agents, ensuring that the call was still answered.

I copied the supervisor’s manager and replied:

Me: “In the past 365 days, [Agent] has received one rollover call. Can you verify the call type [Agent] shouldn’t be getting? Or do you mean one call, not hundreds?”

I never heard back.

A customer has purchased some items that will come in an international shipment.

Customer: “I, uh… have no idea why I have to call you. But I got a voicemail about a package I’m expecting.”

Me: “That’s correct. There is missing information that US Customs requires before your package can come into the country and be delivered to you.”

Customer: “No. I don’t want to give you my information.”

Me: “Well, it’s a Customs requirement. I can email the form to you and walk you through it; if you like.”

This is a typically confusing government-issue form with equally confusing directions. Customs doesn’t allow scratch-outs on the form. We offer to walk customers through it as a courtesy.

Customer: “No! I said I don’t want to give you my information! How do I know you won’t steal my identity?”

Me: “Because I don’t want to go to jail or lose my job.”

Customer: “Not good enough, lady. How do I know you actually work for [Company]?”

Me: “You called our 800 number. My employee ID is [ID].”

Customer: “That’s still not proof you work there, though.”

Me: “Mr. [Customer], you can either give me the information that the government requires or your shipment will have to be returned to the company that shipped it.”

Customer: “You can’t do that! It’s mine, and I’m not talking to you anymore.”

Me: “Okay. Just keep in mind that your shipment will go back in five days—”

He slams the phone down.

Seven days later, the same person calls again.

Customer: “Where is my package?!”

Me: “As I stated, sir, your package was returned to the shipper.”

Customer: “Whaaaaaat?! I thought you were bluffing! You’ve ruined Christmas!”

Caller: “How come my monthly payments have gone up?!”

Me: “The interest rate hasn’t gone up for over a year, sir. What payment are you referring to?”

Caller: “When I first got my card, I was paying $50 a month, and now I’m paying almost $300!”

Me: “My records show that your card is currently close to its credit limit, sir. That’s why the interest payment is higher, but the percentage rate hasn’t changed since you signed up for the card.”

Caller: “Hmm, okay, fine.”

Me: “Is there anything else I can help you with, sir?”

Caller: “Yeah, what’s an interest rate?”