Maybe She Was A Housekeeper In A Bank?
I work in a collections department for a large bank. I’m answering the phone.
Me: “Hello, this [My Name] in collections. How can I help you?”
Caller: “I received a letter saying that I am past due and my account will close if I don’t pay.”
She then proceeds to read the entire letter to me.
Me: “Yes, that would be correct. You are [amount] past due and [number] days past due. Your last payment was on [date]. Do you want to set up a payment?”
Caller: “I have not been paying because I have not received any statements since the last time I paid, so I thought a payment wasn’t due.”
I confirm that her address is still the same and make sure that her statements aren’t being suppressed. There isn’t anything wrong, so I tell her that it might be an issue with the post office.
Caller: “If it was an issue with the post office, then why was I able to receive this letter but not my statements? Can I speak to [Manager], the manager that signed this letter to me?”
Me: “No, ma’am, that letter is automated and they do not work here.”
Caller: “How do you spell your name? What department are you in again? You’re just having trouble finding them. I retired from [Bank] and I know how things work there. Do you work in [State #1] or [State #2].”
We have two main headquarter locations.
Me: “I work in [State #2].”
Caller: *Scoffs* “THAT’S why.”
Me: “Okay, well, would you like to set up a payment?”
Caller: “No, I won’t be paying until I can see the statements showing how much my payments are.”
Me: “Okay. Do you have access to online banking? You can see the amounts on there.”
Caller: “No, I am too old for that; I don’t use that.”
LITERALLY every single job at the bank uses computers all day. Please tell me how you worked here without using them.
Me: “I can get someone to send another statement out, but there is a possibility that it will not arrive before the account closes on [date]. You are still responsible for payments on the account each month.”
Caller: “Yes, I would like another statement sent out. I’ll pay when I receive it.”
I got someone to send the statements out and sent her on her way to another department. I still don’t understand how she worked on computers at a bank but can’t do online banking. I also don’t understand how someone who worked at a bank doesn’t know that a payment is due on an account every month regardless of statement issues. This lady was in her late fifties, so it’s not like she was incredibly old, either. I found it super funny that she thought some manager personally addressed this letter to her.