I have been a third-line tech support employee for six months, which means I am only called if very, very serious issues appear, but I have to be available twenty-four-seven.

We have a work phone that is passed between each technician every week. Usually, the calls are from actual clients that have urgent issues that we need to solve. Occasionally, a sweet, old grandma calls (the same one) who excuses herself when mistyping her grandchild’s phone number (or maybe she just wants someone to talk to).

One evening, though, I receive a call quite late.

Me: “Hello, tech support! What can I help you with?”

The caller says something I do not understand.

Me: “Excuse me, I did not quite understand what you said.”

The caller sounds a bit confused and then speaks something else, but this time I recognise the language as being Italian.

Me: “Sorry, I do not understand Italian. Would it be possible to speak in English or get someone who can speak it?”

The caller angrily swears in Italian and leaves the room where she has the phone. Then, I can hear two female voices in the background:

Second Caller: “Ciao.”

Me: “Ciao. Parlare Engles?”

I attempt to ask if she knows English in very broken Italian. The second caller doesn’t answer, I hear some commotion, and then she ends the call.

I thought to myself, “Okay, that was one weird call. I guess my colleagues will have a nice story to hear tomorrow during lunch.”

But wait. There’s more.

I get called again. I don’t check the number to see who is calling and answer directly.

Me: “Hello, tech support! How ca—”

Caller: *Angrily* “F*** you, you a**hole!”

This time it is in my native language which, for some reason, she knows I speak.

Caller: “Give me back my phone!”

Me: “That’s not a nice thing to say…”

Caller: “You stole my phone! Give it back!”

Me: “No, you have the wrong number. This is [Company] tech support.”

Caller: “You lying piece of s***! I know you’re lying; give it back!”

Me: “Insults won’t make me give you my work phone… You have the wrong number.”

Caller: *Another few swear words* “Give me back my phone or I’ll call the Carabinieri—” *the Italian police force* “—after you! I know where you live!”

Me: “Okay, call them! I do hope they like tea after such a long international drive.”

The caller swore again and then closed the call.

To this day, I still have the tea waiting for them… Still alone…

I work as a film editor. My client owns an event planning company that mainly deals with parties and concerts.

Client: “This is good. I just can’t believe you let this guy’s a** occupy so much of the frame at 02:22!”

Me: “Excuse me?”

Client: “That guy’s a**! It’s all people will look at!”

Me: “Would you like me to replace the shot?”

Client: “No… I like it. But can you make it smaller?”

Me: “Make what smaller?”

Client: “That guy’s a**!”

Me: “I can cut the clip’s duration a little shorter and add in another clip. Though I would really suggest just replacing it.”

Client: “No, never mind. I’ll call him about his a** and we’ll see what we can work out.”

I was having a decent day at the register, and things were going great. Then came this customer. She was in a bad mood, and I was trying to stay positive, but she kept telling me to hurry up when I was scanning because she was in a rush. She had a full cart of stuff.

Me: “I’m going as fast as I can. I’m sorry.”

Customer: “You shouldn’t be making $11 an hour! You’re too slow!”

She just kept berating me as I rang up her items.

Finally, the time came to pay. She swiped her card and it was declined. She tried again. Denied. Third time. Denied.

She called the bank and learned that her account had been run almost completely dry and only had about $24 left.

She stormed out quickly after, and I got some time away from the register to put her groceries away.

A customer makes an order that goes out via [Shipping Company]. They are all sorts of messed up right now. The customer’s order was shipped a week ago, and it’s still in my city. The customer calls us all bent out of shape, demanding a refund.

Our policy states that we need to have the unused product in our possession before we issue any refunds, and [Shipping Company] isn’t refunding anything right now.

Me: “I don’t have much authority over this, but I can process a refund for the product. We need [Shipping Company] to refund us before we can send the fee back to you.”

Customer: “You’re not doing your job appropriately! I want my refund now!”

After a four-minute tirade, he asked for a manager.

My manager got on the phone, and the guy was super polite, even after the refund I was issuing was rescinded.

I enjoy most of our customers, but this was a typical Monday Troll.

My mother-in-law is relentless. When she wants something, she will continue to hound and badger until she gets her way. I swear, I say, “No,” and she hears, “Try again later.”

She once texted me to ask if I wanted to go see a movie with her and her gal pals. I thought about it, but then I looked into the movie. I wasn’t really interested in seeing the movie in the first place but especially not after learning it was nearly three hours long. I texted back.

Me: “Sorry, I’m not really into seeing that movie. I have been thinking about seeing [Other Movie], though, if you’re not dead set on that one.”

Mother-In-Law: “No, we want to see [Long Movie]. Why can’t you come along?”

Me: “I just have no interest in seeing it or sitting for that long.”

Mother-In-Law: “I’ll buy your ticket.”

Me: “Sorry, I don’t want to go.”

An hour goes by. 

Mother-In-Law: “We are thinking about going to dinner before the movie at [Restaurant]. I’ll buy your meal and your ticket if you come to the movie.”

Me: “That’s very nice, but I still don’t want to see [Long Movie].”

Mother-In-Law: “Free everything and you’re still refusing to hang out? You must hate me!”

Me: “I’m just not interested in seeing [Long Movie]. I’ll come to dinner and buy my own meal, though.”

Mother-In-Law: “No. It’s all or nothing.”

Me: “Okay. Have fun!”

Nothing else is said until the day of the movie. [Mother-In-Law] calls me.

Me: “Hello?”

Mother-In-Law: “Where are you? The movie is about to start.”

Me: “Uhh… you mean [Long Movie]? I told you I wasn’t coming.”

Mother-In-Law: “I already bought your ticket!”

Me: “Why? I never agreed to go.”

Mother-In-Law: “I thought you would change your mind. Hurry up and get here.”

Me: “No. I am not coming.”

I hang up. Four calls and seven texts later, she sends a PayPal request for the cost of the ticket she purchased. I reject it and text her back.

Me: “I am not paying you for a ticket I told you I didn’t want. Sell it to someone else or deal with the loss. I am not responsible for this.”

She didn’t reply. Interactions like this are exactly why I struggle to hang out with her.