(It’s early morning on my birthday. My coworkers have decorated my cubicle and brought me gifts. I’m feeling chipper and optimistic. I take my first call.)
Me: “[Business], this is [My Name]; how may I help you?”
Customer: “Hi, is your shampoo color-safe?”
Me: “Yes. In fact, it contains ingredients that are intended to help protect and preserve the life of your color.”
Customer: “But it contains sulfates, which cause fading.”
Me: “Our cleansers do contain sulfates, which have been used in shampoos widely and safely for decades. It will not fade your color. Our Anti-Color-Fade complex also helps with that.”
Customer: “But you just said there were ingredients that helped preserve your color. What are they?”
Me: “There are botanicals and our Anti-Color-Fade Complex in the shampoo, which help protect artificial color in the hair.”
Customer: “You’re not listening to me. I said, ‘What ingredients protect color?’. You’re not making yourself sound very credible, [My Name].”
(Shampoo ingredients are almost exclusively chemical, and have names that I, let alone a customer, wouldn’t understand. Every other customer I’ve ever spoken to has found my previous answer sufficient, so this accusation catches me off guard.)
Me: “Umm… I don’t know the exact ingredients. They have chemical names.”
Customer: “So, you won’t tell me.”
Me: “Ma’am, I can’t tell you because I don’t know.”
Customer: “Well, you know what, [My Name]? I think you need an attitude adjustment. You’ve been very snotty with me. I asked a simple question you are obviously too lazy or stupid to answer. I am a paying customer of your products, and I don’t need this behavior from you!”
(Looking around at my birthday presents and smiling coworkers, I just sort of break down.)
Me: “You know what? I don’t need it from you, either!”
Customer: “I’d like to speak to your manager!”
Me: “Absolutely!”
(I have just enough breath to tell my supervisor what happened before bursting into tears.)
Supervisor: “Hi, how can I help you?”
Customer: “That last girl I spoke to was so rude! I don’t know if she’s on drugs or if she’s just a brat, but she clearly isn’t suited to be answering customer questions! She needs to get off the phone and come back once she learns some manners!”
Supervisor: “Ma’am, I overheard your conversation and [My Name] was more than polite and helpful, right up until you personally attacked her. You should also know she is my friendliest employee, and you were her first call of the day, which happens to be her birthday. Now, would you like me to answer your original question, or would you like to berate me, as well?”
(The customer sheepishly repeated her question, my supervisor answered her in the exact same manner I did, and the customer hung up without saying thank you!)
