I rent an apartment through a housing association. One day, I discover no water coming from my taps anymore, so I call the housing association for some clarification. They tell me they’ve had other tenants from my building calling with the same problem, but they transfer me to the city’s water company.

Me: “Hi. I’m calling because there’s no water coming from my taps. I wondered if there was unannounced plumbing maintenance somewhere that might be the cause?”

Employee: “Have you just moved into this apartment by any chance?” 

Me: “No, I’ve been living here for four years.” 

Employee: “When is the last time you received your water bill from us?”

Me: “I have not, because I—”

He cuts me off rather rudely and puts on a really condescending tone.

Employee: “Ma’am, you do know you have to pay us in order to get water in your apartment. It’s how the world works. You can’t expect to get water for free. If you don’t pay, your water can get shut off, so there’s no surprise there.”

Me: “If you’d let me finish… The water services are included in my rent, so no, I don’t get direct bills from you, as those are handled by [Housing Association]. Plus, I have heard that other tenants have complained there is no water currently, so it’s not just me. Now, can you please confirm that there is a water outage at my address?”

Employee: “Oh… Erm… No… We have nothing in our system about an outage. Can you try your taps again for me, please?”

It’s been a few minutes since I last tried, so I humour him. Lo and behold, water comes out of my taps just fine again.

Me: “Well, look at that. Looks like it’s resolved itself in the meantime.”

Employee: “Yeah, well, next time, check our website to see if there is a confirmed water outage in your area because there was nothing I could do for you now. Bit of a time-waster.” 

Me: “Excuse me for wasting your time, then. Goodbye.” *Hangs up*

I work for a company that sends out handymen, plumbers, and the like for people who have a contract with us. I get a call from one of our plumbers.

Plumber: “I’m here with [Client], and she wants a different type of water tap. I have one with me and can do that right away. Can you give me a digital order? I told her it will cost [amount], and I checked her ID. She’s okay with it.”

Me: “Of course I can help with that. May I please talk to her, as well? Then we’ll have her okay on recording.”

The plumber hands over the phone and I check the client’s identity with our security questions. I tell her that if she wants that other water tap, it will cost [amount] and she will receive a bill in a few weeks. I also tell her she needs to sign for the okay.

She gives permission, and the plumber goes to work. The digital order appears on his pad and the sweet old lady signs.

A few weeks later, after the bill is sent, the client calls about it.

Client: “I don’t know why I was billed; I have a contract with you guys! Unbelievable, taking advantage of a weak old lady like me!”

Me: “I’m so sorry to hear that. Let me check. I see it’s about that different water tap you wanted.”

Client: “Well, yes, but I wasn’t informed that it would cost me any money! I wouldn’t have done it if it would!”

Me: “I see here you gave permission over the phone and signed the order, as well.”

I never say people talked to me because if people want to lie, they tend to do that more quickly when they think they are not talking to the same person. Also, I think it’s fun to call them out when that happens. But this sweet old lady couldn’t lie, right? Just a bit scatterbrained, I bet. 

Client: “What? Was that what that was about? Oh, that person on the phone didn’t mention any costs! She held that information from me!”

Me: “I’m pretty sure I did mention the costs, ma’am.” *Silence* “The plumber mentioned the price and I repeated that. I also said you had to sign for it.”

Client: “I never signed!”

Me: “I have your signature right here.”

Client: “That’s not mine!”

Me: “I have your contract with us and the signature is pretty similar. Do I need to ask my manager to listen back to the recording?”

Client: “Well… I… I mean… I hope you sleep well at night, ripping old ladies off!”

She hung up. Of course, there is a possibility she has more going on and might need help, so I made sure I made a note in her file. We cannot act on one incident, but if it happens again, we can contact the right authorities to check up on her.

In my job, I have to deal with invoices and the like. I like my work, and I really like the fact we can work from home. While I’m not supposed to, I sneakily do household stuff during work.

One day, I am called into a one-on-one Zoom call with my manager.

Manager: “About you working from home… your coworkers shared concern: you always look so tired. Is everything well? We saw that you process a lot of invoices in a day — way more than other people. How about you slow down? Take a break once in a while? Mind your health!”

Me: “Eh, sure, thanks.”

Life goes on, and I do my best to slow down. I also take more coffee breaks than I want or need. My “watch later” playlist is shrinking fast.

During my annual review:

Manager: “We noticed that you are slowing down, but you still are at the top of the list — all the time. Didn’t I tell you to slow down? You’ll hurt yourself if you keep on working like this! Slow down!”

It’s great that my manager has my back, but I don’t know how I can be even slower. So, not only do I take extra coffee breaks, but once in a while, I take a power nap. I do groceries during work time. (I live above a grocery store.) I prepare dinner during work time. I do write down how much I actually work, just so I can see if I work less.

Manager: “I see you finally slowed down. Well done! Take good care of yourself! You’re still doing more than everyone else, so if you want to take an extra coffee, feel free to do so.”

I have no idea how to become even slower. And if I am still doing more than most of my coworkers, then how slow are they?!

One of the things we do as delivery people is pick up the phone to take orders. The phone rings:

Me: “Hello, this is [Pizza Store], [My Name] speaking. How can I help you?”

Customer: “Hello, [My Name]. I ordered two pizzas for my kids and myself today, and I have a complaint.”

Me: “Oh? I’m sorry to hear that. What’s the problem?”

Customer: “I got our pizzas, and one of them was perfect like always, but the other one has too many jalapeños on them! There are like seven on every slice! My kids don’t want to eat it now.”

Why would you order an explicitly spicy pizza (it’s stated very clearly on the website) if you know your kids don’t eat spicy things?

Me: “I’m sorry to hear that. It’s very busy at the moment so it might have happened by accident.”

Customer: “I’m very disappointed. Is there nothing you can do, like send a new pizza or something? Because my kids don’t want to eat the other one now, either.”

Me: “I can ask; give me a second.”

I turn to the shift lead, who tells me we can’t send her a new pizza just because she thinks it’s too spicy.

Me: “I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can do. I’ll pass it on to the kitchen so they can keep an eye out for it in the future so things like this can be prevented.”

Customer: “I’m just very disappointed. Are you sure there’s nothing you can do?”

Me: “I’m sorry, I don’t think so.”

Customer: “That’s disappointing.”

She says this a lot.

Customer: “Well, thanks, I guess. I wish you could’ve done something.”

Me: “Like I said, I’m sorry. Have a good day!”

I must say this was the most ridiculous complaint I’ve had to deal with next to the person who got mad that she got the pizza that she ordered.

Related:
Jalapeño-No-No

I’ll be honest I’m not sure if I dealt with this right. We rent out houses to lower-income groups, and the waiting list is immense. I get a call from a man who is a client of an organization that rents one of our homes. Technically, he’s not our client; the organization he’s a client of is our client. 

Client: “I want to know if my house number could be changed.”

Me: “Your house number? Let’s see what we can do about that. Did the plate with the number get damaged?”

Client: “No, it’s fine. But I want it to be changed.”

Me: “I’m not sure I understand just yet, but let’s get your details first. What is the address you’re renting from us?”

Client: “It’s [Street], number 666.”

Me: “I see… and I think I understand what you mean now. But the contract is not on your name, am I seeing this right?”

Client: “No, it’s in [Organization]’s. But I can’t live here, not with that number.”

Me: “Well… weren’t you told of the house number before you got the key?”

Client: “Yes, but I wasn’t allowed to refuse. I was homeless and all… but I just can’t stay here.”

Me: “Well, house numbers are assigned by City Hall, not by us.”

Client: “I went there and they told me to go to you. They told me you could change it.”

Me: “That’s odd… but I can let you know that our company won’t change a house number that’s existed since the seventies. We can’t just make up a number and put that instead for you.”

Client: “But you don’t understand! I can’t live under that number!”

Me: “I do understand, but this is something that will not be changed. If you knew this beforehand but couldn’t refuse, then it’s not something we are responsible for.”

Client: “So, you’re saying my only option is to move out?”

Me: “If you don’t want that house number, then I’m afraid that is the only option, because we won’t change that number.”

Client: “Well… thanks for nothing!” *Hangs up*

I tried to show empathy, but I was just too amazed to put myself into this man’s shoes.