The Points Of No Return

I used to work in a call center that dealt with travel bookings from credit card reward points.

Caller: “I’m in Japan!”

Me: “Okay, sir. And how can I help you today?”

Caller: “I booked my flight and hotel with my reward points!”

Me: “Okay, sir. And… how can I help you today?”

Caller: “I want my flights and hotel all to be refunded!”

Me: “May I ask why?”

Caller: “The museum is closed!”

Me: “What museum?”

Caller: “The museum I came all this way to see! It’s closed on the only day I’m in Tokyo!”

Me: “Was this a museum an attraction booked using your reward points?”

Caller: “Of course not! You only do flights and hotels!”

We do some attractions, but this caller doesn’t seem to know that, so he definitely didn’t use us to book it.

Me: “Sir, we can’t control when a tourist spot, one that we don’t even work with, that’s halfway around the globe, is open.”

Caller: “I know that! But you will refund me all my points for the inconvenience.”

Me: “We are not the cause of the inconvenience.”

Caller: “I know that too! But those idiots at the museum can’t speak English good so you’re all I’ve got!”

Me: “Regardless of our ability to understand each other, my organization has provided the services you required of us. We do not owe you any refunds.”

Caller: “But your rewards points are the reason I started planning this trip in the first place!”

Me: “I thought the museum was the reason for the trip?”

Caller: “I… just… refund my points!”

Me: “Allow my ability to ‘speak English good’ to make it very clear that we will not be doing that, sir. I hope you get to enjoy the rest of your trip.”

Caller: “That’s all you have to say to me?!”

Me: “Uh… Sayōnara?”