This Is A Very Negative Positive

(I work in a call center for a cable company. I take sales and technical support calls. When a sales call comes in, our current plan type either comes with a one-year agreement — with a severe discount — or a month-to-month plan that almost no one takes. I am at the end of a sales call with a middle-aged woman who is trying to help her mother set up service.)

Me: “Okay! So, everything’s all set, and we have the date for installation picked out. Before I can finalize everything, I need your mother to agree to the one-year legal statement over the phone, please.”

(The phone is delivered to the elderly mother.)

Me: “Okay, ma’am, your service is almost done being set up. I just need to read this statement verbatim, and at the end I need a clear ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer, okay?”

Elderly Mother: “Okay.”

(I read the statement.)

Me: “Do you agree with this?”

Elderly Mother: “I do.”

Me: “Ma’am, I am very sorry, could you please provide a clear ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer for the recording?”

Elderly Mother: *exasperated* “I agree! Goodness, you make it so complicated!”

Me: “Ma’am… please, just ‘yes’ or ‘no’…”

Elderly Mother: “YES OR NO!”

Me: “…”