To Give Credit Where Credit Is Due

(I work for a retail company and some of the things we sell have rebates. Customer fills out form, sends it in, 4-6 weeks later they receive a prepaid Visa card in the mail. Pretty simple, right?)

Me: “Thank you for calling [Company]. How can I help you?”

Customer: “I am FURIOUS!”

Me: “Oh, no, I’m sorry to hear that. What happened?”

Customer: “You sent me a Visa card in the mail! I just got it!”

Me: “You mean a prepaid one, right?”

Customer: “Exactly!”

Me: “Oookay… Something wrong with it?”

Customer: “I didn’t tell you to send me this!”

Me: “Sir, did you recently fill out a rebate form?”

Customer: “Yeah! On a ream of paper.”

Me: “Well, that’s what we send you- a prepaid Visa card. You can use it anywhere. Was it for the right amount?”

Customer: “Yes.. But I didn’t give you authorization to use my personal information!”

Me: “What do you mean?

Customer: “In order to send me this you had to go in and get my credit card information! I didn’t give that to you! How did you get that?”

Me: “Sir, it’s prepaid. There is money already on it,. Once you use it, it is gone. You don’t need to pay it off. It’s like a gift card. We don’t have your credit information. We don’t need your credit information. It’s perfectly safe.”

Customer: “Yeah?! Well, I didn’t tell you to send it to me!”

Me: “Did you fill out the form?”

Customer: “Yes.”

Me: “Then you told us to send you that.”

Customer: “Well, you should state what you’re sending me on the form!”

Me: “We do… at the top… in big bold letters.”

Customer:  “Yeah, but-”

Me: “Is there anything else I can help you with today?”

Customer: “…”

Me: “Have a good day, sir.”

(I guess some people have nothing better to do.)