We Know What She’s Getting For Christmas!

I work in a call centre on the social media team for a furniture company that also sells other items in its stores, such as plates. We get some pretty ridiculous stuff through sometimes, but this is the one that I remember the most.

Customer: “I have one of your plates; it broke.”

I give my standard greeting.

Me: “Can I have a photo of the plate and a photo of your receipt so I can look into this?”

The customer sends the photos.

Me: “Hey, [Manager], can you take a look at this?”

The photo shows a blue plate with a black patch and a massive crack. This isn’t something that has happened on its own. I go back to the customer. 

Me: “Hi, [Customer], can I please ask how the plate broke?”

Customer: “I was using it to put coal on.”

Me: *Internally* “Um… coal… It’s a plate. You seriously thought that would be a good idea?”

Customer: “Also, when the plate cracked, it burned my sofa, so I’ll need you to reimburse me for the sofa.”

The customer sends us photos of the sofa.

We then have a long, drawn-out conversation about how the plate isn’t FOR coal, so we won’t be paying her because she did something like this. She is basically arguing that we don’t specifically state not to put coal on the plates. I explain that this particular plate — as per the package — can only withstand about 50°C (122°F) heat and coal is WAY hotter than that when smouldering.

She doesn’t respond for a couple of days so I figure it is done with. But then I go into the office and a member of the team that deals with letters speaks to me. 

Employee: “Do you have anything from [Customer]?”

Me: “Yeah, but please don’t give her anything; it was misuse.”

They ended up sending her a £150 gift card.