We’re Guessing That Was Also A “No”

Years ago, I worked in product support for a company that made all kinds of GPS devices. My team worked mostly with customers in Latin America, troubleshooting problems with products designed to keep track of various sports activities.

One day, I took a call from a customer in South America. He was absolutely furious because his biking activity had not been recorded on the bike computer after a long ride. He refused my assistance for troubleshooting and then my offer for him to take his device to the repair shop we had in his country, which, lucky for him, was actually in the city where he lived. He demanded we get him his missing data, impossible to do as the device hadn’t saved any. He wanted a refund, which we could not do as he’d purchased his device from a third-party vendor. He then insisted I personally needed to deliver a replacement for his device as compensation. His volume increased with each demand.

Me: “Sir, you dialed a number for the USA. We are not in [Country]. Your request is impossible.”

Customer: *Screaming* “I don’t care! Get on a helicopter and bring me my new [device] right now! I am not moving from here until I get it!”