Where are Americans relocating to?
Some customers will say anything to get what they want. One man pretended his son had died so he wouldn't have to pay off his student loan. When asked to provide the death certificate, he tried to pretend he'd been joking. Very awkward...
Another customer called to cancel his service because his wife had passed away. During the call, a woman's voice was heard in the background asking where the car keys were. The customer shouted "Shut up! You're supposed to be dead" and hung up.
Racism isn't uncommon, even over the phone. One man informed the operator: "that last fellow sounded Black, so I hung up and dialed y'all again."
A drunk man called up a customer service helpline thinking it was his friend's phone number. He kept insisting he needed help and was stuck in the pub toilet.
A customer in need of a second opinion called up the customer service helpline of her bank to ask whether she should order chow mein or sweet and sour chicken. They advised her to go with the chow mein...
One agent was struggling to help an angry customer. The customer threatened to call Barack Obama (the US president at the time) and have her fired.
An unfortunate agent spoke to a customer who was clearly on the toilet during their conversation. Without going into too much detail, it was evident from the background noise.
One confused customer called up a tech support line after spilling coffee on their keyboard. They said they ran it through the dishwasher but it still wasn't working...
An irate customer called to complain about charges she had received for adult movies. She insisted she hadn't watched any, until the agent asked if she had any teenagers in the house. The woman screamed "GAVIN!" and hung up the phone!
A woman called up her electric company to report dim lighting in her home and neighborhood. When their engineers got there to check it out, the woman realized she had just forgotten to take her sunglasses off.
A female tech support agent was dealing with a frustrated man who couldn't figure out his new router. He asked her to go find a male agent who actually "knows how to do this stuff."
A travel agent helping an elderly woman book her first flight asked her if she'd like a window or an aisle seat. The woman said she'd prefer an aisle seat so her hair didn't get blown around by the windQ
A customer called up to complain about a huge credit card bill he'd been sent. When the agent went through each charge with him, he said he did purchase all of those items, but he thought the credit card was a US$10,000 gift card he'd won from the bank...
One agent came to understand why there were always police officers stationed at the door of his workplace checking each employee's badge. A woman threatened to find out where he worked and drive her truck through the building to kill him!
A male call center agent had the pleasure of assisting an elderly woman in obtaining an adult video so she could "learn something new" for her 50th wedding anniversary.
A lucky agent was serenaded by a customer who didn't realize they'd be taken off hold. They were singing 'Relight My Fire' by Take That.
A tech support agent from an electronics store was on the phone with a particularly angry customer. The customer knew the store was closing in a few minutes and asked to know how the agent would get home. The agent told him he takes the train. The customer said “well I’m going to keep you on the phone until you miss your train.”
One agent received a call from a minor celebrity who wanted to apply for a credit card. Needless to say it was awkward when she was declined!
An AT&T operator once dealt with a woman whose boyfriend had cut off her phone because she wouldn't let him do cocaine in the house. Some of those details probably weren't necessary...
A customer called to cancel their Internet service because they realized they already had WiFi. They insisted on canceling even after the agent explained that the Internet service was what made the WiFi work...
One loan collector spoke to a customer who so angry that she started flipping over furniture in her house. Since he couldn't see what she was doing, she kindly narrated her actions to him over the phone!
Sources: (BuzzFeed) (Bord Panda) (Rate My Job) (The Secret Diary of a Call Centre)
One customer simply called because the Matrix had taken over their computer...
A rather scary customer said he had fallen behind on his loan payments due to "the trial." A quick Google search confirmed that he was on trial for his daughter's murder!
Working as a customer service representative in a call center is one of those character-building jobs. You'll certainly leave with a thick skin and a wide view of the human condition. Similar to online trolls, some people just let loose when they're on the phone with a customer service agent. No filters, no manners, and certainly no "thank you" at the end.
Click through this gallery to find out what absurd and terrible things call center workers have heard over the phone. And, yes, you will be surprised!
Call center horror stories
You won't believe what people are capable of saying over the phone
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Working as a customer service representative in a call center is one of those character-building jobs. You'll certainly leave with a thick skin and a wide view of the human condition. Similar to online trolls, some people just let loose when they're on the phone with a customer service agent. No filters, no manners, and certainly no "thank you" at the end.
Click through this gallery to find out what absurd and terrible things call center workers have heard over the phone. And, yes, you will be surprised!