I apologize for your mistake being our fault!

[greensinestro]

If it's one thing I loathe, it's customers who blame others for their mistakes. One of my job duties is to assist people with our on-line bill pay service, and I have discovered that in nearly ninety-nine percent of the calls, the problems customers have are caused by their mistakes, ignorance, or complete lack of intelligence. Here's a call I took recently dealing with that:

SC: I demand you fix this problem right now! I have not received an e-mail notification for my e-billing in four months!
Me: OK, let me verify your information.
SC: You all keep doing that and can't get it right!
Me: I'm sure we can fix this if you'll allow me to look at the account. What is your e-mail address?
SC: Ugh! I've already put that there myself, but here it is again! It's jackass@shithead.com
Me: All right. I show a different e-mail, slightly similar, but not matching. I show jackass@shitface.com.
SC: That's not what it says. Ugh, let me look at it myself! (And he signs in. Sure enough, there's silence) Uh, well, uh, gee. My e-mail address is incorrect.
Me: Yes, sir, and this is why you received no e-mail notifications.
SC: (After he has egg on his face, the next thing he says is quite common) Well, someone should have called me to tell me that!
Me: We don't make personal calls to customers, nor do we have any way of knowing that your e-mail address is not correct.
SC: When you send an e-mail to a non-existent address, you should have a bounceback, and this is how you should have known.
Me: It does not work that way, sir, plus there is a good chance someone else has that incorrect e-mail address that you yourself added there.
SC: So, why didn't that person call you all about it?
Me: Uh, sir, maybe because that person thought it was junk mail and might not even have our service to begin with.
SC: This is ridiculous! I never check my account on-line and should be getting a notification every month! (OK, so he never actually checks his account like many others do. He just waits for Mommy Dearest to hold his hand and remind him to check his service on-line)
Me: I might suggest you once in a while check your account being it was you who signed up for it. Part of checking it is to make sure the correct information is there.
SC: I shouldn't have to do that. Your system should remind me on e-mail.
Me: We discussed that sir. Your e-mail address was wrong, and it was the e-mail you put in there yourself.
SC: I should get a credit for that.
Me: You already received a credit. You got a $2 credit for the paper bill fee, which you were not even charged because it's on e-billing, and you got a $5 credit for a late fee, which was legitimate because of your refusal to pay the bill previously.
SC: The customer is always right! Your mistake caused me to not get a bill!
Me: Sir, is there anything else I can help you with?
SC: (Click!)

So, no matter what I told this guy, no matter what mistake was pointed out to him that he made when signing up, it was still my fault that he had this problem for four months. He never actually checks his account himself, nor does he bother to make sure the information he inputs is correct. To top it all off, this SC has received probably $15 or so in credits for fees that were waived for his stupidity, ignorance, and inability to admit he made this mistake.

Oh, I should point out that I myself corrected his e-mail address being if I had not, he'll just be calling us again for the same issue. I held his hand like his mommy would have.

[Bloodsoul]

Makes me think back to the days when parents did less hand holding and more belts to the backside.

[Soulstealer]

Makes me think back to the days when parents did less hand holding and more belts to the backside.

Or a good smack across the parent's face when their child's misbehaving followed by a tounge lashing.

[Bluenomi]

We always have customers how forget to book things and blame us for it when they don't get it! Apparently it is our fault they didn't bother to book any AV services and get all upset when they turn up to their meeting to find no equipment.

Just like when a person rings a wrong number and give you an earful for not being the person they wanted!

[CancelMyService]

One thing that happens somewhat often in the cable business is that sometimes people are only paying for basic cable (first 20 channels) but are receiving the whole standard cable package (channels 2-99).

Now this isn't always their fault, the expanded channels (23-99) are turned off and on at the pole and sometimes that wasn't done. Eventually a tech will notice this and set the pole to the right settings.

Also keep in mind a whole block could be fed off a single pole. let alone an apartment building where there could be 30+ accounts off of one line. Every time someone gets their free channels shut off we get the "YOUUUUUUUUUU SHOULD HAVE TOOOOOOOOOOOOOLD MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" whining.

Now how the F can we tell you you're losing channels that you're getting for free without our knowledge?

[greensinestro]

When I was a local toll operator, one type of billing we did on calls was billing to a calling card, before cellular phones became common. A few years after the break up of AT&T into the so-called baby Bells, I remember a call that went something like this:

SC: I need to make a call on my calling card.
Me: I apologize, sir, but that calling card is not coming up as valid.
SC: What? I just used this last week and it was good.
Me: I'll be happy to try it again. (Still declined afterward, and after he read it again)
It still is not working, sir.
SC: This card is valid. I just used it yesterday. (OK, now he used it more recently)
Me: What kind of card is it?
SC: It's my f***ing calling card.
Me: I know that, sir, and you don't have to use that language with me.
SC: Fine! Here is my card number again! (Which again, declined)
Me: It's still not coming up as valid. Are you certain you gave me the correct PIN?
SC: Ugh! Let me get it out of my wallet. Here it is.
Me: It's working now, sir, but it's because you gave me the correct PIN this time, unlike the previous three times.
SC: You know what? Things worked so much better before that f***ing break up with AT&T. (Yep, that break up is why this moron couldn't remember his PIN)
Me: Thank you for calling, sir. Have a great day!

Again, he was citing his calling card and PIN to me, but could not actually remember the PIN. Yet, it was AT&T's break up into the smaller Bell companies that made him forget it! Go figure!

[greensinestro]

One thing that happens somewhat often in the cable business is that sometimes people are only paying for basic cable (first 20 channels) but are receiving the whole standard cable package (channels 2-99).

Now this isn't always their fault, the expanded channels (23-99) are turned off and on at the pole and sometimes that wasn't done. Eventually a tech will notice this and set the pole to the right settings.

Also keep in mind a whole block could be fed off a single pole. let alone an apartment building where there could be 30+ accounts off of one line. Every time someone gets their free channels shut off we get the "YOUUUUUUUUUU SHOULD HAVE TOOOOOOOOOOOOOLD MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" whining.

Now how the F can we tell you you're losing channels that you're getting for free without our knowledge?

This reminds me of a couple of weeks ago when Soap Net started playing on my cable box, yet I was not paying for the expanded channels. Had it for only a day though. I guess I should have called and raised hell about that one, too. "I want the channel, but I don't want to pay for it!"

[mattm04]

I have had a customer blaim me for not reminding them to order a cake. They forgot to order it in the 24hr time frame we need and it was my fault.

[Banrion]

Funny story on that. The previous tenants in my apartment apparantly never bothered to notify the cable company that they were moving. I moved in and had basic cable up and running for free. Once I got settled in 2-3 days of unpacking, I called the cable company to set up my account. They waived the activation fee for me, and I got Expanded basic for free for a year for being honest. They still win in the end, because once that year was getting close to being over, we upgraded to the digital package, including the HD package.

[Daphne]

It all comes down to people refusing to take responsibility for their own dimwitted actions. In my library district, you recieve a notice that your holds are ready for pick up either in your email or in your postal mail. When people don't recieve their hold notices, they complain. It's always because they are no longer using the same email address or they have moved to a different residence and not notified us. Somehow we're supposed to magically know this.

[Ill_Used_Heroine]

Yep, we get that ALL the time. And our system isn't even sophisticated enough to send emails ... we send postcards. And if the requested items don't get picked up, the patrons get charged $1.00 per. Can you only imagine the whining complaints I get every day? And they're almost always the same:

"I'm not paying that $1.00 charge! I never got my card in the mail!"
"Let's see, is blah blah blah your correct mailing address?"
"No! You have the wrong address ... I moved MONTHS ago! See?!"
"Did you notify any library branch during their business hours of your address change?"
"Um ... oh ... no."
"Uh huh. That'll be $1.00, please."

[Daphne]

Ill_Used_Heroine, I am so glad my library district doesn't charge for returned mail. Our patrons already complain enough about everything else as is.

Next week is my final week as a public librarian. I'd rather eat glass than go back.

[Dreamstalker]

I once had a guy bitch me out (via the owner) for not knowing what books in a particular series he had bought over a year ago

There was no way to know, as the only titles that could have been the ones he was asking after were rung up as used books (which only have one SKU).