She doesn't know what zero means.....

[CancelMyService]

So I had an elderly lady call in today, she moved out of state and had her cable service turned off. She did this after her bill printed out, so she ended up getting a bill for the next month.

If you thought this is where things went downhill, you'd be incorrect. I managed to get her to understand what happened (she was 94 years old and hard of hearing), and she said in that wonderful mean old lady tone "you people better not send me any more bills out". Now I needed to let her know that she was going to get a final statement from us with a balance of $0 just so she had proof her account was closed out. This would be where the wheels fell off.

Me: You will get the final bill letting you know the account is closed, but it'll be a zero balance.

Her: What??? I don't understand you.

*thinking ok, she's old and cant hear, I repeat what I said*


Her: A what balance? I don't understand you!!!


Me: *getting somewhat confused at this point* a zero balance, meaning you don't owe anything, the bill will say zero dollars


Her: I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN, YOU BETTER NOT TRY TO SAY I OWE YOU PEOPLE ANY MONEY!!!


Me: No ma'am, it will say a zero balance, as in nothing


Her. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU!!!!!





She literally didn't know what "zero" was. I knew she was old, but apparently she was born before numbers were invented. Also it's really hard to explain the concept of zero to someone who doesn't know it. It's like some graduate philosophy thesis trying to define the state of nothingness.

[rerant]

I get situations like this all the time at the food bank. For whatever reason I can explain things a million times and they still will not understand the simplest of concepts.

Example:
You'll need to bring ID for you and anyone else in your family.
But I have a baby.
Do you have the baby's birth cert.?
Yes.
Bring that.
Huh?
The birth cert. is ID for the baby.
But it's not ID.
Yes it is.
No it's not. It has no picture.
For a baby that is acceptable.
I don't understand.
Just... bring the birth certificate.
Why?
...
But why?
You know what... just because. Trust me. Just do it. Just bring the birth certificate.
Wh-
Bring it.
But I-
Bring it.
Bu--
Bring.
Wh--
It. Bring it.
Ok, thanks. *click*

[Imprl59]

Don't get fresh! Of course she wasn't born before numbers were invented. Why back in her day they had already invented all the best numbers.. 3 4 6 and 9 and they were talking about 5 but couldn't decide if it was a number or not. Who ever heard of this 0 stuff. Next thing you'll be trying to convince me they have added a 1 and a 2. Crazyness I tell ya.... you young people just make stuff up.

[powerboy]

So she didn't understand what that meant. How was she sucky? was she sucky because she was hard of hearing? If so, then I must be sucky also. I am partially death in one ear. And with me, my hearing comes and goes. I say next time, don't judge unless you walked in their shoes. If I am missing the point of this thread, please tell me

[Broomjockey]

So she didn't understand what that meant. How was she sucky? was she sucky because she was hard of hearing?

She was sucky because she didn't understand the concept of nothing. Really. That's it. Nothing about being hard of hearing. Don't read more into it than was put in.

[powerboy]

She was sucky because she didn't understand the concept of nothing. Really. That's it. Nothing about being hard of hearing. Don't read more into it than was put in.

But still, how was that sucky? So she was stupid, but sucky? I am not reading more into it, I was stating another reason for that happening.

[CancelMyService]

Well I was getting screamed at by an old lady who thought the evil cable company was going to charge her more money because she didn't understand the concept of zero bill = no money owed.

If I didn't make it clear enough in my original post, the amount of times we went back and forth over what zero meant eliminated any chance of it being an issue of her not hearing me.

Also, if stupid customers no longer count as sucky then you can probably delete 75% of the posts in this folder.

[Snowbird]

Maybe you should have used 'ought' or 'zilch' or ....

"Ma'am, you owe us bupkis!"

Can you imagine what she'd hear instead though?

[tollbaby]

But still, how was that sucky? So she was stupid, but sucky? I am not reading more into it, I was stating another reason for that happening.

The OP never claimed the customer was sucky, merely that she couldn't comprehend how anyone could not understand what "zero" meant, and couldn't figure out how to explain it to her without confusing her further.

[smileyeagle1021]

Maybe you should have used 'ought' or 'zilch' or ....

"Ma'am, you owe us bupkis!"

Can you imagine what she'd hear instead though?

or, to be really tell her she has a null balance then mute and laugh as she goes through the roof.

[Broomjockey]

But still, how was that sucky? So she was stupid, but sucky? I am not reading more into it, I was stating another reason for that happening.

This is why we've created the new forum. People keep asking "How was that sucky?" Now, we've got a place for tales where customers do something stupid.

[smileyeagle1021]

This is why we've created the new forum. People keep asking "How was that sucky?" Now, we've got a place for tales where customers do something stupid.

thanks for that broomjockey... I'm sure I can fill that forum because I get a lot of stupid people who aren't sucky.

[Broomjockey]

thanks for that broomjockey... I'm sure I can fill that forum because I get a lot of stupid people who aren't sucky.

I think it's a great idea, and will help keep focus on the story, rather than picking stories apart over the amount of suck presented. Saw your thread in there already and laughed. And if anyone posted a thread recently that they think would go better in the new forum, feel free to pm a mod, or even report it (since that gets the message to all of us) asking for it to be moved.

[draftermatt]

Personally I would have said "you'll get something in the mail from us showing that you owe us nothing"

Yeah "zero balance" makes no sense, but it saves 30 minutes of arguing over what 0 is, especially to a confused old lady.