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So I work for a rather large corporation answering customer phone calls and here at our company we take customer security very seriously.
One day not too long ago I got a call from a musician who wanted to get some account information transferred over to his email address.
The problem with this is he is not the one that owns the initial account. That would be the distributor he is leaving in order to produce and distribute his music himself.
The call started off rather simply, something along the lines of this:
Caller: I'm a musician and I'm no longer doing business with my distributor. I'd like to transfer the information for my music over to this email address.
(Now I checked the account and saw that he had already made a request of the department that would handle such matters and they told him to contact using the email address connected to the account.)
Me: I can send the information on to the correct department but the request would have to made using the account your music is saved to.
Caller: I just need to have the information suspended. i don't want it removed completely.
Me: I understand that, but we can't make changes to an account that hasn't been verified. You need to contact your distributor to have them make the necessary request to transfer information.
Caller: They aren't open today. I can't call them.
Me: Well they are the ones that hold the account the information is on, so you would need to contact them and either get the information to confirm the account or have them make the request.
Caller: But there's no need to delete the information completely. Just suspend it.
Me:As your distributor owns the account the information is on, they can delete the music if they so choose and we can not force them to make decisions regarding their account or stop them from doing so. You need to contact them to ask that they just put it on hold.
Caller: You're not hearing me. THEY. ARE. CLOSED. I can't call them!
Me: Then you need to contact them when they are open.
Lather, Rinse, Repeat 5x with the customer becoming angrier and angrier before he comes up with this awesome analogy
Caller: Look, it's like if I transferred my music from my computer to an MP3 player. I'm just transferring the information not deleting it entirely.
Me: I understand what you're saying, but in this case your distributor owns the computer not you.
Caller:That makes no sense.
Lather, Rinse, Repeat 3x with the customer becoming even angrier. I've given up and am just sitting back with my eyes closed.
Caller: If I were Sony I wouldn't have to be dealing with this s***. I'm so tired of all you f*****g American companies who aren't willing to help. You're not willing to think outside the box. You're so rigid.
Me: Just as we can not force you to make decisions regarding your account we can't force any one else. What your distributor decides to do with the information on their account is up to them. Just like we wouldn't adhere to someone calling up and trying to get us to not allow you to make changes to your account.
Caller: It's not the same thing! the music belongs to me!
Me:Please contact your distributor when you can. At this point there is nothing we can do for you. I can send some questions to the department that handles these types of accounts but to make the transfer it has to come from the account holder.
Cue more swearing and belligerence. At this point I have reached my limit and begin my disconnect script for abusive callers.
Me: Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to calm down or I'll have to disconnect the call.
Caller: (Insert incoherent yelling and more swearing)
Me: Thank you for calling ____________I am now releasing this call.
And what makes that call even better, is that after a half an hour of this guy...the swearing and everything I put up with during the call...I got verbally reprimanded for not giving him enough time to change his behavior.
One day not too long ago I got a call from a musician who wanted to get some account information transferred over to his email address.
The problem with this is he is not the one that owns the initial account. That would be the distributor he is leaving in order to produce and distribute his music himself.
The call started off rather simply, something along the lines of this:
Caller: I'm a musician and I'm no longer doing business with my distributor. I'd like to transfer the information for my music over to this email address.
(Now I checked the account and saw that he had already made a request of the department that would handle such matters and they told him to contact using the email address connected to the account.)
Me: I can send the information on to the correct department but the request would have to made using the account your music is saved to.
Caller: I just need to have the information suspended. i don't want it removed completely.
Me: I understand that, but we can't make changes to an account that hasn't been verified. You need to contact your distributor to have them make the necessary request to transfer information.
Caller: They aren't open today. I can't call them.
Me: Well they are the ones that hold the account the information is on, so you would need to contact them and either get the information to confirm the account or have them make the request.
Caller: But there's no need to delete the information completely. Just suspend it.
Me:As your distributor owns the account the information is on, they can delete the music if they so choose and we can not force them to make decisions regarding their account or stop them from doing so. You need to contact them to ask that they just put it on hold.
Caller: You're not hearing me. THEY. ARE. CLOSED. I can't call them!
Me: Then you need to contact them when they are open.
Lather, Rinse, Repeat 5x with the customer becoming angrier and angrier before he comes up with this awesome analogy
Caller: Look, it's like if I transferred my music from my computer to an MP3 player. I'm just transferring the information not deleting it entirely.
Me: I understand what you're saying, but in this case your distributor owns the computer not you.
Caller:That makes no sense.
Lather, Rinse, Repeat 3x with the customer becoming even angrier. I've given up and am just sitting back with my eyes closed.
Caller: If I were Sony I wouldn't have to be dealing with this s***. I'm so tired of all you f*****g American companies who aren't willing to help. You're not willing to think outside the box. You're so rigid.
Me: Just as we can not force you to make decisions regarding your account we can't force any one else. What your distributor decides to do with the information on their account is up to them. Just like we wouldn't adhere to someone calling up and trying to get us to not allow you to make changes to your account.
Caller: It's not the same thing! the music belongs to me!
Me:Please contact your distributor when you can. At this point there is nothing we can do for you. I can send some questions to the department that handles these types of accounts but to make the transfer it has to come from the account holder.
Cue more swearing and belligerence. At this point I have reached my limit and begin my disconnect script for abusive callers.
Me: Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to calm down or I'll have to disconnect the call.
Caller: (Insert incoherent yelling and more swearing)
Me: Thank you for calling ____________I am now releasing this call.
And what makes that call even better, is that after a half an hour of this guy...the swearing and everything I put up with during the call...I got verbally reprimanded for not giving him enough time to change his behavior.
to CS 
Where I work, we'd have to take the abuse indefinitely...so I feel your pain. I have to think this guy is totally oblivious...everybody knows the music business is one of the few(?) remaining industries where the labels own everything. If you sign with a label, they own you and all your music, and good luck getting out of your contract. How could he not know that?? Geez louise.
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