If you had just listened to me, you would not have looked so stupid. (long)

[Rainman]

Wow, two Post-Worthy calls in a row, I am having an interesting night!

Me: Corporate Security this is Rainman, how can I help you?

Bank Employee: Yes sir this is Blah Blah from Branch XXX, I'm trying to arm our premise alarms and my code won't work! I need this fixed pronto!

Me: (I can easily arm his banking center for him remotely, but policy is we do some troubleshooting first to make sure there isn't anothr issue first) All right sir, I can help you with that, let's go over some basic troubleshooting real fast first. . .

BE: Can't you just arm it for me? I want to go home now!

Me: Yes sir but I am required to perform basic troubleshooting to ensure there isn't a bigger issue with your code, now while on the phone with me can you try your access code again please?

BE: Why? I already told you it didn't work, just arm it for me!

Me: (Oh boy here we go) I will if nessesary sir but I am required to do this, just please input your code so I can see things from my end.

BE: Are you not listening! I keep telling you it didn't work!

Me: Sir it will take literally 5 seconds for you to . . .

BE: Goddamit do you think I'm stupid!? You think I can't punch a 4 digit code in right?

Me: No I do not think you're stupid sir (although I am starting to) just enter your code please.

BE: This is f**king insane! I am a vice president for this bank, I have a Masters in blah blah Finance Something blah blah! I am ordering you (oh are you now?) to arm this bank!

Me: Sir, with all due respect you have no authority to order me to do anything, now if you want to go home tonight just do as I ask and we will get this taken care of.

BE: Unbelievable! What is your name! Who is your supervisor? Let me speak with him! I'll have your job for this!

Me: My name is Rainman sir, my supervisor is XXX, he is sitting 5 feet from me and since you have been on speaker this whole time, he can hear everything you have been saying. Since we have yet to get past the first step of troubleshooting, I will not bother him with this unless I can't help you. Furthermore, I doubt very much my superiors will be too upset with me following the procedures they themselves have set for us in this dept, now are you going to try to input your code again or are you going to continue yelling and getting nowhere?

BE: This is ridiculous! All I want to do is go home and ( I hear him put his code in, and lo and behold, I hear the system arm!)

Me: Sounds like you are all set there sir. Will there be anything else.

BE: Um. . . no. . . um. . . there must be something wrong with this alarm panel for my code to not work. . . um. . .

Me: (voice dripping with sarcasm) Yes sir I'm sure that's been the problem this whole time, I will have that looked into right away. (no I won't) You have a good night now

BE: *click*

[Hyndis]

Do they not understand that as security, its your job to not be intimidated by someone blustering and trying to intimidate you into doing something?

If that worked you would be a terrible security guard!

Also that method is one of the absolute best ways to get information a person should not have access to. Simply bluff and bully your way past protocols and get the other person to give up vital information.

All of the security in the world won't do any good if people cave in and give up the passwords at the slightest threat.

[Chanlin]

Simply bluff and bully your way past protocols and get the other person to give up vital information.

This and relying on common human ignorance. I can't count how many toner scams I shot down in my time as a phone jockey. I should also add I type my own passwords in wrong very frequently, mostly cause I type too fast.

[dragon_wings]

I should also add I type my own passwords in wrong very frequently, mostly cause I type too fast.

Factor in a smartphone keyboard (like my iPhone's) and its really easy to mistype.

[Der Cute]

He owes you a 6 pack.

[barainga]

If he had just listened to you, I would have been denied entertainment.

Thank you idiot banker man, you have at last provided a worthy service to society.

[eltf177]

If he had just listened to you, I would have been denied entertainment.

Thank you idiot banker man, you have at last provided a worthy service to society.

ROFL!!!

[XCashier]

If he had just listened to you, I would have been denied entertainment.

Thank you idiot banker man, you have at last provided a worthy service to society.

Indeed. http://www.despair.com/mis24x30prin.html

Actually, this one suits that guy better.

[emax4]

That's when you hum and sigh repeatedly to waste the guys time and get him even more frustrated and make him late, haw haw.

[Pixilated]

I love those "Depressories," LOL.

"Goddamit do you think I'm stupid!? You think I can't punch a 4 digit code in right?
That appears to be a correct assessment, sir.

At least he had the grace to be embarrassed, as is seen by all that stammering and stuttering at the end.

[csquared]

BE: This is f**king insane! I am a vice president for this bank, I have a Masters in blah blah Finance Something blah blah! I am ordering you (oh are you now?) to arm this bank!

Me: Sir, with all due respect you have no authority to order me to do anything, now if you want to go home tonight just do as I ask and we will get this taken care of.

BE: Unbelievable! What is your name! Who is your supervisor? Let me speak with him! I'll have your job for this!

Me: My name is Rainman sir, my supervisor is XXX, he is sitting 5 feet from me and since you have been on speaker this whole time, he can hear everything you have been saying. Since we have yet to get past the first step of troubleshooting, I will not bother him with this unless I can't help you. Furthermore, I doubt very much my superiors will be too upset with me following the procedures they themselves have set for us in this dept, now are you going to try to input your code again or are you going to continue yelling and getting nowhere?

That was very well handled.

In hind sight I would have been tempted to reply: "No sir. You need to give me the name of your supervisor so that I can report to them that you are refusing to follow security procedures."

Him bragging that he was a VP made me laugh. Banks hand out VP titles like candy on Halloween. I use to work with a large German bank. Half the IT department were VPs.

[sstabeler]

the bit I think was amusing was he had said he was too intelligent to input a 4 digit code wrong, then when he tried the code again, it worked!

but seriously, I expect the guy was tired, so is it surprising that he couldn't input the code correctly first time?

[rose_metal_nz]

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAA. Awesome.

And you handled things perfectly btw Very smooth!

[PepperElf]

Also that method is one of the absolute best ways to get information a person should not have access to. Simply bluff and bully your way past protocols and get the other person to give up vital information.

I see that on Burn Notice a lot.
And in real life too - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_...cial_engineers

'll have your job for this!

That always makes me laugh cos I think to myself "You want my job? Go ahead! I'd love to see how you manage working with people like yourself!"

[Shalom]

Sometimes there's a way to get out of this situation and still let the BE retain a little face.

Maybe type some irrelevant stuff so he can hear your keyboard making noise, then tell him that you've just renoberated the framistan so his code should work now. Can he try it again please?

Keeps everybody's blood pressure down that way. Idiots don't like being reminded that they're idiots...