Training, please

I had the most roller coaster call of my life today!

I am leaving out some information from the story that would identify the company I work for. We are a very specialized company and if I am any more specific it would be very easy to identify who I work for. The type of training this woman needed is not important, it was her reaction to everything I said 🙂

Me: _______, this is Sh605. How can I help you?

C: I need training, please.

M: Ok, what are you needing training with?

C: Everything, I have never worked with your company before.

M: Can I get you to log in to our website so I can direct you to the training videos available there?

C: NO! I want PROPER training, or I will cancel my account. This is ridiculous, I’ve been on hold for over an hour! (Lol, no) If you can’t be bothered to train me then I want your supervisor because I think you’re being very rude.

M: (a little taken aback as I’ve said about 3 sentences to her so far) Ma’am, it’s not that I don’t want to help you, it’s just that we already have these very helpful videos available to first-time users like yourself. I also have a lot of people waiting to speak to me who need help just like you do, who may have an issue not already addressed on the website. If you need further assistance after watching the videos, I am happy to provide either my direct line or the number to this department if you would like to speak to someone else.

C: NO! I want YOU to train me! Someone told me if I called you would walk me through all of this! I want to speak to the most senior official you have at your company! I’m not happy at all with your service and if you don’t train me RIGHT NOW your boss will hear about your attitude after I cancel my account!

M: I’m sorry if you feel that I was rude to you. Please hold while I try to find you a supervisor to speak to.

At that point, I was getting pretty upset and shaky. It’s hard to make it clear over text how loud and snarky her tone of voice was, I know it doesn’t seem like she was being too crazy but her attitude was starting to rattle me. I went to my boss and explained what just happened, my coworker who sits behind me spoke up and said she had been listening and I was never once rude to this person. My boss had my back the whole time, it’s a small group so we all hear each other speak to callers and I’m known to always be polite and to have a very gentle, calm customer service voice.

She said to send the call over so I put my headset back on and got ready to hear some more yelling before I transferred her.

M: Ma’am, I have a supervisor ready to take your call. Please hold while I get you over to her.

C: Oh, I don’t want to talk to her. I just want YOU to train me.

M: I’m sorry, but again, what you’re asking me for is available online and I do need to assist other callers.

C: I don’t understand! Why can’t you just help me with very basic, easy thing to do on the website Do you just not care?? TRAIN ME NOW! I will not get off the phone or be transferred unless YOU walk me through every step of this!

M: giving in because my hands are shaking too badly to even properly hit the buttons to transfer and I just want to get off the phone Are you logged in right now?

C: Yes!

M: very brief, basic explanation

C: Oh, ok. And how do I other very basic thing

M: another quick explanation

C: Got it. Thanks for your time, I appreciate you! immediately hangs up

M: What the fuck just happened?

In the middle of the call, the thought this was some sort of prank or test crossed my mind. She snapped so quickly she had me second guessing everything I had said, thinking I must have done something without even knowing for her to react so suddenly. I think that’s part of why it got to me so much, but my boss was fine with everything I said and looking back, I almost feel like she was threatening me to get me to do something she just couldn’t be bothered to watch a video on. A video that was far more detailed and would probably have been more helpful than my rushed explanation was, as it actually shows the website in action and I had to just describe it.