Apology

This just happened about 10 minutes ago.

I don’t work at a call center per se, but at an office that regulates a professional field in my state. A part of my job involves taking several calls from those “professionals” every day.

I spent 15 minutes on the phone talking with one such specimen who has been ineligible to work in her field for an extended period of time due to a waiver of her requirements, which she requested. The call started fine, but she became increasingly belligerent and rude the more confused she became about her situation.

I became impatient but remained calm in explaining to her why she was in her current situation (surprise surprise, she created it herself). She started becoming upset about an issue regarding payment to us, which is not the department I work in. I told her I could only give her “rudimentary” information about payment, but would have to transfer her so she could get better information.

At this point she was being that caller. She would ask a question and before I could get a second sentence into my answer she would interrupt me. I believe that is the explanation for the end of the call.

She finally agrees to let me transfer her, and this interaction ensues:

Her: Before you’d transfer me I’d like you to apologize for calling me rude

Me: I did not call you rude ma’am.

Her: I think you did.

Me: Ok well I am not going to apologize for “calling you rude” because that is something I did not do.

She hung up.