I don’t have WiFi in the Park, give a new phone.

Disclaimer: On mobile. English is not my first language. You get it. TL;DR at the bottom.

So, a couple of years ago I got my first job in a Call Center. It was an outsourcing and we just provide Customer Service and basic Tech Support for Apple. (Tier 1 level of support)

I have so many stories, but this is one of the most ridiculous.

So I have this call at the beginning of the shift, a man that sounded confused and angry was calling for an issue with the iPhone he just bought. The story goes something like this (Me=Me, CC=Confused Customer and T2:Tier2)

Me: Thank you for calling Apple my name is howalope, what can I help you ?

CC: I want a new IPhone, this does not work, the WiFi is not working, please send me another one.

I started with the mandatory script and then proceed to try make the basic troubleshooting when the guy interrupted me

CC: I’m home right now, and the WiFi is working fine.

Me (Confused by the statement): So, what’s seems to be the problem?

CC: Right now I have WiFi, but if I go to the park close to my house, I don’t have WiFi anymore. It seems I only have it in my apartment. But if I go visit a friend in another apartment, boom the internet is gone. I want another phone with working WiFi.

I was just speechless. I wanted laugh but I just explain how WiFi works and it only works in a certain range of the router and so on.

Mind you I spent 15 min explaining this to the guy, he seems to not understand and he is getting angry and frustrated.

I explained I cannot change the phone and the new phone will work the same. After another 10 minutes (worried I was taking so long in this call and my metrics will go up) I tried to offer this:

Me: Sir, I can make an appointment to the nearest Apple Store, so they can take at look at your phone and see if a replacement is needed.

CC (Angrier): I went there yesterday and they say there is nothing wrong with the phone, they enter the Store WiFi’s and it worked, but when I left the store, the WiFi was not working anymore. I WANT A NEW PHONE.

So I explained, for the 10th time about how the WiFi works and he said the sweet words I was waiting for: “I want to speak with a supervisor”

This means I can finally transfer the call to Tier 2. However, we were unable to cold transfer so I had to explain the T2 the issue.

T2: Thanks for calling second level of support, how can I help.

Me: Hi this is howalope, I have a customer with WiFi Issues, he says he has WiFi at home but when he leaves the house he does not longer have WiFi.

T2: … (probably thinking I am stupid)

Me: I know it sounds ridiculous, but I explained how WiFi works, and he does not believe, he wants a replacement. He went to the Apple store and they said the phone is working fine.

T2: Are you serious ?

Me: Yes, I’ve been on the phone for nearly a half hour and he wants a supervisor

T2: I just can’t believe it. Transfer the call over.

Later that day I reviewed the notes and T2 spoke to them for nearly an hour and set up an appointment in the Apple Store.

I shared the story with my coworkers and at least we had a good laugh.

TL;DR: Guy does not know how WiFi works, he expects internet everywhere he goes.