I only worked at this call centre for a month, this incident happened on my second day on the phone and was the main reason I quit that job. I’ve added the NSFW warning as there is mention of suicide. This will be a bit long so sorry in advance.
I was 21 and had just left university and needed a job so I applied for my local call centre to deal with calls about student loans in the UK. Also for the conversation to make sense, my job was to take down people’s issues and complaints and pass them to the advisers who dealt with the cases. I was only able to give advice on how people could deal with the issues they were having with their loans, I was not able to make decisions or change details on their records.
On my second day taking calls an international student phoned to ask why he had been rejected for a student loan. I explained to him that as he had previously studied in his home country he was not eligible for a loan. He started complaining that since he hadn’t finished that degree that it shouldn’t count against him. I had to explain that it didn’t matter that he hadn’t completed the degree, he had to enrolled at university in his home country and due to the rules of the loans company this meant that he wasn’t eligible for finance. The rest of the conversation went like this.
Foreign Student (FS): But I had to drop out of my course and it wasn’t my fault I didn’t complete it. My father became ill and passed away so I had to look after him.
OP: Well sir, in that case the best thing to do would be to submit evidence to us that this happened and the advisers might change their mind regarding funding.
FS: Evidence? Why do I need to send evidence?
OP: The advisers for your case will need evidence of your father’s illness and death and evidence that you were his carer at this time to ensure they have a clear and accurate understanding of what was happening. The best evidence to submit would be anything you have from your father’s doctor, a copy of his death certificate and evidence from your previous university that this was the reason you had to drop out part way through your studies.
FS: I don’t have any of that information! Can’t you just take my word for it!
OP: I’m sorry sir but without evidence to prove that this was the reason you had to drop out of university the advisers will not change their mind regarding funding.
During this he had become more and more frustrated with me and we went around in circles a few times. I had tried to get the attention of my supervisor who was chatting away to a manager but was unsuccessful.
FS: This is ridiculous! I need this money! I need it to live! How am I supposed to study without this money?!
OP: I’ve already explained sir that you need to submit evidence to the advisers and once they review it they may change their decision.
FS: You fucking bitch! Why won’t you give me this funding?! This is your fucking fault!
OP: Please stop swearing at me sir I am trying to help you.
FS: Fuck you! I am going to kill myself and it will be your fucking fault! You hear me?! Without this money I am going to kill myself and it will be entirely YOUR fault! No one else’s fault but yours! My blood is on your hands!
After this I threw my headset off and ran away crying. A manager ran after me and comforted me in the bathroom. When I told her what he had said she was shocked, she said she’d only ever received one call like that and it was nowhere near as bad as the one I had to listen to. It took me at least ten minutes to calm down, I had never had a complete stranger be that horrid to me before. When I came out I saw that my supervisor was at my desk with my headset on talking to the Foreign Student. The one thing I remember my supervisor saying was this:
Supervisor: Mate you can threaten to kill yourself all you like, it won’t get you the funding.
Due to the law where I live, if someone threatens to harm themselves or others and you know where they are you (as a business) are obligated to phone the police so that they can check on the person and keep them on the phone until the police arrive. The managers of course phoned the police who turned up at this guy’s home. He then apparently started mouthing off to my supervisor about them being called and hung up.
After this it was no surprise to my supervisor that I handed my notice in a week later. People who things like this to call centre staff are the worst.
submitted by /u/BexB783
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