This may be one of the worse stories I’ve had with a customer yet. I’m actually on the verge of crying (trigger warning)

Just a rant that I had to get out. Please excuse typos. I am on mobile and angry while typing this.

So this just happened minutes ago. I didn’t know who else to vent to, so I figured I’d put it here. I work in call center sales and got a call from a third party vendor about an incorrectly placed order. He told me the customer was irate, but I wasn’t prepared for what happened next.

I identified the error with the order, put the vendor on hold, fixed it and came back online. I was hoping to explain what was going on before doing a three way call with the customer, but the customer answered admin instead of the vendor. Yippy.

So, i explained the situation to the customer and how i fixed the issues, what the next steps where, and everything went well, at least i thought, until she goes ballistic on me and the third party vendor. Apparently she is a counselor who handles suicidal callers on a Hotline. The order was to bring over her 4 numbers. After she chews me and the vendor out, I explain to her that I see the severity in the situation, and that I have lost family members to suicide and I know the importance of having someone to call and to have a care plan in order especially in crisis. She keeps screaming at the top of her lungs, if not louder, basically telling me to go fuck Myself and that I was being fake empathetic. She stated she’s been on the phone for 14 hours (completely understand being frustrated, but again, we’ve only spoken for less than 5 minutes and you’re screaming at me like i held you at gun point). I eventually started getting mad back, and told her blatantly that nothing can get resolved tonight because our escalation team is not in house, but we’re going to get it a fixed as soon as possible. She demands my supervisor. I get my supervisor on the phone and put my phone on mute where she proceeds to shit talk me and say I was a pushy sales person (mind you, I didn’t sell her anything. I only fixed the wrong order that was already in). Saying that she never wants to speak to me again and a few other things about me and the other third party vendor.

Eventually I hang up (my supervisor said it was ok) and now I’m just sitting her numb. When i was young, I was diagnosed with major depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. One of the biggest things was my abusive father, so whenever I hear screaming I get triggered and almost freeze up. I have been hospitalized for weeks on end, multiple times, for suicidal ideation and attempting suicide. I’ve called a suicide hotline before, been on meds, even voluntarily hospitalized myself when I felt like i was feeling suicidal (had an Emergency plan in place). Even a few days ago i was in my shower and thinking of just ending it all. I have grown enough to fight through suicidal thoughts, but working this job not only has stressed me out mentally but also physically and it’s only been 10 months. Tonight has truly crushed me and im on the verge of crying. This is just another thing on the list of reasons why i hate working at a call center. I’m gonna go crawl into a ball now.