Alphabet – how do they work

Long ago, i used to work at a call center of a insurance company. One fine day an older lady called about her car insurance:

Me: Could i have your customer number, Plate number, or SSN?

Caller: Plate number is X A B 123

I thanked her, and started looking for it from our systems, but no luck.

M: So try make sure, it was XAB-123?

C: Yes.

M: Ok, i’m having some difficulty finding it, could i have your SSN to search with that?

C: NO! XAB-123, i know that is enough for you to find it.

I tried to search again, unable to come up with an insurance in our system. Then i also tried the national registry, where all existing plate numbers surely are. But that came up empty as well.

M: So i’m still having difficulty finding your vehicle. Are you positive it is Xavier-Alpha-Bravo 123?

C: [sighing, clearly disgusted with my ineptude] YES I’M SURE, it is [in a condesending tone] X as in Zorro…

[5 seconds of awkward silence]

I used the silent time to find ZAB-123 from our system, and cheerily told her that i was finally able to find her insurance. Lets just say that her tone was much more receptive for the rest of the call.