Higher up Mix Up

So I work in the Resolutions Departement, handling issues that vary from “my item came missing” and “I didn’t get my Gift Card for the promo”. One day I had a customer call in saying she got an e-mail telling her about a hush hush deal if she were to buy a gift card and then send them the number. She called in asking to see what can be done, as per floor support I told the customer that I can create a file requesting that the card be cancelled and then refunded. The customer accepted.

A few days later, I get a message from my team leader saying to call back the customer. I looked at the file again to see if, after our discussion, there was any updates. I see in the file it was written “We will not refund the customer”, “Resolutions will call with alternatives” and my team leader is telling me to refund. I ask her (just to confirm) what the final verdict is as I’m getting 3 different results. She then proceeds to tell me that I just have to call. I tell her again I don’t understand what I have to tell the customer since the newer notes are giving contradicting information. She then proceeds to tell me how she is done arguing and I didn’t read the file (which I did). Also a few minutes later, I get an e-mail saying how my notes from the first time we spoke to the customer were unstructured and unclear. I asked them what they thought was unclear as to me it was VERY clear.

They told me that my usage of the word “Hoax” (despite the notes also including what the hoax was literally right after the word) and also “hush-hush” (I was quoting the customer, however for this one I’ll give it to them). I explained to them exactly what was written, however they wanted nothing of it and my team leader messages me AGAIN to call the customer but will still not give a clear answer as to what I have to do or say. Simply telling me that the company would not want me to call for nothing (despite NO ONE giving me a clear answer).

The next day I see my Team Leader sent an email telling other team leaders to watch me to make sure I call the customer. I went into our chat (we have a TEAMS server) and asked if someone from floor support could help me since I was STILL unclear on what to do and needed help. I got someone and he told me that, despite it being unorthodox, we could refund the customer. So I called her and told her the good news. She didn’t answer so I left two voicemails. Me, finally happy I got this call out of the way, replied to the e-mail saying that thanks to someone finally telling me what can be done I finished the call.

The nightmare continues…the next (yesterday in case anyone is wondering) I get a e-mail from security and a team leader, telling me to call back the customer to tell them we WERENT going to refund them AND to update my notes so it says the correct information (their exact words by the way). I told them that this made no sense as from the beginning I had been asking for clarification on what can be done and I had never originally received it so I had to look into it myself as I was told to simply call. The team leader who sent the e-mail then replied saying “(gonna paraphrase here) Oh! I believe I see where the confusion started, we told you we weren’t gonna refund the customer but the notes made it confusing since the info said we would have alternatives”. I told him that was not true as, again, my team leader had never told me what could be done, but rather to call (despite me telling her I have no idea on what to say). My Team leader then replied to the team leader’s email with a copy paste of the new team leader’s e-mail in bright red. However instead of clicking reply (to me), she clicked Reply all, effectively sending her copy-paste to 5 Departement team leaders.

So for 3 days I simply got screwed by multiple people and then got thrown (metaphorically) under the bus when it was wrong. I called her back again (for the 3rd time) telling we wouldn’t refund her and got lucky since it was a voicemail, but now I’m dreading to see another e-mail again telling me to change the information….

I won’t reveal them here (clearly lol) but I have screenshots of my chat with my team leader and the e-mails showing that from the beginning they were simply telling me to do something even they had no idea what to do, just so they could go “YOU screwed up big time”. Like a (extreme) example I use when people as me to describe my time so far (ever since COVID-19 hit) working at this call center is “They break your leg, and then punish you by breaking your other leg because your first leg is broken”. At the beginning it wasn’t too bad, simply just your usual Karens and Customers who wanted 19988658$ because a 20$ plant pot didn’t show up, but now it’s insane…Customers will verbally abuse you for up to 2 hours others will call just to complain about and say you didn’t want to help (despite you giving them options that normally would get you in trouble). Now I feel like even the higher ups are trying to either make me want to quit or fire me themselves by inventing excuses… Ok well thanks for reading this, I simply had to get it out but now is the time where you throw away your pop corn and I gotta go work 😉 Remember to tip your waitress and I am outta here.