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"I deserve compensation for the hassle I’ve been through damnit!" – AKA the first time I’ve hung up on a customer

For context, I work in the national call center for one of the largest Canadian retailers, providing ecommerce order / website support for the parent company and their several subsidiaries, as part of the pandemic most of our brick and mortar stores closed for at least some amount of time leading to a huge influx of the crazies calling through with their ridiculous requests. Wild requests and people fishing for deals are nothing new but this one really left me scratching my head. Our characters, Me: Me, obviously. CL : crazy lady. * insert disclaimer about names being changed and the like *

Me: Thanks for calling -subsidiary retailer- online, my name is -me-, can I start with your name please?

CL: You don’t need my name I haven’t bought anything yet!

Me: *rolling eyes* My apologies ma’am, what can I help you with today?

CL: I’m on your site right now looking at some items and I want to know if that’s the best you can do.

Me: I’m sorry ma’am, I don’t think I quite understand what you mean, is what the best I can do?

CL *now becoming irate*: THE PRICE YOU IDIOT, WHATS YOUR BEST PRICE ON THE ITEM? DO YOU NOT KNOW HOW SHOPPING ONLINE WORKS!

Me: My apologies, I just wanted to clarify and make sure we were on the same page, the price listed on the site is going to be the ‘best’ price on the item, as it is the price that corporate and the manufacturer has deemed appropriate. If the item is on sale it will show it in red below the regular price, and of course if we have a site wide sale showing or you have a promotional code those would be applied in cart and would make the price lower than what’s shown here.

CL: WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE PRICE SHOWN IS THE FINAL PRICE! I SHOP ON FACEBOOK ALL THE TIME AND I CAN NEGOTIATE.

Me: I think you mean shopping through Facebook marketplace, we’re not a private seller and if you found us through Facebook it would be through an advertisement as you’re shopping on our website directly. That doesn’t change the fact though that we don’t negotiate our prices and what’s listed on the site is what you’d pay unless you have some kind of a discount code for some reason.

CL: Well what’s my promotional code then?

Me: I’m not really sure ma’am as every promotional code is unique and can only be used one time, I did take a look on your previous call records and I can’t see any record of us having issued any in the past so if you have one it would be something from either a previous purchase or from signing up for the newsletter. (Customers can sign up for a 10% discount on their first order by subscribing to an email newsletter, and sometimes there’s offers where if you spend ‘x’ amount the system will send a promotional code for ‘y’ amount to be used on a future order.)

CL: I’ve never purchased with you before why would I have one already?

Me: Alright well as this is your first purchase I’d recommend that you click in the top banner where it says “get 10% off your first order by signing up for our email newsletter”

CL: I don’t want your shitty emails!

Me: Well you would need to sign up for them to get the 10% offer, you’re welcome to sign up for the code and then unsubscribe once you get it though.

CL: I DON’T WANT YOUR SHITTY EMAILS!

(This call has dragged on LONG past our target handle times, I’m tired of her voice and want her off the line)

Me: Alright ma’am, I’ll make a one-time exception for you, what is your email address I’ll send you the welcome offer code myself without signing up for the newsletter.

CL: its -email address that is very obviously one of those disposable ones that last 10 minutes-

Me: Great thanks, I’m going to get that sent over to you right now, keep an eye on your inbox and that should appear in the next 2-3 minutes.

CL: And that’s for 20% off right?

Me: … Um no ma’am, that’s going to be 10% off, just like the welcome offer that we’ve been discussing for 8 minutes now.

CL: YOU SAID THE WELCOME OFFER WAS 20%

Me: Ma’am I absolutely did not. I told you in was 10% and if you’d like to dispute that these calls are recorded and I can get you over to a supervisor and we can all listen together.

CL: Well the website says it’s 15%!

Me, No, ma’am, it does not. I am looking at the website right now and it very clearly states 10% in several locations. Our welcome offers have NEVER been anything other than 10%.

CL: YOU CAN DO BETTER! I’VE HAD TO WASTE A HALF HOUR OF MY LIFE ON THE LINE WITH YOU!

Me: Ma’am I’ve gone ahead and sent you the 10% voucher that can be redeemed on your next purchase, it does not expire and there’s no brand or price limitations. It can be used one time and all of that information can be found in the email with the code. Is there anything else I can help you with this evening?

CL: I think I’m entitled to something extra for all of the hassle that you’ve caused!

Me: You’re not entitled to anything extra, we haven’t done anything wrong in this case and as it is I’ve gone above and beyond our standard procedures so if there’s nothing else you need help with you have a great day and stay safe!

CL *starts rambling about how she deserves at least 50% off of her order or we’re loosing a customer*

Me: *click*

I jotted down her phone number so I could follow along periodically if she called back, looks like she called back about an hour after our call fishing for discount codes and haggling, that rep also stood their ground and got a supervisor involved to blacklist them so that nobody else can issue vouchers on their account without a supervisor signoff. Thankfully I work for a company that has no problem with the front line standing our ground and sticking to policy for less than ideal customers. I even messaged my supervisor right after the call, and she listened to it, said it was handled well and that she probably would have disconnected sooner. All in all this call lasted about 25 minutes when our target times are about 6.

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