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Preface: While I don’t work in a call center, making calls and answering them is a HUGE part of my job description and leads to many of the same frustrations as my compatriots in the call center.
I work for a financial institution in what is, essentially, a glorified sales role. The pay is okay, but there’s the possibility of a good pay out for sales commission. Regardless…. As part of my job, I’m assigned leads that I’m required to call on in order to schedule appointments. Yes, it’s annoying. For us and the customers. That said, I’m not pushy about it and I try to approach it in a light and friendly manner.
Obviously with these phone calls I expect some push back and nastiness. That’s not necessarily what makes this customer a Karen, however.
So, Karen McKaren winds up on my list of leads, and worker bee that I am, I want my calls done before the next calls come I so I don’t get backed up. Karen doesn’t answer and I leave a message. I NEVER go into heavy detail in these messages nor do I mention any of the leads personal details. Essentially, I say my name, where I’m calling from, that the phone call is non-urgent and there is no cause for any concern, but that I do have an opportunity I’d like to discuss.
Pretty inoffensive, and frankly most people ignore it.
Not Karen McKaren.
She calls me back and I can immediately tell she is on *edge*.
“What’s going on!? What’s wrong with my accounts?”
“Hi Karen, as I stated in my message, there is nothing wrong and the phone call is not urgent. As your banker, I like to reach out to my clients every so often to, first and foremost thank you for being a customer. Secondly….”
I’ll spare you my spiel. It’s an invitation to sit with me and essentially have a check up. It’s a way to get people on the door.
Karen McKaren doesn’t like this….
“Not ONCE in all the time I’ve baked here have I ever gotten one of these phone calls!”
(Lie. I can see in the notes you have, but okay.)
“AND you have caused me UNNECESSARY panic and anxiety because I thought something was wrong with my accounts”
Okay, whatever, it happens, I’m listening.
And then she says it. The line that took this from the usual and into weirdo Karen territory.
“*AS A MILLENIAL* you need to watch how you speak to us. I suggest that you learn how to properly address us *millenials* as I’ve been anxious every since I got you message. And your opportunity? I thought you were going to tell me that my credit improved and I was going to *blah blah blah ramble ramble ramble*.”
Guys.
*I’m* a millennial. I literally have no idea why being a millennial is being mentioned by her so much. Honestly, I thought the whole making fun of sensitive millennials was just an internet joke. But here I am…. Being confronted by someone who, as a millennial, is concerned and anxious and in a panic over my message explicitly telling them not to panic….
As good drone does, I apologize, document the complaint, make notes that no one should call her (I may have been petty and quoted her line about feeling that we’re not addressing millennials properly…”) and turn off her phone call permissions.
At this point my co-workers have caught on to the drama, so, I explain the phone call to them.
And now the running joke all nighthas been starting any answer to “As a millennial….”
So, at least it was entertaining for us all.
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