First post in this sub but long time lurker! The struggle is real for us call centre workers. I’ve heard of these types of calls posted before, nothing is unbelievable in this line of work, but I need to vent how hilarious this was today.
So I work for a large energy company and currently I am covering an inbound line that deals with customers calling in regarding contact we’ve made via text/letter for them to call in regarding their products – to check everything is okay as we haven’t seen purchases lately and checking they’re avoiding build up of charges etc.
So we’ll start with Miss A and myself:
Me: Hi you’re through to company this is lickmyegg, how can I help?
Miss A: Hi I’ve received a text from you guys about my product and you need to check if there’s a problem?
Me: Okay we are getting a lot of these calls, not to worry I’ll get your account up to look into the reason why. What’s your postcode?
Miss A: postcode
Me: And the full address including town or county?
Miss A proceeds to give me first line, with no town or county
Me: Town or County? (This is our major point of DPA and I’m used to people being a bit slow on it so I just waited until she said it)
Miss A: tells me town
Me: Fab okay, and can you just confirm your full name?
Miss A: Why do you need my name?
Me: Um well it’s for data protection. I need to clear security. I need the account holders full name.
Miss A: Hang on mutes me
(At this point as she sounds rather young I assume she maybe needs to get the account holder if she wasn’t on there or check something. No big deal, little break for me)
Miss A: Right you’re a scam.
Me: Excuse me?
Miss A: You’re a scam! I just looked on the internet and YOU ARE A SCAM. You don’t work for Company.
Miss A: ITS ON THE INTERNET!
Me: Um… I can assure you I definitely do I’m here right now. I don’t know how I can reassure you but I’m definitely not scamming you.
(At this point she just kept saying you don’t work for company you’re a scam. There was nothing I could really say apart from be dumbfounded as she hadn’t done any DPA!)
Me: Okay, there isn’t really much I can do, you called us! I’ll get a manager if you want.
Miss A: Yes please.
So I phoned our escalations department quickly explained the situation, manager was ready to take the call after literally a minute and her line dropped. Noticed she’d spoken to us a fair bit recently so wondered if she’d remembered the hold music and realised how silly she was being or just gave up?
Either way it was amusing, I was only after her name and DOB which is probably on her Facebook anyway. My manager said not to bother calling back as she’d done no DPA.
Did leave a sassy note on her account, hope she mentions it next time and my colleagues can tell her. Overall funny but WHY DO PEOPLE DO THIS. Worst part is she was quite young as well. (Id usually associate this would be the case with the older generation) Any similar stories?
TLDR: Woman called me, said most sensitive DPA but refused her name etc, proceeded to google the number and call me a scammer.
Sorry for format, mobile post!
Edit: I feel the same way about personal finance calls but the calls are always from pay as you go utilities, ie; topping up, so the above is all the DPA we hold and we can’t do anything financial on the accounts. I would have happily explained why we sent the messages and letters out without DPA as they’re generic and automated but due to her shouting I decided to escalate as there was no reasoning. Man I love and hate Data Protection
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