Despite all the bad things people say, they keep a sweet old lady warm in Winter
I've just been reminded of my great aunt Elsie McBadger's descent into senility. I wouldn't want to make a comparison between my great aunt's handling of money and those of a certain Hebrew-oriented faith, but for a lass of 97 she can count the change in her wallet according to weight and frequency when shaken.

Back in the early 90's, there weren't many opportunities to be kept up to date on your account balance when bundled up in a care home. As far as Elsie was concerned, every second spent away from your money was a second more time for whatever nutpot conspiracy group to fly into the bank on nazi gold jetpacks so as to steal the cash before roaring off the Bermuda.

Every day, Elsie would grab the phone, call up the local branch, and check that every bit of it was accounted for. Every day. For 3 months. Every day she'd log how much she had, compare it to the day before, and commence the inquisition if so much as a penny was misplaced. After so long, she knew all the staff personally, and really called more for a chat than anything else. They didn't seem to mind, after all.

Well, one day that changed. One of the bills was more than expected, and Elsie ventured off on her crusade to count the coins. When that doesn't add up, she requests to speak to the manager. The new manager. The very same manager who in more polite words tells great aunt Elsie to stop wasting the company's time and resources with these calls or he would have her account blocked.

Well, a compromise is made, and Elsie is set up to get her balance sent to her by post every week. When that isn't enough, arms are twisted for head office to send her a letter twice a week. Every week. For nearly two decades.

So, what does all this have to do with call centres keeping a sweet little old lady going during the savage winter months? Coal for the fire is expensive, and the letters the bank sends are free...

I can only hope I end up like that one day. Tightarsed loon.
(FoxyBadger (try saying it backwards), Fri 4 Sep 2009, 23:59, 3 replies)

I really hope this is true
but i expect that it's not.
( Mrs Entity is in hiding., Sun 6 Sep 2009, 0:17, closed)

So..
She kept herself warm by burning two sheets of paper a week?
(Boar is dreaming of get rich quick schemes..., Sun 6 Sep 2009, 13:45, closed)

Maybe
the envelope as well?
(Reverend Fister "a disciplined fuckwit", Mon 7 Sep 2009, 11:35, closed)