From my perspective
Working in a call center, I get people complain to me from time to time. Usualy, it's justified, I agree that charging £25 for a CD that costs pennys when the customer already has a softwear licence is unfair. But then you get the venters. A venter is some one who is clearly angry over somthing else, will not listen, will not not think and most importantly, will not stop.

To give you a bit of background, my main role is to activate softwear by giving customers a code. Before this code goes in, the softwear is in what's called trial mode. This can confuse people as they think they need an aditional charge to activate. I then explain this isn't the case and that it's to prevent piracy and make sure they recive relevant information on upgrades etc. This is usualy fine, but there was one woman who was to important to listen.

Straight away as soon as I answer the phone she is shouting. I get her details, listen to the problem and happily offer to fix the problem. She keeps shouting. I tell her "This will only take a few seconds if you'l just follow my instructions." she keeps shouting, her softwear is broken. BROKEN! She demands I fix it, I say "I'd be happy to fix that, if you can just click...." only for her to cut me off with more shouting, how she's going to sue the company, sue me, sue every one involved. "Ok, I can see you are clearly unhappy with us," (pause for screaming) "I can pass you to the customer experience department, but first, I'll get your softwear working again." she assures me she will talk to them, that it's a disgrace, we are crooks etc etc etc. I cannot get a word in edgeways, people sat near me can hear her shouting. I do the only thing I can, I get my book out and read, making the right sympathetic sounds.

The woman has the lungs of a whale, dosen't pause for breath for like 5 minuets. As soon as she pauses, I launch into the usual protocal, give her quick instruction, softwear is active in 30 seconds. She sheepishly thanks me and hangs up before I can pass her through to complain.

That's the thing about call centers, if people can't see you, they feel they can treat you like crap.
(Mong goose, Fri 3 Sep 2010, 9:39, 16 replies)

SoftWARE. That is all.

(theremin put the lotion in the basket on, Fri 3 Sep 2010, 9:41, closed)

Right you are, I blaim dyslexia. Thankfully my job dosent involve spelling.
(Mong goose, Fri 3 Sep 2010, 9:54, closed)

Actually, it's not all
Centre
Usually
Pennies
Someone
Additional
Receive
Too
You'll
Minutes
Protocol

Apologies for being pedantic about your pedantry.
(Vice Admiral Sir Charles Cockbrush KCB MBE DSO, who is finding it increasingly difficult to log into b3ta.com wants to duck your aunt and kick your puppy, Fri 3 Sep 2010, 10:05, closed)

I think "minuets" was intentional
He was listening to the excellent "Hold" music
(moon monkey is busy making memories worth repressing, Fri 3 Sep 2010, 10:13, closed)

Tell you what, if you can correct the spelling, you can read what the word says, so what's the problem? I'm not submitting this to publishers, it isn't for an English degree, it's a story on a website in which people exchange tales for fun. I don't think you'd correct someone with a lisp, so why correct a guy who's dyslexic and posting from his phone for a bit of a distraction from a very dull 9-5 job?

If having to read my poor spelling is really the worst thing that happens to you today then I'll happily trade lives.
(Mong goose, Fri 3 Sep 2010, 10:16, closed)

I believe....
...it's pronounced 'lithsssspppppppp'.
(NoveltyCondomHead Clanks Wams., Fri 3 Sep 2010, 10:18, closed)

Calm down dear, it's only a commercial
Pedantic reply to your post invited pedantic retort. *That* is all.
(Vice Admiral Sir Charles Cockbrush KCB MBE DSO, who is finding it increasingly difficult to log into b3ta.com wants to duck your aunt and kick your puppy, Fri 3 Sep 2010, 11:34, closed)

I overlooked the other spelling mistakes etc
But seeing as the essence of the story here is to do with the unlocking of software, the pedant in me felt obliged to point out that particular mis-spelling.
(theremin put the lotion in the basket on, Fri 3 Sep 2010, 10:21, closed)

Sadly, sometimes,
being on the 'front line' means we have to deal with the ranters.
I class myself amongst them on occasion.

Them's the joys of business. (Sometimes I miss being self-employed.)
( Blind Meach Cautiously optimistic, Fri 3 Sep 2010, 10:49, closed)

Not being able to see someone works
both ways.

Your dilema is caused by the many faceless 'number withheld' morons who call us as we're sitting down to our spaghetti bolognese at 7.30 PM wanting to sell us Windows, then putting the phone down on us when we're less than enhusiastic, but apparently interpreting that as 'Seems interested, call again tomorrow'.
( Not Pineapple anymore, Fri 3 Sep 2010, 11:05, closed)

i now enjoy getting these types of calls...
...i try to be as massively enthusiastic about the product as i can conjure up, theatrically so. they are initially buoyed by the positivity and i try not to make it sound sarcastic, i use phrases like 'that sounds awesome, tell me more!' and 'unbelievable! how can you do that for so little?'. sometimes i decide that for comedy effect to answer their questions with responses that don't make any sense at all and asking them to repeat what they said 15 times in a row... make a game of it and it doesn't annoy you any more...

or sign up to the telephone preference service and get no calls like this...
(Ross McBingobangobongo bingobangobongo, Fri 3 Sep 2010, 12:30, closed)

.
Actually I don't even have a phone connected to my land line now, I just use my mobile. I don;t even know what my home number is, but then nobody else does, apart from marketers.

The other way to get rid of them is to just say 'No, sorry, not interested. But while you're on, can I tell you about Jesus?'. Doesn't stop them calling back, of course . . .
( Not Pineapple anymore, Fri 3 Sep 2010, 13:59, closed)

I think we should invent something
involving a rape alarm and a power amp wired to the phone. That should teach them. Probably illegal though.
( idonthaveafunnynickname Drink-Aware? Sure. I'm aware I want another drink., Fri 3 Sep 2010, 12:51, closed)

No court would convict

( MatJ LOOK, Sat 4 Sep 2010, 1:22, closed)

One phone with hands-free plus one cordless phone with hands-free
The throbbing wail that results depends on the distance between the two phones, but it's probably as loud as a phone can get.
( eXOBeX, Mon 6 Sep 2010, 2:11, closed)

the original poster...
...clearly works in an inbound call center though...
(bomb, Wed 8 Sep 2010, 11:58, closed)