I Hope This Is Not You

I've worked in jobs involving customer service for about three years now.

It's always been the same story; there are a lot of angry people in the world.

At the Legacy Center, soon after I had been hired, a new law had been passed by the health department. The law stated that anyone under the age of four had to be wearing two specific diapers, a plastic and a disposable. Both diapers could be purchased at most stores, but we also sold them. The disposable was $1 and the plastic, when they first came out, was $7.

Yes a seven dollar diaper is pricey, but the fits people had over them were inexcusable.

The most memorable temper tantrum was when a woman smacked our pen can and sent it flying. You know how some stores have some sort of tin or jar with cute home-made flower pens, pushed into beans or something... That's what we had, and that's what she sent flying; all the pens and the zillions of beans, as she stormed off.

Ri-dic-u-lous.

I now work doing customer service at a company called Pro Pay, which is basically like Pay Pal.

I had one man call who had a charge back from a customer. A charge back, for those who are not familiar, is when a customer doesn't recognize a charge and disputes it.

For us to work with the bank to prove that the transaction was legitimate costs us $80-$100, sometimes more. But we charge the merchant only $15 to cover that.

The man was furious that we would not refund the $15, which we never ever do, for anyone.

The phone call lasted me about 35 minutes and consisted only of him yelling. He went on about how he couldn't afford to lose $15 and that he had never agreed to anything when setting up his account.

Any time I tried to explain anything, he would sshhh me.

He went on to say that I shouldn't bother going to college because I would only fail. And that I would fail a logic and communications class.

I hope after he spent 35 minutes downgrading and harassing a 19 year old girl made him feel really gentlemen-like.

People shock me.

I can understand getting upset. I can understand getting frustrated when things don't go your way. But to take it out in such ways is ridiculous.

I wonder what these people would do if they were recorded, than later played back for them. What would they think of themselves?

I'm not perfect. I say things I don't mean, that's for sure, but being in such jobs makes me more willing to realize when what's done is done and that nothing more can aid the situation. Just accept. My life is not over. In most cases, I will go on, generally unaffected, and most likely entirely forget the situation soon.

"Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of fools"

(Ecclesiastes 7:9)

“I plead with you to control your tempers, to put a smile upon your faces, which will erase anger; speak out with words of love and peace, appreciation, and respect. If you will do this, your lives will be without regret. Your marriages and family relationships will be preserved. You will be much happier. You will do greater good. You will feel a sense of peace that will be wonderful. May the Lord bless you and inspire you to walk without anger, without bitterness of any kind, but to reach out to others with expressions of friendship, appreciation, and love. This is my humble prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen." - President Gordon B. Hinckley, November 2007