September 18

I spoke with a customer today who had her account cancelled by our Collections department, of course much to her dismay. Her response was that she was dealing with a representative in the Collections department before (months ago before) and they said they were not going to cancel the account. Well, I said, lo and behold, this card is in fact closed, despite what you were told.

No! She was speaking with someone before who said the account would not be closed if they paid everything off. I understand, I told her, but in the end they did actually close the account and because Collections did it, there's no possibility of reinstatement.

But they said they weren't going to do that! (pause) Well, what you're making a point of is that you were told this wouldn't happen, and there is no disagreement here, but what I'm doing is making a separate, second point which is that despite that, the account was closed down.

But I talked to so-and-so, they said they wouldn't close it, they said we could keep the account open if we paid it off!

Is there something wrong with you? Do you try to live in reality or fantasy? The reality is that we closed it--not to be callous, but it's a sheer fact! The fantasy is that this would have never happened like you were originally told. Can you separate those ideas? One exisiting in reality, the other not?

Of course, what I actually told her was that no matter how much she's hoping that the reality I'm sharing isn't true, it indeed is. Now she takes offense: "I'm not hoping...I'm just saying, I was told it wouldn't be cancelled if I paid it off." But isn't she, though? After several repetitions, any idiot would have now caught on that the account was cancelled, that's the end of it. Someone who keeps repeating, "But they said they wouldn't, but they said they wouldn't, but they said they wouldn't..." is no better than someone plugging their ears and hollering at the top of their lungs the reality they want to believe.

Imagine getting in an accident, and asking the person who hit you for their insurance information, only to be told, "I didn't want this accident to happen."

"Yeah, me neither, but let me get your insurance information."

"I didn't want this accident to happen."

"Ok... do you have your insurance info?"

"I didn't want this accident to happen."

And so on...

Why would one never find themselves in this situation, and yet I find myself experiencing these kind of exchanges every day on the phone? Oh, I know, because YOU PEOPLE ARE STUPID FUCKING IDIOTS!!!