Debt collection agencies are always rude. I don’t have much opportunity to deal with them, but even when I spoke with one with regard to getting an unpaid debt owed to my company paid, they were still rude!
A few days ago I got a letter from a debt collection agency in relation to an unpaid final bill from t-Mobile (before I switch to Orange). I have already paid that bill and so I was surprised to get the demand from these guys giving me 6 days to pay or face some kind of legal ‘bover’.
The number to call them was an 0871 number, that costs 10p a minute, and so I was already feeling a bit miffed to have to call it but call I did. After nearly 10 minutes on hold I got through to a very grumpy bloke who didn’t greet me with a warm hello, or even a frosty hello. Instead he simply demanded my reference number in the same way a mugger might demand you wallet.
“Err, Hello.” I said “Could I have your name?”
“No” Came the steely answer. No bells, no whistles, no explanations and no reason. Just no.
“Excuse me. No?”
“reference number.” He demanded once more.
“Well could I have your name, just so I know who I am talking to?”
“You don’t need it pal, your reference number is all you need.”
Pal! I couldn’t believe he had just called me ‘Pal.’ If this is him being pally I wouldn’t want to see what he was like when he was being rude.
“I’m sorry Pal” I said “But just like you want my reference number, I want your name, if for no other reason just so we can refrain from referring to one another as Pal.”
“Look Pal, I am not giving you my name. Give me your reference number.” He said in a voice that was obviously becoming quite annoyed.
I felt bad for him. Imagine yourself locked in a job where you hate everything and everyone so much that you can’t even bring yourself to be the slightest bit polite. But my sympathy aside this guy had already set us into a stand off.
“Why aren’t you going to give your name?”
“Because I don’t have to, but unless you want me to hang up you have to give me your reference number.”
“What are you scared of?” I asked. It was a serious question. I’ve never understood why some telephone operators don’t give out there names.
“Are you threatening me Pal?” He snapped.
“My name isn’t Pal, it’s Simon but you can call me Mr Jones or Sir, okay Pal?” At this point I’m now annoyed. All I wanted to do was just resolve an obvious mix up but within the first moments of a conversation I’m already feeling aggrieved at the way I’m being dealt with.
“Listen Pal, I don’t care what your name is, I don’t need to know it, we’re not going on a date! All I need from you is your reference number,” he snapped.
I responded in kind. “Now I want your name because now I want to complain about your attitude PAL! All I wanted was to sort out a little misunderstanding and you’ve just..” -click.
And that was it. End of the conversation with t-Mobiles friendly debt collector who I’ll call ‘Pal.’ Ordinarily I would record a conversation like this, but I assumed it would be a simple call to address the obvious mix up as t-Mobile already have my money (I checked before I called). Of course I am kicking myself now, I should have recorded it, that way I could have shared it with the world on the net.
I can’t be bothered calling them back. I’ve got better things to be getting on with, but for now I felt that returning their letter to them might be a start. So I wrote a little note on it for their benefit, then popped it into an envelope with no stamp so they have to pick up the penalty postage when they get it back.
Okay, so it might not have been the most mature thing to do, but it made me feel better.
Wrote the following comment on Jan 20, 2006 at 4:45 am
I take it you don’t have the equivalent of a Better Business Bureau to report to?
Customer service, I’m convinced, died years ago.
Surprisingly enough, the demise of customer service appears to have coincided with the arrival of George W. Bush Jr.
Wrote the following comment on Jan 20, 2006 at 5:29 am
LOL! Sometimes (and only very infrequently) I feel bad for the Boy George because he really does get blamed for just about everything and anything :-)
We do have a better business bureau (trading standards office) but they really aren’t going to cover how rude someone is to you on the phone. Though they would be interested if these jokers continue to chase this debt which has already been settled with t-Mobile and never required a damn debt collector ever!
Wrote the following comment on Jan 20, 2006 at 6:48 am
Blaming poor customer service on the Pres.? Now, I dont like Dubya, but I think that’s taking it a bit too far. People are just plain rude, and we should work on improving our manners rather than blaming others for them. I work at a hotel and work my butt off to give the best service I can, so I don’t think it’s fair to say that customer service has died years ago.. you just need to come to the right place.
Wrote the following comment on Jan 20, 2006 at 1:03 pm
Yeah, most of the debt collectors I’ve dealt with are utter bungholes. I was behind on a bill at one point and he actually had the nerve to ask me if I had a friend or relative that could put it on their VISA or MC. I think they must have collections training school where they go and learn how to be rude, offensive and miserable people.
Wrote the following comment on Jan 20, 2006 at 5:28 am
Although Mr. Pal was incredibly rude, it’s nice to see that you actually talked to a live person. I find it extremely difficult to get through to a actual human being instead of a robotic, automated voice which has become more and more common these days.
Wrote the following comment on Jan 20, 2006 at 9:11 am
lol! nice!
Wrote the following comment on Jan 20, 2006 at 12:05 pm
Simon, if I didn’t know better, I’d swear you made this story up. It’s unbelievably ridiculous that the guy was such a jerk. You did well not to hang up, especially when they were charging you for the call. I think they’ll get the message with your little bit of correspondence.
Wrote the following comment on Jan 21, 2006 at 10:24 am
I’m surprised that the companies themselves don’t record calls like that. I’ve been told, by an automated voice of course, that the calls “may be monitored or recorded to ensure quality customer service.”
If that one had been recorded, I’m sure that man’s supervisor would have had a problem with his quality of service
Wrote the following comment on Jan 21, 2006 at 6:24 pm
this cracked me up!
Wrote the following comment on Jan 22, 2006 at 7:08 pm
I had a similar run in recently with a debt I did not owe and when I tried to get them to tell me where they got their information they gave me the run aorund and we had a very “pal-esque” stand off ! I honestly think they fear for their lives… they make people so mad they have to hide their identities…….
Wrote the following comment on Jan 23, 2006 at 6:24 am
Such an interesting post… cracked me up too! My friend worked in the debt collecting department of a credit card company, and he really didn’t enjoy he’s job. He called it “emotional labour” and it’s really exhausting apparently… eventually he transfered to another department. I feel sorry for the “Pal” bloke.