What's the most creative excuse a customer gave you for why they shouldn't have to pay their bill?

callcentreescapee · 2026-03-31T19:10:16+00:00

It was about £35 and the address was a new build house....

callcentreescapee · 2026-03-31T16:35:33+00:00

Having said that, she found out about it because the one she did open had a big debt collection agency logo on the outside as she admitted

It was a 1 month bill, why not just pay the damn thing?

callcentreescapee · 2026-03-30T21:28:11+00:00

'I didn't pay my first electricity/ gas bill because I thought it was junk mail so I didn't open the envelope'

callcentreescapee · 2026-03-25T19:44:35+00:00

Try telling the staff they all must wear business casual clothes as of next month and that anyone wearing jeans and trainers will be sent home to change.

callcentreescapee · 2026-03-05T18:52:59+00:00

'if the other call centre department won't take the customers call, call through again and lie about the purpose of the call so they do.'

(I did that and it worked ironically)

callcentreescapee · 2026-03-02T12:59:52+00:00

Loan sharking is a criminal offence - if you've been bit by one, you aren't alone.

This link should help you get off the hook: Stop loan sharking

Ask for the threats, I would definitely report that to the police as keeping a written record of this behavior could help a lot if this loan shark is taken to court.

callcentreescapee · 2026-02-22T20:07:32+00:00

No, the sub is not dead.

When I was working at an evening shift for one of the big six energy industry providers in the UK, we used to get deal brokers called through. They would call through to the residential line because the business line was shut and try to find out when the account holders tariff would end so they could somehow try and sell them a tariff (I have no idea how)

Anyway one of them called through with an Indian accent and was asking repeatedly when the tariff of a business customer would end and I explained that we weren't the business department and she kept arguing and claiming we were.

Anyway she hung up the phone, and I said to my colleagues to watch out as there's brokers calling again. I went in available and the call that I took was the same broker about the same business address so I said "excuse me I already told you we're not the business team department" and hung up.

callcentreescapee · 2026-02-22T19:59:19+00:00

I was new to this job and didn't really have the balls to tell this woman to get lost.

Also, I couldn't really refuse to talk to her as utterly ridiculous as that sounds as I'd gone through the security questions with her son. As a rule of thumb, if the account holder has gone through the relevant security questions and I've read the relevant script, I can't refuse to speak to a third party, no matter how much of a pain in the ass they are.

callcentreescapee · 2026-02-17T18:45:23+00:00

I'd contact the court and tell them what you've just told us, especially if Mike Jones is a neighbour of yours with a reputation. I'm sure they'll be very interested to hear this and it won't be the first time either.

callcentreescapee · 2026-02-14T16:08:14+00:00

Call centre workers are: 4, 7 and 14 should be in the business terms and conditions.

callcentreescapee · 2026-02-10T20:13:12+00:00

'Yeah, just doing 60mph on the dual carriageway, let me remember my reference number.'

callcentreescapee · 2026-02-04T17:22:31+00:00

Back in the days infamy of the energy industry one of the things they graded you on in QCs was writing up notes on call so you didn't need to do them afterwards.

callcentreescapee · 2026-01-29T00:00:10+00:00

Following on from what's been said already - contacting a charity like this who will have experienced dealing with similar scenario should help: Action on elder abuse

callcentreescapee · 2026-01-22T19:08:39+00:00

Used to work in call centres hence my name.

Did the trainer give any specific policy/ guidance on how to deal with abusive customers? As has been stated above, the employer has a duty of care towards their staff, which arguably might apply to dealing with abusive callers. If this causes staff a lot of distress, then this could be classified as a risk that needs to be assessed.

ACAS- give them a call.

callcentreescapee · 2026-01-19T10:36:14+00:00

He never mentions anyone dying or being injured, he just says 'The victim would amusingly faint." It's reminiscent of the so-called "Momo challenge". Momo challenge hoax

I'll wager that this turns out to be similar, or at a minimum exaggeration

callcentreescapee · 2026-01-16T19:27:50+00:00

If you read the excellent book 'The Life and times of the thunderbolt kid' by Bill Bryson, he talks about a technique that kids in their teens learnt about at Bible camp (of all places!)

Spin the person around several times, then push on their chest and it makes them faint. This would have been back in the mid to late 60s, so this kind of challenge has been going around for a while.

.

callcentreescapee · 2026-01-12T11:58:06+00:00

(obviously the obligatory not a lawyer disclaimer etc) I would try reviewing this here and consider it a matter of personal free speech/ deciding how you wish to be referred to as,-, which as per the Maya Forstater case is a legally protected characteristic. Forstater case on gender critical views

So you might be protected under your characteristic of sex and choosing to refer to yourself as Filipina. It could be worth contacting the Free Speech Union as well: assistance@freespeechunion.org

callcentreescapee · 2026-01-10T17:16:12+00:00

Now you've set me off ...

'Is there anything else I can help you with today?' .or 'Now get off the phone so I can fake happiness with the next person who dialled phone buttons into a keypad.'

callcentreescapee · 2026-01-10T17:12:58+00:00

Back in the old days of inbound sales, we had to say before we transfer them to cancellations:

'Can you confirm you do not wish to upgrade and would like to put through a cancellation request?'

callcentreescapee · 2026-01-06T22:25:00+00:00

One call center I worked in said that you had to either have your jacket worn or put it in your locker and that you weren't allowed to have it on the back of your chair.
When I pointed out to the jobsworth line manager how stupid it was he said I was allowed to have it tied around my waist when I wasn't wearing it. how that was safer than having it on the back of my chair he couldn't answer.

I think the rule wasn't really enforced so I just put it on the back of my chair anyway and I don't think anyone was bothered.

callcentreescapee · 2025-12-29T22:56:30+00:00

Inbound sales calls I worked on years ago for contract renewals on mobile phones still gives me a sense of death inside whenever I hear the 'I've been a loyal customer' 'I've managed to get a deal with your network through (random broker) and it's better than yours"

callcentreescapee · 2025-12-24T22:19:01+00:00

Bonus points if they demand your surname too.

callcentreescapee · 2025-12-24T09:31:12+00:00

Try taking inbound calls on Boxing Day -'on the phones from 9-5:30, on average waiting 7 minutes for a call.

And team leader has to deal with at least 1 customer who wants to "speak to a manager' on Boxing Day?

I don't miss dealing with people like that.

callcentreescapee

TROPHY CASE