'Karen... doesn't care if we get fired': Call center worker refuses to get supervisor for upset customer

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jul 11, 2024 5:00 PM EDT

That last hour of work can be brutal. We all know the feeling: there are just 60 minutes separating you from the freedom of the outside world, and the clock seems to be ticking five times slower than normal. This person works at a call center, so for them, an hour is plenty of time to take one last call. Unfortunately for this person, their last caller just couldn't understand why her problem couldn't be resolved. 

This story revolves around a customer who was unhappy with being charged a fee for a transfer. She picked the instant transfer option, which charged her a fee, but she had to agree to it. This must happen constantly at this person's workplace, because no matter how much the customer insisted on speaking to a manager, she wasn't allowed to. The manager just wouldn't take the call, telling the worker to tell the customer that it was a policy that couldn't be bent for her. My question is, are the employees allowed to just hand the phone to another employee, and let that employee pretend to be a manager? That way, the customer can believe they've chatted with a manager, since the outcome is the same either way. Maybe it's unethical, but the customer might feel more heard that way than by just being rejected by a manager instead. 

Up next, these pizza delivery workers shared what happened when they were stiffed on their tips, like one person who was stunned to deliver dozens of pizzas to a school and yet was left zero dollars as a tip. 

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    via Hassan OUAJBIR on Unsplash
  • 02
    Karen wants us to void the transaction fees and doesn't care if we get fired Me: " Customer Service, Wayne speaking; how can I help?" K: Oh hiii, hello! Sorry, I was on hold for so long. Hi. Uh, how are you?
    via u/[deleted]
  • 03
    Me: *oh god finally a decent customer* "Uhhh, almost end of shift, haha. Almost tired, but still have lots of juice in the tank, thanks for asking! K: Oh, I'm sorry! I won't give you a hard time. Me: Don't be! How can I help, ma'am?
    via u/[deleted]
  • 04
    Karen inquires about the extra $10 charge on her recent transaction. She transferred money from her Balance to bank account - except it was an *instant transfer*. Instant transfer means what it is, and there is a $10 fee for that. Standard transfer, 3 to 5 days, is free. K: Whaaaaaat? But, all my previous transfers were not charged this way! How come this one was charged? I'm not in a rush to get my money so I don't
    via u/[deleted]
  • 05
    need the instant transfer! Me: Ma'am, before every transfer to your bank account - you are given two options: instant transfer, on the upper half of the page, and standard transfer, on the lower half of the page. (At this point, I call BS that she wouldn't know this. No way she could have missed it on the website, it's obvious, even more so since she's been doing this for a long time based on records.)
    via u/[deleted]
  • 06
    K: You're kidding me. Again, all my previous transfers were not charged this way! Me: All transfers in are customer initiated. We don't have a built-in automated process for withdrawals to ensure that customers have a choice if they want to pay for the instant or the free standard. (Best way I can say, "it's your dumbass".) fault, you
    via u/[deleted]
  • 07
    K: This is unbelievable! Get me your supervisor. Me: I understand you're frustrated, but I have full authority to handle your concern and questions. My supervisor can see the same thing I'm seeing on your account. There are very few things a supervisor can do that I cannot and your request is not one of them.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 08
    K: No, you don't want to process it because it's end of shift and you don't want to work anymore. Me: Not true - we have about an hour left and this call is recorded. If we did have a policy for a courtesy void and I refused to give you, then I would get in trouble. Except we don't actually have that policy. But, we will get fired if we did void the transaction fee because that... now that, is not allowed.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 09
    K: I don't care, I would like to speak to a supervisor please. Me: No. I can give you the person two stages above the supervisor and no one can void it for you. It is against our policy. Here's what I can offer: if you can log in to your account right now, I can walk you through and show you how to not do the instant transfer. K: I'd like a supervisor please.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 10
    Me: Already told you why I can't and won't give you one. K: Yes, I just have a question. Supervisor please. Me: What is the question? K: I'd tell the supervisor, not you.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 11
    Me: No, if you want an actual supervisor, I need to tell them why or what is it you need. And again, voiding a transaction fee is not a request a supervisor can grant. K: I believe you, but I'd still like a supervisor to make me feel better.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 12
    Me: *feel better? lol ...* I can make you feel better to make sure you won't have to go through this again. Let me walk you through or let me answer the question we can do both. - K: Supervisor please, thank you. At this point I just can't handle the sheer Karen-ness anymore. I get up and go to my boss and explain. I you not, my boss laughed out loud. Said, "no, risk and fraud management
    via u/[deleted]
  • 13
    will eat us if we voided that. That's not allowed." - "She wants a supervisor to make her feel better or whatever. Already told her we'd get fired if we did what she wanted." At this point we're both laughing together. "Nope, not gonna happen. I'm not taking that. Is she that stupid? It's obvious on the website."
    via u/[deleted]
  • 14
    - That's literally what I said. Well, not literally, of course, but the website thing yeah." Boss smirks. "Don't transfer that to me." - "I know I shouldn't, but I've already de-escalated more than two times. I just don't want to get called out for that."
    via u/[deleted]
  • 15
    "Nope, not taking that. Reject her all you want, QA won't give you trouble for it. If they do, I'll handle it. that stupid customer." I return to her. Me: Thank you for waiting. Supervisor has been notified, and no, they will not take the call for reasons I already mentioned. I literally have the same training and am fully equipped to answer any and all questions related to your account and transactions.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 16
    K: I know. You can keep my $10 if you want it so bad, you can have it. I just have a question. Supervisor, please. Me: Look, ma'am. Somewhere in the back of your head, you're thinking we just don't want to do this. I'm not kidding when I say I will get fired. My boss will get fired. I have a stolen phone I need to do overtime to replace as soon as possible, a mother with a medical foot problem, bills to pay, and antidepressants to support
    via u/[deleted]
  • 17
    myself. I am not losing all these just because you refuse to accept the fact that your request is against company policy. K: I don't think that at all! I just want a supervisor, please! Me: Nope, she already declined. Please give me the question so I can answer accordingly. K: I want to know why your company is scamming people into being charged for a fee they
    via u/[deleted]
  • 18
    never agreed to be charged with! It's such a sneaky way and disgusting way to treat your customers. Me: You initiated the transfer, ma'am. On that page, it is clearly written that there will be a 1% transaction fee for instant transfers. To elaborate, that 1% will not exceed $10 - it has a cap of $10. So even if you transferred $1000 or $5000, your 1% fee would still be locked to $10.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 19
    K: It's not obvious at all! You can't do this to your customers! I just want a supervisor! Me: You can call us tomorrow morning or in the middle of the afternoon, how many times you want - depends entirely up to you. You even want my ID? You can report me for not giving the void, see if it gets you anywhere. You can talk to anyone here, you will get the same response. Believe me.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 20
    K: Supervisor, ple- Me: NO. K: Wha-? Well, I hope this call is recorded and you get in trouble for this. You are the worst representative ever. you. *hangs up*
    via u/[deleted]
  • 21
    Klegm As a supervisor in an industry where no means no and exceptions are very rarely made due to state regulations, it still bummed me out that your supe didn't take the call. I take calls all the time with no intention of making an exception just to back up my people. I'm not going to let their efficiency (or morale) be ruined by some idiot customer when I
    via u/Klegm
  • 22
    can just use my title for additional leverage to end the call more quickly for them. It's a tough job and I just hope that you feel supported by your supe is all I'm saying I guess.
    via u/Klegm
  • 23
    aidantemple People like that burn me up. Yeah, I understand that other places will do whatever you want if you ask to escalate the call. But no is no. Don't make a customer-facing job harder than it needs to be.
    via u/aidantemple
  • 24
    I've had to hand a few people the old, "The answer is no, no matter how many different ways you ask or who you speak to. You are not going to get what you want. If there's nothing else I can do for you today, I'm ending the call." It's satisfying once you reach the end and you can just hang up on them.
    via u/aidantemple
  • 25
    capn_kwick As they say in justnomil: " 'No' is a complete sentence" Anything more is what is called "JADE" (Justify, Argue, Defend, Explain). Some people just need to have a "clue by 4" applied.
    via u/capn_kwick
  • 26
    bnbdp Man I wish we could say no when they ask for a sup. We have to transfer if they ask for one. But then, it's nice to be able to get Karens like this off my line instead of having to fight them. They just go to leads, who certainly can and do say no though.
    via u/bnbdp
  • 27
    Also, anytime anyone asks. "How are you?" I only respond "Fine, thank you." and move on with the call. I hate making chit chat with customers. They don't give a how I'm doing and if I'm honest, like you were, they throw it back into your face.
    via u/bnbdp

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karens boss workplace-stories jobs job bosses work demanding supervisor karens in the wild workplace entitled karen story karen entitled people
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