Call center boss demands that workers read long script for every single call, doubling customer wait time: 'The message said "no exceptions"'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Nov 11, 2025 5:00 PM EST

This call center worker was forced to follow the rules to a ridiculous degree, which their bosses only realized once it was too late. 

Having to call a customer service line can take anywhere from a few minutes to literally an entire day. Nearly everyone has to spend a few hours on hold from time to time, and it's not fun for anyone involved! The longer you wait on hold, the more you feel that the company is wasting your time. Not to mention that by the time you actually do get to chat with a representative, you have a lot less patience than you did when you got on the phone in the first place. I think one of the most maddening things that customer service lines do these days is put you on hold, then play a little sound every 5 minutes that makes you think your call has been picked up by a human. There's a little pause in the music, so you sit up straight, ready to state your case. But no! Instead, a robotic voice tells you that your call is important and that you should stay on the line. Like girl… that's literally what I was already doing. And this constant pausing followed by the message means that doing anything else while you're waiting is going to be a lot more difficult. 

Sometimes, though, you get through to a person anyway, and they tell you that they have to read you a long chunk of legalese. They ask timidly, as if they think you're about to shout at them, if you mind them reading you this thing that'll take about 5 minutes. You reply that they can, because your hands are tied at this point — after all that waiting, you can zone out for 5 minutes while they read a long disclaimer to you. 

This call center worker was put in the awkward position of having to read a long disclaimer to not just some people, but to every single caller. No exceptions! At least by relentlessly complying with this ridiculous request, they saved a lot of future callers from having to hear it. 

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    Blonde woman smiles while sitting behind computer screen and touching call center headset
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    I work in a call center for a mid sized airline partner. We help with schedule changes, vouchers, and the usual name typo panics. We have a legal disclosure
    via @nimbusgranger
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    script that must be read before we charge a card. It takes about one minute thirty if you breathe. Everyone reads it when money is involved and nobody reads it
    via @nimbusgranger
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    when a call is a wrong number or an internal transfer. Common sense, right Last month we got a new supervisor who wanted to tighten
    via @nimbusgranger
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    quality. He sent a message that said agents must read the disclosure verbatim on every inbound contact. No exceptions. Someone asked if that included calls
    via @nimbusgranger
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    that were just being transferred to baggage. He replied with three words. Every. Single. Call. He then added that failure to read the full script would be a QA fail for the day.
    via @nimbusgranger
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    The next morning I started my shift and complied. First call was a confused gentleman asking what time the desk at Tulsa closes. I greeted him, apologized for the
    via @nimbusgranger
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    wait time, and before answering read the entire payment and consent script. He tried to interrupt. I kept going because the rule said verbatim and
    via @nimbusgranger
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    unbroken. He hung up around the bit about data retention. I documented that the caller disconnected during required disclosure, then dialed baggage
    via @nimbusgranger
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    to provide the closing time for my own sanity. Second call was an internal transfer from loyalty. The agent just wanted me to confirm if a
    via @nimbusgranger
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    voucher could be stacked with a promo. I asked them to hold for mandatory disclosure and read the whole thing into our corporate phone system while they
    via @nimbusgranger
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    listened in stunned silence. Their only response after the last sentence was a very small thanks followed by a click. By lunch our queue had grown from
    via @nimbusgranger
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    eleven waiting to fifty four. The wallboard was yelling. The new supervisor came around asking why handle time had doubled. I showed him his message
    via @nimbusgranger
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    and my notes. I showed him three call recordings where the only content was me reading the script to a person who wanted the terminal number at Spokane.
    via @nimbusgranger
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    Woman with brown hair sits behind computer monitor wearing call center headset and looks confused
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    He told me to use discretion. I said the message said no exceptions and that QA would fail me if I skipped. He sighed and said he would clarify at the next huddle.
    via @nimbusgranger
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    The clarification arrived as a bright green banner on our dashboard. Read the disclosure only when a payment is taken or a change incurs a fee. For informational calls
    via @nimbusgranger
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    and internal transfers use the short consent line. My handle time returned to normal. The queue cleared by end of day. QA sent an apology for the confusion and
    via @nimbusgranger
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    removed the fails for those who had followed the message too literally.
    via @nimbusgranger
  • 20
    My favorite part was the end of shift stats. The team that complied the hardest had the worst numbers, including me. The note on the report
    via @nimbusgranger
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    now says agents were following the previous instruction. Every single call. Message updated.
    via @nimbusgranger

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