There’s no rage like that felt by anyone who’s ever endured the endless redirections of a bad customer service call.
Its rarely the fault of the actual customer service agents, but they’re certainly the ones on the hook when we finally snap. That’s a big factor behind the appeal of TikTok pages like that of Disney Mom (@that_disney_mom) who gives viewers an inside glimpse of the customer service life. Spoiler alert: Its not pretty.
Being the person responsible for talking down an outraged, distant customer is never a fun job, but it can make for stellar content. Particularly when the call your receiving is well outside of your department — and in fact your business as a whole. Such is the case with a surprisingly rhythmic upload to @that_disney_mom’s page, recorded after the agent received a call clearly intended for a different person.
The woman on the other end never provides a single ounce of context, but she is exceedingly — and loudly — clear in what she wants @that_disney_mom to do. The moment her voice, which seems to be at maximum volume from the get-go, cuts in, she immediately demands that the agent “fix my phone.” She then proceeds to repeat this demand over and over (and over and over) for essentially the duration of the minute-long video.
She’s not even deterred when @that_disney_mom clarifies that she’s called her bank, not her cellular provider. There’s not much your bank can do to fix a broken phone, but how does this apparently unhinged woman respond to this news? Another verse of “Fix My Phone” feat. Seething Susan and the Scream A Lots.
Through all that screaming — no, our resident Karen never utters a word other than “fix my phone” — the enraged woman accidentally dropped a shockingly dance-able beat. The rhythm is consistent, the intensity crechendoes before easing back down, and — while the lyrics are pretty basic — with an added beat and maybe a bit of remixing, we could have a genuine banger on our hands.
Working in customer service can be a truly hellish job, and as a result its considered among the top 10 worst job selections out there. Its topped be several physically demanding or soul-sucking jobs — I would rather starve than work as a telemarketer — but its high spot on the list is largely due to people exactly like our own Livid Lucy.
A truly criminal number of people take out their rage of the day — or week, or year — on some poor unsuspecting customer service worker, and more often than not they’re completely powerless to help. They’re doing everything in their power to make us happy, and yet we harrangue them, curse at them, and then demand to be transfered to another exhausted human just looking for a paycheck.
So next time you find yourself fuming on the other side of the phone, try to take a few deep breaths before you tear that employee a new one. I know you’re frustrated — dear god, I know, I want to break my own phone at least once a week — but you’re not frustrated at them. You’re mad at the situation, the bad day you’ve had, the election results, your mom — whatever it is, its your business. Don’t make it their’s by displacing your distress on a stranger.
