Phone support incompetence
Posted by Ray @ 12:01 amThis guy, George, spends 22 minutes trying to convince Verizon that .002 cents is different from .002 dollars (Link to blog).
You see, he was quoted that he was getting .002 cents / KB for internet usage in Canada. Knowing it is a really good deal, he gets the operator to note it down. Then he receives a bill for $72, calculated from a rate of .002 dollars / KB.
He calls Verizon tech support. They continually reassure him that the quote of .002 cents / KB is correct. Then they tell him his bill is also correct, because their system did the calculating, and their system is obviously infallible.
The opening moments are funny, but as it progresses it just becomes painful:
George (Customer): Do you recognize that there is a difference between .002 dollars and .002 cents?
Mike (Supervisor): … no?
George: Okay, is there a difference between 2 dollars and 2 cents?
Mike: Well yes, there is…
George: Okay, so is there a difference between .002 dollars and .002 cents?
Mike: …They’re both the same, if you look at it on paper…
13 minutes later, he gets bumped up again to this woman:
Andrea (Manager): … How can I help you today?
George: Hi, I think we’ve got a terminology and mathematics problem going on here, it seems very basic to me but we’re having a problem because of the numbers involved…
Andrea: Okay
George: Just to summarize… .002 cents was quoted to me… my bill represents .002 dollars per KB.
Andrea: What do you mean, .002 dollars?
George: (sighs). Okay. I didn’t think I had to do this again. Do you recognize that there is a difference between 1 dollar and 1 cent?
Andrea: Definitely.
George: Do you recognize that there is a difference between half a dollar and half a cent?
Andrea: Definitely.
George: Then, do you therefore recognize that there is a difference between .002 dollars and .002 cents?
Andrea: No.
George (disbelieving): No?
The incredible punchline comes at 22:25. After trying in vain to train this one customer to just stop thinking and obey the company, Andrea says “Well, it’s obviously a difference of opinion…”
Imagine telling that to your primary 5 form teacher.
[Via].
(PS: for more fun, try typing “.002 cents times 35893″ into Google. Heck, try typing “.002 cents per KB times 35893 KB” into Google.)
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