Sometimes even a word can throw someone off. In customer service, you can sometimes bring someone back to reality.

See why this call from a customer ended up going around in circles.

Lady Trusts Phone Book Over Me

I work in the office at a landscape supply store in a small-town-like area. We manufacture our products.

To get our raw materials, like wood and wood chips, we have landscapers and tree companies come in and dump their trucks of this material so we can make mulch out of it.

Unfortunately, due to this practice, the owner decided to call his company a recycling company. The company name has “recycling” in the title.

Sounds straightforward, but it isn’t.

We only recycle wood and sometimes dirt, so I wouldn’t call us a recycling company, but alas, I do not make the rules. This misnomer sometimes makes my job more difficult.

In my area, the county provides a service where homeowners can set out their plastics, glass bottles, newspapers, other papers, cans, etc. to be picked up on a date specified by your neighborhood.

They will come by, scoop up the recyclables, and take them off to a place that I assume recycles them. The company I work for is in no way affiliated with this system.

One day the phone rang so I answered it, as per my office job requires. I did my usual greeting and then this woman just launched into this complaining rant.

I tried to jump in and explain that she had the wrong number, but she did not let me speak.

At least she was civilized…

She explained that the people who come and collect recycling have been spilling the recycling everywhere and destroying this woman’s recycling bins that she uses.

She went on and on about how inappropriate this is and that I needed to do something about it and how it needs to be resolved immediately.

After several minutes, I finally cut in.

Me: “Ma’am, I believe you have the wrong number. We are not responsible for the recycling pick up. We do not work for the county.

If you’ll give me a moment, I can do a quick internet search and find the right number for you.”

This message isn’t getting through.

Woman: “I got your number from the phone book. It says you’re a recycling company.”

Me: “Yes. We are called Blah Blah Recycling. But, unfortunately, we are privately owned and do not provide the recycling pick up you are referring to. We actually use wood and other natural materials to make mulch, which we sell.”

Woman: “But, you’re listed in the phone book!”

Me: “Yes. And I apologize for the misinformation. I would be happy to help you find the –”

Woman: “This is a serious problem and I need it resolved as soon as possible.”

Me: “Of course, I understand. Ah, the correct number is [this].”

And I went on to explain who she should be contacting.

But the customer STILL won’t accept this.

She seemed to accept the information, but she did not thank me. She stayed silent on the line for a couple seconds and then:

Woman: “Are you sure you’re not the people I should talk to? The phone book lists [places we are located in and near to] as the locations you serve, which coincides with my neighborhood.”

Me: “Yes, I’m sure. As I mentioned, we manufacture mulch here. We don’t collect any other materials. Ma’am, would you like some mulch?”

Woman: “Oh.”

And then she hung up.

Here is what folks are saying.

That sounds annoying.

You were born in 2003 or thereabouts, I bet.

Repetition doesn’t always work.

I bet she will call again about a similar complaint.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check out what happened when a family gave their in-laws a free place to stay in exchange for babysitting, but things changed when they don’t hold up their end of the bargain.