In the era of robots taking over Customer Service centers, attempting to speak with a human on the phone for help has become a near-impossible task. If you’re lucky to get a hold of one, you need to shoot your shot and ask your questions while you have the slim amount of time to.

What would you do if students and parents alike at the university you worked at constantly mistook the help line for your personal extension? One guy recently shared a bizarre story about this with Reddit. Here’s what happened.

Why am I talking to you then?

I work in data at a community college.

It’s back office work, I don’t think I’ve ever had a reason to directly talk to a student.

My phone number is not on the website or anything.

Not that that’s ever stopped anyone.

Again, there’s no reason a student would ever talk to me.

But it must be posted somewhere because about once a month I get a call from a student or parent.

Almost always, they ask for registration, I laugh and say I’m not registration but here’s their number, and they laugh and hang up.

Most people are pretty easy on the phone.

But a couple of months ago, I had the weirdest interaction that these posts reminder me of so much.

This lady called and asked about registering her son.

I responded something like “Oh sorry, this is institutional research, I can’t help with registration, but here’s their number.”

That’s more helpful than most academic phone operators.

Instead of hanging up, she instead said “Well why am I talking to you then?”

I laughed and said she must have gotten the wrong number. She responded “is this not [my college].”

“Oh yes, it is, but I don’t work in registration.”

Seems pretty straightforward…

“Well can you just help me?”

I explained again how I don’t work in registration but here’s their number.

“I just don’t understand why I keep calling people and no one can help me.”

Understandable, but this isn’t the way to channel frustration.

I apologized and reiterated this wasn’t something I could help with but registration would be happy to help I was sure.

She just angrily said “some people!” And hung up.

There are some people that just can’t be helped no matter what.

Felt really bizarre.

I’m realizing now I should have asked where she got my number because again, it’s not on the website I don’t think.

That situation certainly raises more questions than answers. Let’s see what the Reddit comments chimed in with.

A few responded with the obvious solution.

Others were baffled at the woman’s audacity.

One person jumped at the chance to share their own story.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an employee who ends up quitting over a dispute over bereavement leave.

Someone else tried to get to the bottom of the issue.

And most tried their best to be helpful.

Hopefully she gets to the bottom of it.