10 Crazy Tales from Call Centers You’ll Never Believe to Be True

Did you know that more than 2.77 million people were working in call centers in the U.S. in 2017?

With so many people working on the phone, there are bound to be some funny customer service stories.

For some reason, people think they can say anything they want on the phone. Some callers can be rude, while others seem clueless. Then there are the downright weird calls!

Read on for some tales from call centers that will make you think twice before you pick up the phone.

Strange Tales from Call Centers

You may think these stories are “phone-y”. But shockingly, they are 100 percent true.

Here are 10 of our favorite customer service stories.

1. Barking Mad

One customer asked her caller to say hello to her precious pet dog. The operator said a quick hello and continued with the call.

As the call went on, after each question, the woman asked her dog for his opinion. The customer also expected the caller to ask the dog too. She did, and in the end, both the customer and the dog agreed to buy the product.

2. Number Two

Aptly, this funny customer service story is number two.

At a call center, one customer decided to call while he was sat on the toilet. Not only was he sat there pooping, but he also had the call center on speakerphone.

They could hear every plop. And they didn’t miss the finale of the flush at the end to confirm their suspicions.

3. Now Look What You Made Me Do

One man worked in a call center and had the unfortunate job of collecting loans. He once called a woman who became extremely irritated with him. But instead of using her words to express her anger, she started destroying her kitchen and narrated it in the process.

On the phone, she calmly said: “You are making me so angry, I’m going to flip the table.” She then proceeded to flip the table and other pieces of furniture in the kitchen.

On top of it all, she blamed the call center for the damage!

4. OMG, It’s Whoopi!

A customer service rep was taking calls for donations for Hurricane Harvey. A lady called to make a kind donation. But when the customer heard the reps’ voice, she screamed in delight.

She then proceeded to shout to her family that Whoopi Goldberg was on the phone. Instead of playing along, the rep admitted she wasn’t Whoopi Goldberg. The rest of the call was pretty uneventful after such a hilarious beginning.

5. Legless

Not all customers who call have genuine intentions. One man called to complain about an order that was missing, but he was actually trying to defraud the company.

After the customer sales rep informed him he would need to go to UPS, he said that he was unable to go as he didn’t have any legs. He nearly swindled the call center but they caught him in the end, how?

When asking for his address, he said he needed to run downstairs and confirm the zip code. Hmm, sir? I thought you didn’t have any legs? Busted!

6. Words Taken Literally

One customer service operator was helping a customer to troubleshoot his computer. During the process, the operator asked the customer to close all the open windows and restart the computer.

The customer put the phone on hold while closing all the actual windows in his living room. But to be thorough, he asked if he needed to shut the doors too.

He wasn’t the only one who misunderstood directions. Read the next funny customer service story for another literal translation.

7. Run Earl, Run!

Another customer service operator was assisting an older couple to fix their dial-up connection. The older couple were ready to receive instructions. The woman was on the phone, while her husband was on the computer in the next room.

As the customer service operator was speaking to the woman, she asked her to go to START and click RUN. The woman proceeded to shout to her husband in the other room, “Earl, click Start and then RUN!” He shouted back, “RUN? Run where?”

8. Do I Know You?

One call center worker received a call from a woman who was asking about a certain computer system. The worker recognized the voice and realized it was her mom.

Instead of coming clean, she had a funny conversation with her until she couldn’t suppress her laughter any longer.

9. The X Factor

Some customers have to wait in a queue before they reach a customer service rep. One customer used this time to practice his singing voice.

As the call center worker answered the phone, he had to listen to him belting out tunes. After five minutes, the customer realized they had answered his call.

10. Chinese Takeaway or Bank?

After all these crazy customer stories, you may think it couldn’t get much worse. But we have a classic for you right here.

One call center worker was taking calls for the bank. One day, instead of the usual call about bank related queries she had a weird request.

A woman called and asked for her opinion about her meal choice. Should she have the sweet and sour chicken with white rice? Or with chow mein?

The call center worker was not phased and advised her to have it with chow mein. Now that’s thinking on your feet! 

Customer Service Stories

If you’re looking to outsource work to a call center, what can you do? To avoid any weird moments you need to find a reputable company.

A call center staff member also needs to have these qualities:

• Ready for anything
• Respectful
• Calm under fire
• Empathetic
• Professional
• Able to control their laughter

The staff at AnswerFirst are well trained and prepared to face any odd calls that will no doubt come their way. They can do the hard (or weird) work for you!

Crazy True Stories

From pooping while phoning to sweet and sour chicken, these tales from call centers are strange but true.

The next time you’re on the phone to a call center, remember that there’s a human being behind the phone. If you’re acting weird, they’ll surely be stifling their laughter!

If things that are weird and wonderful fascinate you, you’ve come to the right place. For more crazy true stories, check out our weird news page.

Weirdomatic is the place where all weird things come to life through the amazing world of photographs – a corner of our wild imagination or the whimsical face of the reality?