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Original poster

Spiralling after April Fools joke

70 replies

Lucy304 · 01/04/2026 20:57

Hi,
Please be kind. My anxiety is in overdrive.
I work in sales. There's a particular product, let's call it X, that's notoriously difficult to get hold of. Comes from overseas, long delays, awkward supplier etc. Thankfully, customers only request product X very rarely.
Anyway, I was speaking to a colleague the other day and the chat basically ended with, 'could be worse, we could be trying to get hold of X!' And we were laughing about it.
So this morning, a call is put through to me as I was asked for by name, even though there are several of us. The caller asked me about the availability of X. Instantly, I knew it was my colleague winding me up. I laughed and said 'I can't believe you've done this.' The caller asked about it again, and then I got sarcastic, 'oh yeah, I think I can get that for this afternoon for you.' The call ended with me laughing, telling him to jog on and hanging up.
Except... My colleague is absolutely adamant that it wasn't him. Adamant. I even got someone else to ask him, thinking he would confess. Still the same answer.
I can't stop thinking about it now. There is a very small chance it was a genuine customer with a genuine request. I'm terrified that they will make a complaint, and I'll get a warning, or worse.
I can't concentrate on anything else, it just keeps going round in my head, how I should've handled it differently.
I know none of you can tell me whether it was a joke or not. But has anyone got any advice about how I can stop it eating me up?!
Thank you for reading.

OP posts:
Original poster
Lucy304 · 01/04/2026 22:03

@FoolOfShips I was trying to tell myself this, but now I'm thinking maybe they wouldn't do it straight away because they're going to send a letter rather than ringing...

OP posts:
mjf981 · 01/04/2026 22:04

It was almost certainly your colleague. Seems like far too much of a coincidence otherwise, particularly on April 1.

He's a bit of a dick for not admitting to it though to put your mind at rest. Maybe spend your time plotting payback for next year to take your mind off it.

Original poster
Lucy304 · 01/04/2026 22:05

@pimplebum I daren't ring them back!

OP posts:
FoolOfShips · 01/04/2026 22:05

Lucy304 · 01/04/2026 22:03

@FoolOfShips I was trying to tell myself this, but now I'm thinking maybe they wouldn't do it straight away because they're going to send a letter rather than ringing...

Are your calls recorded?

Original poster
Lucy304 · 01/04/2026 22:07

@moto748e some existing customers know our names. Also our names get mentioned from time to time on our website, social media etc. So they are there if you look. But yeah, quite a slim chance.

OP posts:
Original poster
Lucy304 · 01/04/2026 22:09

@FoolOfShips yes, although I don't know how to listen to them, we don't listen to them. Whether management do or not I don't know. I assume they would in the event of a complaint/ problem.

OP posts:
Namechangeoften · 01/04/2026 22:09

@Lucy304 Let's consider the following:

  • Your colleague is a known joker
  • It was April Fool's Day
  • You'd both been laughing about having to order product X the very previous day
  • The caller asked for you by name, even though it was a new order and not something you'd been dealing with already
  • The caller sounded a bit like your colleague

On balance of probability, it was a wind up. I'd bet on it! Time to start plotting your revenge, I reckon 😉

Original poster
Lucy304 · 01/04/2026 22:12

@Namechangeoften thank you! This is honestly what I thought to begin with. It's only because it's dragged on so long that it's started to stress me out.

OP posts:
Namechangeoften · 01/04/2026 22:18

Your colleague is a meanie! We'll help you come up with something to get him back. Until then, here's a .

I hope you manage to get some relief. Xx

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/8Ws8_Y_PQ8E?si=UCGEgWGaiyqyMW-v

Nofeckingway · 01/04/2026 22:19

Even if it was a genuine customer what's the worst that can happen ? You say oh sorry it was April Fools Day and I thought you were someone playing a joke . Sorry 😐 They'd hardly complain to get you in trouble. Let it go . It's no big deal . And I mean that in a nice way .

IReallyDontKnowClouds · 01/04/2026 22:30

I’m a recovered over thinker and one of the best things I ever did for it was a positive intelligence course. It helped me to recognise why I was over thinking and learn to think completely differently.

I am so sorry this happened to you. My best advice for this evening is to consciously tell yourself that over thinking will not fix anything. Once you have done that, keep bringing your attention to physical things or sensations around you… for example look around the room and REALLY concentrate on what you see. Or take some slow deep breaths and really concentrate on the feeling of your chest going up and down. Doing things like this helps you move from the ‘over thinking’ left part of your brain (also where your anxiety lives) to the right ‘feeling/creative’ part of your brain.

Your anxious brain thinks you can think your way out of this situation. But ironically all the thinking does of keep you feeling anxious. You can’t ‘think’ your way into feeling better. So keep reminding yourself that, and bring it back to your physical sensations. This will help your body to calm down and bring things into perspective.

i hope this helps OP and I hope the feelings pass soon 🤞🏻

OPTIMUMMY · 01/04/2026 22:38

  1. It most likely was your colleague - the asking by name, the specific item, the fact you thought it sounded like them.

  2. If it was a genuine customer they are unlikely to write a letter of complaint - that takes a lot of effort and time.

  3. If worst of the worst it was a genuine customer and they decided it was worth complaining about then you just admit your mistake that you were absolutely certain it was your colleague and apologise. What’s the worst that can happen? It’s not serious enough for it to be made into a bigger issue.

  4. Given that there is absolutely nothing you can do about it right now then you reassure yourself
    that it is not worth stressing over ‘if’s, buts or maybe’s’ Try and sleep now and know that you can deal with it tomorrow if anything comes of it.

Strawberry53 · 01/04/2026 22:41

As somebody who has suffered from anxiety and ruminating on things that may seem irrational, I totally sympathise. There is nothing to stress about here though, even if it was a customer they’ll just go somewhere else, its not a big deal in the grand scheme. I promise you from the outside looking in this is really not that bad at all. I would recommend speaking to your gp about your anxiety, CBT could definitely help, it teaches you practical techniques to help with unwanted thoughts and anxiety spiralling.

Original poster
Lucy304 · 01/04/2026 22:43

Thank you to everyone for replying. Lots of helpful comments and suggestions. Thanks again

OP posts:
ForDeftBeaker · 01/04/2026 22:46

Take a breath. If it was a genuine customer and they complain, you explain the context. "I genuinely believed it was a colleague playing a joke because of an inside joke we had about X being impossible to get." That's a reasonable mistake. You didn't insult anyone. You didn't swear. You made a joke about availability. You're not getting fired over this.

EarthSight · 01/04/2026 22:46

In your place I'd try to trace the caller and call them back. Just apologise and try to help.

EarthSight · 01/04/2026 22:47

Namechangeoften · 01/04/2026 22:09

@Lucy304 Let's consider the following:

  • Your colleague is a known joker
  • It was April Fool's Day
  • You'd both been laughing about having to order product X the very previous day
  • The caller asked for you by name, even though it was a new order and not something you'd been dealing with already
  • The caller sounded a bit like your colleague

On balance of probability, it was a wind up. I'd bet on it! Time to start plotting your revenge, I reckon 😉

Edited

This. Another reason not to worry. If anyone does complain, I think this is reparable anyway.

Twooclockrock · 01/04/2026 22:48

Yoh have a few options here. Lots of suggestions by pp.
But you can not change anything about the conversation. Its in the past now. All you can do is move on. Theres absolutely no point going over it. Either it was a joke or it wasnt.
If it was nothing to worry about. If it was then you have a credible reason to have thought it was a joke and all you can do is explain yourself if anyone asks.
Can you call the number back?

Scoobydoobydoo19 · 01/04/2026 22:50

How would they know to ask for you specifically by name if it was a genuine call, especially if it's a new request that anyone in your team could have dealt with?

hididdlyho · 01/04/2026 22:54

It will be your colleague, but this is exactly the sort of thing I would worry about until they came clean!

Teado · 01/04/2026 22:55

It’s the idiot colleague being puerile. Don’t dwell on it OP.

MrsF111 · 01/04/2026 23:03

I’m another huge overthinker and I always find it so reassuring when I read something like this as it reminds me the things we really stress and worry about so much are really not that big a deal from an outside perspective! The only coping mechanism I have for things I overthink is the “will this still be an issue in 5 years?” And if it’s a no (like this!) then I try to let it go. Obviously doesn’t always work but it generally helps a little

Eggandspoonrace2 · 01/04/2026 23:12

Even if it wasn't your colleague it would absolutely definitively NOT be worth all this angst. Worst case scenario your boss will have a word with you.

You don't want to hear this but you absolutely DO need to get your anxiety under control. This is a massive over reaction.

illsendansostotheworld · 01/04/2026 23:13

I would be planning my revenge for next year. OP l would put my house in the fact it was your colleague the little swine!

idontknowhowtodreamyourdreams · 01/04/2026 23:13

I sympathise, as some one who catastrophises routinely.

The absolute worse case scenario is that you have lost a sale. It won’t be worse than that.