If you work in a call centre do you know if someone has heard what I said? Mortified

[cringeaa]

I am mortified. I called up about a leak and the automated system was asking whether it was inside or outside the house. It asked about 12 times and in the end I shouted ‘yes inside the fucking twatty cunty house! This is making me want to drown in the leak.’

A minute or so later an advisor came on the line and said hello you’re calling about a leak inside the property?

would they have heard what I said?

Oh I do hope so

You've probably brightened someone's day enormously!

Trust me that’s about the average language I heard when I worked in the same room as call centre staff. From the staff.

Honestly, if I worked in a call centre and I heard someone losing their rag with the (undeniably stupid and obstructive) automated direction service, it would make my day. But no, I don't think anyone heard!

Thanks I am so embarrassed!!!

I think I also said ‘I could weep the leak myself’

god

Those automated systems are so annoying. They never understand my accent. They deserve a good telling off!

Maybe they understand keywords like drown so transferred you through

You'll be the talk of the break room but in a very good way. I'm sorry about the leak in your twatting cunty house and hope it gets fixed soon

All good learning for AI

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/jan/20/dpd-ai-chatbot-swears-calls-itself-useless-and-criticises-firm

Yes it will have recorded it. They may not have listened to it but the whole call is recorded from start to finish, not just the bits with human interaction. I once had to listen to staff calls, it was mildly amusing how customers would be perfectly polite to staff and then chuck cunts and the n-word about whilst they were on hold.

Ah maybe it will help them fix their system. I needed this laugh today, sorry but I mean it. Hope it all gets sorted x

Yes they can hear it and it's also transcribed, normally by AI.

But don't worry about it, it might give the listening staff a laugh but nothing will come of it. The transcription will probably note your frustration with a little red sad face to show you sounded unhappy.

Sincerely - a person who used to listen to the customer side of calls to see where the system needed improving.

I love this. I hope someone heard it

I work in a call centre and definitely couldn’t hear it, it wouldn’t be recorded - the recording only kicks in once it’s connected to an actual agent - and it most definitely would not be transcribed! So it all depends on the call centre.

I don’t know why you’re embarrassed though, I wouldn’t think anything of that at all except maybe to be mildly amused, I wouldn’t think anything of a customer for swearing at a machine, completely normal behaviour tbh.

I have worked in a call centre and that would be the best thing I heard all day

It's probably recorded and filed away on a server somewhere in case anyone ever needs to review the call (for a complaint or something). The staff member probably didn't hear it though, the automated system would have picked up your "Yes" and routed your call via the "Leak inside the house line". Advisors can usually see which route the call came through so they know which greeting to use.

On the other hand, most of my early working life was in call centres of every variety. There isn't one member of staff I've ever met who wouldn't chuckle, feel your pain and move on. Call centre staff usually hate the systems as much as the caller.

Also, I'm Scottish so automated systems are designed to hate me. There will be recordings of me all over the world trying a variety of English and American accents before just losing my shit and shouting abuse at the thing. We've all been there.

Oh, god, I hope not.

I had a bit of a meltdown while on the phone over the Passport Office’s godawful hold music while I was on hold for about 3 hours last week.

One of our suppliers has quite good hold music that I always sing along to so I really hope they can’t hear my terrible singing. I speak to them about 3 times a day

You did better than me OP I called my bank and had to do something in the app, I was stressed and almost said “how the fuck does this cunting app work” I remembered I’d got through to actual human who was helping me.

Recording only kicks in when you get through to an adviser. Otherwise, you'd only be heard if that specific call was audited or you raised a complaint. This would actually make an auditor's day.

I’m dealing with a major leak myself at the moment and this made me laugh out loud. I totally feel your pain and thanks for brightening what is a truly challenging time in my life. Good luck!

I recently phoned my bank customer service (on Teams so audible) as I had problems with an authorisation code. I couldn't get the operator to understand that I didn't have my mobile so couldn't access the text and eventually I just thanked them for their time and thought they'd hung up.

I turned to my colleague and said "Well they were as much use as a chocolate teapot" and a voice came out of the ether saying "Excuse me madam"?

I panicked an clicked on the "leave" button without responding. I just hope they didn't catch what I said.

@AdoraBell im laughing so much thank you!!

@Trappedandunhappy hope you are ok! It’s awful isn’t it!! I confess I have already cried once!

It would give me a laugh 😂

I also get very cross and shout at the stupid automated system, even more so if you finally get through it only to get an automated message telling you what it thinks you need to know before hanging up, leaving you to go through the whole palava again in the hope you select the right option for an actual person this time