scribbledaway (scribbledaway) wrote in bad_service,
scribbledaway
scribbledaway
bad_service

I'm sorry, I can't hear you!

I recently applied for disaster assistance, to replace the food that had to be thrown out when we lost power for two weeks during hurricane Gustav.  I got a phone call today, as I was walking to work. I need to point out that I have a hearing loss, and the phone is very difficult for me. I just can't understand people. When I answered I heard a faint voice say something I couldn't understand at all. I asked her to please repeat. She did, but I couldn't understand her. I asked if I could call back when I was inside and the environment wasn't so noisy? I assume she said yes because she was no longer there. I never heard a word, but the call disconnected.  A few minutes later I called back, still with no idea who I was calling.  A woman answered but I was still entirely unable to understand her name, or why she was calling. I asked her again to please repeat, and I was still unable to understand her. I said to her "Ma'am, I'm so sorry, I don't hear well at all and I just can't understand you. Would you mind speaking loudly? Please don't worry about shouting in my ear, it's the only way I'll understand you." I always add that because I've had people say "Oh but I don't want to be yelling in your ear!"
What this woman said to me , quite loudly,was, and I quote: "Well I'm trying to talk to you but you're talking! The reason you can't hear me is you're talking! You need to stop talking and then you could understand me!"

WHAT?????

But, just in case I'd been talking over her, because I couldn't hear that she was speaking, I apologized and said "I didn't mean to be rude, I just needed to let you know that you'll   have to speak loudly."

she said: "Well, you already TOLD me that! I'm not STUPID you know! Can I talk now or is there more you wanted to tell me?"

Ok.  Right. Clearly she adores her job.
So I asked her who she was and why she was calling.
She lost her mind and yelled that she'd already told me "a lot of times" and if I didn't want to listen maybe I didn't want my disaster assistance.

It turned out they needed a piece of information I'd left off my application, and involved calling another person. When I gave her the persons phone number she snapped, 'Is SHE gonna be able to hear me?"

I mean come on.
I don't even know who to say sucked, because I never DID get her name, and all I know is she was calling about my assistance application. I don't even know what agency she was with.

Fema? The state of Louisiana? The city of New Orleans? State welfare? City welfare? The red cross? no clue. I couldn't understand her and she wouldn't repeat it because she'd already told me "a lot of times."

Awesome.
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