I Have Never Wanted To Hit Someone So Badly…Thanks, AT&T

Oh Mr. AT&T sales guy, you are a jerk.

Call me old fashioned, but I have a number of years dealing with customer service under my belt, and believe there is a certain amount of warmth and courtesy you offer to a customer: they are, after all, willing to give you money for a service you so happen to provide.

And let’s be honest, this is an AT&T store, a higher-end cellphone company that is currently making a killing off the brand new iPhone-you’re not a bus boy at some gross diner, or a ::ahem:: ‘person of ill-repute’ turning tricks in the back of a car. One would expect a little more civility than what you provided, sir. (I guess it’s true what they say, money can’t buy you class.)

You know the biggest thing that bugged me about our whole interaction? No, not that I had to wait 15 minutes-that’s fine, I understand a rush of customers. Not even that you couldn’t really even help me that day (long story, but it’ll all pan out in the end). Even the fact that I and another person tried repeatedly all day to call your store to double check on something, and no one even attempts to pick up your phone. That ran second place to this…

No, it’s the fact that you were not willing to shake my hand.

I don’t know if it was because I was young, or a female, or (hell, I doubt it, but white even), but the look on your face made it seem like I pulled a rat or a toad out of my back pocket and that I expected you to take it.

I admit, I kind of looked like I was on the way to the beach (I refuse to walk out of my office in the city summer heat wearing a buttondown shirt and skirt: I would have been a sweat-soaked mess) but that shouldn’t have meant anything, because money is money is…What? Oh, that’s right: MONEY.

Also, please don’t be condescending when speaking to me: all it does is invoke this strong urge to maybe not so much hit you, but to pull off a fantastically nasty and sloppy Judo hip throw (in this case the sloppier, the more painful, the better). Not that I ever would, but it seems a much more satisfying solution than just punching you in the face. But no, I am better than that: instead I will just mention that it seems that someone in this whole process is misinformed, and that someone needs to adjust your protocol to be more accommodating and have a little less disconnect between the corporation, retail stores and consumers.

See? I can be all civil-like. And non-violent. Classy, even.

I think that’s the end of my rant, but sir, I do have to say I hope this was just a one-time occurrence, that I caught you on your off-day, because  if that is indeed how you treat all the customers that walk into the store that you may consider ‘beneath’ you in that fashion, I can foretell a long and unsuccessful career in sales for you.

That is all.