This is mined from my vault of funniest call center stories… In American society, invariably you’ve contacted a call center filled wall-to-wall with customer service representatives (CSRs) And for twenty years, I was a call center rat in some capacity.

In some of those call centers, I rose through the ranks to be promoted to title of supervisor. Not only did we manage the workers, but we took escalated calls. The following is a humorous call center story to share.

Funniest Call Center Stories: Nudist Charter Cruise

This is story happened at Costco Travel. I remember the agent it originated with, as well as, with the opening dialogue from the Costco Member. I can tell you with the same certainty I wasn’t prepared for it, either!

As a Cruise Supervisor, I was one of a team for this in-bound only call center. One particular day, while in queue waiting, an agent needed assistance. Connie Brown was the agent, to which I answered with, “Downtown Connie Brown! What can I do for you?”

She explains that the caller was sideways (upset) about her cruise being chartered a week before her cruise.

My eyebrows furrowed. “You mean, the week of her cruise?”

“No. I meant the week before it! Can you please accept the transferred call, as she’s no longer speaking English? In fact, I think it’s Tongues,” Connie grumbled.

I accepted the call as I usually did, “This is Carlos Bayne, Supervisor for the Cruise Department. How can I help?”

The female caller launches into a Sam Kinison tirade that he would be proud … as her answer.

Without flinching, I asked, “May I have your Costco Travel booking number or Membership if you don’t have it?”

Still trying to steamroll me, “I already gave it to the agent.”

“Correct. However, in your haste to be escalated to a supervisor that part wasn’t given to me. So, again, may I have your Costco Travel booking number or Membership number if you don’t have it?”

I realized this isn’t the start to a funny call center stories but bear with me.

I quickly read the notes that Connie placed in the booking rather than listen to the caller blather on. Royal Caribbean Cruises had chartered the ship to a nudist colony. 

Lovely, I mentally grumbled.

After connecting the call back to the member, “I understand that you received a letter from the cruise line that they’ve chartered the ship you’ve booked. And that you declined their offer to sail with the chartering organization.”

Now that I put her into timeout, she calmed down. “That’s correct.”

“Furthermore, you declined the rebuttal offer on the next week’s itinerary.”

She sighed, “Yes.”

“Ok. What do you want?” I pressed.

She explained at length why she disagreed with that lifestyle and morally corrupt it is. Once she finished with that, then we finally got to the root complaint. I asked her to forward the email she received from someone regarding the charter. I gathered up her contact information to advise her it’ll take some work before I can call her back but that I will.

The email and it’s attachment was immediately flagged for pornography!

I contacted our IT department to advise I need this email and it’s attachment. The PDF was glorious! She was right; it was a nudist colony. At the time, my best resource for escalated mutual customer issues was the RCI Star Desk. Harvey was the lead agent that I had built a rapport with him over the year. I called him …

After exchanging pleasantries, and discussed that this phone call will be one of my Funniest Call Center Stories ever and the laughter subsided, we set out to work out this issue. The entire process was weeks, but eventually everyone received what they want.

One question still haunts me, though. Did those nudists cruisers wear clothing through the travel process to GET to the cruise? HM.

Until next time, be good like you should, and if you can’t be good, be good at what you do! Mic drop *bOoM*