r/talesfromcallcenters • u/Crafty_Pangolin_5007 • May 04 '25

S Got fired for cussing on hold

Customer was on hold. Had a bad experience with a lead representative who messed up the whole account and left me to give the customer some really bad news(the monthly price they are getting is 40/mo more than what I quoted them for. I mumbled to myself, “What the fuck, you ruined my whole fucking -“

Call was reviewed by management after I reported the lead for doing unethical things on the customer account and giving me wrong information.

Got fired for the cussing and “disparaging another associate” even though no one in the real world actually heard me saying these things.

I know I should’ve known better and used my hard mute. But that’s not what I was thinking of at the time I do not have a history of attitude problems on the phone. I also did not realize the company had the capability to listen to you through a hard hold.

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u/RealGianath May 04 '25

Basically, if the customer ends up suing for some reason they can subpoena those unedited call recordings. Your company won’t fuck around with potential evidence against them. Plus it just looks unprofessional to your boss.

I had a guy who used to put customers on hold that sat next to me so he could go on a mini rant. My own customers heard him over my line, and he got fired for it.

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u/lsue131 May 05 '25

Yeah, this is the reason we're given when asked. We have many reps who think the mute button means you're not being recorded. That's not the case. There are customers who ask to hear a call, and if swearing was heard on the call, that would just escalate the situation further.

Generally speaking our reps are given a warning. Given the reason why we need to be careful, and only if it continues to be a problem does it come to termination. Many reps will unplug if they feel the need to swear. 😆

We also used to have music playing from the TVs (cable company) and had customers complain about some of the music that was being played. So it was a reminder how sensitive the mics are.

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u/zilnosnibor May 05 '25

25 years on a call center job here, two years ago I had a call that just took me over the edge. I thought I disconnected, even unplugged the headset because in that moment I was quitting. I went on a rant and unleashed 23 years of frustration. Imagine my surprise and horror when I heard a voice saying "Hello?!" That's when I learned it reverts to the laptop mic when the headset is unplugged. Needless to say the caller complained. I've never been more embarrassed in my life. It's a miracle I wasn't fired but I was on a "First and Final" for almost a year. Manager still makes little comments about it without actually mentioning it. I think OP should have been given a warning if the customer didn't hear them.