Jokes From the Call Centre World

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From quick one-liners to elaborate tales of confusion, here’s our curated selection of funny call centre, customer service, and telephone jokes.

Whether it’s about outdated tech (anyone remember Netscape?) or classic misunderstandings, these jokes remind us that laughter really is the best response to life’s quirks.

Tech Support Chronicles

Tech support calls often turn into mini-comedy sketches. Here’s what happens when customers and technology collide:

Surreal Joke

Customer: “I want to get the new Netscape from you people.”
Tech Support: “I’ll need to charge your account $30.”
Customer: “What do you mean? I pay for this service.”
Tech Support: “We’re providing the registered version of Netscape. Netscape charges us, so we have to charge you.”
Customer: “Well, my son is a socialist, and I spent a year in Spain. What do you have to say to that?”
Tech Support: “…Uh….”
Customer: “I thought so.” [Click]

(And people say tech support doesn’t prepare you for philosophical debates!)

WordPerfect Classic

This oldie-but-goodie highlights just how much tech has evolved—and how much it hasn’t:

Tech: “Ridge Hall computer assistant; may I help you?”
Customer: “Yes, well, I’m having trouble with WordPerfect.”
Tech: “What sort of trouble?”
Customer: “Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went away.”
Tech: “Went away?”
Customer: “They disappeared.”
Tech: “Hmm. So what does your screen look like now?”
Customer: “Nothing.”
Tech: “Nothing?”
Customer: “It’s blank; it won’t accept anything when I type.”
Tech: “Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out?”
Customer: “How do I tell?”
Tech: “Can you see the “C” prompt on the screen?”
Customer: “What’s a sea-prompt?”
Tech: “Never mind. Can you move the cursor around on the screen?”
Customer: “There isn’t any cursor: I told you, it won’t accept anything I type.”
Tech: “Does your monitor have a power indicator?”
Customer: “What’s a monitor?”
Tech: “It’s the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV. Does it have a little light that tells you when it’s on?”
Customer: “I don’t know.”
Tech: “Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where the power cord goes into it. Can you see that?”
Customer: “…Yes, I think so.”
Tech: “Great! Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it’s plugged into the wall.”
Customer: “…Yes, it is.”
Tech: “When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that there were two cables plugged into the back of it, not just one?”
Customer: “No.”
Tech: “Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and find the other cable.”
Customer: “…Okay, here it is.”
Tech: “Follow it for me, and tell me if it’s plugged securely into the back of your computer.”
Customer: “I can’t reach.”
Tech: “Uh huh. Well, can you see if it is?”
Customer: “No.”
Tech: “Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over?”
Customer: “Oh, it’s not because I don’t have the right angle-it’s because it’s dark.”
Tech: “Dark?”
Customer: “Yes-the office light is off, and the only light I have is coming in from the window.”
Tech: “Well, turn on the office light then.”
Customer: “I can’t.”
Tech: “No? Why not?”
Customer: “Because there’s a power outage.”
Tech: “A power… a power outage? Aha! Okay, we’ve got it licked now. Do you still have the boxes and manuals and packing stuff your computer came in?”
Customer: “Well, yes, I keep them in the closet.”
Tech: “Good! Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it up just like it was when you got it. Then take it back to the store you bought it from.”
Customer: “Really? Is it that bad?”
Tech: “Yes, I’m afraid it is.”
Customer: “Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them?”
Tech: “Tell them you’re too stupid to own a computer.”

(Proof that patience is a virtue—until it isn’t!)

Railway Giggles

Traveling by train? These customers might make you reconsider:

Going to Bath?

Customer: “How much does it cost to Bath on the train?”
Operator: “If you can get your feet in the sink, it’s free.”

A Cardiff Conundrum

Caller: “I’d like the number of the Argoed Fish Bar in Cardiff, please.”
Operator: “I’m sorry, there’s no listing. Is the spelling correct?”
Caller: “Well, it used to be called the Bargoed Fish Bar, but the ‘B’ fell off.”

(Who knew rebranding could be so effortless?)

Telemarketer Troubles

Ever wanted to mess with a telemarketer? Here is a funny story that I found on another web site where one AT&T caller took it to a whole new level:

One thing that has always bugged me, and I’m sure it does most of you, is to sit down at the dinner table only to be interrupted by a phone call from a telemarketer.

I decided, on one such occasion, to try to be as irritating to them as they were to me. This particular call happened to be from AT&T and it went something like this:

Me: “Hello”
AT&T: Hello, this is AT&T…”
Me: “Is this AT&T?”
AT&T: “Yes, this is AT&T…”
Me: “This is AT&T?”
AT&T: “Yes This is AT&T…”
Me: “Is this AT&T?”
AT&T: “YES! This is AT&T, may I speak to Mr. Byron please?”
Me: “May I ask who is calling?”
AT&T: “This is AT&T.”
Me: “OK, hold on.”

At this point I put the phone down for a solid 5 minutes thinking that, surely, this person would have hung up the phone. I ate my salad. Much to my surprise, when I picked up the receiver, they were still waiting.

Me: “Hello?”
AT&T: “Is this Mr. Byron?”
Me: “May I ask who is calling please?”
AT&T: “Yes this is AT&T…”
Me: “Is this AT&T?”
AT&T: “Yes this is AT&T…”
Me: “The phone company?”
AT&T: “Yes sir.”
Me: “I thought you said this was AT&T.”
AT&T: “Yes sir, we are a phone company.”
Me: “I already have a phone.”
AT&T: “We aren’t selling phones today Mr. Byron. We would like to offer you 10 cents a minute, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.”
Me: “Now, that’s 10 cents a minute 24 hours a day?”
AT&T: (getting a little excited at this point by my interest) “Yes, Sir, that’s right! 24 hours a day!
Me: 7 days a week?”
AT&T: “That’s right.”
Me: “365 days a year?”
AT&T: “Yes sir.”
Me: “I am definitely interested in that! Wow!!! That’s amazing!”
AT&T: “We think so!”
Me: “That’s quite a sum of money!”
AT&T: “Yes sir, it’s amazing how it adds up.”
Me: “OK, so will you send me checks weekly, monthly or just one big one at the end of the year for the full $52,560, and if you send an annual check, can I get a cash advance?”
AT&T: “Excuse me?”
Me: “You know, the 10 cents a minute.”
AT&T: “What are you talking about?”
Me: “You said you’d give me 10 cents a minute, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. That comes to $144 per day, $1,008 per week and $52,560 per year. I’m just interested in knowing how you will be making payment.”
AT&T: “Oh no, sir, I didn’t mean we’d be paying you. You pay US 10 cents a minute.”
Me: “Wait a minute, how do you figure that by saying that you’ll give me 10 cents a minute, that I’ll give YOU 10 cents a minute? Is this some kind of subliminal telemarketing scheme? I’ve read about things like this in the Enquirer, you know.”
AT&T: “No, Sir, we are offering 10 cents a minute for…”
Me: “THERE YOU GO AGAIN! Can I speak to a supervisor please!”
AT&T: “Sir, I don’t think that is necessary.”
Me: “I insist on speaking to a supervisor!”
AT&T: “Yes, Mr. Byron. Please hold.”

At this point I begin trying to finish my dinner.

Supervisor: “Mr. Byron?”
Me (with mouth full of food): “Yeth?”
Supervisor: “I understand you are not quite understanding our 10 cents a minute program.”
Me: “Id thish Ath Teeth & Teeth?”
Supervisor:Yes, Sir, it sure is.”

I had to swallow before I choked on my food. It was all I could do to suppress my laughter and I had to be careful not to produce a snort.

Me: “No, actually, I was just waiting for someone to get back to me so that I could sign up for the plan.”
Supervisor: “OK, no problem, I’ll transfer you back to the person who was helping you.”
Me: “Thank you.”

I was on hold once again and managed a few more mouthfuls. I needed to end this conversation. Suddenly, there was an aggravated but polite voice at the other end of the phone.

AT&T: “Hello Mr. Byron, I understand that you are interested in signing up for our plan?”
Me: “No, but I was wondering — do you have that “friends and family” thing? Because you can never have enough friends and I’m an only child and I’d really like to have a little brother…”
AT&T: (*Click*)

(Mission: accomplished.)

Miscellaneous Humor

Some stories defy categorization. They’re just plain funny:

The CD-ROM Cup Holder

Customer: “Hello?”
Tech: “Hello”
Customer: “Yeah, my cup holder broke and my computer is still under warranty, so I would like to get it replaced.”
Tech: “Ummm cup holder?”
Customer: “Yeah cup holder…”
Tech: “Ummm did you get it with a promotional offer?”
Customer: “No”
Tech: “Umm are you sure you got the right company?”
Customer: “Yeah”
Tech: “Ummm… I‘m sorry if I sound confused, because I am.”
Customer: “Well it’s square, and it’s on the front of the computer, and it comes out when you press a button…”

(Cue laughter from tech support. It’s not a cup holder—it’s the CD drive!)

Manchester United Hotline

Manchester United Have set up a Call Centre for fans who are troubled by their current form.

The number is 0800 10 10 10.

Once again the number is… 0800 won nothing won nothing won nothing

(Ouch. That one’s gotta sting.)

Tech Support Comedy Gold

The Case of the Breathless Troubleshooter

I once asked a customer to close all their windows so we could troubleshoot their internet.

“Hold on,” they said.

Then I heard SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! in the background.

A minute later, they came back to the phone, completely out of breath, and said, “Okay, all the windows are shut. Now what?”

… bear in mind we were troubleshooting the internet.

Contributed by: Avinash

All One Word, Literally

I was helping a customer navigate to a website for a rewards scheme.

“Go to www.mymail.co.uk,” I said.

Three attempts later, she still couldn’t get there.

On the fourth try, I explained, “Type in www.mymail, all one word, dot co dot uk.”

Still nothing.

That’s when I realized she’d been typing in: www.mymailalloneword.co.uk.

Turns out, she was taking my instructions a little too literally.

Contributed by: Gary

Octogenarian Online Banking Saga

A gentleman in his 80s called to register for online banking. We spent 45 minutes on the phone as I explained everything—what a browser was, where the address bar was, and how to type a web address.

After walking him through every step, I finally asked, “What do you see on your screen?”

“Oh, I don’t have a computer,” he replied.

I still don’t know what he was staring at the entire time.

Contributed by: Sean

For more humorous articles to bring a smile to your face, check these out next:

Author: Jonty Pearce
Reviewed by: Robyn Coppell

Published On: 23rd Jan 2010 - Last modified: 4th Dec 2024
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