by Antoinette Furlow

Created on: November 06, 2008

I have worked in Technical Support for Many years, and have been asked some very outrageously stupid questions. The one that tops them all was asked by a very sweet woman who only wanted to buy film for her camera. What's so stupid about that her question, you ask. It's a logical question right. Umm right. No I worked for a Cell phone provider. We don't sell film and the camera phones don't use film.

Let me tell you the story:

Ring "Thank you for calling ....How may I help you today?

"I need to buy some film for my camera."

"Ma'am this is Technical Support for Cell phones."

"I need to buy some film because my camera is full. Can't I buy it from you guys."

I roll my eye and try to explain again. "I understand but I can only help you if you are having issues with your Cell phone. I can't help you with purchasing film for your Camera. If you have an issue with you phone I will be more than happy to troubleshoot it for you."

"I do have an issue with my phone I can't take pictures because its full. I need to buy some film for it."

My mouth is on the floor flapping like a fish out of water. I can't believe what I'm hearing. In all my days of working tech support and dealing thousands of customers stupid questions; this one truly took the cake. So after obtaining the type of phone she had I explained to her that a camera phone does not use film, and how to delete pics, send the ones she wanted to keep to her memory card which she had in her phone. Okay, if she put in the memory card, and I assume her battery one would ask if she didn't notice there was no place to put film.

During the conversation she did indicate that the phone was a gift from her grandchidren who convinced her that she needed to have a cellphone with the same features they had so that they could send her pictures, texts to stay in touch and vise versa. How sweet of them to buy their grandmother a phone that she has no idea how to use. Those sweet grandchildren didn't have the time to show her how to send and receive her text messages, voicemail or picturemail that they send her. Yes they were just the best to allow me to show her via phone to use all these wonderful features instead of taking the pleasure for themselves.

After an hour and a half on the phone she was as proud as can be to send a text message, save her pictures, and open up all those messages the grandkids sent her. Another satisfied customer.

Needless to say nobody at work could top the stupidest question a customer asked yet.

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