Chapter 14: Working on Your Knees

Meng Xingzhe raised an eyebrow, responding to Tian Huasheng with a surprisingly detailed answer, complete with other Chinese characters.

“I’m here because I’m poor.”

Yao Jia felt as though he was copying her homework answers.

After a pause, Meng Xingzhe not only answered the question but also threw one back.

“Why do you think I don’t seem suited for this job?” he asked Tian Huasheng.

Yao Jia wanted to answer, but Tian Huasheng was quicker, leaving her no chance. “Because you’re handsome! You could totally be in commercials or acting as an idol! Why waste such good looks in customer service?”

Yao Jia nearly fell off the couch.

Was that really the answer?!

She strongly disagreed. “No, I also think you don’t seem like someone who should be in customer service, but it has nothing to do with your looks. It’s because you’re, um…”

Too pretentious, too showy, too vain.

Yao Jia didn’t dare say this outright in front of everyone.

“Anyway, you look like someone who enjoys life more than someone who works seriously,” she said, recalling his carpet, his Italian lamp, his high-end mattress, and his massage chair that he seemed to live in.

For a moment, Meng Xingzhe wondered if his cover had been blown in front of this girl. But when he saw the disdain in her eyes outweighing the suspicion, he felt a bit more at ease.

He told himself to stay calm. He couldn’t afford to blow his cover before even passing the probation period.

Denying too much or explaining too much would only arouse more suspicion. So he straightforwardly admitted, “I just have this hobby. I love enjoying life. Is that a crime? If you don’t look out for yourself, who will? Isn’t life meant to be enjoyed? Isn’t living meant to be refined? What’s wrong with enjoying life for oneself? If I don’t take care of myself, who will?”

He fixed his gaze on Yao Jia. “You?”

Yao Jia’s heart skipped a beat, and she shivered under his gaze.

Tong Yumo, on the other hand, looked eager to jump in, seemingly wanting to shout, “Me! Me! I’m willing to love you!”

“But even if I could rely on you, what makes you think you could do it? Do you have the means? Can you buy me a massage chair? I’d still have to buy it myself,” Meng Xingzhe continued, looking at Yao Jia.

Yao Jia exhaled a breath she didn’t realize she was holding.

Tong Yumo’s expression turned from eager to stunned when she heard about having to buy things.

“So if I rely on myself, even if I live more luxuriously and refined than most, there’s nothing wrong with that, right?”

Meng Xingzhe turned to Tian Huasheng, seamlessly blending arrogance, poverty, and self-righteousness. “I admit I like to enjoy life. I spend all my money on it, so yes, I’m poor. I have to work to earn money. Customer service has a low entry barrier, so here I am.”

Tian Huasheng nodded with a look of newfound understanding. “I see.”

Yao Jia was floored. A whole philosophy of hedonism, and he’s actually buying it?

She retorted, “Poor yet refined, huh.”

Meng Xingzhe immediately shot back, “Better than being poor and not refined, right?”

Yao Jia was at a loss for words. She couldn’t believe she was rendered speechless in a verbal sparring match!

Frustrated, she thought she had to hit back hard.

“Fine, enjoy yourself all you want. Just wait and see how I eliminate you by the end of the month.”

Meng Xingzhe smirked, looking both handsome and mischievous. “Kid, it’s not certain who will eliminate whom.”

Yao Jia quickly countered, “You’re not admitting you’re old?”

Meng Xingzhe responded, “You’re just immature.”

…

They veered off topic, launching into a heated debate over their four-year age difference.

Tian Huasheng occasionally cheered from the sidelines.

“Wow, that was a good one!”

“Wow, so that’s how you argue!”

“Wow, Meng is sharp, and Yao Jia, you’re good at comebacks!”

…

Among the other three, Hao Lidan and Hou Wenwen exchanged puzzled looks. “What’s going on? Isn’t he supposed to just say ‘hmm’ and ‘huh’?”

Tong Yumo was sulking, her face and eyes full of discontent.

As they returned to the office area, she and Tian Huasheng walked behind. Up ahead, Yao Jia and Meng Xingzhe continued their playful bickering.

Tong Yumo couldn’t stand it anymore and turned to Tian Huasheng, sulking. “Why does Meng Xingzhe only say ‘hmm’ with me, but he chats so animatedly with Yao Jia? Why?”

Tian Huasheng seemed to be on a different wavelength. He pointed at the two in front. “…You think that’s chatting animatedly? They’re arguing!”

Tong Yumo frowned and stomped her foot. “You don’t get it! If a man argues with no one else but one person, isn’t that enviable?”

Tian Huasheng blinked in confusion. “??”

Is this a case of seeking abuse?

Why do young girls’ hearts always have a hidden masochistic streak?

※※※※※※

After a few days of practical observation, the phase of sitting behind senior employees to learn call-handling techniques came to an end. Each new customer service representative began officially taking calls themselves.

This time, it was Yao Jia and Meng Xingzhe’s turn to answer calls, with Lin Qian monitoring and guiding from behind.

Yao Jia wasn’t sure what luck she had, but her first call was a particularly difficult one.

A middle-aged male customer called, complaining that the washing machine he bought from Kunyu Electric broke down in less than a month. He demanded immediate resolution from customer service.

The customer’s tone was aggressive and impatient. Normally, Yao Jia would respond with equal aggression, adhering to her principle of “the more aggressive you are, the more aggressive I become.”

But now, she couldn’t. The headset on her ear tethered her, reminding her that she had to play the role of a humble customer service representative, not her true self.

Yao Jia recalled the handling methods she learned from training and from Lin Qian. She followed the procedure by asking for basic information, confirming the order, and recording the issue. Then she told the customer, “Sir, I’ll promptly assign your case to the After-sales Service department. When would you be available for our technician to visit and conduct a technical inspection on your washing machine? If it turns out to be faulty and since you purchased it less than a month ago, we can replace it with a new one free of charge.”

After speaking, Yao Jia glanced at Lin Qian, who was listening in on the call. Lin Qian nodded, indicating that she was handling the process correctly.

But then, the situation took a sudden turn for the worse.

The customer, extremely impatient and irritable, said, “I don’t have the luxury of American time to entertain you! I have to work. You guys are really something, making us common folk pay for your substandard products. This is ridiculous!”

Hearing the profanity, Yao Jia suppressed her urge to retaliate and forced herself to speak kindly, “Sir, if you work during the week, would Saturday or Sunday be convenient? If so, we can arrange for a technician to visit you over the weekend for an inspection.”

The customer’s tone and patience worsened, “Ha? You really have the nerve to say that. I work hard all week and finally get to rest on the weekend, and now I have to host you for no reason? Are you going to pay me overtime?”

A wave of anger welled up inside Yao Jia. She couldn’t understand why some men had to pepper their speech with profanity. She realized how unreasonable people could be, as destructive as nuclear weapons.

She held her temper and said, “Sir, I hope we can communicate calmly and politely. Also, if the technician can’t inspect the washing machine, we can’t confirm if it’s faulty, and we won’t be able to replace it for you.”

The customer shouted, “Who are you to tell me how to talk? Do you think you’re the only one who knows how to speak? Can’t I tell if the washing machine is broken? Does it have to be your inspection to count as broken? Are you some kind of authority that only your word matters? Do you think customers are idiots?” The customer’s emotions escalated, and he started ranting.

Yao Jia was furious. At this point, she sensed something was off. Lin Qian gestured for her to calm down.

She restrained her temper, but her voice had already turned cold as she asked, “So, sir, can you tell me what your real demand is?”

The customer paused his ranting and said irritably, “Forget it. This lousy washing machine is my bad luck. Don’t bother sending anyone to fix it. I don’t have time to host you, nor am I obliged to. I’ll find someone to fix it when I have time. Just give me a 500 yuan voucher for a microwave. Nothing else will do.”

At this point, Yao Jia understood clearly. The washing machine probably wasn’t broken at all; this gentleman just wanted to get a microwave for free.

Her rebellious spirit couldn’t be suppressed. She didn’t want someone so unreasonable and foul-mouthed to succeed.

Her voice unconsciously rose, unaware that others had started listening in on her call.

“Sorry, sir, we still need to confirm whether your washing machine is genuinely faulty. And I must remind you, if you have someone else repair it during the warranty period, the machine will no longer be covered.”

The caller immediately lost his temper, “Are you deaf? Can you stop the nonsense? I clearly said no inspection, no repair. Just give me the voucher, and that’s it! What’s so hard to understand about that?”

Amidst the swearing, he insisted on the voucher. Yao Jia was determined not to give in.

“We can’t fulfill your request.” Yao Jia’s anger was nearing its limit, and she couldn’t bring herself to use polite language anymore.

Her clear refusal completely enraged the caller. He roared, “What kind of customer service is this? What’s your attitude? Do you even know how to work in the service industry? Didn’t your parents teach you how to talk to people?”

Yao Jia was also angry, her voice rising, “Sir, can’t you use polite language? Is profanity stuck in your mouth? While questioning others about their upbringing, can you reflect on yourself and stop spewing insults?”

The caller immediately shouted, “What kind of attitude is that? I bought a defective product from you, and this is how you treat me? Who spoiled you? Get your manager here. I’m going to complain until you’re fired!”

Before Yao Jia could retort, Lin Qian quickly took over the call. She instinctively knew that there were others listening in, and performance evaluations and monthly salaries were at stake.

If Yao Jia said anything more, it would negatively impact her evaluation.

Lin Qian took the phone and calmed the caller, “Sir, I apologize. I’m the supervisor of the previous customer service representative. You can speak with me. Yes, yes, her attitude was poor, and I sincerely apologize on her behalf.”

As Lin Qian spoke, Yao Jia looked defiant, wanting to speak up. Lin Qian stopped her with a rare stern look.

“Sir, please calm down. I’m very sorry that our product has given you such a bad experience. Is there anything we can do for you now?”

With the patience of a saint and expert negotiation skills, Lin Qian gradually soothed the customer’s emotions. After several rounds of back-and-forth, the customer managed to secure a one-hundred-yuan microwave coupon.

Having extracted this victory of a one-hundred-yuan coupon from nothing, the customer was satisfied. He lodged a complaint against Yao Jia but didn’t insist on having her fired. Once it was confirmed that Yao Jia would receive a complaint, he finally let the matter rest.

After hanging up the phone, Lin Qian looked at Yao Jia. Both of them took off their headsets. At the next workstation, Meng Xingzhe was on a call that had been going on for quite some time. The other party seemed equally difficult, refusing to hang up. However, seeing how deftly Meng Xingzhe was handling it, Lin Qian decided to let him manage on his own. She needed to have a word with Yao Jia first.

Yao Jia was still fuming with indignation.

Lin Qian looked at her and said, “During training, they should have taught you how to handle unreasonable customers, right? And the techniques for dealing with them? You can’t just flatly refuse by saying, ‘We can’t fulfill your request.’ Instead, you should tell them what we can do.”

Lin Qian sighed. “Was the training for nothing? Why are you still so impulsive? Do you realize that arguing with customers is a big taboo in customer service?” She paused, observing Yao Jia’s puffed-up cheeks, and asked, “Do you feel particularly wronged right now?”

Yao Jia nodded with her cheeks still puffed. “I don’t think I was wrong. He was the one using foul language and being unreasonable. Was his washing machine really broken? He just wanted to take advantage!”

Lin Qian sighed again. “Yes, if you look at this case alone, you’re not wrong. Anyone can see he was just causing trouble and trying to get something for nothing. But unfortunately, in the service industry, the right to debate who’s right or wrong never belongs to us. What we have to do, and what we can do, is stay calm, endure, apologize, soothe, and turn problems into non-issues. Do you understand?”

Yao Jia pressed her lips together and said she understood.

But she felt a bit sad inside. So this is what being in customer service is like. Even when faced with unreasonable people hurling insults at them, they have to stay calm, endure, apologize, soothe, and then continue to solve the customer’s problem. No one thinks they have the right to protest against the abuse they receive. Because they are in customer service.

She said to Lin Qian, “I really don’t like the saying ‘the customer is always right’ right now.” Her voice was a bit louder due to her agitation. “It makes me feel like we service workers are only fit to work on our knees.”

Meng Xingzhe at the next workstation had already ended his call. He heard what Yao Jia said.

He turned his head to look at her.

Something seemed to have touched him, and for once, there was a hint of gentleness in his gaze.