iRunStories / Season 1, Episode 9
Customer Service
The hold music was driving Connor insane. It had been forty-seven minutes. Forty-seven minutes of the same thirty-second loop, interrupted every few minutes by a recorded voice: "Your call is important to us. Please stay on the line." He'd tried their website. Account suspended. He'd tried their app. Account suspended. He'd tried email—bounced back, undeliverable. The only option was calling. So he called. --- "Thank you for calling StreamMax customer service. For account inquiries, press 1. For technical support, press 2. To cancel your service, press 3." Connor pressed 3. "We're sorry to hear you want to cancel. Your happiness is important to us. To speak with a retention specialist, please remain on the line." The hold music began. That was forty-seven minutes ago. Connor worked while he waited, phone on speaker, barely listening to the loop. He'd put off this call for weeks because he knew it would be a nightmare. StreamMax made it impossible to cancel—everyone knew that. But the subscription kept charging, and he didn't even USE the service anymore. Time to end it. "Thank you for holding. A customer service representative will be with you shortly." This was new. Connor grabbed the phone. "Hello? Is someone there?" Silence. Then static. Then a voice—not the recorded one. Deeper. Softer. "Hello, Connor. Thank you for your patience. My...