Arrogant SOB

Some days people really piss me off at work. I work in customer service at a call center. Most of the time people are nice and pleasant. occasionally, they can be real asses. Every once in a while someone comes around who is just a real SOB. My last call of the day was a fine example. I was trying to explain our policies and what this gentleman needed to do to accomplish what he wanted. Everything seemed to be going well for a call that came in at 4:55p (we close at 5p). This gentleman was a bit long winded; I found out he was lawyer at one time and worked for a church organization. Absolutely nothing I was concerned with, but the usual BS you have to put up with in a call center. All of a sudden, from out of the blue, this gentleman says that I should contact my Congressman to have him check to make sure that Obama is registered (those who know exactly where I work are now laughing). The statement at first took me off guard, mostly because it had nothing to do with our discussion, and then the gentleman began a discussion on immigration control (ohh, I get it now....). I politely and firmly advised him that such statements were inappropriate for our discussion. I thought we had an agreement and continued on with our discussion. We were getting ready to finish up and he brings up the same topic AGAIN! I inform him that it has nothing to do with our discussion and asked him if there was anything else I could do for him. His reply was "Oh yes it does apply to our discussion...." At that point I told him I was disconnecting the call and hung up on him.

Now by this time it was well after 5p and everyone left was intently listening in on my end of the discussion wondering what in the world was going on. I rarely lose my cool over a call, so everyone knew it was "special". I was so mad at this guy that I couldn't even speak for a couple of minutes after I hung up on him. My supervisor gave me a roll of paper towels and told me to strangle them! Which I promptly did. My supervisor asked me why I didn't transfer the call to her. I told her that the discussion had nothing to do with our job and that no-one should have had to put up with that call. She knows that I have no problem with a supervisor call, but I'm not transferring a call just because the guy's an ass.

Why does anyone think it is OK to make a business call and bring up politics? I know this a heavily charged election and I get an occasional remark from time to time. I don't have a problem with that, much. A quick non committal grunt usually suffices. But this was absolutely ridiculous, hateful and insane! Did this guy think that just because he called a customer service center that I had to put up with his BS? Why? WHY?????