Among the artifacts at the British Museum in London is this ancient Babylonian customer service complaint that was inscribed on a clay tablet sometime around 1750 B.C. The complaint is regarding problems with two shipments of copper ore, as the museum notes in their description:
Clay tablet; letter from Nanni to Ea-nasir complaining that the wrong grade of copper ore has been delivered after a gulf voyage and about misdirection and delay of a further delivery; slightly damaged.
A full translation from the book Letters from Mesopotamia by Assyriologist A. Leo Oppenheim has provided a view into the customer’s complaint. Turns out Nanni was pretty angry:
Tell Ea-nasir: Nanni sends the following message:
When you came, you said to me as follows : “I will give Gimil-Sin (when he comes) fine quality copper ingots.” You left then but you did not do what you promised me. You put ingots which were not good before my messenger (Sit-Sin) and said: “If you want to take them, take them; if you do not want to take them, go away!”
What do you take me for, that you treat somebody like me with such contempt? I have sent as messengers gentlemen like ourselves to collect the bag with my money (deposited with you) but you have treated me with contempt by sending them back to me empty-handed several times, and that through enemy territory. Is there anyone among the merchants who trade with Telmun who has treated me in this way? You alone treat my messenger with contempt! On account of that one (trifling) mina of silver which I owe(?) you, you feel free to speak in such a way, while I have given to the palace on your behalf 1,080 pounds of copper, and umi-abum has likewise given 1,080 pounds of copper, apart from what we both have had written on a sealed tablet to be kept in the temple of Samas.
How have you treated me for that copper? You have withheld my money bag from me in enemy territory; it is now up to you to restore (my money) to me in full.
Take cognizance that (from now on) I will not accept here any copper from you that is not of fine quality. I shall (from now on) select and take the ingots individually in my own yard, and I shall exercise against you my right of rejection because you have treated me with contempt.
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“if you make the customer a promise, make sure you deliver it.”
-merv griffin
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credits: british museum, laughing squid, e. lynch, reddit
Sort of creates and either, ore/ neither, nor situation.
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so funny – and it does )
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I’d love to see the other guy’s reply.
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i’m quite sure they put him on hold for quite some time and beyond, then transferred him around, until they just lost him, like my recent comcast response.
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This was such a long thing to pound a chisel into a tablet and express dismay!! OMG! 😀 We barely write texts of ten words to each other.
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Let alone pick up a pen and write. Like your new photo too:)
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you are so right !
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Thanks! Smiling at you and wishing you well. ~ Robin
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i know! he must have felt it was really worth it –
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I’ve seen this before. It’s pretty amazing to have this window into the past!
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isn’t it though?
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This intrigues me! So there have been customer service issues long before now eh????
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yes, it seems that it has been going on since the beginning of time –
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This is interesting to me as I am a customer service expert. The best job I’ve ever has was resolving escalating customer disputes. This sure qualifies as one, seeing as how it has ended up in a museum. You always share the best stuff!
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wow, you are a special kind of person. and this must have been big – i love to share what i find interesting )
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The more things change …
>
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exactly, and i can so see you doing this !
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this is such an interesting thing but I don’t see me doing this in today time but I still do the pen and paper deal so who knows
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i doubt that many would, kat. i don’t think you’re alone on this –
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LOL. Things don’t change much, do they? It’s always fun to see that. Makes me think of Cicero’s complaint about the youths of his day.
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oh, yes. exactly –
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I’m having an Old Testament flashback.
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Take two tablets…
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you are good –
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oh my )
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Fascinating and humorous. What a great post!
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thanks )
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Hate when this happens. Where’s the BC Better Business Bureau?
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exactly !
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Its remarkable, How deep and long-lasting his feelings must have been to make such an effort.
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yes, i found it stunning. (if i had the skills to do so, i might do this after working with my comcast customer service department. )
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Interesting and a bleak conformation to see that customer service hasn’t changed much. I guess history does repeat itself.
I can just imagine the looks on the faces of the folks at Comcast if you did. LOL. ☺☺☺
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