That's not exactly true, but it’s 9:42pm on a Wednesday night, I’m two glasses of CRM software in, and all I can think about is my recent interaction with a certain fellow named Marcel F. from a certain company called Kodak (News - Alert).

Before you get excited and think I’m about to go all tawdry-romance-novel on you again, think twice. My interaction with Marcel via his company’s CRM chat function was far from tawdry. In fact, it was purely blanched of any human emotion (on his end, anyway).

I was having an issue with my ordering of Christmas photo cards via Kodak’s website. A promotional email led me to believe that I could get 100 free prints if I purchased cards that totaled over $15. Once my purchasing process did not allow the discount to incorporate, I was forced to employ Kodak’s customer service chat function to assuage my concerns.

Enter Marcel F. A kind, composed representative, who, after a few minutes of analyzing my account realized that I had been completely misled by the promotional email, gently informed me that I was incredibly confused. The ensuing conversation followed:

Juliana Kenny: so the 100 free prints mean 100 photos? i thought it meant 100 free cards
Juliana Kenny: i might be an idiot, marcel....
Marcel F.: Yes 100 photos.
Juliana Kenny: ohhhhhhhhhhhhh
Juliana Kenny: sorry marcel i completely misread this promotional email
Juliana Kenny: you should probably tell kodak to be a little more clear
Juliana Kenny: i dont blame you
Juliana Kenny: btw how much do you love chatting over IM with idiotic customers like me all day
Marcel F.: Its ok i understand.
Marcel F.: No, its ok it happens even to me it ok.
Juliana Kenny: maybe you can't answer that because their CRM software is monitoring you
Juliana Kenny: haha
Marcel F.: Is there anything else I can assist you with today?
Juliana Kenny: nope! thanks Marc
Marcel F.: Get special savings from the Gallery!

I especially love how he ended our lovely chat with an offered savings option from Kodak. 

Had I been on the phone with this man, (for all I know it was a robot) I probably would have asked him what the "F" stands for, if he is French (Marcel is totally a French name), and if he owns one of those European scooters that are super fun to ride around on. I definitely prefer the phone to chat when it comes to customer service because the answers are more instantaneous. Is it so wrong to crave a human interaction when I need help with something?

Dear Marcel F., I know Kodak prevents you from really saying what you want to to me, the idiot customer of the day, but, I should let you know, being so nice about it as you were, makes me feel more dumb than I already did. Thx, xoxo, j.