the oldest customer complaint in existence
Sep 12, 2018 12:51:48 #
The first written records in human history came from the Sumerian civilization of ancient Mesopotamia, which encompasses parts of modern-day Syria, Iran and Iraq. They used to write in cuneiform, which is a system of writing that uses wedge-shaped marks etched into clay tablets. Perhaps unsurprisingly, then, a Sumerian man was also responsible for the writing the world’s first customer service complaint!
The complaint was sent about 3,800 years ago by a man named Nanni to a merchant named Ea-Nasir. Nanni lived in the ancient city of Ur, and wasn’t very happy about being delivered the wrong grade of copper ore, nor was he happy about another misdirected and delayed shipment.
Ea-Nasir was a member of the Alik Tilmun, a guild of merchants based in Dilmun, and archeologists found out that he was actually a prominent copper trader. It turns out that he wasn’t a very good businessman, because it’s a known fact that many of his customers sent him angry complaints.
One of these customers was a man named Aributaram, who sent a note to Ea-Nasir to complain about the copper he hadn’t received. A rough translation of the tablet reads: “Why have you not given me the copper? If you do not give it, I will recall your pledges. Good copper, give again and again. Send me a man.”
Nanni’s complaint, however, was far harsher than Aributaram’s. His tablet was translated all the way back in 1967 by the famous Assyriologist, A. Leo Oppenheim. It reads as follows:
“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.”
It looks like customer service complaints were just as frequent and as harsh in the ancient world as they are today!
The complaint was sent about 3,800 years ago by a man named Nanni to a merchant named Ea-Nasir. Nanni lived in the ancient city of Ur, and wasn’t very happy about being delivered the wrong grade of copper ore, nor was he happy about another misdirected and delayed shipment.
Ea-Nasir was a member of the Alik Tilmun, a guild of merchants based in Dilmun, and archeologists found out that he was actually a prominent copper trader. It turns out that he wasn’t a very good businessman, because it’s a known fact that many of his customers sent him angry complaints.
One of these customers was a man named Aributaram, who sent a note to Ea-Nasir to complain about the copper he hadn’t received. A rough translation of the tablet reads: “Why have you not given me the copper? If you do not give it, I will recall your pledges. Good copper, give again and again. Send me a man.”
Nanni’s complaint, however, was far harsher than Aributaram’s. His tablet was translated all the way back in 1967 by the famous Assyriologist, A. Leo Oppenheim. It reads as follows:
“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.”
It looks like customer service complaints were just as frequent and as harsh in the ancient world as they are today!
Sep 12, 2018 13:22:36 #
badbobby wrote:
The first written records in human history came fr... (show quote)
Boy that is one PO'd customer there. I would get right with him post haste.
Sep 12, 2018 16:18:01 #
bahmer wrote:
Boy that is one PO'd customer there. I would get right with him post haste.
he kinda sounds like you bahm
anchient forebear maybe???
Sep 12, 2018 16:22:10 #
badbobby wrote:
he kinda sounds like you bahm
anchient forebear maybe???
anchient forebear maybe???
Could be that was before my time so I don't know him.
Sep 12, 2018 16:27:40 #
bahmer wrote:
Could be that was before my time so I don't know him.
I really didn't expect you to bahm
does the word'anchient' mean anything to you?
Sep 12, 2018 16:29:42 #
badbobby wrote:
I really didn't expect you to bahm
does the word'anchient' mean anything to you?
does the word'anchient' mean anything to you?
No but the word "ancient" does.
Sep 12, 2018 18:50:49 #
Sep 12, 2018 18:58:12 #
Sep 13, 2018 15:30:11 #
Sep 13, 2018 16:56:31 #
badbobby wrote:
back
fish refused to cooperate
fish refused to cooperate
Sorry about that you'll just have to go more often then.
Sep 13, 2018 17:02:31 #
bahmer wrote:
Sorry about that you'll just have to go more often then.
I'd hafta talk to Mama bout that
Sep 13, 2018 17:52:49 #
badbobby wrote:
I'd hafta talk to Mama bout that
Be you a man or be you a mouse.
Remeber I was married at one time as well so no lyin.
Sep 13, 2018 17:59:59 #
bahmer wrote:
Be you a man or be you a mouse.
Remeber I was married at one time as well so no lyin.
Remeber I was married at one time as well so no lyin.
squeak
Sep 13, 2018 18:02:17 #
Sep 13, 2018 18:31:38 #
bahmer wrote:
No fish at all today?
I could be like a lotta fishermen I know
and tell lies about my prowess but I gotta admit--I failed today
It was the fish's fault though
they refused to bite my excellent presentations
them fish is funny peoples
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