How to respond to someone who says "I'm just following the rules."?

[Monna]

I was recently deceived by a salesperson, and called the company service department to try to fix the problem. When I described the situation, and both of us had heard the recording made by the salesperson, the service functionary told me "I agree that the salesperson did wrong, but this does not change anything - you still have to pay.. jadda jadda jadda.. I'm only following the rules."

This last sentence really bothered me. This employee did/does not seem to realize the implications of this little statement. Of course, she also told me, that if she didn't follow the rules to the letter, she might lose her job and what would that mean for her two children at home.

"I'm only following the rules... I'm only following orders." That's what the nazi concentration camp officers and staff said. That's what the forcibly enrolled army recruits who commit mass rapes and disfigurements and other atrocities do. (And for many the penalty for not following 'the rules' was death - not simply losing a job. That's what countless bureacrats working for dictators say, and so on and so on. You get the picture.

In this person's daily reality, it is also an explicit statement disavowing all responsibility and accountability for any decisions she makes on the job. She becomes nothing more than a robot in human clothing. And as such, she can be very readily dismissed, to be replaced by a robot, a software programme. In fact the more closely she follows the rule book, the less discretion she is allowed/allows herself, the more dehumanised she becomes, the more mechanical she becomes, and the more readily she can be replaced by something "mechanic."

Yet her reasoning is that unless she follows the rules, she will be dismissed.

Of course, this very much a real-life example of what Paul means when he says "the law kills." Not because the law (the rules) is in itself bad, but because it is followed (and enforced) slavishly, as in "the letter of the law" rather than it's spirit and overall intent. It kills in the sense that it dehumanises, it violates and denigrates human responsibility and accountability in favour of mechanical response, and thereby inhibts personal growth and maturity.

One part of me would like to write to this person, and her entire department, about this, and urge them to have an internal discussion about this. [I come from a "knowledge based" work environment, where I saw similar attitudes sprouting, many of them pitting customer satisfaction against revenue and against the company's reputation. In discussions internally the financial bottom line always won, to the detriment of both the company's reputation, the customer's satisfaction, and the staff's own development and self-image. So I am not entirely naïve.]

What is your advice?
1. forget it as a hopeless endeavour.
2. address her alone - which may be construed as an attempt to sway her decision on my own case (which would be nice, but is not my purpose - I really don't think she has the authority at her level to do other than she has done)
3. suggest the whole department discuss this issue, urging them all to never ever make such a statement to a customer, because it explicitly reduces them to a cog in the machine in the eyes of those who call in for help, and not a thinking and responsible person. One specific line would be to remind them that they no doubt are required to work to uphold the company's reputation, strive for the greatest level of revenue possible, and follow all the operational guidelines (I suspect that they are not called 'rules'), so what priority do they follow when these three requirements conflict with each other?
4. do something other than any of the three above... such as... what? My wish is that these employers do some deeper thinking about themselves as human beings (created in the image of God), rather than as automatons.

This is a forum for Christian advice. This topic, for me, is at the forefront of the Christian's interaction with "the world" and what Stringfellow terms the "morality of evil." We are to be the light and salt of the world. This is why I post it in this forum. I hope to get some good practical advice. Maybe the suggestions you give can help others as well.

 

[Dave L]

I was recently deceived by a salesperson, and called the company service department to try to fix the problem. When I described the situation, and both of us had heard the recording made by the salesperson, the service functionary told me "I agree that the salesperson did wrong, but this does not change anything - you still have to pay.. jadda jadda jadda.. I'm only following the rules."

This last sentence really bothered me. This employee did/does not seem to realize the implications of this little statement. Of course, she also told me, that if she didn't follow the rules to the letter, she might lose her job and what would that mean for her two children at home.

"I'm only following the rules... I'm only following orders." That's what the nazi concentration camp officers and staff said. That's what the forcibly enrolled army recruits who commit mass rapes and disfigurements and other atrocities do. (And for many the penalty for not following 'the rules' was death - not simply losing a job. That's what countless bureacrats working for dictators say, and so on and so on. You get the picture.

In this person's daily reality, it is also an explicit statement disavowing all responsibility and accountability for any decisions she makes on the job. She becomes nothing more than a robot in human clothing. And as such, she can be very readily dismissed, to be replaced by a robot, a software programme. In fact the more closely she follows the rule book, the less discretion she is allowed/allows herself, the more dehumanised she becomes, the more mechanical she becomes, and the more readily she can be replaced by something "mechanic."

Yet her reasoning is that unless she follows the rules, she will be dismissed.

Of course, this very much a real-life example of what Paul means when he says "the law kills." Not because the law (the rules) is in itself bad, but because it is followed (and enforced) slavishly, as in "the letter of the law" rather than it's spirit and overall intent. It kills in the sense that it dehumanises, it violates and denigrates human responsibility and accountability in favour of mechanical response, and thereby inhibts personal growth and maturity.

One part of me would like to write to this person, and her entire department, about this, and urge them to have an internal discussion about this. [I come from a "knowledge based" work environment, where I saw similar attitudes sprouting, many of them pitting customer satisfaction against revenue and against the company's reputation. In discussions internally the financial bottom line always won, to the detriment of both the company's reputation, the customer's satisfaction, and the staff's own development and self-image. So I am not entirely naïve.]

What is your advice?
1. forget it as a hopeless endeavour.
2. address her alone - which may be construed as an attempt to sway her decision on my own case (which would be nice, but is not my purpose - I really don't think she has the authority at her level to do other than she has done)
3. suggest the whole department discuss this issue, urging them all to never ever make such a statement to a customer, because it explicitly reduces them to a cog in the machine in the eyes of those who call in for help, and not a thinking and responsible person. One specific line would be to remind them that they no doubt are required to work to uphold the company's reputation, strive for the greatest level of revenue possible, and follow all the operational guidelines (I suspect that they are not called 'rules'), so what priority do they follow when these three requirements conflict with each other?
4. do something other than any of the three above... such as... what? My wish is that these employers do some deeper thinking about themselves as human beings (created in the image of God), rather than as automatons.

This is a forum for Christian advice. This topic, for me, is at the forefront of the Christian's interaction with "the world" and what Stringfellow terms the "morality of evil." We are to be the light and salt of the world. This is why I post it in this forum. I hope to get some good practical advice. Maybe the suggestions you give can help others as well.

I cannot say too much not knowing the weight of the matter. But I worked for a "Christian" owned business that lived by the rule "whatever makes good business sense". They eventually replaced me for upholding Christian principles. Later the State gave them a written warning about violating anti-slavery laws....

 

[Tolworth John]

the service functionary told me "I agree that the salesperson did wrong, but this does not change anything - you still have to pay.

You need to find out what the rules are, both for the sales person and those in customer service and take it higher/further.
The implication from the quote is that you were mislead, in which case you should be due a refund, but you are going to have to fight it.

 

[mkgal1]

Yet her reasoning is that unless she follows the rules, she will be dismissed.

It seems to me that she doesn't have the authority to make decisions about deviating from the rules.....so I'd ask to speak to someone that *does* have the authority to make those decisions.

Otherwise...without knowing the details of this exchange...if you paid with a credit card, you could possibly dispute the charge (if you can't get it resolved within the company).

 

[com7fy8]

First, I would like to offer my practical understanding of this, from a legal and secular standpoint, then go into my Bible based ideas about this.

In this particular case, of course, I don't know all the details.

From a legal and practical standpoint, how come you did not know the rules, in the first place, so you could decide if you pleased to do business with the company? Of course, like I say, I don't know the whole story for this situation.

It can be that a company values its reputation and being honest, and so there are rules which can be broken. But if the workers are under a contract to keep certain rules, then legally they must and yes they could lose their jobs for breaking a rule which they gave their word that they would keep.

But, possibly, she needs to obey the rule but refer you higher to someone with authority to override the rule.

Or - - my impression sometimes is that a worker is under pressure to make people give up and not get their claims taken care of. In such a case, may be a worker could be lying about losing his or her job; worldly people can do this. So, in such a case she would as a worldly person want you to just drop the case, and she might feel like she will look bad if she has to pass you on to someone else. If you persist with such a person and superiors, and say you are going to do research to see who you can talk to, she might change her story and even turn out to be able to fix things without obviously giving away that she is doing this.

So - - - in case this company will not readily fix this but they should . . . why are you doing business with these people without knowing about these rules?

That's the practical and secular standpoint, that I am offering above. So, how about my Christian viewpoint?

I understand that Jesus says to let things go, when worldly people fail us. Forgive and learn how to make sure with God before we make any decision, so we can be personally guided by God to do what He wants us to do. And do not treat anyone like an object to use or an obstacle, but personally care about each one. If someone is a child of Satan, there is no telling what that worker is going through, inside oneself. So, we are here to reach these people, not only to get business done.

A scripture that feeds me for dealing with business people is 1 Peter 5:3 >

"nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." (1 Peter 5:3)

As a Christian, I can do good to each person and do what I can to take care of that person and not only to use that person to take care of me. And I must never try to lord myself over another person, to pressure or coerce that person do something, or to just use a person for what I want and might be dictating that he or she has to do. But first love and care for each one. Even during very practical business matters, first I am meeting with someone in order to love that person. Be a real friend to that person, a good example of how to be like Jesus and how to relate in love > this is the first investment in doing business with anyone

We are in this evil world. And ones of this world are in Satan's kingdom; so it is silly to expect worldly people to do things right, if they have not even gotten started with Jesus; because Jesus says, "without Me you can do nothing" (in John 15:5). Even so, people of the world do things well enough, often enough, as medical people and law enforcement ones and other workers . . . if and how God blesses them to, likely without them knowing He is helping them. So, I would say don't be surprised if a person of the world turns out to not do as well as you think they are supposed to.

When people mess up and mess around with me, first I need to submit to God > actually, I should already be submitting to Him so now I simply keep on doing what He has me doing. And He is creative; so, actually, I can't tell you what He will have you doing, so often better than I might think and hope ahead of time

 

[Monna]

I cannot say too much not knowing the weight of the matter.

You need to find out what the rules are, both for the sales person and those in customer service and take it higher/further.
The implication from the quote is that you were mislead, in which case you should be due a refund, but you are going to have to fight it.

It seems to me that she doesn't have the authority to make decisions about deviating from the rules.

In this particular case, of course, I don't know all the details.

I thank you all for replying. Either I have misunderstood your replies or most of you who have answered so far have missed the point. Obviously I have not been clear enough.

I am not interested in my particular case in this thread!!!! This is not about me and whether or not my case is being handled rightly or wrongly.

I am interested in the implications of the statement "I'm only following the rules."

I suppose mkgal1 has given the best of what I might have expected - "knowing that I'm responsible for my answers and understanding that there is a fundamental conflict concerning what is expected of me, I will take up your issue with my boss - maybe he is authorised to interpret the rules differently." This at least is a recognition that at some level rules are not ALWAYS so rigid, and in taking such an approach she would be taking a more "creative response" to me as a would-be long-term satisfied customer.

My concern is for those who hide behind "rules," "orders," "instructions" blindly, without using their own higher moral or ethical principles! It is not OK to obey orders that require you to torture, to murder, to steal, to rape, etc. simply because you are told to by your employer. Or perhaps you think it is. These examples are extreme I admit, but the principle is the same ... hiding behind "rules" and the dehumanisation this ALWAYS entails. Jesus fullfilled the law, not by subjecting himself to its letter, but by going beyond it to fulfilling its intent - the application of love, regardless of cost to himself.

The irony in this particular situation is that the service staff is saying "I must follow the rules to the letter, because otherwise I might lose my job." If following the rules is all there is to it, this is a perfect candidate position for automation, for replacing people with software, with whom customers can never reason. And it is precisely BECAUSE they only follow the rules, that they can be replaced. If there is no room for discretion, no leeway in applying the 'rules' there is no need for a human! At the same time, many people in this type of situation are placed in a position of having to a) protect the reputation of the firm, b) do all they can to increase its financial revenues, and c) work for customer satisfaction. Very often these expectations conflict. Hiding behind rules does not provide guidance for staff, unless the rules themselves tell them "financial revenue ranks higher than company reputation which in turn ranks higher than customer satisfaction" or some other ranking of priorities.

Repeat, my question is not about how I have been treated, it is about how to get the personnel (and 6 different ones have been involved thus far) to understand this issue, and what it is doing to themselves personally when they refuse to take responsibility or accept accountability for their answers to those who look to them for solutions by hiding behind the rules.

So, I would say don't be surprised if a person of the world turns out to not do as well as you think they are supposed to.

I'm not surprised. As I wrote I come from a similar enough professional environment and have struggled with this issue within a company for many years. I've also learned not to be surprised if a believer turns out to do not as well as might be expected. I myself have seldom lived up to my own standards of behaviour. Yes we all must act with grace towards all. In a sense my question could be rephrased - "seeing the dehumanisation that is occurring (at least outwardly) to these individuals, what is my most gracious option in responding to this dehumanisation?" (not: what is my most gracious option in responding to the details of my misunderstanding with them - that I am dealing with already.)

 

[Dave L]

I guess it comes down to letting things slide if it doesn't involve you in sin by letting them slide.

 

[Phil 1:21]

"I'm only following the rules... I'm only following orders." That's what the nazi concentration camp officers and staff said. That's what the forcibly enrolled army recruits who commit mass rapes and disfigurements and other atrocities do. (And for many the penalty for not following 'the rules' was death - not simply losing a job. That's what countless bureacrats working for dictators say, and so on and so on. You get the picture.

I hope to get some good practical advice. Maybe the suggestions you give can help others as well.

I say this with all possible grace. My best practical advice is to not evoke images of the Holocaust and mass rape when complaining about poor customer service.

 

[mkgal1]

My concern is for those who hide behind "rules," "orders," "instructions" blindly, without using their own higher moral or ethical principles! It is not OK to obey orders that require you to torture, to murder, to steal, to rape, etc. simply because you are told to by your employer. Or perhaps you think it is. These examples are extreme I admit, but the principle is the same ... hiding behind "rules" and the dehumanisation this ALWAYS entails. Jesus fullfilled the law, not by subjecting himself to its letter, but by going beyond it to fulfilling its intent - the application of love, regardless of cost to himself.

There was an experiment done years ago (that had to be halted, due to the extreme emotional trauma it was creating) by Philip Zimbardo - called the Standiford Prison Experiment. Zimbardo also studied what makes "good people" do evil things (by blindly obeying authority) and wrote a book about that (The Lucifer Effect). It's fascinating to me -and I HOPE and pray that I'm strong enough to buck authority and do what I believe is right....and never harm another person. If you're interested.....here's a link to a lecture Zimbardo gave (it's long, but he gets right into it in the beginning):

 

[mkgal1]

In a sense my question could be rephrased - "seeing the dehumanisation that is occurring (at least outwardly) to these individuals, what is my most gracious option in responding to this dehumanisation?

This is a good question (and you made a good point about the possibility of automation replacing these workers because of this rigid way of responding).

I'm not sure of the answer.....maybe asking them to try to put themselves in your position and see if they'd wish to be treated that way? Can they be encouraged to think of the people they're servicing as humans (because that's the line that's crossed where people can mistreat others...when they think of them as their enemy and not in their full humanity) and to go even further....can they take a bit of ownership of the problem and try to appeal to their supervisors about having more leeway in situations?

 

[cfyahoo08]

There was an experiment done years ago (that had to be halted, due to the extreme emotional trauma it was creating) by Philip Zimbardo - called the Standiford Prison Experiment. Zimbardo also studied what makes "good people" do evil things (by blindly obeying authority) and wrote a book about that (The Lucifer Effect). It's fascinating to me -and I HOPE and pray that I'm strong enough to buck authority and do what I believe is right....and never harm another person. If you're interested.....here's a link to a lecture Zimbardo gave (it's long, but he gets right into it in the beginning):

Is the jest something like this ?

 

[Monna]

My best practical advice is to not evoke images of the Holocaust and mass rape when complaining about poor customer service.

point taken. My initial thought was to ask them if they knew of any situations in which a "defence" was "I was only following rules." And it was not going to be put in the context of poor customer service ... rather the irony that the rationale for doing it is not to lose a job.... etc when it shows the greatest likelihood of not only losing the job, but the whole category of work.

Thanks again for your responses.

 

[Andrew77]

I was recently deceived by a salesperson, and called the company service department to try to fix the problem. When I described the situation, and both of us had heard the recording made by the salesperson, the service functionary told me "I agree that the salesperson did wrong, but this does not change anything - you still have to pay.. jadda jadda jadda.. I'm only following the rules."

This last sentence really bothered me. This employee did/does not seem to realize the implications of this little statement. Of course, she also told me, that if she didn't follow the rules to the letter, she might lose her job and what would that mean for her two children at home.

"I'm only following the rules... I'm only following orders." That's what the nazi concentration camp officers and staff said. That's what the forcibly enrolled army recruits who commit mass rapes and disfigurements and other atrocities do. (And for many the penalty for not following 'the rules' was death - not simply losing a job. That's what countless bureacrats working for dictators say, and so on and so on. You get the picture.

In this person's daily reality, it is also an explicit statement disavowing all responsibility and accountability for any decisions she makes on the job. She becomes nothing more than a robot in human clothing. And as such, she can be very readily dismissed, to be replaced by a robot, a software programme. In fact the more closely she follows the rule book, the less discretion she is allowed/allows herself, the more dehumanised she becomes, the more mechanical she becomes, and the more readily she can be replaced by something "mechanic."

Yet her reasoning is that unless she follows the rules, she will be dismissed.

Of course, this very much a real-life example of what Paul means when he says "the law kills." Not because the law (the rules) is in itself bad, but because it is followed (and enforced) slavishly, as in "the letter of the law" rather than it's spirit and overall intent. It kills in the sense that it dehumanises, it violates and denigrates human responsibility and accountability in favour of mechanical response, and thereby inhibts personal growth and maturity.

One part of me would like to write to this person, and her entire department, about this, and urge them to have an internal discussion about this. [I come from a "knowledge based" work environment, where I saw similar attitudes sprouting, many of them pitting customer satisfaction against revenue and against the company's reputation. In discussions internally the financial bottom line always won, to the detriment of both the company's reputation, the customer's satisfaction, and the staff's own development and self-image. So I am not entirely naïve.]

What is your advice?
1. forget it as a hopeless endeavour.
2. address her alone - which may be construed as an attempt to sway her decision on my own case (which would be nice, but is not my purpose - I really don't think she has the authority at her level to do other than she has done)
3. suggest the whole department discuss this issue, urging them all to never ever make such a statement to a customer, because it explicitly reduces them to a cog in the machine in the eyes of those who call in for help, and not a thinking and responsible person. One specific line would be to remind them that they no doubt are required to work to uphold the company's reputation, strive for the greatest level of revenue possible, and follow all the operational guidelines (I suspect that they are not called 'rules'), so what priority do they follow when these three requirements conflict with each other?
4. do something other than any of the three above... such as... what? My wish is that these employers do some deeper thinking about themselves as human beings (created in the image of God), rather than as automatons.

This is a forum for Christian advice. This topic, for me, is at the forefront of the Christian's interaction with "the world" and what Stringfellow terms the "morality of evil." We are to be the light and salt of the world. This is why I post it in this forum. I hope to get some good practical advice. Maybe the suggestions you give can help others as well.

So I see another poster already made the point about not comparing bad customer service, with mass slaughter. So I'll move on.

Um.... I have a different view on this, than some other people, so I don't blame you at all if you discount it.

You seem to have 3 different but related complaints.
1. You paid money you should not have to, due to a lie.
2. You don't like someone who can't do what is right, because they are just following the rules.
3. You want to change the culture of deception in a company.

So I am going to examine each one, and just give you what I would do about each.

1. You paid money, that you would not have, if you had not been lied to. What I do, depends on the amount, and how much proof I have. If I had an audio recording of that phone call, I would be banging down doors. If the amount of money is high enough, I'll file a complain with the BBB, and start a social media war, starting with Angie's list, which has an unusually large influence. Post it everywhere, and often. Send it to the companies email.... like all the email addresses you can find.

Again, it all depends on how much money were talking about. Some people are, as the phrase goes, a penny smart, and dollar stupid. Don't do that. Make sure that the amount of effort and energy you are putting into this, is comparable to the amount of money you are trying to get back. If you can get far more selling a few things on Ebay, then save your effort for that.

2. So I have had a number of jobs. A large number of jobs, and quite a few had me dealing with customers.

If you are dealing with a low-level staff employee, and they say they are following the rules... you need to understand that means they have absolutely no power to do what you want, not matter what you say, or how good your argument is.

What they are really trying to tell you is, move up the management chain. Find someone above the person you are talking to, to discus your issue.

I had a number of times, where I agreed with everything the customer was saying, I just had no power to do what they wanted. I have control over absolutely nothing. I have no ability to do what they want. I don't own the company, I don't even own the chair I'm sitting in, or the pen that I'm twirling in my fingers while I talk to you. I can't do.... anything.

Say I had a girl come in and demand her money back. I can't give her money, even if I agree with her completely. I can't just open the drawer and give her cash, even if I feel that she is right, and should get her money back. Am I going to open my drawer on camera, hand out money for something that is against store rules? I'll be convicted of theft, fired, and have charges pressed against me. No.

Every time you talk to an employee, and they say they are just following the rules, that is all they can do. You need to pick a fight with someone above them, that has the authority to do what you want. And you may have to move several steps up the authority ladder.

I remember working at an auto parts store, and a customer wanted me to install parts in their car. I said no, we don't do that. She argued with me for 25 minutes or so. Then picked a fight with the shift manager, who also said no.

The store manager told us specifically to not install parts for customers. I'm not going to directly violate store policy while on the clock, to get fired, and lose a job reference. Especially when I'm trying to find a better job, and need a good reference.

3. Lastly, you want to attack the culture of deception. First thing is, we don't know if there was a culture of deception. It could have been just one bad employee, who may not even be there anymore.

But lets say that it is a culture of deception. I happen to believe that we Christians can't really change the culture of the world, the nation, or even one company, just by yelling about it.

I don't think we can change people by sending letters, or filing lawsuits, or complaining to the BBB.

If you want to change the culture of companies like this.... go and reach the world with the Gospel. Convert as many heathens and pagans to Jesus Christ as you can, and maybe they'll get hired by these companies, and change the company culture from the inside out.

That's how you change how companies operating. Spread the good news, and convert the pagans. Then you'll see better customer service, when all these companies are swamped with Christian employees.

 

[com7fy8]

what is my most gracious option in responding to this dehumanisation?"

Gracious would mean you care the most about the person, and not only about things you stand to lose because of the person degrading oneself . . . dehumanizing oneself, by going along with just obeying the rules. Yes, the person is losing much more than you might.

In another sort of situation, I have people who help me put things away after church. There is a fair amount of work to do, but I encourage people to make sure they have spent time with their special people before they help me. Jesus cares more about our sharing as family, than our being like Martha just getting the serving done.

"I'm just trying to get the chores done," then, can be similar to "I'm just following the rules."

And, to be gracious, you can learn from this experience. Even though you might not be able to influence or change how things are in her situation, you might one day be in a position of being in charge of other people, and you can minister to them, how you expect and encourage them to have love as their standard for how to interpret your rules.

There is the issue of if she is obeying the rules or doing her interpretation of them!!

It is good, then, to get to know Jesus who is full of grace and truth, so we can interpret and do things with grace and truth.

"Let all that you do be done with love." (1 Corinthians 16:14)

And be aware that a legalistic trap like this might exist in some thing you might be considering to do; so check out the people who will be giving you rules and supervising you, to see how they expect you to process directions and regulations, and how readily you can consult with a higher person in case you have an issue or a need for resources not covered in policies for what you are doing.

You might not be able to help her, but here in this discussion you can help ones who are reading and maybe sharing

 

[LoricaLady]

I was recently deceived by a salesperson, and called the company service department to try to fix the problem. When I described the situation, and both of us had heard the recording made by the salesperson, the service functionary told me "I agree that the salesperson did wrong, but this does not change anything - you still have to pay.. jadda jadda jadda.. I'm only following the rules."

This last sentence really bothered me. This employee did/does not seem to realize the implications of this little statement. Of course, she also told me, that if she didn't follow the rules to the letter, she might lose her job and what would that mean for her two children at home.

"I'm only following the rules... I'm only following orders." That's what the nazi concentration camp officers and staff said. That's what the forcibly enrolled army recruits who commit mass rapes and disfigurements and other atrocities do. (And for many the penalty for not following 'the rules' was death - not simply losing a job. That's what countless bureacrats working for dictators say, and so on and so on. You get the picture.

In this person's daily reality, it is also an explicit statement disavowing all responsibility and accountability for any decisions she makes on the job. She becomes nothing more than a robot in human clothing. And as such, she can be very readily dismissed, to be replaced by a robot, a software programme. In fact the more closely she follows the rule book, the less discretion she is allowed/allows herself, the more dehumanised she becomes, the more mechanical she becomes, and the more readily she can be replaced by something "mechanic."

Yet her reasoning is that unless she follows the rules, she will be dismissed.

Of course, this very much a real-life example of what Paul means when he says "the law kills." Not because the law (the rules) is in itself bad, but because it is followed (and enforced) slavishly, as in "the letter of the law" rather than it's spirit and overall intent. It kills in the sense that it dehumanises, it violates and denigrates human responsibility and accountability in favour of mechanical response, and thereby inhibts personal growth and maturity.

One part of me would like to write to this person, and her entire department, about this, and urge them to have an internal discussion about this. [I come from a "knowledge based" work environment, where I saw similar attitudes sprouting, many of them pitting customer satisfaction against revenue and against the company's reputation. In discussions internally the financial bottom line always won, to the detriment of both the company's reputation, the customer's satisfaction, and the staff's own development and self-image. So I am not entirely naïve.]

What is your advice?
1. forget it as a hopeless endeavour.
2. address her alone - which may be construed as an attempt to sway her decision on my own case (which would be nice, but is not my purpose - I really don't think she has the authority at her level to do other than she has done)
3. suggest the whole department discuss this issue, urging them all to never ever make such a statement to a customer, because it explicitly reduces them to a cog in the machine in the eyes of those who call in for help, and not a thinking and responsible person. One specific line would be to remind them that they no doubt are required to work to uphold the company's reputation, strive for the greatest level of revenue possible, and follow all the operational guidelines (I suspect that they are not called 'rules'), so what priority do they follow when these three requirements conflict with each other?
4. do something other than any of the three above... such as... what? My wish is that these employers do some deeper thinking about themselves as human beings (created in the image of God), rather than as automatons.

This is a forum for Christian advice. This topic, for me, is at the forefront of the Christian's interaction with "the world" and what Stringfellow terms the "morality of evil." We are to be the light and salt of the world. This is why I post it in this forum. I hope to get some good practical advice. Maybe the suggestions you give can help others as well.

Definitely put in a complaint at higher levels. If no one ever complained about poor service and bad products, we would have far more poor service and bad products. Smart companies want to please customers, so that they will come back.

Also complain about the person who is "just following the rules." You don't give details on what was done that was wrong, but if it involves money, contact the Better Business Bureau and by all means let that company know you will be doing so.