How rude!

I don't understand why people are so nasty to eachother when conducting over-the-phone business. I experienced this nastiness Monday with both Apple and DHL, and then this morning with the Ghanaian consulate. As I said yesterday, my visa application packet was returned but I was missing my personal check, so I called them up. The woman I spoke to was terse and rude - I explained to her that I would like the check returned to me (since they can't accept it as payment, anyway) and she snottily suggested I just call my bank to cancel the check or trust that the consulate won't do anything with it. I replied that canceling the check is an option, but that doing so costs $15, and that I would prefer not to do that. I also explained that I wasn't suspicious that the consulate was going to cash the check without my permission, I was concerned that they didn't know where it was!

After this explanation, she sighed dramatically, and mumbled "Your name."

"Excuse me?" I replied.

"Your name! How am I supposed to solve all your problems for you without your name?"

At the end of my rope by now, I pointedly say: "Once my documents reach your office, they're in your hands, not mine. It is your office's responsibility to keep track of the application packet - I really don't think I'm asking too much that you locate my check."

Pause on her end of the phone. "Your name."

> sigh