How One Clever Copywriter Rewrote the Rules—Literally—to Dodge Customer Calls Forever
If you’ve ever dreamed of climbing the corporate ladder just to escape the endless loop of irate customer calls, you’ll relate to this tale of workplace wit and revenge. Imagine finally landing your dream copywriting job, only to have a power-hungry former colleague try to drag you back into the support trenches. Now, what if you had the power to rewrite the rules—literally? That’s exactly what happened to Reddit user u/archaelleon, whose story of "malicious compliance" is both hilarious and inspiring.
Let’s set the stage: Ten years ago, our protagonist worked at a small web hosting company, starting off as an entry-level support rep fixing broken websites and resetting passwords. After proving their mettle, they moved up to handling high-value customers and, eventually, landed the golden ticket—a spot on the marketing team, writing blogs, scripts, and emails (and crucially, NOT answering phones). Life was good, until Ruth happened.
Meet Ruth: The Tyrant of Tech Support
Every office has a Ruth: someone who, despite a lack of people skills, claws their way into management and then rules with an iron fist and a clueless agenda. Ruth was notorious for overstepping boundaries, bossing peers around, and generally making life harder for everyone. When the company’s cloud hosting division boomed, Ruth was charged with finding a way to handle the influx of angry, high-value customers. Her brilliant idea? Strong-arm our copywriter right back into the support hot seat.
She marched over, dropped a "business strategy" on their desk, and coolly declared, “There’s nothing in the handbook that says marketing doesn’t work directly with clients.” Translation: Suck it up, buttercup—you’re back on phones.
When Wordsmiths Attack
But Ruth made two fatal mistakes. First, she forgot that the company’s only copywriter was the very person she was trying to boss around. Second, she underestimated the power of the pen (or in this case, access to the company handbook). As the office’s resident wordsmith, our hero was responsible for updating that sacred tome.
Cue the malicious compliance. With the gleeful encouragement of a graphic designer sidekick, the copywriter stealthily edited the handbook to state, in no uncertain terms, that the marketing team does not—under any circumstances—take calls, reply to emails, or interact directly with customers. Then, they marched the update to the Chief Strategy Officer, who approved it with a knowing smirk.
Armed with the newly minted, CSO-signed handbook, they delivered the final blow to Ruth’s campaign of misery: “Yeah, actually it DOES say in the handbook that the marketing team can’t take calls, as you can see here. I guess you’ll have to figure something else out.”
The look on Ruth’s face? Priceless.
When Malicious Compliance Pays Off
Not only did the copywriter dodge the dreaded phone, they also protected the entire marketing department (designers, videographers, and all) from future Ruth-inspired nonsense. Meanwhile, Ruth’s hastily assembled “cloud team” sputtered and failed, and she eventually quit without so much as a goodbye. Sweet, sweet vindication.
This story isn’t just a lesson in standing up for yourself—it’s a masterclass in knowing your power, reading the fine print, and using your unique skills to outwit office politics. Sometimes, the best way to fight fire is with a well-placed paragraph.
Takeaways for the Rest of Us
- Documentation is power: Whoever controls the handbook controls the rules. Don’t underestimate the power of a well-worded policy.
- Don’t let bullies win: If someone tries to overstep, look for creative (and legal) ways to defend your boundaries.
- Teamwork matters: A little encouragement from your coworkers goes a long way when plotting righteous revenge.
- Never answer a phone call you don’t have to: The ultimate career goal, if you ask us.
So the next time someone tries to rope you back into a job you’ve outgrown, just remember: Sometimes, all it takes is a little malicious compliance—and a little editing magic—to set things right.
Have you ever outmaneuvered a meddling manager? Share your own tales of workplace justice in the comments below!
Original Reddit Post: 'There's nothing that says the marketing team doesn't work directly with clients.'