Recently, an ancient story of the first recorded customer complaint has made its rounds through reddit and social media sites. The resurfacing of stories like this show the enduring nature of history, so we wanted to bring history to the Grier community with this new column.
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Customer Service Representative was labeled as a top-demand job in 2025 by sources like Staffing Industry Analysts, Indeed, and Barton Associates. Customer service first emerged in the 18th century, stemming from fast-growing commercialization. However, the first documented customer service interaction dates back to 1750 BCE. Located today in the British Museum (UK), the “Complaint Tablet to Ea-Nasir”, was discovered in Iraq’s ancient city of Ur. The customer, Nanni, requested top quality copper. He awaited his purchase, having trust in the agreement between himself and Ea-Nasir, a well-respected copper merchant. When his copper arrived, he noticed that the copper was of poor quality and immediately acknowledged the merchant’s failure to complete his side of the negotiation. This broken promise was only the beginning of Ea-Nasir’s unwillingness to comply with the needs of his customer.
Nanni began his message to Ea-Nasir, broadcasting his anger over the poor copper. “You left then but you did not do what you promised me. You put ingots which were not good before my messenger,” Nanni said. “When you came,” he continued, “you said to me as follows: ‘I will give Gimil-Sin (when he comes) fine quality copper ingots.’” It is standard practice that a strong copper business must provide copper ingots of a high quality. Ea-Nasir’s audacity in providing poor copper was worrisome for the future of his business.
Nanni spoke about his dissatisfaction with Ea-Nasir’s response to his original complaint on the grounds that his response disregarded any prior respect to his loyal customer. “If you want to take them, take them; if you do not want to take them, go away,” Nanni said. Ea-Nasir’s poor customer service did not stop there. Nanni uncovered Ea-Nasir’s unwillingness to refund him for his inadequate product. “I have sent 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,” he said. It is a sign of great disrespect to refuse a refund for a poor quality item. It is even more insulting to send men through enemy territory for no reward.
I admire Nanni’s courage to stand up to the corrupt businessman that Ea-Nasir had become. “Take cognizance that (from now on) I will not accept 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.” Nanni said. It’s inspiring to see a customer with the authority to acknowledge, and subsequently call out, the faults and corruption in business.
As a result of Ea-Nasir’s carelessness, his business lost its former prosperity. His reputation diminished after facing multiple accusations of poor quality copper, all stemming from his refusal to refund an unhappy customer.
Almost 4,000 years later, Nanni’s complaints are as relevant as ever. Not because custom complaints are on the rise, but because Ea-Nasir’s existence and the famous “Complaint Tablet to Ea-Nasir” became a niche internet joke. Though it is generally unknown if Nanni received a refund for the poor transaction, it is clear that justice was served. Ea-Nasir’s legacy thousands of years later is still in tatters; whereas, Nanni’s valor and character is applauded.
