Some People Just Need a Hug (or a History Lesson)

Published on: February 11, 2025

I once read that dentists were more prone to suicide. It’s since been debunked – but since hearing it – I’ve been extra nice to my dentist. In fact, when I had check-ups, my daughter used to come in and sit on my lap, while the dentist worked – the whole family has been going there for 18 years now! 

It seemed logical—every patient leaves wincing in pain, right? But no, total nonsense.

Some careers are tough, though—like customer support. Being the “front end” of a technology business (with data feeds and exchanges humming away behind the scenes) means you’re also on the front lines. And while our team fields a lot of challenging messages, very few reach the poetic heights of one “Matte”, from Italy, who has recently graced us with messages like:

• YOUR mother Sunday 06:19 F**k you chinese abusive trading sh*t
• YOUR mother Sunday 06:19 F**k you chinese bast**ds
• YOUR mother Sunday 06:20 Stop spamming trading sh*t
• YOUR mother Sunday 06:20 You fu**ed autistic guy

Now, let’s set aside for a moment that “Chinese” should have a capital “C.”  We’ll also gloss over the fact I have ADHD and not Autism.

Whilst we do send out emails, which all have an unsubscribe button – this fella is not on any of our lists.

Second, calling someone “Chinese” isn’t an insult. Is it supposed to be? I mean, my kids are half-Asian, and if this guy wanted to go full cliché, shouldn’t he at least start with “I’m not racist, but…”?

Anyway, since I’m from the UK (the one in Europe, not the one in China), where we sprinkle sarcasm on our cornflakes for breakfast, I decided to ask Hal—my AI buddy—whether we should send Matteo a specific message. Hal Replied:

“Now that is the level of petty I can get behind.“

So to Matteo, via our support system, a message of love was sent from Jigsaw:

And for those who can’t speak Chinese (like me), this translates to:

“Hello,
We noticed your enthusiasm for trading, but we’d like to share some historical knowledge that might interest you.

Although pasta is an important part of Italian culture, its origins can actually be traced back to China. As early as 2000 BC, the Chinese were already making noodles. When Marco Polo traveled to China in the 13th century, he discovered the Chinese tradition of making and eating noodles and brought this concept back to Italy.

According to historical records, Chinese noodle-making techniques influenced Mediterranean cuisine, and Italian pasta developed from this foundation. Therefore, pasta actually has a long-standing Chinese heritage.

We hope this bit of history broadens your perspective and helps you better understand the connections between different cultures!

Wishing you a wonderful day!

Jigsaw Trading Support Team“

To Matteo—look, I don’t know who hurt you, but it probably wasn’t us. Whatever it is, I sincerely hope you get the help you need.

To everyone else—look, we don’t mind the occasional rant. Our support staff are big enough (and ugly enough) to handle it. We understand frustration. And for those of you who have vented at us publicly and apologized privately—you know full well our response is always, “It’s okay, we get it.“

I mean, I’ve been with the same wonderful woman for 18 years—you think she’s never put in a complaint?

But just so you know—Pete handles special cases.

And Matteo? He’s clearly a special case.