I work in customer service, this however does NOT make it OK for you to treat me like less than you!
You were not waiting for a long time at the counter as you stated, I had just walked back from there not two minutes before to help someone else. Instead of glaring at me until I looked up from working, you could have said, “Excuse me.”
You were rude and I hope you understood that when I told you just to yell at me the next time, I was being sarcastic! Please people have a whole lot more respect!!! YOU would not want to be treated that way I GUARANTEE!! —Not Your Servant
This article appears in Jul 29 – Aug 4, 2010.
I feel for you OP, because I know what that’s like. I got treated like a piece of $&%^ at my bank of 10 + years the other day. I am changing my bank as soon as I find out which other one would treat me like a human being.
In your case, talk to your manager and ask (in general terms, not specific cases) what course of action you may take when being treated badly by your customers. Some managers have the balls to have your back, others don’t. If they don’t, start looking for another job.
Is there no way to eliminate more customer service jobs and make people take care of their own business? We’re on route already with those self-check outs at grocery stores, and self check-in at airport helping to eliminate customer service drones.
From my experience Sebbie, there are way too many ABSOLUTE morons out there, I would not trust them to spell their own names let alone service themselves. Do you know there are still people out there who don’t understand that tax is added to their total? They also don’t understand why an item that is on sale from Monday to Friday wouldn’t be on sale on Sunday. Or understand what an expiray date is. Or when their total comes to $9.97, they’ll give me a $10 bill and 3 cents, and act like I’m the retard when I give them 6 cents change. Frig, I could go on forever.
yes, you’re human and so is the imperfect asshole you’re paid to serve. he plays the asshole and look at you, now playin’ the whiny little victim. now, had you treated him the way you’d want to be treated in spite of the fact that he offended you, you would have gained control of the situation and taught him a positive lesson at the same time. if you could simply have stopped yourself and seen him as a fellow human being, who was clearly having a bad day (or life), you could have adopted a different approach and likely yielded a positive result for both parties. But no, you’re as lame and ignorant as the asshole you complain about.
I’ve always said that it’s NEVER ok to take out your shit on someone else. People target customer service reps because they’re strangers and they don’t have to feel guilty and apologize to maintain a relationship.
There are also people, OP, who are just generally assholes. I found my amazing customers made up for those. What I found helped a lot was to overcompensate and be SUPER nice to the cranky ones: I’d actually get apologies for their snarkiness and one time one cranky customer went to the customer service desk and commented on how great I was even though they were rude and having a bad day. Once, a lady came through my cash who was in a very bad mood (well more like stressed), I found out that her husband was terminally ill and had just been brought home from the hospital to die and she obviously didn’t want to deal with a crowded grocery store. I don’t know what I said but before she left she said I was an angel and that I made a bright spot in her day.
So, just try the nicey nice overcompensation approach. In some cases it’s great satisfaction because you make the jerk feel bad, but in some, like the lady who’s husband was ill, it was a nice feeling to be of SOME small help.
i have found over the years, when a customer is rude i stare at them and they apologize. it’s always something that has nowt to do with me personally. it can take a while to grow a thick hide* snort