(For equal time): Dear Rude Customers:

[SeattleGirl]

Customer service workers, retail clerks, fast food/restaurant workers, hotel clerks, housekeepers/office cleaners, and other people in similar jobs, are HUMAN BEINGS.

They are not your doormats. They are not a ball for you to kick from here to the moon and back. It's not their fault if you get a faulty product. It's not their fault if you had a bad day. It's not their fault if you are late on a payment and your car is repossessed, your power is turned off, or whatever it is that happened that has you ticked off. And if those things happened to you because you are having a rough time financially, you have my sympathy, because I've been there, but still, IT'S NOT THEIR FAULT.

They are human beings. They are not invisible. They have feelings, and you have no idea how many people before you may have treated them badly. Getting in their faces about something over which they have no control is NOT cool. In fact, it's completely rude and uncalled for.

They often don't make a lot of money, but even if they did, that doesn't excuse your bad behavior, so knock it off.

Stop playing "Kick the Dog" with them. Sure, you might be unhappy about something, or downright pissed off. And you may have a perfectly valid reason for being pissed off. But again, the person on the other end of the line, or behind the counter, or the one who comes in to empty the trash, isn't the one who caused the problem. So before you go charging ahead like a bull in a china shop, and unless its an absolute emergency and something that can't wait, step back, take a breath, and put yourself in their place for a moment. Or think about how you'd feel if your wife, your husband, or one of your children was the recipient of a stranger's tirade. THEN make that call, or go to that business, or whatever it is you need to do.

But don't take it out on them. Most likely, YOUR problem is not THEIR fault.

Sincerely,

SeattleGirl

[MrScorpio]

1. Halleluja!

Good work

[SeattleGirl]

3. Thank you!

Having been on both sides of the issue, I thought it only fair to address rude customers too!

[Starbucks Anarchist]

2. Amen!

I used to be a telemarketer (ugh), and most people were nice, but a few were quite rude and angry, one of them even a racist asshole.

Then again, I had his address on file. Maybe I could have dropped by his place and taught him a few manners.

[SeattleGirl]

4. I hate getting telemarketing calls, but I'm not rude when they do call.

They're just trying to make a living.

And speaking of racist assholes, I had a client once who didn't want to meet with me. He was really rude, even when I explained to him that his worker's comp benefits could be jeopardized if he continued to refuse to meet with me. His response? "Maybe I'd be willing to meet with you if you treated me like a white man!"

WTF????? What an asshole jerk. I wished that I could transform myself into a black woman, and show up on his doorstep! I ended up transferring him to a co-worker, because I knew I wasn't going to get anywhere with him. (My co-worker set him straight quickly.)

[Starbucks Anarchist]

5. Yikes.

In my situation, the guy was mad I called, then asked what my name was. I gave it to him (we had to), then he says "I guess your mother had a sense of humor," then hung up.

I always thought if I ever ran into him, I'd beat the crap out of him with a tire iron while repeating, "Can you hear me now? Can you hear me now?"

:evilgrin:

[SeattleGirl]

6. You bad boy!

Can you hear me now???

:rofl:

[smtpgirl]

7. Thanks SeattleGirl!!!!

[SeattleGirl]

10. You're very welcome!

:hi:

[RoyGBiv]

8. Thank you for that ...

I could tell so many stories ... so many stories. I tell people my job is basically arguing with people 10 hours per day and that sanity is not a concept with which I am any longer familiar.

I had a customer today go OFF on me because, while confirming her account information as she tried to pay a bill, I asked for her apartment number. She gave me the street address. The complex has over 500 units.

"You fucking know where I live. You send me those fucking bills."

Okay.

Had another customer yesterday who is on a program called Lifeline, which gives you basic phone service for ONE DOLLAR plus tax. Locally, that means $1.27 per month. She hadn't paid her bill in six months. Because the system is set up so that suspension and disconnect only takes place when the past due amount goes over a certain level, these accounts have to be manually audited to determine payment history and excessive delinquent balances. After six months, the audit caught her, and her service was suspended.

"You people charge to fucking much. I will NOT pay the restore fee. Asshole."

I'd like to say I played the perfect gentleman and let her berate me until her steam ran out, but I'd had a dozen people before her with similar insane rants directed at me, so I gave her a choice. This is what you have to pay to restore your service, a total of around $30, or your phone will be disconnected and require a deposit to reconnect. She told me to go some place mythical that's supposedly really hot. Had a tech to her house in 24 hours to pull that line.

I really want to like people, but this kind of shit tends to make it impossible.

On the other hand, if you've got a real problem, our fault or not, and if you approach me in anything resembling a rational manner, I'll bend rules to the breaking point for you. Tell me my mother was never married as an introduction ... no quarter.

[SeattleGirl]

12. Man, I really hate that that kind of crap.

And you know what? I don't think people should be required to take it with a smile on their face, especially when people are calling you names or insulting you in other ways. You (and I mean a general "you", not YOU) don't have to come back at them in the same way; that would be unprofessional, but you can call them on it, or ask them to step away, or tell them to call back when they calm down.

I had a client call me "sweetheart" once, and in a very sarcastic way. I came right back at him, and said, "Do NOT call me sweetheart!" He immediately apologized and never did it again.

Had another client threaten me. Big guy, PTSD, prone to some outbursts. I can handle outbursts, but when he stood up, leaned over my desk, and put his finger in my face while yelling at me, I told him to get out or I would call the cops.

I will put up with a lot from my clients, because I know they are frustrated at being hurt (on the job), their income has gone down, they are often in a lot of pain, but I will not be their whipping girl. And I make it very clear to them that that's how it is.

[RoyGBiv]

25. Had a guy grab at me not long ago ...

My desk is a counter that's built to be just high enough it's hard to reach over, but he was really tall. He was in a domestic dispute with his wife who was paying the bill, but he didn't want her to. I stayed silent except to answer her questions, and since it was her name on the account, she was the only one I was authorized to answer anyway. He kept yelling, swearing, etc., but I just maintained communication with the woman and outwardly ignored his presence. (Eyes were *always* on him, though.)

So, she handed me the check, and he lunged at me to try to grab it. I think I moved 20 feet backwards in a quarter second. Good, oiled wheels on my chair. :)

This is the point at which a customer no longer becomes a customer. Fight or flight. Rush of activity, and I can't say I was entirely displeased at seeing his face buried in the carpet by the security guard who subdued him.

Funny part was his wife apologized to me, and when the cops came, she told them to let him rot for the night. She'd *consider* bailing him out tomorrow.

She's on my "I'll do anything I can get away with for you" list. :)

[SeattleGirl]

29. Yikes! If I were that woman, I'd let him rot for a loooooong time!

Glad there was security onsite!

[Omphaloskepsis]

9. If I had a nickle for every time I was punched, kicked, pushed, or grabbed by a customer.

I would have forty cents. And I just worked at a movie theater. When you have to deal with 25K people per month you realize some people are just fucking crazy. And you learn to get really defensive at the smallest act of aggression. I used to kick people out all of the time if they displayed any hint of anger or aggression. I was making $4.25 per hour, it would have taken $8 per hour to be a fucking punching bag.

[RoyGBiv]

11. Had a person spit in my mouth once ...

Aimed it as I was trying to explain something. I'll give him this. He was a good shot.

I threw up.

[SeattleGirl]

14. Fuck! That's nasty!

I hope you threw up on HIM!

[RoyGBiv]

26. Wish I had ...

Didn't quite make it that far. Ruined my crappy old 10-key and got a new one though. :)

As bad as that was, the worst part was when they invoked some workman's comp policy thing and sent me to the hospital for tests and such.

That man does not want to meet me in a dark alley. Hell, he doesn't want to meet me in the middle of Main Street on a sunny day with a witness at every cardinal point on the map. And I am not a violent person in the slightest.

[SeattleGirl]

28. Crappy policy or not, it was probably the wise thing to do.

Who knows what disease he might have been carrying. :scared:

[RoyGBiv]

37. True ...

Not really pissed about the company making me do that (and I got a free day off), just that I had to do it at all.

Doc was a riot, made me laugh. Told me if the g guy had given me anything that he could inform "old Dubya" where the weapons of mass destruction really were and get him sent to Gitmo and then maybe we could get out of this Iraq mess.

Not a fan of the Pretzeldent. :)

[SeattleGirl]

38. All right!!!! I like that doc!

:thumbsup:

[SeattleGirl]

13. Whoa!!!! That is so wrong!!!

No one should have to put up with shit like that, unless they are a sparring partner in a boxing ring.

[Omphaloskepsis]

18. The worst was one day during a matinee showing of The English Patient..

We were supposed to start cleaning the auditoriums when the credits started. Only one lady was left sitting when I started to clean. She came up to me and pushed me into the wall and started screaming, "It isn't over until it is over." I was confused and she kept screaming and pushing me. I told her to leave and that she wasn't allowed back.

Later in the day she called to complain to the manager.. My boss asked her if she was the one who assaulted one of his employees earlier that day. She hung up.

I miss that place.

[SeattleGirl]

20. Geez. Wonder what she does at home if someone changes the

channel before the absolute last second of a show is over? :scared:

Glad you manager took up for you!

[Mojambo]

15. Yr the best! n/t

[SeattleGirl]

16. ......

:blush:

[Turn CO Blue]

17. I was working in a baggage office one night (airline)

and a couple came very late to the carousel for (of course) the last flight of the night (he had to have a few at the bar, I'd guess). Anyway, this very scary man (who looked like he was straight from central casting for the show "Cops") was waving two pool cues around in a big arc threatening to break the glass at the front of the office accusing the airline of "stealing" his other pool cues (others that he had checked). He was mean and angry. I tried to get some information from him and he started threatening to slap my "smart mouth" and threatening to shatter the glass and this and that. The whole time he kept twirling this pool cue around in the air. His wife was also rude to me, but she made the mistake of also saying something to him. Right there in front of me, he backhanded her across the face! I knew if he'd strike her, that he'd have no qualms about hitting me! The radio squawked and distracted this guy. The ramp lead hollered on the radio that the runner was sending up the last cart that had been missed. The carousel alarm went off and he went lumbering off to the carousel. I locked the door. I've never been so scared. Of course, his pool cues came up. No one had stolen them.

I went to the ticket counter and literally bawled out the sup on duty. But it worked. They never let anyone work the baggage office ALONE again after that.

[SeattleGirl]

21. Wow. There are some places that one should NEVER have to

work alone! This one gets added to the list.

Glad they changed the policy!

[salin]

19. There have been times when I have been extremely upset

about a service situation - but I have always tried to keep expressing that i apprectiated that the person on the phone was not responsible, and my griping was not directed towards her/him. The people on the other side of the phone have tended to be very understanding towards my frustration and willing to keep helping me out - as I kept seperating voicing the frustation from the person that I was speaking with. Mutual respect - they respected me enough (as a person) to vent real frustrations, I respected them enough (as a person) to continue to express - throughout the short rant - that this was not directed at them - recognizing that htey had nothing to do with the problem. Nine out of Ten times - whatever problem led to my frustration - was dealth with shortly thereafter.

[SeattleGirl]

22. That's what I do, too, when I have to call or go somewhere and I'm

frustrated or upset about whatever I'm calling or visiting about. And like you, in my experience, the person across the counter or on the other end of the phone does understand that THEY are not my target. There have been times where I realized I started to get out of line with them, and I will apologize right away.

[salin]

24. Me, too...

(ironic that I mention this tonight), one of my Dad's flaws - was that he didn't seperate these things out- so he would take his problems out on the waiter-tress/phone responder/etc. And it made me very uncomfortable - listening to the conversation it just didn't seem fair.

Plus I worked a summer as a waitress and bartender - and have been on the receiving end.

Keeps me trying to be aware of when I might cross the line (per a complaint) - and trying to appologize when/if I cross the line.

Non sequitor comment ahead: Tonight's conversations remind me that I would love the opportunity to grab a cup of coffee (or other beverage) and hang out for the conversation with you. Just guessing that it would be a kick of a conversation. Sadly, I am no longer on the westcoast, most folks don't come to Indianapolis, and I don't have the time to get off from work to do a west coast trip. :-(

[SeattleGirl]

31. Aw, too bad you don't live around here any more.

Coffee and conversation would be nice. :)

[RoyGBiv]

39. That goes a long way ...

I will gladly listen to a rant introduced that way 'cause you know what? I, as the "problem solver" and "face of the company" have the *same* frustration/anger. I'll *join* you in your rant if you give me that space. That tech that came to your house *I* sent there didn't fix the problem you reported? You can bet your sweet bippy I'm gonna be on the phone with his manager to let him or her know about it, and I don't even have to pretend to be nice. A series of bad reports from me can mean someone's job. Employees in my company don't do their jobs, especially those that get paid more than I do ... the average customer has no clue the levels to which I go to make sure people who slack off are disciplined.

But you're a rare breed, and I do ask that you forgive us or at least try to understand that 99% of the people we deal with daily simply refuse to let us do our jobs. I wiped out a $200 phone bill for a customer today, following policy, because the woman who approached me did so as though I were a human being and was asking for help. She was angry, frustrated, and terrified. She had every right to be angry. No one had ever bothered to tell her about this little program we have for spouses of military people stationed overseas that gets them cheap phone rates, and she'd been paying ungodly phone bills for months because her husband is in some place like UAE as support personnel and thus doesn't have access to the free phone calls back home since he's not in a "combat" location. From here on out, won't be a tenth of what they were.

Had she not approached me the way she did, which was firm, obviously frustrated, but civil and rational, I very seriously doubt I would have bothered to look or ask the questions I had to ask to determine what I could do for her. Took all of ten minutes given the circumstances. Had she been irrational, we'd probably still be there.

By contrast, had another guy with Internet connectivity problems who, just because he was angry and determined to be a shithead about it, *refused* to give me permission to access some records the local corporation commission requires we get explicit permission to access. I'm certain his problem continues as I type. I can't fix it if you don't let me, and in a lot of these situations, we have rules (laws) we have to follow before we can even begin to work on it.

Phone problems are a big issue with my company. We're so heavily regulated by policies AT&T has shoved down the FCC's throats we have to justify every credit we give every customer. I *have* to document a legitimate reason for the credit that a team of AT&T lawyers can't argue with, else our company gets fined. I try to explain this. People don't listen or become overtly hostile. The end result is simply more frustration for the customer.

[MorningGlow]

23. Tell it, sister!

I worked in bookstores for years, and the number of rude people even there, in a type of place most people enjoy shopping/browsing, was amazing. You could tell, though, that they weren't angry at you; they came in loaded for bear because they had had a bad day, they hated their lives, they hated themselves--whatever--and they unloaded on the lowly retail clerk trapped behind the information desk, unable to escape their wrath. Terrible thing to do, but that's the way it is.

I still remember working with a guy who was a true Christian--by that I mean he lived the way Jesus taught--he wasn't a holier-than-thou pray-in-the-street "Christian"; instead, he honored every living soul. One night a guy came in and immediately started in on my coworker. My coworker just looked at him with his loving, mild expression, and said, "Hey man, there's no need to be like that." The guy immediately backed off and apologized, then started again in a normal, polite tone of voice. I honor and respect that coworker. He worked a true miracle!
:rofl:

[SeattleGirl]

27. Ah, yes. The old "Killin' 'em with kindness" ploy!

Actually, that's pretty cool that he was able to do that!

[Zomby Woof]

30. Dear Andy Wappler

SeattleGirl is rude to me. Make some rain wash her away. :cry:

[SeattleGirl]

32. Bwahahahahaha!!!!!!!

Shouldn't you be calling Harry instead?

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :P

[Zomby Woof]

33. Ever since he retired

He hasn't delivered. x(

I figure I can appeal to his son's sentimentality.

Not the weatherman, but we just lost an icon in Los Angeles. Hal Fishman died the other day, and was still working right up until July 30. He started with KTLA in 1960, and never left the station. He was a bit of a crank, but took journalism seriously, and not afraid to lecture viewers on history and constitutional law. 47 years with one station! There won't be any like that anymore.

[SeattleGirl]

35. That's amazing that he was there for so long.

And wonderful that he tried to teach the viewers, and not be an "entertainer" like so many are today.

[Darth_Kitten]

34. And I'm not responsible for your marriage breakdown!!!!!!!

Bravo!!!!

Seriously, one lady wanted an apology for causing tension between her and her husband. I said, no way am I going to apologize for THAT!!!

If you are nice and pleasant with someone, you get better treatment. (they never realize that)

[SeattleGirl]

36. What a PLEASANT woman!

:sarcasm:

She needs to just stay home!