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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Does anyone else find those automated ‘abuse won’t be tolerated’ phone messages incredibly irritating?

57 replies

Bottlesofrumonthewall · 16/12/2025 22:01

You know the ones. Robotic voice before you’ve even spoken to a human.

It always makes me think if you need to say that before putting someone through maybe the issue isn’t the callers but the deliberately infuriating customer service systems. Endless menus no actual help staff with no authority then a warning not to get annoyed.

It just feels like being pre emptively told off. Surely better systems would reduce abuse more than a passive aggressive recording?

OP posts:
CypressGrove · 16/12/2025 22:11

No I find it sad they needed to put it there in the first place and feel sorry for the staff facing the abuse.

Arlanymor · 16/12/2025 22:10

XenoBitch · 16/12/2025 22:09

No. I find it sad actually. There should not be the need to have a message telling people not to act like entitled assholes.

Edited

Same - makes me feel awful when I hear it on the phone, see it on a poster... literally what have we become.

Sugarnspicenallthingsnaice · 16/12/2025 22:10

2025VibeandThrive · 16/12/2025 22:07

I agree op. The signs up everywhere too essentially warning you not to complain about anything…. because any negative feedback will not be ‘tolerated’ aka accepted or acknowledged.

There is a huge difference between 'negative feedback' and the abuse customer service employees face on a daily basis.

XenoBitch · 16/12/2025 22:09

No. I find it sad actually. There should not be the need to have a message telling people not to act like entitled assholes.

2025VibeandThrive · 16/12/2025 22:07

I agree op. The signs up everywhere too essentially warning you not to complain about anything…. because any negative feedback will not be ‘tolerated’ aka accepted or acknowledged.

TidyCyan · 16/12/2025 22:06

You've not worked in a call centre, have you?

It acts as a first warning. 3 strikes is usually the point at which the agent can hang up on you. If you're shouting and hurling abuse after hearing the automated message they tell you to stop, and if you don't they terminate the call.

Sugarsugarcane · 16/12/2025 22:02

Jeez, they’re a slight inconvenience at most for the caller. Imagine the call staff get some pretty poor treatment

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