Receptionist told me to go away!

[purpleee]

My dd has just moved schools. I had some paperwork to hand to the office.

When I got there the receptionist smiled and ushered me forward. Then the phone rang and she told me to hold on.

I assumed it was an important call so didn't mind waiting.

A minute or two later a postman arrived. There is a little gold bell you can ring for assistance.
He pressed it. No reply.
So he left the post on the counter.

More time passed and a parent turned up with her child. They pressed the bell. No reply.

The mother and child waited by the entrance door out of view.

The receptionist then came back scowling and said ' you knew I was on the phone, go away!'

She obviously assumed I was pressing the bell when I hadn't touched it once.

I didn't bother handing in the paperwork and just left.

She probably had a go at the parent waiting too.

What would you do?
We've only been here a week so don't want to make complaints already.

Should I just leave it and hope she's in a better mood when I go there today?

[JingsMahBucket]

@purpleee please grow a spine. It’s okay to correct someone if they’re wrong. Do it kindly but just do it and move on with things. It’ll also benefit your daughter to speak up for her going forward.

[Imnothereforthedrama]

[quote purpleee]@Imnothereforthedrama are you the receptionist ?

I will email them. I can't just leave it.[/quote]
Yes stop ringing my bell .☺️

Email if you want why ask opinions if you don’t like different ones ?

[Auntienumber8]

A simple explanation at the time would have been far better. Email the head but the problem parent label your worried about will them probably be yours.

[Auntienumber8]

Then not them.

[Sparklingbrook]

There was a receptionist like that at DC's first school. Very hard work, parents were always in the wrong in her eyes and I would try and avoid any interaction whatsoever.
Definitely email but if it's anything like my experience the Head though the Receptionist was wonderful and would always back them.

[purpleee]

Sometimes the head teacher is stood by the entrance in the mornings. If they are today I will talk to them and hand them the paperwork.

[Bluntness100]

Wow, you could easily have said oh it wasn’t me, even if she was walking away.

[Sparklingbrook]

@purpleee

Sometimes the head teacher is stood by the entrance in the mornings. If they are today I will talk to them and hand them the paperwork.

The head used to stand by the entrance in the mornings making us believe she was wanting to say good morning to everyone. Really she was just gatekeeping to prevent any parents going into the school to see the Receptionist.

This has really brought back memories.

Definitely give the paperwork to her and try and have a chat if you can.

[lollipoprainbow]

Was it Mrs Lamb ??!

[bunburyscucumbersandwich]

You do know that she will be the one to read the email! You should've spoke up at the time.

[Sparklingbrook]

@bunburyscucumbersandwich

You do know that she will be the one to read the email! You should've spoke up at the time.

Op could email the Head directly. they usually have their own email.

[Zzelda]

@purpleee

Also, I didn't want to get off on such a bad start by being horrible back. I know my dd will be spending years here and I don't want things to be awkward from the start.

You didn't need to be horrible, you could just have said "You told me to wait. It wasn't me who rang the bell".

[SmallPrawnEnergy]

Urgh, people like this in jobs that provide them a little bit of power inevitably turn into jumped up little hitlers. I personally would have stood with my hand continuously on the bell until she returned and pointedly gave her some feedback on her lacking customer service skills and general ability to do her job (in a calm manner obviously).

People also need to realise that others have different levels of confidence when it comes to approaching situations like this so possibly OP did “have a chance” to sort it out there, but not everyone has the ability to do so (and despite being and adult may also have processing issues, disabilities etc. to take into consideration), and for people like @Imnothereforthedrama to mock “people that are too meek to open their mouth” is just showing their ignorance and lack of awareness.

[Geamhradh]

"go away" is a really weird turn of phrase to use.

I'd definitely email the head, and say that as a new parent, you have been given a very poor impression of the school due to the attitude towards you of the public facing staff member.

[GiveTheGirlAGun]

I would take a simpery approach. Email the head and copy the office email under the guise of you don't know the best contact. She'll see it that way.
Scan the forms and email them saying.
"I brought these forms into school, but the lady in the office had to take a call and I waited for a while, but then someone told me to go away, maybe you have a covid rule about paperwork I am not aware of, this being DD's first week at school. I hope you will accept these forms electronically because I was quite upset at being told to leave."

[LadyEloise]

It was very rude of her.
But you should have said that it wasn't you ringing the bell.
I wouldn't escalate it. She will read the email to the head possibly. Your daughter will be in the school for a few years. No point in aggravating the receptionist. Better to have her on side.
I think a lot of people are stressed at the moment can you blame them.
Cut her a bit of slack but you've seen her true colours. Handle with care.
( You can probably tell I've dealt with a few tricky receptionists in my time )

[Nicolastuffedone]

You don’t have to be cheeky to her. I’d have plastered on a smile and put her straight…in a friendly but assertive way.

[singleagain22]

Hand in a written complaint by letter (and enclose your paperwork) so that she knows the facts and sees what a twat she was.

It's not on to speak to her customers like this.

[ImprobablePuffin]

I think it's so weird that you just walked away.

Why on earth wouldn't you wait and set her straight/do what you went in to do?

[blacksax]

She's missed her vocation - she should have been a doctor's receptionist.

[ImprobablePuffin]

@purpleee

Also, I didn't want to get off on such a bad start by being horrible back. I know my dd will be spending years here and I don't want things to be awkward from the start.

Oh stop. As if your child's future education would be affected because of this.

Yes she was rude but have you no spine to stand up for yourself?

[ThePlantsitter]

It is really stressful being a school receptionist (in the moment, I wouldn't say long term stress) but telling people to go away is not on!! I get not wanting to get in her bad books but a bit of assertiveness doesn't make people hate you, quite the opposite actually. I would go back in person, be cool and efficient, call her by her name and hand in the paperwork. She's either embarrassed about her behaviour and hiding from her will make it worse, a stroppy mare and it doesn't matter what you do, or she won't remember individual new parents anyway. But you've probably sorted it now anyway.

[hedgehogger1]

You were very passive there. To shout at her would have been aggressive and not accomplish anything. There's a middle ground you needed to take of assertively clarifying with her what happened. Are you assertive in other areas of your life?

[SamanthaJayne4]

This kind of thing happens to me OP! I can be assertive but sometimes the situation is really awkward and it's best to let it go at the time. I have a few stories similar to this which have happened over the years. I mostly laugh it off. I would do the passive aggressive email to the head teacher.

[muddyford]

Most receptionists are trained to deal with the person in front of them first. People who ring have to join the queue. She was unpleasant and rude but you should have told her you had been waiting and not ringing the bell.