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?

I work in school admin and honestly, some of the people I've met over the years who do so can be very difficult.

It isnt acceptable and while I understand people questioning why you didn't say anything at the time, the point is you shouldn't have had to as this should not have happened.
Judge how strongly you feel about it, I'd probably give it another go and then if something similar happens, then I would contact the Head.

I managed to talk to the head teacher this morning. Told her exactly what happened and handed her the paperwork. She apologised and assured me she would speak to the receptionist about how this was not acceptable.

Thank you for all your comments.

Good for you. What a completely horrible person that receptionist is.

I wouldn’t email anyone personally, I would have explained what happened at the time and I’m unsure why you didn’t… She thought you had stood there ringing the bell at her when she had told you to wait so yeah, I can see why she’d be pissed off. If you’d explained the situation, I’m sure she’d have apologised and all would be ok.

Talk about blowing things out of proportion. She asked you to wait and you did. In meantime she heard the bell ring twice and when she came back you were the only person visible to her so she obviously assumed you’d grown impatient and rang the bell twice. Could she have handled it in a politer more professional way - yes of course she could. But I understand her frustration and stress levels too. You should have called out “it was the post man who rang” then waited on her returning and dealt with the paperwork there and then. She’d likely have apologised or if she was rude still then you could have reason to complain.

Moaning to the head over one small misunderstanding isn’t ideal surely especially as you want to avoid being “that” parent. Obviously, if she’d continued to be rude then yes complain but for the incident you described you are overreacting.

She thought you had stood there ringing the bell at her when she had told you to wait so yeah, I can see why she’d be pissed off

Well there was another parent and child and presumably post on the reception, so it wasn't rocket science to work out there had been other people around.

She was rude and should not treat parents like they are naughty schoolchildren. I'm glad the head said she will have a word and maybe tell her to get a job at a GP instead

She was rude, you should have been far more assertive. I can't imagine just walking away.

Moaning to the head over one small misunderstanding isn’t ideal surely especially as you want to avoid being “that” parent. Obviously, if she’d continued to be rude then yes complain but for the incident you described you are overreacting

I disagree. The receptionist is the one in the customer-facing role and therefore should always be polite. As I mentioned in my post above, she forgot she was talking to a parent, not a child. I think the OP did right to mention it to the head, although I would have said something at the time and not just walked away.

I would’ve made very clear that I didn’t press the bell and also questioned her mannerisms

Small misunderstanding 😂

She was downright rude and probably gets away with what she wants - nice school hours job for her but she finds answering a phone and saying ‘just hold on a second please’ to someone at the desk too stressful. School receptionists often think they’re the gatekeeper to the whole operation. Been in to schools for safeguarding meetings etc and had receptionists either literally ignore me, keep me waiting for 20+ minutes before bothering asking why I’m there, or be downright scornful.

Equally I have met many more absolutely lovely ones who are really helpful and love a nice chat etc. thanks fully they’re the majority

@originalUnicorn sorry I’m re reading your post and chuckling at ‘stress levels’ - what bloody stress levels?!!

Yes she was rude, but dude, you need to speak up for yourself!

"that was the postman ringing and a parent waiting, not me!, here's the paperwork...bye!"

[quote Blueeyedgirl21]@originalUnicorn sorry I’m re reading your post and chuckling at ‘stress levels’ - what bloody stress levels?!![/quote]
To be fair it’s really bloody annoying if someone keeps ringing the bell when you’ve told them to wait. It can be stressy. I’m guessing you’ve never been customer facing?

That was incredibly rude. Who knows what the other parent and child wanted/needed. I (and my brother) have both been in situations where we needed to speak urgently to someone about serious eg safeguarding) issues). Obviously the call she was on might also have been urgent but that kind of rudeness is not on.

Glad the head is sorting it for you.

I understand that something should have been said there and then but by the time I had registered what she had said, she was out of earshot. I would have had to say it very loudly. Im not a loud talker so this doesn't come naturally to me.

Sorry if some of you don't understand that.

Anyway, it's sorted now.

She shouldn't be prioritising the phone really. I would drop an email in asking for an appt to hand over the paperwork as clearly even whilst waiting to hand it over there are not enough reception resources to handle enquiries as there were two othre visitors and a phone call when all you need to do is hand in some papers

She was really rude - no excuse....but please don't underestimate how busy it often is working in a school office. In my experience it is definitely not a nice little job with no stress.

I'm a school administrator and would never have spoken to anyone like that! In fact, I'm extremely helpful and nice and do not abuse my powers, as is being suggested by some on this thread!

And I've never met another one who isn't kind and helpful either. You're unlucky!

@Bluntness100 I’ve temped in about 100 offices from schools to corporations until I finished my MA. It can be a busy job but it’s hardly life or death. Try having a father threatening to come to your house and ‘fuck you up’ because you have to tell them their kids on a child protection plan. That is stressful!

@purpleee you don't need to be loud to be heard, you could have called her back or rung the bell to speak to her if she really wasn't within your voice range.

You had the opportunity to explain and didn't. Stop fussing.

I don't think the OP is fussing. She just missed an opportunity to say something and felt crap about being told to 'go away'. Which I would too. I'm sure any head that's prepared to have a receptionist who's capable of telling parents to go away isn't going to start disciplinary action. I think OP handled it fine in the end. It's unfortunate human beings can't always react in exactly the right way first off but that's life innit.

I would go in and make a joke out of it, which is socially acceptable way of complaining/making your feelings known/making it known that you're not afraid to speak truth.

E.g. I tried to bring these in the other day...oh but actually you were on the phone...it was quite funny because you came out and said etc. but actually I didn't press the bell. Then look her in the face and say I was so scared I left and laugh. Preferably just in ear shot of a colleague.

Rtft. Very professional response op.

We're all different of course but I simply can't imagine just walking away in that situation. Don't be a doormat in future, it's perfectly possible to have dealt with the situation politely and get your point across.