Ridiculous work complaints - tell me yours!

[YourFinestPantaloons]

I'm a teacher and Head told me this morning that a parent has complained because she saw me last Saturday night in the local cocktail bar having shots.

Apparently it's despicable that an educator of her child would behave in such a way and lead such a terrible example to pupils - as it turns out, her underage DD was with her (must have been at 11pm IIRC) in the adults-only pub and was 'appalled' at Miss Pantaloons' behaviour

Thankfully my Head is normal and we just laughed our heads off about it. these complaints happen very frequently. A colleague once got a complaint because she was seen with penis paraphernalia in town on her hen do. I think some people think teachers are just robots that turn off at 4pm and have to stay in the classroom over the weekend.

What's the most amusing complaint you've ever got at work?

@EccentricaGalumbits

Oh and as a manager I had a staff member who made repeated complaints about her 2 colleagues.

Once she complained that they'd go out for coffee without her. They kindly decided to include her in future her even though they were terrified of her finding something else to complain about.

She then complained they were being 'fake' by suddenly inviting her out for coffee.

Surely someone like that should be told politely to cop themselves on.

That our uniform wasnt proper or decent because it didn't have long sleeves. It was in a social care setting so for Infection Control purposes. The complainer was a family member and for some reason the Registered Manager took it really seriously so that although it couldn't be changed she sent a really grovelling explanation apologising why it couldn't be changed.

I worked as a temporary TA in a primary school. A newly qualified teacher was merrily teaching her Yr 5 class that Neanderthals lived alongside dinosaurs and hunted them After the class I privately pointed out to her that dinosaurs died out millions of years before early humans appeared on the scene. She wasn't convinced, and later complained to the head teacher that I was undermining her professionalism

Also working as a TA in a secondary school. A young English teacher was confidently stating to the class that there were 2 Brontë sisters After the class I politely pointed out to him there were actually 3 Brontë sisters who survived into adulthood. He had never heard of Anne Brontë and disputed her existence and complained to the Head of Year that basically 'I should know my place as a lowly TA'. The Head of Year informed him that I had a degree in English Literature and was indeed correct about the number of Brontë sisters

When I worked in a bank a lady came to cash a cheque. (Years ago) She was overdrawn with no overdraft agreement so after referring it further up the line I told her that she couldn't have it and why.
She gave me chapter and verse of why she should have it; she had 3 kids, 2 dogs and a cat to feed, her husband was due to come home from exercise any time now and there'd be no food in the house, what was I gonna do about it? And then, when I repeated I couldn't give it to her, she pointed at my cash drawer, said I had loads of money in there and I wouldn't miss thirty quid!

I have read similar, on another forum I'm on. People breezing in last minute on Christmas Eve, looking for whatever the must-have toy or gadget is, that has been long sold out.
Then angrily telling retail staff that they have ruined their Christmas, or ruined little Jimmy/ Jane's Christmas.

I've done this once, because school broke up on the 23rd and we were going to my DM's, cue a mad dash round Selfridge's trying to find Barbie's walking horse, Sprint, on Christmas Eve. I wouldn't have blamed Selfridge's for it if they'd sold out though!

And one from retail! A bloke used to come in every day, bloody horrible man that no one liked. He came to buy his 40 fags which were a brand that had about a million varieties. The specific ones he wanted weren't there so I asked if another type would do. As I didn't know if these ones tasted the same as his normal ones, he went off on one, shouting and swearing and telling me he's so stressed and it's my fault, he feels like he's going to have to go to the train station and throw himself under a train.
To my credit I didn't reply saying that he'd not need his fags then if he was going to throw himself under a train, nor offer to get my car keys and drive him to the station myself!
After he'd finished ranting and raving, I looked at him and said do you want these cigarettes or not? Hideous man, he was later banned.

Once when I worked in Waitrose as a customer service supervisor a customer complained that the girl on the till didn't make her feel loved.

I'd find it hard to give a shit about that anyway but found it especially hard as it was a weekend job while doing a full on MA and the girl serving her was perfectly pleasant!

Another one (handed in my notice on the same day due to it being a really toxic workplace) I was told by my line manager that someone (no idea who) said I didn't appear enthusiastic enough at a staff away day type event 4 months prior.

I do think attitude is important and probably not enough managers focus on this. But throwing something at you 4 months after the event when you have very little recollection of the day and saying your attitude was not enthusiastic enough feels bonkers.

I just felt attacked with no ability to defend myself. It was years ago and I've racked my brains several times about this one fucking day and can't think of anything I did! I did a presentation about the project I managed which I was quite passionate about and even joined in the tai chi at lunch time! Which like 3 other people did.

It still annoys me today! Can you tell?!

@Curlygirl06 so many from retail and hospitality!

Working in Waitrose in sw London quite literally destroyed my faith in humanity for several years while working there and afterwards!

@peaceanddove

I worked as a temporary TA in a primary school. A newly qualified teacher was merrily teaching her Yr 5 class that Neanderthals lived alongside dinosaurs and hunted them After the class I privately pointed out to her that dinosaurs died out millions of years before early humans appeared on the scene. She wasn't convinced, and later complained to the head teacher that I was undermining her professionalism

Also working as a TA in a secondary school. A young English teacher was confidently stating to the class that there were 2 Brontë sisters After the class I politely pointed out to him there were actually 3 Brontë sisters who survived into adulthood. He had never heard of Anne Brontë and disputed her existence and complained to the Head of Year that basically 'I should know my place as a lowly TA'. The Head of Year informed him that I had a degree in English Literature and was indeed correct about the number of Brontë sisters

Heh. Reminds me of when I was age 6 or so and newly into Y1. I wrote a poem about an ermine stoat (largely plagiarised from my animal poems and stories book, no doubt) and got a ? after the word "ermine". Basically ended up teaching my teacher what it means.

To be fair to her, there was no Google in 1981. Though it might have been in the dictionary.

@sarah13xx

Oh ffs, how dare you enjoy yourself 🤦🏼‍♀️ I’m an infant teacher, we literally get the blame for EVERYTHING! In lockdown it was obviously my fault people’s children didn’t behave in their own home. I forgot I should have brought them up to be better behaved than that, oh no wait 🤔 One mum asked how to make her daughter do her reading because she was just doing fake yawning every time she tried to do it. Eh, you’re the parent! 😂 I’ve had the blame for all sorts over the years and 9 times out of 10 I just have to politely agree like it’s somehow my fault 🤷🏼‍♀️

with re guards to the war aspect, i sorta can see the perspective, as sometimes eg films or tv series ect, they can be set during x time period but eg with the war it could be used as the backdop and focus on a different aspect of what was happening ect similar like with some zombie shows its set during an outbreak but the focus is more on the characters and the development of society ect

@Neonplant

Once when I worked in Waitrose as a customer service supervisor a customer complained that the girl on the till didn't make her feel loved.

I'd find it hard to give a shit about that anyway but found it especially hard as it was a weekend job while doing a full on MA and the girl serving her was perfectly pleasant!

Another one (handed in my notice on the same day due to it being a really toxic workplace) I was told by my line manager that someone (no idea who) said I didn't appear enthusiastic enough at a staff away day type event 4 months prior.

I do think attitude is important and probably not enough managers focus on this. But throwing something at you 4 months after the event when you have very little recollection of the day and saying your attitude was not enthusiastic enough feels bonkers.

I just felt attacked with no ability to defend myself. It was years ago and I've racked my brains several times about this one fucking day and can't think of anything I did! I did a presentation about the project I managed which I was quite passionate about and even joined in the tai chi at lunch time! Which like 3 other people did.

It still annoys me today! Can you tell?!

I know what you mean. I got accused of walking away from my old line manager during a feedback session…..two months after the alleged incident. I’ve got no recollection of this whatsoever so couldn’t defend myself and it felt awful knowing that people had probably been talking about me in justifiably.

As for complaints…when I worked in Argos as my first every Saturday job I was a Christmas temp. After Christmas a few of us were kept on but one boy wasn’t and his dad came up to the counter screaming and shouting at the manager demanding that his son be taken on. The boy looked mortified! So funny 😂

I'm a teacher. In my first job I had to cover a particular class for one day a week. One of the parents strongly objected to her little Jimmy being taught by someone who wasn't the class teacher and demanded this be sorted. She was told Jimmy could either stay in class with me or go into the office and sit with his class teacher. She hated the idea of Jimmy being 'isolated and excluded' so demanded I be removed from the class. Her demands were refused.

She then started raising a litany of complaints against me including 'she screamed in my sons ear' and 'she doesn't pay my son any attention'. Utter nightmare of a parent!

@Charmatt

I give procedural advice to school governors. One governor took exception because I explained that it wasn't possible to change rules on Admission to give governors children priority over other children and that the LA had a a standard Admissions policy. Her answer to me was that I was 'eminently efficient but with no fluffy edges!'

I bought a fluffy cardigan to wear for their next meeting - the chair knew what I had done and thought it very funny!

After being a school governor for a time and seeing they way they can work, this has made me smile a lot. Excellent comeback :D

I work in retail and was on the shop floor a customer approached me and I smiled and said “Hi, you ok there?” The customer then started ranting at me that was not an appropriate way to greet customers, how rude I was. She then told me she worked in the British Gas showrooms in the 70’s and the correct way to greet customers was to say “Good morning madam, How may I help you”. She then went on to say I should be grateful to her for teaching me how I should be doing my job and I needed to thank her! The reason she came into store was to complain that the saucepan she had bought didn’t come with a recipe book and she didn’t know what she could cook in it!

I worked as a temporary TA in a primary school. A newly qualified teacher was merrily teaching her Yr 5 class that Neanderthals lived alongside dinosaurs and hunted them hmm After the class I privately pointed out to her that dinosaurs died out millions of years before early humans appeared on the scene. She wasn't convinced, and later complained to the head teacher that I was undermining her professionalism hmm

I would hope that year 5s would know this was bollocks.

Years ago when I was working in a corporate environment, before the days of casual workwear when we were expected to wear suits or very smart clothes to the office. It was annual review time and my boss couldn't think of anything to do with my work to mark me down on so critiqued my clothes and said I wore too many dark colours and should wear brighter things . This because I wore either black, navy or grey suits with pale coloured blouses. And, you guessed it, this guy always wore black suits and white shirts!

Complaint from a customer that i had my hair down at work (clothes shop) and that "in her day" I would have got the sack for looking so common.

@Cervicalflop I think you must have met my late SMIL

@youvemademyshitlist

I worked in a pub when I was a teenager. One lunchtime, someone ordered apple pie for pudding. I asked whether they wanted custard, cream or ice cream, they opted for ice cream.

They then complained that the ice cream was too cold...

Off topic, but someone I know asked my friend (when they'd gone round for dinner) whether they fancied ice cream for dessert.

Once they'd taken it out the freezer and served it in bowls, they left it on the side until it had melted, then served it!

A man turned up at lunchtime on the steps outside the building I was working in requesting my boss (lawyer) to sign a form for him. When I told him that a) he had to make an appointment and b) my boss didn't provide that service for people she didn't know, he went on a rant and accused us of being racist.

Years ago I worked in a high street bank that was close to the tidal section of the river Thames in London.

The safe was contained in the basement of the building. There was an exceptional high tide one day that coincided with heavy rainfall and the water came right up to the steps down to the basement so there was no way we could access the safe until the tide receded (luckily it had watertight steels doors as it was under about 2.5 metres of water!)

Because of this, we were unable to open so the manager posted a few of us by the entrance to the branch to explain and apologise why we wouldn’t be offering a counter service for a few hours.

I patiently explained this to a very angry customer who shouted in my face, ‘Fucking ** bank! Bloody typical of your useless customer service!”

Not sure if it was our fault that we couldn’t control Mother Nature or because no one had stripped off and dived down to open the safe door?! 😂

@CookPassBabtridge

Shocked at all these about teachers drinking. Do they really think teachers can't go out and socialise and have fun when off duty!?

Many years ago now when I was at school, there were pubs the teachers frequented and ones the 6th formers frequented, both avoided each other! Worked perfectly no one complained!

I had forgotten youngest DDs classmate. Parents had said they did not want children to attend any religious elements of assembly or have religious instruction.
Then not happy that they were not included in the Nativity Play that the infants put on ( and had done for generations). Head said " you either are happy with religious education or not, you can't pick and choose" They were outraged.

I used to work in the customer service department of a well known supermarket. We once had a woman complain that we’d stop selling a limited edition Jack Daniels in her local store. I calmly explained that as it was limited edition, once the stock was gone it was gone. She hurled abuse at me and then hung up and called back several times to have the same conversation with my colleagues. I think she may have imbibed in slightly too much said JD!

Also worked here the same day that the 7/7 bombings happened in London. It was sad how many customers called complaining that their food deliveries were late and were less than understanding.

All in all though quite a funny place to work with regards to customers etc!