to be getting really fucked off of work phonecalls

[scuzy]

I work in a government department. I didnt right the consitution or the law or even vote for our current government!!! so why am I getting abuse over the law of the land ... I can help you anywayh I can in your query but please, I am not personally responsible for why you have to do this or that. I am just doing my job and DON'T deserve the abuse.

I am polite and friendly and helpful but its wearing thin and if I were out of ear shot would LOVE to get smart back at the customer.

but i wont.

rant over! as you were

I used to say that if they had a problem with the actual legislation then they should take it up with their MP.

Usually shut them up.

yeah tried that (though in Ireland so said TD) and all I got was "there is no need for that smart answer". i was actually being serious.

Why would they need to think you'd done any of that personally? They aren't calling you personally they're calling your institution. They are talking to you as a representative. They don't care what your personally views are, and they shouldn't. It would be awful if you had to keep phoning somewhere back until your call was answered by someone who happened to agree with and personally support every single thing their employer had done.

People ranting on the phone is no fun if you take it personally, but it isn't aimed at you, so don't. If it isn't part of your role to hear how people are let down by the system then You should talk to your managers about how best to pass them on to the right place.

You might also try refining your response about contacting their legislators, because that is useful advice for them - many people aren't really aware of how to effect legal change. (Obviously, most people will just be ranting, but you aren't being rude to tell them where they really can take their complaint). And you could talk to your managers about how to best support the people who are phoning. They have a complaint and in a democracy they probably expect to be heard. So you could suggest, for instance, compiling people's complaints into a report to be handed to legislators.

good post NameGames but some points ... yes people actually do ask me personally along the lines of "do you not think yourself that this is ridiculous/unconstitutional etc" and all I can do is sympathise but say there isnt much more I can do. I do offer to pass them onto Management but am told no point as they are as bad. Suggestions of passing on their concerns are met with sneers, huffs and "yeah rights" .... I will listen to anyone rant and I sympathise as I myself have had to ring other government departments so I understand some of their complaints but would never dream of talking to the person on the phone like some have to me today.

basically dont kill the messenger.

YANBU to dislike it. And people who think you should think the same as them ABVU not to mention egotistical.

It sucks to work in a public facing role for an instuition that serves people poorly. And public services are particularly hard because any service is going to be poor for at least some of the population. But I do think the fault often lies with the institution. I worked once in a police control room. People would phone up and rant. It was not really my job to listen to them rant, I needed to take actions and free up the line for emergencies. But they were the citizens we were supposed to be serving. It really bothered me that I heard the same complaints over and over again, but even though I wrote memos to the station chief, I knew he didn't take any action and but if he got a (middle-class sounding) letter directly to him we would be briefed on new standing orders. It's no wonder many of them had little faith in what I said to them as middle-class sounding letters were not their normal way of communicating and they rightly felt ignored.

I hope your day gets better.

I agree. I work in HR. I am a telephone adviser to what the companies policies are. We have 35,000 staff records to manage. People call up and ask what their contract says on x. When i tell them, they shout at me. They do mean me personally. We send out feedback requests and they often name us personally on having messed up their contract/information or being stupid and not able to change it.

They cannot believe it is company policy and not me making it up. They ask to speak to other advisers, as if the info will then be different. They then say we are all stupid etc. Never the companies fault. Always individuals. It's very frustrating.

oh i often go to management and say for example i got this query three times today from customers what can we do. the red tape INTERNALLY is crazy the public havent a hope. am told to email put it in a problem log that MIGHT be addressed some time this century. government offices are stuck in their ways i feel.