Obnoxious Customer

[HotCrossPun]

This isn't so much an AIBU but more a WWYD because I know I am not BU

I'll try and explain as best I can without outing myself.

A customer phoned today who was coming in to visit us. Standard procedure is to ask if the customer has any special need requirements/assistance.

Customer: What do you mean?
Me: Do you need wheel chair access or anything like that?
Customer: Good god no!!

I was silent (because I didn't know how to respond)
Customer: I probably shouldn't have said that should I
Me: No.

I then carried on with the rest of the call in what I'll admit was a bit of an icy and formal tone.

Anyway, fast forward to later on and my boss asked to speak to me. Each day our calls are listened in to be graded. He said that I was unprofessional with how I spoke to her. I said it was just because I was pissed off because of her stupid comment and the inane laughter after it that she was obviously wanting me to join in with. Anyway, he wasn't happy with me and said I hadn't to do it again.

WWYD? That question often seems to prompt idiotic responses from customers. Why can they not just say yes or no?

It isn't the 'naturally sweet' stuff is it Evieanne ? It's the full blown sugary pellets of yellow loveliness I'm looking for!

yebbut nobut yebbut nobut yebbut....

I agree with you Turnip but I think in your example it is much more clear cut!

I've had loads of comments from customers along that vein Turnip, it's really frustrating. Most of the time we have been having a grand old time, chatting away and then they drop a clanger like that and it's impossible to carry on the way you were before.

You've spent too much type reading ultra-left wing viewpoints on mumsnet and forgotten how normal people behave in the face of slightly inappropriate comments meant without any malice. This minor faux pas does not make the customer the scum of the earth, everybody slips up from time to time.

You don't have a right to judge customers and treat them accordingly. Partly because you have no idea what they're really like or where they're coming from. For example, social anxiety can make people do funny things that seem unsociable. In addition to that, you're being paid to do a job. Imagine being a GP, for whom it is absolutely essential that they don't give the impression of withdrawing, since patients must feel free to disclose all symptoms. It's certainly possible to be professional without selling your soul up the river. Your boss was right to point out that a 'ticking all the boxes' approach to courtesy can come over as upsetting and offensive in itself. Petty.

I'm disabled and on the face of it, I didn't think it was a dreadful thing to say. Slightly insensitive, but not awful. Not deserving of punishment.

Op wasn't rude though, just professional and polite instead of friendly.

Ywnbu.

Customer facing/speaking roles try the best of us and sometimes it's the "minor" things that really stick in ones pipe.

I understand totally what you mean by the tone she said it in.

faber

We spend our lives making judgements about people. Particularly in a customer based role e.g "she doesn't sound like she wants a general chat,she just wants it over and done with". That's a judgment.

OP is well within her rights to judge the customer. She was nothing other than polite and professional after the statement she didn't like. That's all the job requires. Friendly is an added bonus.

That is how I feel HotCrossPun. So you don't like someone offering constructive criticism on something you might have made a misjudgement on.

But you yourself feel it's fine for you to be rude and judgmental over something somebody else may have made a misjudgement on?

If you want a balanced reaction to how you behaved I don't think you will get it here, try Digital Spy or maybe even Netmums. But you don't, you just want to be told how wonderful you are which is why you've asked here

It was slightly inappropriate, without malice, possibly a misunderstanding. There was no need for you to be so rude. You behaved like she had just suggested all disabled people be euthanised, not that she had made a comment which may or may not have been discriminatory.

I didn't punish her faber and I still did my job. I was polite and helpful and I didn't treat her any differently - in terms of what she was actually calling for - than I do any other customer.

Working in a customer facing role doesn't strip me of the right to have an opinion about the things people say to me.

And she wasn't upset, she didn't realise I was pissed off because I still gave her good customer service.

Bridget I think you need to calm down a bit. I don't know what you are basing your slightly hysterical post on, but if you read up thread I think you'll see that I have accepted that I am in the minority opinion here.

That's totally fine.

I was making a lighthearted comment at your slightly blunt first post - I wasn't bothered by your opinion in the slightest.

And I've been here long enough to know that AIBU is not the place to go to be told you are wonderful, so not entirely sure why you think I would come here for that.

Alisvolatpropiiis. She wasn't polite and professional though was she? She was unprofessional to the point her manager pulled her u on it and was icy rather than polite.

You're right, we do make judgements about people, I make judgements about people I serve all the time. But do I let on? No, because I"m paid not to

Bridget I was professional and polite. My boss spoke to me about it to say that I can't go from being friendly and chatty to polite and efficient.

The customer did not notice.

As bridget says if you were polite your manager wouldn't have been hauling you into the office to discuss it. If you want to jump to extreme negative conclusions about people's character based on slightly strange reactions to normal questions that's your right, but keep it to yourself whilst you're on the job if you expect to be employable.

The manager noticed, so quite possibly the customer noticed. Quite bizarre you jump to the conclusion that they couldn't have done.

You don't know the customer didn't notice. I certainly would have done; I would spend the rest of the conversation thinking 'well done, Lougle, you really put your foot in it there...'.

What makes you so sure that the customer didn't notice, if your boss did?

But "icy" is not rude is it?

Being stone cold polite is what it is. It's the manners required with no warmth behind it. It's not unprofessional to be merely polite.

enpanne Have you read the thread?

My manager didn't 'haul' me into the office. Every day a few calls are listened into and graded. We discuss pro's and cons about each call. He said it was unprofessional to change tone on a call and to let a customer effect you. He agreed with me about why she pissed me off, but said in future I have just to ignore and carry on being chatty.

OP, you do sound a bit over-sensitive. Presumably the question about wheelchair access is normal for the type of business you work for?

I once worked for an organisation, dealing with complaints against it. Man, were there obnoxious people on the phone multiple times a day mostly not a valid complaint but based on expecting people to run around after them when they weren't required to

What you describes sounds really mild and very much about interpretation and inference as opposed to obnoxious. You must be very lucky if this is the most extreme example of obnoxious on the phone you have to face!

Dear HotCross, I think your reaction was perfect. I am a disabled woman. I guess perhaps I just don't have a terrific sense of humour about disability. If I were your supervisor I would have complimented your handling of the matter..
To all of you who believe OP over reacted how about the conversation going this way..
" Do you have any religious dietary needs we can accommodate?"
Customer " Good God No! Certainly not a Jew or Muslim Here!"

My boss noticed because he listens in to my calls every day and knows exactly my approach to customers.

Most people in the office are polite and efficient, but they aren't overly warm and don't try to strike up a conversation. That is fine.

He basically said (like to many have on this thread) that I need to have a thicker skin. Which I have said umpteen times I have accepted.

I think there is a bit bandwagon jumping going on here though.

You would think I had shouted obscenities at her the way some people are posting.

I said, ''Here are the details of your appointment, blah blah blah, if you need any further assistance don't hesitate to contact us, blah blah blah, Is there anything else I can help you with? Thank you for your call, have a nice day''

Nothing heinous or rude. Just normally at the end I'd be speaking about something that the customer had mentioned earlier in the call like, ''Enjoy your Birthday party on Wednesday Sarah, hope you have a great time'' just a bit more conversational rather than polite.

Yes I have read the thread and you are contradicting yourself.

Your previous posts strongly implied that your manager specifically went out of their way to speak to you about this call. Now you're saying they speak to you about every call. Make your mind up.

To all of you who believe OP over reacted how about the conversation going this way..
" Do you have any religious dietary needs we can accommodate?"
Customer " Good God No! Certainly not a Jew or Muslim Here!"

I'd think it was a strange answer and carry on as normal. Are the words 'Jew' or 'Muslim' offensive to you?

How would you react, I'm intrigued, would you hunt the customer down and butcher them with a machete or something?

Thanks Secretswitch.

I have to ask about wheelchair access/special needs requirements on every call and tbh I have dread it a bit. Most people just say yes or no, but then some people make some flippant 'joke' and it makes me uncomfortable.