To wonder why this lady acted like this, or does she have a point?!

[serendippity]

I work in a busy town in a tourist info office. We sell tickets for some attractions slightly cheaper than the attraction itself.
To cut a long story short we had a small electrical fire in our computer and, obviously, it had to be unplugged so therefore we couldn't sell anything, but remained open to help people with advice etc.
About 3 hours after the computer started smoking a lady walked in and enquired about tickets for an attraction. I explained we had had a fire and we couldn't sell anything, apologised and explained politely we would have to wait for the computers to be fixed and was unsure when this would happen. her exact words were: "well that's disgusting. Why should families miss out and have to pay more money?" I was taken aback I admit and my words back were "We had a FIRE. This morning. I'm sorry but I can't help that!"
She then responds (very loudly but not quite shouting) "Yes, I understand that, but I've visited your town, seen on your website that you sell tickets and I'm now going to be out of pocket. It's very poor"

I mean...Really? For the record I probably didn't respond brilliantly, but I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Disappointment I can understand, but outright anger?

[UncleT]

Tsk, fires! They're just not good enough, eh?

[serendippity]

Lougle alas no, we need to physically print the tickets off. Plus, even discounted the tickets aren't cheap, so a lot of people use Credit cards, which was also out of action.
treaclesoda You are right, and like numanoid I try and always be kind to call centre workers!

[Numanoid]

serendippity Don't worry about it, I think everyone has those days when they get bothered by a rude customer. I remember DP's eyes glazing over as I ranted about the particularly rude ones.

treaclesoda That's why I just won't raise my voice at a call centre worker (not that I would have before, anyway), because I remember how nasty some people could be. The only time I'll complain (in the sense of asking to speak to a manager, or saying I'm unhappy), is if the person has been rude to me, or just isn't listening and not even trying to help.

[treaclesoda]

serendipity the really annoying thing is that I think people behave like that precisely because it works. They ring a call centre or whatever, give hell to the person they're talking to because they can't do what is asked, demand to talk to their supervisor who tells them the same, so they demand their manager. If they get far enough they'll find someone spineless who will override everyone else and do whatever they want, and then rub salt in the wounds by making the lower down staff (who were only following company policy in the first place) apologise to the customer for being unhelpful. I think if it didn't work they wouldn't bother doing it

[lougle]

Could you not have taken a written record of the sales then logged it on the computer later? It's what supermarkets do in a power cut.

[serendippity]

numanoid that word gets my hackles up every single time, I'm very glad it's not just me.
How do people think they will be helped by someone when they are as abusive as you described above?!
You're absolutely right about having the right mindset to deal with the public. I normally never take things so personally, we get a difficult one and we deal with it, have a quick moan to each other and it's done. But this one...Well I'm whinging about it on MN aren't I...

[Numanoid]

Ioethe - I worked in a call centre as a student. People are so bold when don't have to talk with you face-to-face.

serendippity I wouldn't have blamed you even if you had been sarcastic after that word being used, it really bothers me! Sounds awful, people spitting at you. That's assault, and can be reported to the police.

Let's see, I've been called incompetent, an idiot, an imbecile, and my personal favourite: "don't you fcking dare put me on hold again, you stupid fcking b*tch". I think you need a certain mindset to deal with the public, as it just amused me, in most cases when they insulted me.

You do get many nice people though, who realise that some things are beyond anyone's control, and that their minor issue (which can often be easily fixed) isn't a valid reason to start screaming and crying at someone.

[serendippity]

Lol at your response to your gentleman Felyne.
It's totally the attitude of people thinking they are the most important thing ever that gets me. Incidentally, I love my job and go the extra mile for people on a daily basis, but we've had people throw things at us when they can't get served quick enough, spit at us when they don't get answers they like and generally think they can behave how they like. Incredible really.
We do get amazingly lovely customers tho most of the time :)

[Ioethe]

One of my jobs in call centres, we had a bomb alert and the person I was on the phone to DEMANDED that I stay on the phone and clear up her (exhaustively trivial) issue. Hahaha click

[serendippity]

Bloody hell skiing kind of puts my fire into perspective! I just cannot understand people sometimes!

[Felyne]

I worked in a call centre once. When we had a fire alarm, we all had to log out of our phones and evacuate. One time, someone forgot to log out and so calls kept coming through to their phone (unanswered). When we got the all-clear and returned to our desks my first call was a rather irate gentleman who tried to argue that someone should have stayed behind to answer the phones ('and risk burning to death to tell you your bank balance?' I recall saying to him). I just don't think he could comprehend.

[TheSkiingGardener]

When our ski slope was burning down, multiple fire engines present, large flames leaping from the roof etc. we still had people turn up and be DISGUSTED that we hadn't phoned to cancel their lesson.

Um, all the records, including phone numbers are alight right now.....

[NewtRipley]

I think some people do need to hear "Shit Happens" sometimes.

[NewtRipley]

She was being a twat

[serendippity]

ellis that is appaling!

[serendippity]

No, no I didn't raise my voice and I don't think I was sarcastic...but, yes I was floored and maybe didn't respond as proffessionaly as I could have done, hence this AIBU thread

[settingsitting]

I just let them wash all over me.

[settingsitting]

I dont take any notice of such people op.

[serendippity]

Thanks all.
The reason we can't do thing on paper is that it all has to be logged on the computer so we can be invoiced by the various attractions.
But you are right, it's something to look in to.
Numanoid It was the use of the word "disgusting" that really made me cross. I pride myself on dealing with the public calmly at all times, but this woman seriously nearly made me loose it, so I'm cross with myself too.
Yep, totally understand those on a tight budget when on days out and get why someone would be disappointed, but she spoke to me like a piece of dirt and like my role in life should be just to serve her..iyswim.
She then went on a rant about how awful our website was, and refused to believe me when I said she was looking at the wrong website, that simply mentioned what we did.
Some people...

[Numanoid]

Ellis That's shocking, human greed is appalling sometimes. Was the passenger who had a heart attack okay in the end?

To everyone who is saying the OP was unreasonable in her response, she did explain, at first, in a polite manner, what had happened, and she apologised, even though it wasn't her fault. The woman was then plain rude to her, so it's the customer's lack of manners which caused the problem here.

[Ellisisland]

*serving food not saving

[Ellisisland]

Oh I have had loads of incidents like this. I used to work as cabin crew and my most memorable one was we had to delay saving food because a guy had had a heart attack so we were all busy treating him. I made an announcement letting the other passengers know and one grabbed me as I walked up the aisle and said 'you aren't a bloody doctor are you so what can you do? You know what you can do? Get me a fucking sandwich!' I just ignored him but seriously! I'll just put the oxygen tank away and leave him whilst I get you and egg and cress. Some people. It was only a bloody flight from London to nice for crying out loud not a flight to Australia. Grrrrrrr some people

[reallywittyname]

She was being a twat.

[MrsBoldon]

Oh God, the OP wasn't unreasonable at all!.

Some people really need to know that the whole bloody world doesn't revolve around them or what they want all the time.

Shit happens, we can't always get exactly what we want at any given minute and isn't always somebody else's fault. I think an electrical fire is a good enough reason for someone to be very mildly inconvenienced!!.