To not want to be threatened with violence at work, especially for this reason?

[KateSpade]

So, I work in a customer faced role, (I'm not going to give exact details as that will out me entirely) but it's an office environment, rather than a shop/restaurant ect.

The past couple of days I have been trying to get I touch with a customer, and I left one voicemail just asking him to call me back. Yesterday he hung up on me after he found out it was me calling. My words were Hello it's KateSpade from xxxx before he put the phone down.

Customer comes in today & was very hostile, in the past he has been very chatty. So to make some conversation I said something to him about trying to get in touch, his actual response was i do not take hostility from anyone, I have already been done for GBH once & i don't want it happen again with you

I apologised for being hostile & he left - after sorting out what he needed too.

AIBU to be a bit shaken up by that? I'm slightly confused about what he thought was hostile/what I did wrong?

I wasn't chatting to him like we were best friends, but I definitely wasn't being hostile?

I think you need to speak to your line manager about this and put some safeguards in place. Like maybe you don't see him again, or you only see him with someone else. Also they should consider someone (not you, but a manager) telling him this is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.

Also . It's horrible.

Talk to your manager and log incident with the police - it's threatening behaviour

Police, without a second thought.
Poor you.

Is it an organisation where you can't be choosy about accepting particular customers? i.e. NHS, Council, etc
If not, then I would be asking the company to tell him to sod off as his business is not welcome. Veiled threats are not on.

Report and log it asap. Really sorry you've had to deal with such a difficult person whilst just doing your job.

Thank you everyone,

The funny thing is that the first time I met him, I was chatting to him for a good 15 minutes, when he was just walking through, so that was very friendly & not 'hostile' at all.

But how on earth I was hostile I have no idea.

I've rang my manager & told him. He said 'I was sat next to you when you rang him' so he heard everything that was said by me of the incident he was referring too. & he went on to say he will get rid of him, which I hope he does.

I don't understand why you apologised for being hostile rather than asking him what it was about your manner that he regarded as hostile since you did not intend any hostility.

Grunt, maybe because questioning someone whos just made a threat isnt the best way to diffuse the situation? In this case the OP probably did the best thing to get the person out of the building without further problems

I did say to him 'I only said hello it's KateSpade from Xxxx before you hung up' & he just continued telling me about his GBH record & that he doesn't take hostility,

But to be honest, I was on my own with him being a dickhead & I just wanted him out as soon as I could rather than carrying on the conversation.

Some people are just idiots like that.
I often have shouty people on the phone and I either let them rant away until they calm down or talk them around.

The only person I have flagged as being potentially violent was a chap who was quite reasonable in the conversation until I pressured him a bit and he suddenly turned. Asked if I was having a pop and felt it necessary to point out that he'd been in prison for murder. It was the calmness of his attitude which worried me most. When I met him, turned out he was an alcoholic with an anger management issue.

Flag it with your manager and maybe local police, but I wouldn't worry unduly about the incident.

I would take that as a direct threat and log it with the police.

good grief heavenlypeace, even if she had been rude (which her OP clearly states she wasn't) she doesn't deserve to be threatened. And for the record, "nice" men and women can switch at the drop of a hat without provocation.

What???!

Did you post on the wrong thread heavenly?
There's nothing to say OP phoned for no reason and she wasn't rude - didn't get opportunity to be rude! How on earth does she deserve that kind of hostility?

ps. OP I hope your manager sees to it that you don't have to ever deal with this guy again. Veiled threats like this are meant to intimidate and all for what? A polite phone call?

I think heavenlypeace must have read a completely different thread because their reply makes no sense.

Having worked in many call centres, office environments and face-to-face roles, you did nothing wrong. My experience is that some people are just odd and you've run across one of them. Telling your manager was the right thing to do and I hope you never have to deal with that particular customer again.

... I have to ask, are phone gangsters related to keyboard warriors?

You did right to get him out of there by being pleasant and humouring him OP. Far better than antagonising him and risk being attacked. Police matter I reckon. Especially since, by his own admission, he has form.

This twat needs to learn that you don't get away with making threats like that. Police, without hesitation.

Good grief heavenlypeace are you the man concerned?

What an odd response to the OP.

Phone gangsters.

It is possible to switch like that for no reason.

You should watch police officers give tickets, they're polite all the way up until they receive the speeding ticket then it's suddenly "You fucking pig! Fuck you! Don't you have real criminals to take care of?"

It's also possible he had mental issues.

Either way, call the police. He can't be making threats like that.

heavenly you and that man clearly deserve each other!

I have to admit I'll be annoyed if my manager doesn't get rid of him. But I'm not having anything further to do with him at all.

It left me quite shaken up & I was on my own, with hours of my shift left. Just after he said it, a couple walked through who were just leaving & I debated asking them to hang round until he had paid his bill & left, just incase.