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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think it's rude to I ignore customers in person, in preference for the phone

79 replies

LardLizard · 20/04/2016 20:38

V annoyed today, dd turned up to a sporting lesson, ten mins early to get checked in and start on time

Anyway we stood at the reception desk being ignored for customers on the phone, phoning to make bookings

Waited patiently the first time, but when she had finished one call, and thought, oh she will just about deal with us to get us in on time, she took another bloody phone call

I said we are here for the such and such at such a such time, and replied I'm in the phone, as if I was the one bring rude

OP posts:
fatmomma99 · 21/04/2016 00:45

Ha ha ha.... I called my gym to cancel my 6pm class during a day in the Easter Hols when we were at a minor injuries unit to deal with DD's broken limb and were there for 5 hours. I phoned continuously for an hour and three-quarters, and my call wasn't answered once in that time. And I was ringing, queuing, waiting, getting an automated response inviting me to ring back and ringing back straight away.

It took so long to cancel, I ended up back in time (but without gym stuff) to walk into reception and cancel in person. Two people on reception, having a lovely chat, no phones ringing and no one answering any calls (assume phone rang in a back office that wasn't manned???)

I thought your thread was going to be about receptionists being ON their phones. Now that is another thread....

gleam · 21/04/2016 00:57

She was wrong, imo.

What sport is it etiquette to wear a long sleeved shirt for, supposedly? Confused If you don't mind saying.

Itinerary · 21/04/2016 01:51

YANBU. Customers in front of you should be served before you answer the phone.

Having said that, there are customers on phones who carry on conversations while being served by someone.

MattDillonsPants · 21/04/2016 02:31

YANBU! DH and I went into a surf shop the other day intending to buy a quite expensive item. We asked if it was in stock and the man got one and then took a lengthy phonecall so he wasn't available to help us with certain features....the phonecall seemed to be about opening times! We stood there for a couple of minutes and he went into some random conversation about the bloody weather!

So we walked out. He lost a sale of several hundred dollars. It was an independent shop too and it's always in the news here about how surf shops are having a hard time because of internet shopping...sorry but no bloody wonder!

kali110 · 21/04/2016 02:44

Neither of you are wrong.
This person can't win.
At my old work we would be bollocked for not answering the phone, and receive complaints even if we had customers in front of us we were told to
Get the phone Grin can't. Win.

MattDillonsPants · 21/04/2016 02:47

I used to pick it up and say "One moment please." It's not hard...you have to play it all by ear and make phone calls and actual people take turns.

LurkingHusband · 21/04/2016 07:38

Has anyone ever made a call to the person at the desk whilst in the queue ?

IceMaiden73 · 21/04/2016 07:43

That is unacceptable I would definitely complain to the manager

LadyBaelish · 21/04/2016 10:02

YANBU. We have a phone under the counter at work, I never pick it up until I've finished serving people. If I've got a queue then I might ask a customer if they mind me answering the phone just to say I'll be able to help them in a minute and put them on hold.

Dunkling · 21/04/2016 10:06

NU no. When I worked in a National Trust shop the phone was always ignored for a customer, and if I was approached while already on the phone, the in person customer was acknowledged and apologised to and seen to asap.

Just basic courtesy.

ElzBevan · 21/04/2016 16:38

I work in a hotel/restaurant. we always deal with the real life customer 1st, however if we are on our own and the phone rings we are trained to say to the person in front of 'do you mind if i get that?' then when answering the phone 'thanks for calling, do you mind holding the line?' while we finish with the 1st guest - far better as everyone has been acknowledged!

Heatherjayne1972 · 21/04/2016 16:46

Not difficult Pick up the phone and apologise to the person put them on hold. Deal with person in front of you Then apologise again to the one holding on

Can't bear being ignored because reception think phone calls more important

MintyChapstick · 21/04/2016 16:51

I used to work in an estate agents and we were always told that a ringing phone had to take priority over someone there in person. The reasoning being that the person in front of you can see you are busy, but the person calling you might give up and take their business elsewhere.

I found it rude and hated doing it, and I don't know why it's company policy in so many places? I'm sure my dentist has this policy as something similar happened to me at my most recent appointment. The person on the phone then kept the receptionist talking for ages, she kept mouthing 'sorry' to me. A huge queaue then built up behind me, lots of tutting and grumbling etc. Its not good service at all Imo.

witsender · 21/04/2016 16:56

When I once interviewed for an estate agent job as a late teen I was told that you should answer the phone over and above those in front of you otherwise you might lose them and they never phone back, whereas the other person is in front of you.

WeetabixLorry · 21/04/2016 17:00

My GP surgery receptionist answers the phone immediately but just says "May I quickly put you on hold?" and then continues dealing with the current customer. Then she picks up the phone properly when she's done. I think this is a good compromise and is much less frustrating than having to call back a million times, and the customer at the desk still feels prioritised.

TwentyCupsOfTea · 21/04/2016 17:05

I'm a receptionist, we have a three ring policy. I do have to prioritise tbf phone; however if I was to do this I would acknowledge the people waiting and apologise. Its a difficult position to be in, but you can always acknowledge people, even mid call with just a smile and a quick 'sorry, won't be long'.

CigarsofthePharoahs · 21/04/2016 17:05

I used to work in retail and regularly had to deal with the phone.
I hated it. You could pretty much guarantee it would always ring when you were in the middle of serving someone else. We never had enough staff in to make sure there was someone free to answer the phone, so we always felt rushed when serving customers, either face to face or on the phone.
My attitude was that the customer in front of me was more important as the worst thing a phone customer could do was swear at me, whereas the customer in front of me.... Grin

TwentyCupsOfTea · 21/04/2016 17:09

And to a pp who mentioned customers on phones themselves, we have a policy of no phones at the desk - it's hard enough balancing one phone (ours) and the queue - never mind two lots!

TwentyCupsOfTea · 21/04/2016 17:11

Also to add that our bosses regularly ring us to catch us out on our three ring policy. Sorry to keep posting but it's a daily nightmare for me!
In my work, customers need to ring to give us notice before arriving In the queue. If they don't call first they have long waits, or can be turned away by us, so it would be very hypocritical to ask them to call first and then not answer!

BitOutOfPractice · 21/04/2016 17:11

God this is one of my biggest bugbears and I always call the person on it

I too am intrigued as what "etiquette" requires a long sleeve top, not a short sleeved one

MissPunnyMany · 21/04/2016 17:13

I agree customers / clients should be dealt with in person first, but it depends on what the receptionist has been instructed to do. One of the partners in the firm I worked in insisted the phone be answered first and would throw a right strop if the phone was ringing and ringing because he was so important and thought in a busy office every call would be for him doing a massive deal

I used to answer the phone for the receptionists if I was walking past and they were dealing with a client.

Sometimes you're between a rock and a hard place in that role when you have a manager glaring at you to answer the phone and a client glaring at you wanting to be spoken to.

diddl · 21/04/2016 17:20

There has to be a balance, doesn't there?

(Or ideally 2 staff)

What's the point of turning up to be checked in & no one doing it?

Pinot4me · 21/04/2016 17:29

YANBU - our local Chinese takeaway is always packed busy with, usually one lady serving. I was in a queue with about 6 people in front of me and she kept answering the phone to take orders instead of serving us in the queue. The guy behind me just got his phone out and rang her. She answered, he ordered... I don't think she realised he was in the queue...
I thought it was an ingenious idea - who can blame him!

Woolyheads · 21/04/2016 17:32

I'd have made a scene. And I would have rung her up while stood there to make a point. Even my midwife spent our entire appointment on the phone and I didn't get to speak to her at all. II just sat there being ignored for the entirety of my antenatal appointment. I had really, really wanted a birth plan.

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