Dealing with literally the most unpleasant person in the world

[Blackadderspants]

Not really an AIBU but more of a rant.

I work in the service industry for my sins....and have been dealing with someone I can only assume is the devil incarnate. They are the most unpleasant client I have ever dealt with in well over 20 years in the same job.

Because I'm in the service industry I have to adopt the "customer is always right" and smile sweetly while they spew poison but today I am right on the edge of telling them they can just feck off for themselves. Which of course would result in me being fired.

ARGH.

I work in a call centre for a big retailer, don't take calls any more but it has been known for me to make stabbing motions towards the phone...

I replied to an email a customer sent in recently, he'd sworn in it so in my reply I asked him not to do so as it's inappropriate. Got an email back saying "get over yourself". Charming.
I may or may not have spam related plans for his email address

Sanoffyhighstepson

I would have phoned their head office after that. Throwing out someone who was defending a pregnant woman from abuse. Christ. Do they just not care about their staff at all ?

I worked in a public facing job a while ago now. I jacked it in after several enjoyable years after one really bad experience with a junkie. Sorry to say I lost my shit 🙁
She and her junkie mates were making threats after she claimed I'd short changed her (which I hadn't) & she got abusive. I regretfully told her she wouldn't have the bad back she claimed to have it she didn't spend so much time lying on it. I resigned the next day 🙄

After being on the receiving end there is no way I could stand by and let anyone abuse a staff member in such a situation.

I remember when I was being verbally abused by a drunk man on the bus no one did anything. I stood up to him on my own but everyone looked the other way. I've no idea what I did to him. Exist presumably. Young girl on the bus late at night. The bus driver did nothing as was quite sarky with me - apparently I was the one making a scene. Bus driver was a woman as well.

I'm loving all these replies, makes it so much easier to have to deal with this utterly vile person. I spent most of yesterday and all of today dealing with them (except for the times I logged onto MN for a breather!) but am hoping the end is in sight! As another poster said, the majority of people are pleasant and kind, and grateful for what you do for them. It's just the few who make it so horrible. Luckily all our calls are recorded so I have saved all the ones I had with them in a separate file.

I had dealing with the wife of the ex-keyboard player, she was a complete entitled PITA with delusions that everyone wanted to be with her husband. (they didn't).

The service industry really does reveal the ugly side of people. I agree that the nasty ones I got over the phone were the non-swearers. The sweary people were just really angry at the company and venting, I either hung up on them or managed to bring them around. The nasty ones were evil... they were aiming their bile at me personally, with mind games and sly digs. I wanted to cry afterwards and have a shower! Thankfully they were few and far between.

Evil ones aside often the company is to blame. For example Talk talk lied to me when we moved I was paying for a package one of the parts wasn't available in our area but the staff lied and said it would start soon so I kept paying. Every time I rang same story. Eventually a nice Glaswegian said he couldn't do it anymore the thing I was paying for wasn't available and never would be and they had been told to lie.

The company isn't to blame for the vileness of people. Doesn't matter how frustrated I am with a company I'm never horrible to the person I'm talking to cos it's not their fault.

Well yes but if the company is providing an appalling service / lying to customers then hanging their front line staff out to dry by making them deal with the fall out it does make them culpable imo.

I am not mean to staff obviously but have experienced woeful service and actual scamming etc from these large companies so have had to ring up and complain which I'm sure wasn't super fun for the person on the end of the phone.