The worst complaint you have ever received

[planetclom]

I’ll start.
Someone complained they when they arrived early for an appointment I saw them early, they did not want to be seen early ...
Someone complained that I was only interested in box ticking and in the next sentence complained I spend to long trying to sort out their issue...

Work in the NHS if that is relevant, I suspect it is.

Had a parent complain that their child’s surgery had to be cancelled. The consultant who had been due to perform this very specific surgery had unfortunately become ill and had been admitted to hospital. Not good enough apparently.

Many years ago I went to get a paper sick note for a patient (all computer based now). We kept them next to the chocolates & biscuits. I brought back two teeny chocolates and gave one to the patient. She complained I hadn't been professional (I checked, afterwards admittedly, no eating disorders or allergies).

Another one - had a brief part-time job in a pub and was asked for a pint by a very baby-faced lad. I asked him for ID, and he went off on one, telling me he always, ALWAYS gets ID'ed and he was sick of it.

As someone who has always looked younger myself (it's catching up with me now though!), I sympathised, and suggested that perhaps he should, you know, actually carry some ID with him if it happens so often. Some more ranting ensued, and the manager took over and told him to leave because we couldn't serve him.

About half an hour later, his MUM rang up and complained to the manager about me....

On the subject of ID I had an 18th birthday party leave because the newly turned 18 year old didn't bring ID, and the family didn't understand why I couldn't accept the BALLOON as proof of her age... I suspect because she probably didn't turn 18 for a few days.

Oh I've just remembered a couple from when I worked at a prestigious boarding (relevant) prep school.

1. Could you stop our son from ringing us up every day? It must be getting expensive and all he ever says is that he misses us.

1. Does he have to come home for the holidays? Can't he stay there?

Glad to say in both cases the request was politely denied and a little extra pastoral work undertaken instead.

Sayyouwill and her cruise ship, and Unihorn and the balloon have properly cheered me up after a terrible day!

Ps Pavlovian, Anne Robinson?

I was thinking @Pavlovian's complainer was that woman who's always presenting daytime telly shows about people who get scammed... what's her name?! It's bugging me!

When I worked in a convenience store many years ago I refused to serve an underage boy cigarettes as I knew he was 14, same year group as my own son. Fair enough. Kid left shop, no harm done. Till ten minutes later when his mother comes storming in demanding to know why I wouldn't serve her son. I explained about the law. She went crazy and demanded I serve them to her coz he was doing her head in without his fags! Pointed out I couldn't serve her knowing she was buying for underage child. More screaming and swearing and how dare you tell me how to be a parent crap. I banned her from the shop. It was the only local shop in walking distance so I guess she had to go drive to Sainsbury s for her son s fags. Sad but true!

I worked in a dry cleaners as a teen, we'd take in the laundry from the up market hotel down the road. Anyway one day we get a phonecall to say a customer had complained about his shirts (the woman on the phone was laughing) but she wouldn't tell us why, just that he was going to come and see us. The next day a bloke comes storming in demands to see the manager... His shirts had been ironed, he didn't want them ironed because his wife would know he'd had them cleaned, he then demanded we crumple them up. Manager said no way, man started shouting about his wife finding out. Manager said "Well SIR, if you want to cheat on your wife that's your business but you cannot come into MY shop and f and blind at us, please leave"

Had a parent complain that their child’s surgery had to be cancelled. The consultant who had been due to perform this very specific surgery had unfortunately become ill and had been admitted to hospital. Not good enough apparently.

That's not really on a par with the other posts on here though. A parent waiting for their child to have surgery is likely to be feeling quite anxious and it's understandable they'd get upset if it were cancelled.

I work as a receptionist in a doctors surgery. We have some discretion about same day appointments, so if someone is in front of us and looks or sounds very ill and we're concerned we can book them in. However the policy is if a patient is abusive or rude they won't get what they want and have to be told to come back another day.

Most of the patients are lovely. Last year a young woman I know is a regular in the surgery with her daughter (who has quite a lot of appointments) came to the reception desk. She was pale faced, tired looking and she really didn't look well. She was asking about something for her daughter but I was worried so told her and she said her ears and throat had been hurting for a few days but she'd be ok. I made her an appointment there and then to see the doctor, I insisted.

There was a man behind her in the queue for reception came to the desk. He'd heard me offer the lady an appointment and started demanding an appointment there and now for himself. I said no repeatedly but he just got more and more angry. He eventually left.

He then complained to my Practice Manager that I'm obviously sexist because I offer same day appointments to men not women, and he wanted me sacked so I couldn't do it to him again. The manager asked me if he'd told me what was wrong so I could make a judgement, and then reviewed the CCTV.

Thankfully he was written a polite letter back saying he needed to find another surgery who weren't "sexist".

*sorry women not men

Freddie I have a severe mental illness so I'm just not a fan of doctors receptionists especially mine which only offer appointments if you call between 8.30am & 9am. If you call past nine they tell you to phone again the next day. I think doctors receptionists are a nightmare. Maybe you are lovely though!

A parent waiting for their child to have surgery is likely to be feeling quite anxious

Obviously we are aware of this and we were very sympathetic. They were regulars and we knew them well. But there was zero understanding from the parents, I’m really not quite sure what we were supposed to have done about it.

I used to work in the complaints team for a high street bank.

The worst one I remember was one guy who’d had a transfer made incorrectly - I found it, refunded the money, gave him compo and then made the payment for him. It was nearly the end of my 8pm shift by then. He was insisting he wanted me to call him the day after with the details of the person that made the mistake as they needed disciplining. I said I would find out who it was and call him back but I couldn’t tell him the name. I also told him I didn’t start till 12 so it would be after that.

When I got in the next day, he’d already called a few times and was apoplectic when I called him back. Apologised and said I thought I’d told him I wasn’t in till 12 - he said not but anyway. I then said I had found the recorded call and the person who had made the mistake and their team leader would take it forward. He then asked me if I had kids. With a feeling I said yes but I wasn’t sure why that was relevant? He then said, “imagine someone murdered your kids and the police knew who it was but wouldn’t tell you the name. How would you feel?”

I tore a fucking strip off him. Said I thought that was an offensive comparison, and that I had corrected the error, done the payment, given him compensation and then still called him back to give him feedback and he had the audacity to say that to me?! I was so angry.

Amazingly, he was fine after that. Reckon he just wanted a reaction but I honestly couldn’t believe it. This was maybe 8 years ago so it shows what an impression it made on me!

Gloria Hunniford? Julia Somerville? The other one off the ‘pensioner paranoia’ programme??

Posted this one before but anyway
I'm in a bookshop where the books are free, no cost, no hidden charges
Long story short I end up doing chest compressions on this man who is not in a great way, blood/vomit etc
Security try and get everyone out. A guy STEPS OVER MY LEGS while I'm doing CPR to browse the books behind me and then complains to security he hasn't finished looking at the books

Security at that point did a WTF face and manhandled him out the shop while pointing out the defib I had sent someone to get "this guy at the minute is DEAD. He is MORE IMPORTANT than you shopping for FREE books"
Security paid my parking and brought me coffee and by the time the ambulance crew left with said unwell man, he had a pulse and was breathing for himself

Just read misshathaways post

I had one patient discharge herself against medical advice and write to PALS complaining that “the doctor never gave me any medical advice, at least none that I agreed with”. Same patient also complained that the sandwich in A&E was in a plastic box instead of arranged nicely on a napkin, and that the roast parsnips with Sunday lunch were cut too small. She was a young woman, certainly ought to have experienced a packet of shop-bought sandwiches before.

Lynne Faulds Wood?

NHS Staff

I was finishing up my notes , a lady in the waiting room noisily stamping her stick on the ground , I go out (I had finished my clinic this was maybe 4.30)

"I have a 4.15 appointment" she says.
There was no 4.15 booked so I knew there was something amiss.

I checked her DOB , name, address , nothing showing. She hadn't been referred and didn't have an appointment.
She was insisting that she came into the room and I had to see her.

I asked her who had booked her and when, it became clear that she was meant to be elsewhere?
As I'm helpful, I didn't just tell her to 'Do One' , all the time she kept telling me she had to come in and I had to see her.

I went round to Reception and , yes, she had an appointment elsewhere (that she was now very late for) , they said to send her round.

When I told her, "You do have a 4.15 but its not with me its with your Dr"

Did she thank me for my time and help? Nope.
"What are you going o do about my ...body part"

I thought "Absolutely Fuck All, now let me get on with my notes" , but I said "Nothing I can do, but you need to go to your appointment" and I walked her round.

"Well I'll just have to see a 'Proper' member of staff" she said.

Mmm, yes, you do just that

You Can Catch More Flies With Honey Than Vinegar

“That's not really on a par with the other posts on here though. A parent waiting for their child to have surgery is likely to be feeling quite anxious and it's understandable they'd get upset if it were cancelled”

Getting upset is one thing. It is upsetting. Complaining that it is ‘not good enough ‘ because the consultant is ill in hospital is unreasonable.

(I have a child who has had many surgeries, often postponed because there is no bed on the ward)

Do you think she might have had dementia 70

Is this why so many NHS staff are so rude? They just get fed up and think bollox to the general public? Probably.