AIBU to think some people should just grow up

[ithinksheisawuss]

Details changed and I’ve name changed to stop it being identifiable.

AIBU to think some people just need to grow up and get on with it at work?

I work in a busy fast paced environment. It’s a big office with two distinct areas. On one side are the sales people this is high stress and loud, on the other side is the support staff area which is much gentler. The support staff are mainly older women, the sales staff are a mixed bunch.

The sales side is very robust, lots of swearing and mickey taking. Some days people let off steam by shouting we all just laugh and get on with it, no one takes offence. When someone shouts we laugh at them then they laugh and the tension breaks. We need this release sometimes.

Anyway, one of the support ladies lady S was doing a job at the sales end of the office colleague A put the phone down and started to shout. Lady S asked a question of colleague A and colleague A shouted. She didn’t shout at lady S - she was just shouty iyswim.

Lady S has put in a formal complaint saying she has been bullied and colleague A was unprofessional. Colleague A often behaves like this it’s her passion that makes her good at her job.

If all the sales staff behaved in the quiet demure way the support staff do no sales would get made! But the whole support area is up in arms about poor lady S.

TBH I think lady S is a bit of a wuss but I am wondering if I am too harsh. Colleague A is really valuable to the business, lady S is easily replaceable.

The shouting is at people. No shouts oh you cow. It's more they put the phone down and shout because the call went well.
Today the person next to me was frustrated because he nearly got the sale but has to wait and he shouted about it. He wasn't shouting at me just next to me

I still don’t get it. So the frustrated guy next to you came off the phone and shouted something along the lines of ‘argh you bastard, I’ve got to wait for the sale’? Then you laughed and he laughed? It all seems... weird.
Has anyone seen the word ‘shout’ so much on this thread that it no longer looks like a real word?

That's who I had in mind. Only in a cheap suit.

Welsh call centre?
Definitely cold callers, who else "shouts" when a call goes well?
What a soul destroying job....

The sales team aren't the only people responsible for the company making a profit (and staff bonuses). Every member of staff is an individual person and worthy of basic manners. If you also happen to be friends with a colleague you can get away with 'banter' but you have to learn to moderate your behaviour when dealing with other people.

TBH, if colleague A thinks it's okay to shout at people and has the same lack of respect for admin staff as you do then Lady S may well have a point about workplace bullying.

It sounds like one of those "you don't have to be MAAAD to work here... but it helps!" Places.

Know your audience. If you know that your zany sales colleagues love to shout and laugh at eachother all day then fine. Sounds like a nightmare to me. But this woman, who you know doesn't work like that asked a simple question and was shouted at. If this sales woman is as brilliant as you say, then why can't she speak nicely to people? Your argument that having to speak to people in in your office in a decent way will damage sales is utter nonsense.

You look down your nose at the support staff, and yes, it is you lot that need to grow up. Youre not in the school playground any more.

What did A shout to S?

I'd imagine these two teams are made up of opposite ends of the spectrum type people. I'd also imagine there's some jealousy from the support staff re the sales people's salaries or being seen to have fun at work.
It depends what person A shouted but if she was already being "shouty" I don't see the issue. Bit weird but not exactly forever bullying?

Not sure where the forever popped in!

We can 'behave' and if profit falls then people will loose their jobs and it sure as shit won't be colleague A who goes.
Could you explain how shouting is essential to profits, I just don't see it? if someone tried to sell me anything NY being really loud, I would avoid them.

I can see where she is coming from but everyone in the sales team knows the rules, has a laugh, it makes our working day more fun.
No, they don't know the rules, or they wouldn't be shouting at people trying to do their jobs! You all seem to feel that you can make you own rules, but employment law says otherwise. Be professional, at least with people outsode your team - stop expecting other to adapt to your little gangs behaviour.

You all sound batshit.

What the heck are you trying to sell anyway? I hope your clients shout back and tell you to BUGGER OFF.

It sounds very disrespectful tbh. I've worked in offices as support staff. They keep the files up to date, send out the letters and do the accounts. If they weren't there, you wouldn't have a 'high powered' sales job at all.

Funnily enough, my DH and his sales team manage to work in a high paced environment, whilst acting professionally at the same time. You all sound like children.

Are you Lady A or is she your 'bestie'?

Sounds like a bunch of women acting like rowdy lads in the pub as though this makes them some ‘wolf of wall street’ sales team.

Calm down and don’t shout at people and stop undervaluing your support staff.

Do you even realise that you don't get to decide if lady S feels bullied? She decides that. You and your colleagues are bullying her. You can stop that now. How hard is it not to shout? Do you shout at your mother? The doctor? The police? No, right?

@

SHARON, DO YOU WANT A CUSTARD CREAM?

You say the shouting is to relieve the tension or make the day more fun. It's not to get the job done, is it? That sounds very unprofessional to me.

Sales manager here. Stop shouting, get selling. If you have time to shout at colleagues, you aren't busy enough. Pick up the phone!!!

OP, by the sound of it, it's a boiler-room-type establishment you work for. Bad form.

Sorry meant to quote @EduCated !

We had a similar set up at my previous job. Sales staff all saw themselves as high flying, hot shots closing deals and making the money for the company to operate. The support staff all saw them as overpaid gobshites.

Did A apologise for shouting? Why didnt S just tell A that it’s inappropriate to speak to someone like that at the time? Seems odd to be upset by it but not at anything at the time.

All the sales staff are younger, all the support staff are older.

It isn't the most mature work environment, I can't imagine doing it long term but it pays the bills.

I think we just need to really careful to keep the jokes at our end and behave when the support are around.

You all seem determined to make A bad at her job but she isn't. I wish I got her commission.

I’m glad I have a policy of never buying anything from pushy sales people on phones, if they get off the phone and do all this weird shouty stuff.

1. Your office and rules sound vile. Why must you shout and hoot and bray?
2. You asked if you were being unreasonable. Mainly you were told yes. Your response was 'but....i'm not really because....' so why ask?
3. You may wish to shout your days away, but there has to be some sort of respect for the fact that anybody not on your 'i'm mad me' team may not want to be a part of such ridiculousness.

Honestly. I've been in more mature Year 7 classrooms.

Are you telling me all I have to do to be more successful at my role is start randomly shouting in the office? I wish I had known this years ago!

Your sales team sound awful and I think they do need to grow up. Passionate does not have to equal shouts at everyone. I am passionate about my role, sometimes things go really well and sometimes things go really badly. I don't make the whole office aware by shouting at them all though!