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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Our Receptionist is really rude on the phone!

71 replies

fanfan18 · 31/07/2018 12:20

I'm looking for a bit of advice really or to be told IABU and should just ignore it!

We have a receptionist at my office and her way on the telephone is awful. She has been here longer than anyone else and to be honest she is quite scary. She answers as though she is in a terrible bad mood, one word answers, blocks calls from clients who then call my mobile a bit irate.

I just had a customer put through to me this morning who said "what on earths wrong with the receptionist, she's damn rude!". It was quite embarrassing. I'm not her boss or line manager or anything but also don't particularly want to raise it with a Director (we are only a small company so most of us report to a Director). She can be quite aggressive but she is also very very sensitive so i'm at a bit of a loss.

I don't want the customers put off or get a bad impression but she isn't the kind of person I could just casually mention this to. I think she would be angry.

Any advice?

OP posts:
OnlyFoolsnMothers · 31/07/2018 12:22

of course you have to raise it, who cares if she's sensitive. If she's not doing her job she's not doing her job- in the long run its better for the business and therefore everyone who is employed by it, for her to be aware of this.

HowIWishYouWereHere · 31/07/2018 12:23

Definitely raise it. Corporate receptionist jobs are like gold dust. I should know; I used to be one! If she isn’t performing, that needs to be addressed.

Original poster
fanfan18 · 31/07/2018 12:24

Do you think I should try and speak with her about it first rather than one of the bosses?
Thanks

OP posts:
Labradoodliedoodoo · 31/07/2018 12:26

Email her factually immediately each time. ‘X has just phoned my mobile and said that you answered the phone rudely. He seemed quite upset’

MrsMarigold · 31/07/2018 12:26

I used to work for a company with no receptionist and was horrified at how people treat receptionists. They act like you are lowly and completely, unimportant, it's totally demeaning. Chances are her behaviour is as a response to being treated so appallingly over many years.

TwoBlueShoes · 31/07/2018 12:27

I wouldn't speak to her directly. It might backfire. Get one of the bosses to speak to her. That's what they are paid for.

HowIWishYouWereHere · 31/07/2018 12:27

It depends on who her line manager is tbh. If it was someone I worked with and knew fairly well, I’d tell them first on a ‘just in passing... I had a complaint about X today...’ way.

skunkatanka · 31/07/2018 12:27

I'm amazed someone senior doesn't already know to be honest. Reception is a role the affects everyone really surely?

Original poster
fanfan18 · 31/07/2018 12:28

Thanks @labradoodliedoodoo

Thats a very good idea

OP posts:
HowIWishYouWereHere · 31/07/2018 12:29

It might be as it was in one of my old work places, where the receptionists’ line manager is someone really senior, in which case they more or less manage themselves! It’s not ideal.

15star · 31/07/2018 12:29

Don't raise it directly with her she could say you are bullying her etc. If you aren't her manager it's really not your place to say anything to her directly. You would need to report it to her line manager. You don't have to complain just say you are getting an increased amount of clients having issue x,y,z and let her manager deal with it.

POPholditdown · 31/07/2018 12:35

To add on to Labradoodliedoodoo’s suggestion, if there are any particularly pissed off clients, or recurring comments from the same ones, I would offer to raise a complaint/feedback on their behalf.

I do this at work, when contractors have really failed to keep to their terms (and the client is fuming) as I find my company is more concerned with what the client thinks than what the staff think.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 31/07/2018 12:40

You definitely need to raise it. Receptionists are not allowed their off days.
I don't know what your company is but sometimes people are nervous enough as it is phoning up or going into places. With out all that shit.
It doesn't seem fair that there are people with impeccable manners in the dole queue. Yet it seems she has been allowed to get away with this for a long time.
It's about time she was brought to task.
If it was an apprentice behaving like that. They'd be hauled over the coals.
and what's all that about blocking numbers.
It's not your fault obviously but I'm not surprised clients get pissed off.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 31/07/2018 12:41

It's a wonder there have not been numerous complaints about her already.

JustTheLemons · 31/07/2018 12:46

Would definitely not reccomend emailing her directly. Something similar happened at my old work and it all kicked off, the accuser got called into a tribunal and accused of bullying.

The woman did eventually get let go due to evidence that she was appalling at her job but the poor accuser really went through the ringer.

Send an email to her boss and tell her that you’ve had numerous complaints from key clients.

Then, every time it happens again, send another email. Be very factual and log it as evidence, but send it to the boss, not the woman.

Also second the idea of asking the external clients if they want you to log a complaint for them.

Make sure to say something- we lost clients at our place and I ended up leaving when the atmosphere took a huge dive (the tribunal etc happened after I left) and people were even let go due to losing money which was due to the client loss. The director had no clue why until this woman was pointed out.

MrsDesireeCarthorse · 31/07/2018 12:50

She is not sensitive. She is a rude bully and her behaviour is grossly unprofessional. People being rude to you is not an excuse. I used to be a receptionist.

AnElderlyLadyOfMediumHeight · 31/07/2018 12:51

You have to say something. It's affecting the business. And that's how it needs explaining to her.

There are other ways of dealing with bad treatment if she is getting such - speak to her boss, treat it as a 'dealing with arseholes' training opportunity, etc. But there's no excuse whatsoever to take it out on others.

Notevilstepmother · 31/07/2018 12:52

Do not email her, or approach her, speak to your line manager. Don’t ignore it, if one customer has mentioned it I bet others haven’t.

VanellopeVonSchweetz99 · 31/07/2018 12:52

You have to raise it with a director, sooner the better.
I used to work with someone really shitty and entitled like that, guess what? I got her job.

ReservoirDogs · 31/07/2018 12:53

Nooooooo to raising it with her direct.

You give feedback to your boss from the client who then handles it.

PuppyMonkey · 31/07/2018 12:54

You should definitely feed back that observation from your client about the rudeness to YOUR line manager and ask them to bring it up more formally with rude receptionist's manager or supervisor or whoever might be in charge of her.

Cauliflowersqueeze · 31/07/2018 12:58

Email HER boss factually each time there is an issue. Let the boss deal with it.

It sounds like a job —dealing with humans— on reception isn’t really for her.

Sparklesocks · 31/07/2018 12:58

Yes as PP have said it’s not your place to raise it with her as she’s not your line report, but suggest raising it with your director. You can just be civil and gentle such as ‘I have noticed that X can be a bit abrupt on the phone with clients and recently Y complained to me that she was rude to them. I know it can be a stressful job but wanted to flag with you as it might affect our company reputation and thought you should be aware’.

Then up to your Director how it’s handled.

Racecardriver · 31/07/2018 13:01

Just forward the email to the director.

JellyBears · 31/07/2018 13:01

It’s not a pleasant thing to have to do, but you’ve had clients complaining etc.

I had a similar situation years ago when I worked in nursery. We had a room leader who was really mean and unkind to the children and parents noticed etc and in the end the room staff had to go to the manager about her.