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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To loose my temper in post office?

198 replies

irritablesally · 09/10/2018 08:43

So yesterday I get to my local post office.
It's a busy city centre branch.
They have 5 on the counters and 4 "self serve machines"
I go through and do my parcel but at the end it comes up with "please wait for host" who basically confirms you've done it correctly.
All 4 machines were stuck on "please wait for host"and lots of people waiting behind.
The lady who was working (or supposed to be working ) on self serve was going around attaching 50th birthday balloons to everyone's desk and the post office.
I stood for 6 minutes (along with the other 3) waiting for her ..she looked over and continued fannying on with balloons.
I lost my temper and said "instead of messing about with that can you actually help us"
Then she came over ..
Was aibu to say this?
I felt guilty after ..

OP posts:
GabsAlot · 09/10/2018 11:00

i do try and use self service if the queue is really long but like op u have to wait for someone to take the parcel anyway so whats the point

they moved our PO to the back of whsmiths halved the staff whom i did feel for and now the4res always a queue with no more than 2 servers

SoupDragon · 09/10/2018 11:09

I won't use self service tills if there's a human option.

Do you go into a bank to withdraw cash at the counter or do you use the ATM outside?

SoupDragon · 09/10/2018 11:11

I don't know what the balloon woman was doing

She was decorating the area with birthday balloons.

FallenIvy · 09/10/2018 11:12

I refuse to use self service tills on principle. They are just replacing people. Where ever possible I stand in a normal queue

So you're inconveniencing and delaying other customers who are unable to use the self service tills. That's nice of you!

Hahahaha ummm what?????

RollerJed · 09/10/2018 11:15

@liquidrevolution 😂

My apologies OP.

CatkinToadflax · 09/10/2018 11:15

I used to live in a small village where the post office was run by one person behind a single counter - no other counters and no self service machines. Actually serving customers was generally one thing too many for her, and on one memorable occasion she refused to serve me because she was doing the hoovering.

ListenToTheWords · 09/10/2018 11:22

Having worked on self service for many years, I can totally understand your frustration. The lady should not have left the machines unattended whilst there were customers using them. What really annoys me is the fact that she SAW all the red lights (waiting for assistance mode) and gaily carried on with something that was not job-related. I would have got a major hauling over the coals if I did that.

To be honest, I think you were very restrained.

DarlingNikita · 09/10/2018 12:04

I think you were restrained too. People pissing about like this in front of customers clearly needing help is out of order.

I once stood at the counter in my then GP's waiting room, clearly waiting for attention, while two staff members stood well behind the counter chatting together in not-very-quiet 'whispers' about 'trying the coconut one' and things being 'on sale'. At one point they saw me glaring and actually moved further away to carry on their chat.

Eventually I said 'Instead of having a personal conversation, could you come to the counter so I can ask you something, please?' and one of them came over with a face like a slapped arse and proceeded to deal with me without once looking me in the eye. Fucking rude. I changed GPs.

WillGymforPizza · 09/10/2018 12:11

Of course YANBU! Barclays are another one. Lots of self service tills that don't work properly, and only one desk. This of course leads to lots of frustrated customers taking it out on the staff themselves.

BumDisease · 09/10/2018 12:18

Why is it so hard to say "excuse me?" Why feel the need to be rude?

"In my frustration I eventually shouted from my place several people down for her to get the other till open"

You're an arsehole.

Satsumaeater · 09/10/2018 12:24

I would have complained too. Post offices really are the worst.

But I had something similar in Superdrug the other day - lots of people in the queue, only one sales assistant on the till. Lady at front of queue doing something more complicated so it was taking a while. There were 3 other sales assistants but it was more important for them all to see if a box in the window display was straight than come and serve the ever increasing queue. I didn't say anything in the end, but I can understand why you would. Eventually one of them came over.

Original poster
irritablesally · 09/10/2018 12:25

Because clearly ignoring customers needing help isn't rude at all .....
People are human and sometimes loose temper.

OP posts:
WillGymforPizza · 09/10/2018 12:30

Why be so rude?

I'd argue that the woman who was sticking up the balloons instead of doing the job that's she paid to do was the one being rude. Ignoring the customers who pay your wages is astonishingly bad customers service.

Gersemi · 09/10/2018 12:49

No-one looses their temper, OP. Unless it was very tight in the first place.

MinnieRabbit · 09/10/2018 13:17

There are posters all over our local post office reminding people not to kick off at the staff - same in Argos where they also like to twat about rather than get on with the job they're being paid to do.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 09/10/2018 13:34

"6 whole minutes?"

I think you are wrong to pick on this part of the OP's post, @Littlechocola - her issue was NOT having to wait 6 minutes, it was having to wait 6 minutes whilst the assistant who was supposed to be helping at the self-service machines did a completely unnecessary task!! If she had had to wait 6 minutes whilst the assistant was doing her actual job, and helping other customers, I am sure the OP would not have lost her temper as she did.

OP - I don't think it was wrong of you to say what you did - and I don't actually think it sounds as if you really lost your temper - I think you snapped once, which was entirely justified.

lizzie1970a · 09/10/2018 13:45

If I'd have had to wait six minutes I'd have been snappy too.

I recognise this in myself now though (trying to be patient, getting annoyed, letting it build up and then being snappier than I'd like to be) so I've have waited 30 seconds and then said something like "are you on this section, if so we're all waiting" - point made. Don't wait in future.

I think what Shatnerswig said was great. I've been in the same situation and was most annoyed with this woman wandering up and down the queue asking what are you trying to do today. I only wanted to pay a cheque in but don't like putting it in an envelope and posting in a box in the bank; I want it done then and there so queued. Terrible service and I no longer go back to that branch, which is the main city one too.

Laiste · 09/10/2018 13:59

It's better to speak up quick than let it simmer and boil over and then worry about 'was i rude?'. When it's clear someone is being an ignorant work-shy twat - speak up asap.

As i'm getting older my window of patience has got shorter. I believe service has got worse and so i find myself saying ''Excuse me, but could you possibly come over and do your bloody job x y z'' more often now.

shatners i'm going to use that one. In Santander they don't ask if there's anything they can do, they walk up and down specifically asking if you're paying in. So i'd have to reword it. But i'll find a way ... Grin

Laiste · 09/10/2018 14:02

Having said the above, i have to admit - as a 15/16 year old in the 80's doing a low paid and boring supermarket job i used to hide from customers a lot. And when they would find me and say 'can you come and your bloody job help me' i would call them all the names under the sun in my head! Grin

BumDisease · 09/10/2018 14:11

Funny how MN is all about keeping your cool at all time and "did you mean to be so rude", except apparently when it comes to people at their work.

There was no need to wait six minutes. Just ask like a normal human being.

Everanewbie · 09/10/2018 14:14

OP. You lose your temper. If you lose weight your belt becomes loose. I was able to ignore it once, but not twice. Grrrrr!!!

I hope the balloons become loose, but the post office assistant doesn't lose her job.

Stonebake · 09/10/2018 14:19

No-one looses their temper, OP. Unless it was very tight in the first place.

At least she didn't "loose her shit", as I've seen on here many times. Makes me think they are flinging shit around...

Sorry op. I know it isn't great to point out little spelling mistakes! It is lose not loose btw, but "loose my shit" always makes me feel queasy, which is the reason I brought it up.

abacucat · 09/10/2018 14:23

Sounds like I am lucky. Our Post Office just has an ordinary counter and the staff are brilliant.

whydoistayupsolate · 09/10/2018 14:27

I have less patience for this as I've gotten older. I don't yell at people, but I will put my stuff down on the counter and leave if people are pissing around.
I would rather inconvenience myself going elsewhere than give my money and time to a business who treat their customers like an inconvenience. I vote with my feet.

Cabochard · 09/10/2018 14:37

Retail workers and post office staff are very vulnerable at work/ we are abused verbally and we are threatened with physical violence regularly.
The snap shot while you shop will not paint a picture of the whole day for a retail worker.
Our union is constantly fighting to get protection from some of the general public.
So,you might not like the signs in shops Minnie but they go a small way to make the employee feel a bit safer at work
Op you were not being unreasonable to be annoyed.

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