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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

School reception was rude to me

315 replies

Avalaura · 14/05/2019 09:08

Do I have the right to be angry?
My son moved school and today I forgot to give him some money for a stall were they will be selling buns. So i went to recpetion to see if anyone could give the money to him because they always did at the other school. And she just said " I haven't got time for that I'm afraid I've got other things to do " and then when I walked away she said to other people in the corridor that she has other things to do not bother with that. Then I waited for the reception door to open because it's a lock one. Then she said the other woman that she said she could take it up for her but she can't bother with silly things like that. Im so angry should I complain?

OP posts:

outvoid · 14/05/2019 10:19

YANBU, at all.

It wasn’t a big ask of her at all and she won’t be the only receptionist in the school either. Primary schools aren’t very large generally so she won’t have had to walk far to deliver the money and it would have made your son happy. She’s a misery.

shitholiday2018 · 14/05/2019 10:20

Our school receptionist would be delighted to do that. Yanbu.

TurquoiseDress · 14/05/2019 10:20

YANBU

At DC1's school reception are very helpful with forgotten items/lunch etc and if something is not possible, it's explained and done with some grace.

I don't think OP was expecting the person at reception to drop what they were doing and run over to her child's classroom, but rather that the money get to them at some point in the morning/day?

We've all forgotten things haven't we? well, I have in any case!
There was no need for reception to respond in that way, maybe they were having some difficulties or stresses this morning

shitholiday2018 · 14/05/2019 10:20

And I would complain. V bad first impression at new school .

Grasspigeons · 14/05/2019 10:21

I wouldnt waste time being angry but she was rude.

SarahTancredi · 14/05/2019 10:22

Its worth remembering also though that if the hall is out of bounds for Sats then getting it might be a bit more long winded getting someone up.

Lllot5 · 14/05/2019 10:22

Well tell her to buzz you in then if she won’t take it to him. Sounds like a genuine mistake on your part.

EvilEdna1 · 14/05/2019 10:23

I work in a school office. There was zero reason to be rude. We can just say no without rudeness. We wouldn't say no. I would have taken it with grace but inwardly I think FFS some days. I have so much to fit in and done parents need their hand held through everything constantly (this doesn't apply to this situation).

chocatoo · 14/05/2019 10:26

YANBU. a person who takes on that kind of role should anticipate that this is the kind of job they will need to do often and graciously. This kind of thing is part of the softer, nurturing, pastoral side that is very important in School. Particularly so for a new pupil.

Ringdonna · 14/05/2019 10:27

Like GP receptionists, if school admin staff had brains they would be dangerous.

wonkylegs · 14/05/2019 10:27

@outvoid DSs primary school is pretty much the same size as the secondary he's going to in Sept. Huge primary, small secondary(no 6th form)
There are quite a few large primaries round here. It was a shock when we moved to the area that primaries could be so big.

my2bundles · 14/05/2019 10:28

Lillot. You carnt just tell staff to buzz you into a school you are highly likely to be marched off the premises😂 safety measures are put in place for tbe pupils benefit. If you have a genuine reason to visit, eg a meeting or school pkay they will regiftwrap you then buzz you in. They don't just buzz you in for random things otherwise there would be countless randoms walking round the school.

SarahTancredi · 14/05/2019 10:29

Yy evil

At dds school they put all dates and stuff in a weekly news letter.

Send out a calendar and termly class curriculum newsletter.

We get emails over child so if u have three kids at school you get three emails

There are also WhatsApp groups and fave book groups set up by parents for each ckass

There is also a gateway service for messages

And all info in website

Still people forget or miss it have no idea

I dont think this will be personal. Probably just the final straw in a morning that started off with having a kid dumped on then 20 mins early due to family emergency, multiple complaints about what the kid ate yesterday , 6 forgotten pe kits. Three kids still missing consent firms and 20 p for a cake was probably just a bit low on priorities .

I just wouldn't take it personally that's all

Sure they are lovely to the kids

Yabbers · 14/05/2019 10:32

It’s SATS week......

Ahh yes, this weeks’ excuse for pretty much anybody involved to be rude and unkind.

We all have stressful times in our job. I’d be fired for talking like that to a client or anyone else who came in to our office, no matter how stressful my job was at the time. If you can’t deal with it, go get a less stressful job, away from members of the public.

And if it’s so stressful, why organise a bake sale in the middle of it?

BooksAreMyOnlyFriends · 14/05/2019 10:32

Yanbu. Obviously they are busy but there's never an excuse to be that rude to a parent who needs help.

I forgot to dress my daughter for book day once. She was distraught. I ran home, cobbled together an outfit and dropped it to the reception who were wonderful and said they would take it straight to her. I was so grateful I bought creme eggs for the office staff.

The office really have the 'power' to make a child's (and parents!) day better so its sad that some are so unhelpful and they've made you feel rubbish.

With these cake sales there are usually some left that they sell at the end of the day so take some money just in case.

ANewDawn10 · 14/05/2019 10:34

Op you have one child and you forgot a simple task, imagine someone who has to oversee many , many issues like this. I dont blame her for being annoyed. If it's not you its probably someone else who would have come for some other reason.

somecakefather · 14/05/2019 10:35

Yes she was rude. Whether it's her job or not, she was rude in her delivery.

Sparklingbrook · 14/05/2019 10:45

I have handed in many things at Reception in First, Middle and High School for my sons to collect later in the day. Nobody batted an eyelid. She was rude, and could have taken it.

Fionadragon · 14/05/2019 10:51

My ds had a surgeon who operated on him in the middle of the night recently. After theatres I saw him collared by some relatives who were asking him things that could have gone through the nursing staff.

Amazingly, despite having little sleep, lots of stress and another patient waiting, he was polite to them

Receptionists must be the only busy people in the land.

MrsWombat · 14/05/2019 10:52

As a school admin officer, she was definitely rude, and inappropriate. In my school, we would call down to the classroom and ask the teacher to send the child to come and pick it up. The teacher might make a comment to an older child about "responsibility" but other than that, no big deal and one of the easier things to deal with.

I understand the comment about us having the power to make or break someone's day. We have one "public" toilet in the building. It can't be used for 20 mins directly after school as it's in the area where the late-to-be-picked up children sit. People are so miserable when we have to tell them no, and so happy and grateful when we can say yes!

REDCARBLUE · 14/05/2019 10:53

School receptionist here👋🏻 Its what i do. Take things here, take things there, of. Iure id do it. I do things which are not in my job description, like zipping up coats, tying shoe laces. If you dont do the little things you’re in the wrong job!

Prequelle · 14/05/2019 10:55

Exactly fiona. It's not my job to ring taxis for patients but if they ask me too politely then I will, and I'm bloody busy 😂

VladmirsPoutine · 14/05/2019 10:55

Yanbu OP. She was rude but whether or not it warrants a complaint I'm not entirely convinced - she might mark your card. These are the sort of little things I try to let go in life in order to just remain peaceful.

CalmdownJanet · 14/05/2019 10:57

Yep she was rude.

I have kids in two schools are their receptionists are so nice! I wouldn't have thought twice about asking!

Dd recently forgot lunch, she rang from the office but I was at work too far away, i knew she had snacks in her locker so she'd be fine but the receptionist drove to the local shop and bought her a hot roll, chocolate and a drink and dropped it off to her in class!! How lovely!! It costs nothing to be nice (or the costs of a roll in this case)

Prequelle · 14/05/2019 10:58

jellycat i certainly did, although I like to think I have better underwear tastes now haha

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