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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu or should people in customer service roles be at least *bleeping" polite!??

32 replies

HairToday79 · 08/12/2019 00:18

Honestly I'm livid....basically got through to a customer service role (NHS related, routine for us, and I have poorly child) to have the most antagonistic , vilest attitude I've ever encountered....why on earth be employed in this role if you are dealing with parents of poorly children!? (It's a specific role so they know who they are dealing with)
I would never speak to my clients ( not as half as a sensitive sector either ) the way I was spoken to and i still can't 'put it to bed' in my head...I'm foaming😡
Why on earth be paid to be in that role if you can't full fill it!!! I would never want special treatment but my god I don't expect an attitude either!
Is this a thing now? Are we expected to just put up with however the other person's day is going? Or would I seriously be being unreasonable to complain although that in itself would go against my own nature and make me feel like shite for days 😬
On the other hand I'm determined to stand up for myself etc so obviously ..in a quandary 🙄 ....?

OP posts:
MuddlingMackem · 08/12/2019 00:20

Nah, YADNBU. Complain away.

WorraLiberty · 08/12/2019 00:26

Hard to say unless you tell us what was said really.

Customer services people are just like any other people doing a job. Some are good and some are bad.

Sometimes they're not as bad as the angry party seems to think.

Sparklingbrook · 08/12/2019 00:27

YANBU. So many people in customer facing roles seem to be very indifferent towards their clients/customers.
Makes me wonder how they got the job in the first place. They were probably all 'Oh yes, I am such a people person' then.

GrumpyHoonMain · 08/12/2019 00:31

I wouldn’t describe any role in the NHS as a customer service role. You have gatekeeping services like receptionists / 111 etc which are are specifically designed to prioritise patients - so if you aren’t a priority you just aren’t a priority. And some of these guys are too busy for small talk

SevenStones · 08/12/2019 00:35

Sometimes they're not as bad as the angry party seems to think.

I used to work in a frontline role. God, sometimes people were spoiling for a fight and were determined to have one no matter what.

I can't face the general public any more. Jesus, the entitlement sometimes! I ended up hating them.

WorraLiberty · 08/12/2019 00:44

Exactly SevenStones that's why it's impossible to say whether the OP is BU or not, with no information.

I've witnessed both ends of the spectrum. Some incredibly nasty customer services dickheads and some incredibly patient ones with incredibly nasty dickhead members of the public.

SpeckledDot · 08/12/2019 00:47

How polite were you OP? I tend to match my politeness level to the customer's.

Original poster
HairToday79 · 08/12/2019 00:48

Grumpy I know what I'm taking about...it's specifically to do with children with life threatening conditions...I'm not being precious and they really need to vet whom they employ.
I know exactly what happened...my aibu is about whether I should complain and feel bad or stick up for myself and feel bad Confused

OP posts:
Original poster
HairToday79 · 08/12/2019 00:50

Oh yes I was very polite otherwise I wouldn't be posting here....
I work in this field, as I've said in the first post, I would never be so awful to any customer regardless!

OP posts:
LunchBoxPolice · 08/12/2019 01:07

Difficult to say whether you should complain without a few details about what happened.

user1471449295 · 08/12/2019 01:10

No one can answer your AIBU unless you give more details.
Of course anyone can complain if they are unhappy with a service.

SemperIdem · 08/12/2019 01:15

Hmm without knowing what was said, how can anyone advise you either way?

DancingPyjamas · 08/12/2019 01:16

If you are unhappy with your treatment OP then of course you should complain.
I can remember watching the first series of one born every minute and being appalled at the behaviour of the receptionist who rolled her eyes each time she took a phone call from a woman in labour and the way that she relayed the message to the midwives. Shocking.
If people can't maintain a level of professionalism then they should look for alternative employment.

Original poster
HairToday79 · 08/12/2019 01:16

The details were explained in the previous post...I was simply looking for a no do not complain as you'll feel worse in yourself or yes complain as it's wrong people in that field should have some empathy/manner when dealing with parents of seriously ill children.
I most probably should not have posted about this but I was very upset, I'll not be returning to the thread so any more posts of 'were you polite', and ',it is only their job' will not be read. Thanks for those trying to help though.

OP posts:
LunchBoxPolice · 08/12/2019 01:25

I know what I'm taking about
You probably got their back up with your attitude.

snowybaubles · 08/12/2019 01:30

.I was simply looking for a no do not complain as you'll feel worse in yourself or yes complain as it's wrong people in that field should have some empathy/manner when dealing with parents of seriously ill children.

It's impossible to answer without knowing what happened, because that would be the reason for complaining. How can anyone advise without knowing?

Ponoka7 · 08/12/2019 01:59

Complain.

They shouldn't be in the job, or if going through something themselves, then they shouldn't be in work.

I always look at it that there's people who are vulnerable and don't have the ability or emotional energy to complain. So be the one to do it.

glsgow107 · 08/12/2019 02:29

I'm I don't want to be goady but you really haven't explained and you've mentioned "customer"?!

glsgow107 · 08/12/2019 02:35

Sorry, just reread your first post and you mentioned "clients". Sorry but either your child is very ill in the middle of the night and you shouldn't be posting here or you're very entitled and should probably go private and actually be the client. I worked dealing with parents of very sick/dying children for years and everyone worked with politeness and compassion. If you're child isn't seriously ill please don't complain. You're probably one in a long line of stressed people they've dealt with today. The abuse you get in NHS is unreal. It's free. If you don't like it get healthcare elsewhere.

foamrolling · 08/12/2019 02:37

Complain.

I work for 111 and, yes, we do get some unpleasant people ringing but I find it far more frustrating that a few of my colleagues are seriously unpleasant. One of them in particular I have been debating making a complaint about myself. He is rude, abrupt and completely lacking in empathy. I hope every poor caller that comes across him complains about his shitty attitude, I really do.

It's also no coincidence that the rudest call handlers are the ones who complain the most about callers being rude/difficult - well of course people are going to react to their awful, antagonistic attitudes! I make a point of being polite and calm and have only encountered a handful of horrors in my year doing the job.

RebootYourEngine · 08/12/2019 06:29

It is hard to say whether you should complain or not as I don't know what you would be complaining about. You could have been told something completely reasonable that you didn't want to hear or you could have been spoken to like utter rubbish.

I have a sister who doesn't get on with anyone. I have recommended a few people to her who i have dealt with who have really helped me or been recommended to me but when my sister deals with them they always seem to be the opposite, according to my sister. I actually think it's my sister's attitude that's the problem. She doesn't know how to deal with people.

FettuciniAlaFagiola · 08/12/2019 06:35

Sometimes you find they

  • gave their notice or been given their notice and dont give a fuck
  • they perceived you as rude to start with and they were having a bad day so it escalated
  • they were never cut ouy for CS but customer facing roles are chuck a block, with lots of staff turnover because it is shite, rude customers and poorly paid so many people get these jobs when if they could realisticly get another job that suits rhem they wouldnt be there to begin with.
  • its hard finding work so you see a lot of people in jobs they can sail but deeply dislike and on a bad day it really shows when you hate your job.

Complain about it.

LolaSmiles · 08/12/2019 06:39

SevenStones has put it perfectly.

Nobody can say without the appropriate information.

Though I have a feeling you're adamant you're right & they were out of order so if that's the case you may as well complain because nothing anyone says on here is likely to change that

Eggies · 08/12/2019 06:42

I'd complain OP they were obviously unprofessional enough to leave you feeling like this so they need to be dealt with.

LimitIsUp · 08/12/2019 06:42

How can we comment without details of what they said and how they said it ? Confused