Customer service faux pas or did manager overeact?

[Jazzerwoman]

I work in an office on a high street so customers often walk in. There are 6 desks arranged in a semi circle facing the door. There's supposed to be a chair in front of each desk for customers but they often get moved. I actually work in the admin office upstairs but my manager wanted to show me something on her computer so I grabbed one of the customer chairs and was sat next to her behind her desk in front of her computer. There were two other members of staff in the office. One on the phone, the other working at her computer.

A lady walks in wanting to speak to colleague who is on the phone. Seeing he's busy she starts talking to my manager. After about 30 seconds colleague comes free so asks her to come over to his desk a couple of paces from where she's stood. The chair in front of his desk is missing (think I took it!) so my manager says "oh we'll find you a chair". I glance across the office and spot a chair in front of the other colleagues desk, another couple of paces further on from where she needs to be. Without thinking I say "oh look there's a chair by Mary" gesturing in that direction. The lady quickly grabs the chair, moves it the few feet to in front of colleagues desk and starts talking.

My manager then has a right go at me saying I should have got the chair for her and not let her move it herself. Of course in theory she's right but in reality it all happened in seconds. The lady was much closer to the chair than me so I would've had to get up, walk past her then move it. My two other colleagues were closer to her and the chair but were sat behind their desks so would've had to walk round whereas I was a the end of my managers desk so had a clearer path. I apologised saying I wasn't concentrating (wasn't really - hadn't been dealing with the woman and was waiting to resume my training session but happened to spot a chair so "helpfully" pointed it out).

I was left feeling really stupid and now regret not leaping up and moving the chair but also wonderif my manager was overreacting somewhat. The woman btw seemed perfectly happy and bid us a cheery farewell on her way out!

Well yes you should have got her the chair but it was a minor faux pas and your manager should have pointed it out without 'having a go' at you.

Example, "Julie, in future, don't let a customer get a chair, always get it for them."

That would be the end of the matter.

Don't dwell on it. The manager may be a crap manager or they may be stressed that day, only you know.

Your manager is making a complete mountain out of a molehill and is completely unreasonable.

Depends on what you mean by "right go", surely she would of remained professional in front of a customer?

Your manager should have his provided feedback not had a go.

But if you are going to take something provided for a customer, you should be more aware of your surroundings and jump to provide the customer with the chair as soon as it’s required.

Even attempting to get it but let her get it would of looked polite.

Particularly as you were the one who moved the original chair yeah you probably should have got the new one but sounds like you didn't really get a chance anyway-I'm sure if you'd said "there's a chair over there" and she hadn't made a move to get it herself and had just stood there like "yep...there is" someone would have then got it for her.

As the customer I would have found it a lot more awkward to witness someone being told off than getting my own chair! Manager should have waited until she had gone and even then just mentioned it in a "next time just offer to get the chair" way, it's a ridiculous thing for someone to "have a go" about.

Your manager completely overreacted over absolutely nothing. If a customer has to move a chair 6 feet, who fucking cares?

Sorry - to be clear, she didn't have a go at me in front of the customer, it was out of earshot.

I agree that as you had removed the chair, you should have offered to put one back- even if it meant walking past the customer to get it. It sounds like it happened quickly, and without really thinking.
The only issue could be if the customer pulled their back, tripped whilst carrying the chair etc and then tried to sue!

Also, I don't think me moving the chair was an issue, they're always getting moved around. Colleagues talking to other colleagues, more than one customer at the desk etc. I couldn't use my own chair as it was upstairs! Just unfortunate a customer needed to sit at the very desk with a missing chair.

Ideally, yes you should've moved the chair but I can see why you didn't in the circs you described. As you say, it all happened really quickly. I'm betting that if you had said "let me get that chair for you" she would've told you not to worry and got it herself, especially as she was nearer to it than you. I would definitely do that!