Is there any actual benefit of being rude, abusive towards any staff?

[Mokel]

Retail, other customer facing jobs (including call centre), medical etc

There is no benefit to being rude to these staff imo.

All it achieves is negative stuff
. Takes longer to resolve problems as waste time calming customer down
. You may not get the best customer service
. Others have to wait longer to be served
. You may be asked to leave or in call centre, get call terminated
. In extreme situations, you may be banned or struck off the list etc
. Staff leave. This is the case with retail. Staff are fed up with rude behaviour from customers. Then because retailers are cutting back on hours they won’t get replaced. The general public need to understand that if they behaved in a neutral manner, there would not be as many staff leave and they would not have to queue up as long to be served etc.

I worked in an industry with an ombudsman, £500 fee for us if any complaint went to them - whether it was found to have any merit or not. Also went into our published stats. Irate customers got offered the world on a plate not to go to ombudsman

It's a shame your company takes that approach. It's not common in complaints functions ime.

I'm in a similar industry and our internal process is very explicitly that the Ombudsman fee should play no part in decision making. And it's stuck to religiously and reinforced often among frontline staff.

Some managers. I would always support my staff where person was clearly unreasonable.

A lot of customer service is very poor these days. It is also very hard to get things done and actually speak to a person.

This correlates with more and more angry customers.

I don't agree that people need to rude to staff to get things down ne but companies need to recognise there is a direct link and try to improve processes and staff numbers to help. While the shareholders are happy and the CEO is earning his ££££ bonus nothing will change.

Prefacing this with I absolutely hate this. I have only walked out of one job on the spot and that was where I was dealing with an abusive customer who requested the manager. I was in the right but the manager sided with the customer and gave them a refund for a non-refundable item just to make them go away. If that company were happy for me to receive 10 minutes of abuse and then not follow through on the policies I was forced to enforce then they didn’t deserve my time.

To try and see it from the other side though, I think that so many ‘customer service’ rules are frustrating to the law abiding because they are put in to deal with the lowest common denominator. If pricks didn’t try and scam companies with fake claims, refunds for items they nicked etc then as a ‘normal’ person there wouldn’t be so many ridiculous hoops to jump through. Even the most reasonable people can quite quickly become unreasonable when you are constantly viewed with suspicion or feeling like the initial view is that you are a scammer and having quite a stressful time to prove that you aren’t. I can sort of see why companies put all these things in, but for the average person with an issue if you treat them like someone on the rob then don’t expect them to react all sweetness and light.

Everyone’s frustrations should be with the company, but as a company big boss I bet they would rather that their frontline staff got spoken to badly by frustrated/angry law abiding people than they gave money away to anyone so we are where we are.

Like a lot of things we have here (see also, some of the pointless H&S rules and regs) if we could just rid the country of thicko thieving scum ‘where there’s a blame there’s a claim’ types who lack any personal responsibility for their actions I imagine all levels of customer service would improve!

I work in retail. I'm paid just above minimum wage. The bosses who decide on policy/prices/standards, don't ask my opinion, funnily enough. Yet customers still berate me for not having what they want/charging for bags/the toilets being closed.
Most people are absolutely fine, its the arseholes you always remember.. i make sure i don't find the size/colour/item someone is looking for when they are rude to me. I'll stand in the stockroom for a minute or 2 on my phone and not bother looking, then tell the person we don't have it.
It takes nothing to be civil to sales assistants. I go out my way to help anyone who has basic manners, (please/thank you) and who doesn't talk at me like I'm an idiot. In other words, normal people who just need help, not there to try to belittle you.

That’s crazy that all the supervisors -who were probably paid more - declined the call but it’s good you were able to solve the problem!

I once worked in a call centre that provided basic reception cover for a variety of companies. You weren’t allowed to hang up on anyone, even if being abused or you’d get fired! That was the policy.

I had this woman shout lots of violent gruesome threatening abuse down the phone and I just put the volume right down so I couldn’t hear her and she eventually got frustrated at my lack of response then hung up. She called back and asked for “Stella” she’d actually misheard my name and the guy across from me who had answered just said there’s no Stella here then she hung up in anger. It’s bizarre how she had came back for round two!

Same call centre - had a guy scream “you white bitch” and then make a super high ear piercing sound with something . I did hang up on that one because I was concerned for my ear health. I lasted 6 weeks in that awful job.

Agree that the services are not designed to work. Scottish power had awful outdated IT systems which led to a lot of billing issues , which financially devastated a lot of customers. So you just had to know what you were doing to resolve issues as best as you could.

I'm in hospitality, but I have worked retail.
I refuse to be spoken to like crap from customers. I walk away now.

During Covid we were screamed at and threatened with violence regularly and I only work in a coffee shop.

I had a customer wanting to fight me because I was in charge ffs.

@CynicalSunni...I'm a Receptionist and there are a couple of managers where I work who deal with unwanted sales calls by asking them to "call back another time", being sales people that's exactly what they do..again...and again ...and again...each time they do I get "take a message" or "tell him/her I'm not here"...if they were just firm in the first instance, told them they weren't interested and asked them not to call again, the time saved would be be immense, then again it would cut my calls in half and I'd probably be out of a job.

Absolutely this.

As a previous LA employee and now a similar field, I always said the ones you don't hear from are the ones (generally) most in need. The people who yell get everyone bending to them.

@Mokel
Supermarket workers are the forgotten heroes of the pandemic. They got thanked for working through it.

Unfortunately I believe the lockdown created extreme rudeness on both sides of the counter in some people. The standard of customer service in a lot of places now falls far short of what it should be. I watched some staff become power mad with customers. We had a lady employee in our local tesco who became a bit of a celebrity with her mad behaviour in an often empty store.

Attention, validation, superiority.

Service jobs are usually low paid, and that means a distinct lack of respect in society. Any thread on here about low wages will have the usual suspects talking about lack of initiative, people being lazy and how those jobs should be for students, the retired or those who just want a few extra quid, and no one should be in a minimum wage job long term. In other words, not important.
Yet when in receipt of these services they want fantastic service. They want someone enthusiastic and knowledgeable, they want someone engaged and to give them a great experience. Suddenly customer service is very important then.

I also think some people really resent that they rely on those in customer facing roles.

Society needs a dog to kick and customer service workers are it.

I agree @Maverickess. And the only time most people see how little customer service assistants are paid is when their 17 yr old needs a part time job at uni. Beyond that they don't care. But they expect 5 star service.

17 year olds don't typically attend university.

They do in Scotland

@ssd

Your renumeration or whether people have asked your opinion is irrelevant. By choosing to work in that role as a representative you are accountable for those policies - if you don't agree with them, leave. Applying and staying as a representative, you are indicating you agree with the approach.

Sounds like you need to be much more customer focused - people who receive great service aren't rude, and you are deliberately providing bad service. Your colleagues should immediately pick you up on it.

Completely agree.

If an NHS surgeon feels he's underpaid, would you expect him not to care and do a shit job? No, I thought not. I wouldn't want him to amputate the wrong leg just to prove a point either.

If workers feel they are underpaid and undervalued then they need to vote with their feet. While people put up with poor conditions, nothing will change.

I doubt that most people who are employed are going to agree with every single policy of their employer.

It's not irrelevant that the people who deal with the customers aren't listened to when they feed back issues, it's very relevant because as many say they're the face of the business and the one customers complain to when something doesn't work - employers ignoring that are the problem.

Blaming the workers for being employed and having a job, but not automatically agreeing with every policy produced is a cop out for those above and they know it, and that's why when the customer facing staff are taking the flak and being ignored when they feedback your issues as a customer, nothing changes.

If one leaves then another will take their place, these jobs have high turnover (which itself means poorer service) and this is one of the reasons why. I have left jobs where I've really disagreed with a certain aspect, a well known newsagent and their insistence on up selling even when the customer has specifically asked you not to, with a disciplinary if you don't - but it took me 6 months to find another job at a similar level and pay, and frankly I needed the wages. The job had prospects as well, so I wanted something equal or better.

And why should I put a good work record, the work I've done to move forward and get promoted and my livelihood at risk by 'taking on' the company I work for over their policies or my financial situation by leaving without something else to go to? It's a job, not even considered a career, not a calling from God.

The responsibility lies with the companies to listen to their customers through their staff, not ignore them and let them take the hassle for their money saving corner cutting.

I can not agree with something on a personal note, but ensure it happens because it's part of my job to do so. I'm not paid for my personal opinion, I'm paid to carry out the duties my employer sets out.

@Maverickess

I'm sorry, but that's simply not owning what you choose to do - you have agency. What you do is down to you, and whether you stay or chose to do something else is your choice. you don't get to say, I'd prefer not to do this but some else is making the decision - if they had no staff, then they wouldn't be able to. If you do something you don't agree with, that is down to you -it sounds like those who are willing to own the decision are those wo get promoted in any case.

Make your way in life doing good things and avoid doing the dirty work of others - if you choose to have a job doing nasty things, then you still are nasty even if you were told by someone else to do it. Same works in being good, kind, and ensuring people are looked after.

It's fine if you want to build a career this way - but own your own choices and understand that it is down to you, not the person saying you have to - they can't force you. Build a different career that is more in alignment to your values if needed.

By that logic, aren't customers who shop in stores where they don't agree with the policies just as at fault then?

If you don't agree with their policy on something, then vote with your feet? Go somewhere you do agree with every policy? Leave your purchase at the till and move on? Have agency over your choices and own where you chose to shop? Take responsibility for your own choices? Accept that that place doesn't suit your needs and go somewhere that does?

No business can cater to every desire of every customer, it's impossible. What the first customer in the line thinks is actually a great policy and really works for them, the second one in line will think it's awful and doesn't work for them at all, the third in line will be ambiguous and not have strong feelings either way.

And the staff believing in a policy will not make the slightest difference if a customer is unhappy with it. It's not going to solve the problem, in fact I think it would rather the opposite and make the customer feel they are now being unheard as well.

Your stance sounds to me like you're trying to justify the poor way some behave towards service staff to be honest.

Honestly, where to start with this ...

I won't bother, its so off the mark its ridiculous. I often wonder what planet some people are on here. Or what jobs they do. Clearly sales assistant isnt a job @jxpop665 has ever done.

It works for some people. The staff want rid or to avoid more complaints so prioritise them.

I worked in a front facing department in a local authority. Better paid than most customer service jobs, with well trained, helpful staff and supportive management. We often went the extra mile for vulnerable people, way outside our remit at times. But we had customers who were super entitled, rude, abusive, threatening etc. Our approach to rudeness was to ‘kill them with kindness’, which sometimes worked. However, some were so abusive that they would be refused service, and it would be made clear that their behaviour was key.

So to say that people who receive great customer service aren’t rude isn’t strictly true.

Unfortunately it's often true that people who are demanding, rude, shouty and unreasonable do often end up getting their own way because they are such a colossal pain in the arse it's easier for management to appease them.

I work at a law firm and we've had some clients who were a total pain, constantly demanding updates, no a phone call wasn't enough, they wanted written advice every time. We warn them that all time is chargeable. Then they get the bill and kick off demanding it be reduced. We pulsating refuse, they make official complaint, refused, they escalate complaint then the Board agrees to give them a discount anyway. So they effectively get more work for free, then we waste time dealing with the complaint too ...

Occasionally we have refused to accept any further cases from repeat offenders who are then apoplectic because they're actually quite happy with the service, they just want it at pound shop prices! But I've only known this happen three times in over 20 years.

My son had a weekend job at a Miller and Carter and a really common scam was for a couple to order different steaks, then eat the "wrong" one and suddenly realise and demand they be removed from the bill. The manager was a total wuss who would always give in, then lambast the staff later. This led to the wait staff checking, checking again, getting a colleague to double check etc when taking the order and serving it. Then people started to complain about the amount of "fuss".

I'm not a habitual complainer but occasionally I have needed something addressed and found the first polite attempt is ignored, second firmer one is brushed off and it's only when I've got quite demanding and threaten to report to the authorising body that anything actually happens. It shouldn't have to be like that but its is ...

On the other side of things, I did once have a temp job at actually water company working in the department that dealt with requests for searches for construction tenders etc. For big projects we would often get several requests for searches for companies bidding for the same work. Our official search response was 7 days but it was quite common for requesters to leave it to the last minute and phone asking for a fast turnaround.

If the person politely stressed the urgency and conveyed how much they would appreciate my help, I would move their request to the top of the pile. If person rang ranting and raving and threatening to report me to my manager I'd I could not promise a turnaround the same day I would put that one to the bottom. A bit petty but quite satisfying!

I think some people work themselves up so much thinking they won't get a refund.

I think some enjoy it as an outlet tbh.