I can't deal with people anymore

[ericamanda01]

I've come to the conclusion, I simply should not be working anymore. In any job, you're bound to have to deal with people, and I have run my course. I talk to probably 150 customers a day at my job. Of those, I'd say 25% are either mean, think they know everything, cheap as the day is long, or as dumb as a doorknob.

I try to be patient, but I can see it coming to an end.

Anyone else ever feel like this?

That was just how I felt when I worked in retail. I will never do it again.

 

[Marseeya]

Yes! I work at a high school for an administrator and all I see all day long is the kids who are written up for stupid/bad things that they do. I have approximately 560 students in my house office which handles part of the alphabet and I see the same 20 - 50 kids every week . . .you think they would just learn their lesson and behave, but nope . . .they all try to buck the system, put on a stupid face and say "I didn't do nuttin" I just don't get it . . .I'm wondering why their parents aren't doing anything about their behavior problem that they are having in school . . . It just gets aggravating day after day dealing with all the b.s. that comes my way . . .my daily saying is "I'm going up to the roof and jumping!"

I'm sorry, but how would you know what the parents are doing about the kids? I have a problem child and I get so sick and tired of everybody, especially the school administration, thinking that it must somehow be my fault.

 

[NMAmy]

I too work with faculty and college students who are now gone for 5 weeks I love having the students around, but really love it when they're gone!!! I love when someone punches a hole in a wall, because they were angry with their professor who wouldn't let them take their final again because they didn't do well the first time (this was in First Aid/CPR) sorry, your manniquin died ... the manniquin only had one final!!!) Hmm, I think a final is called a final for a reason, but I don't quite know why!!!!

Or when the professor wouldn't let one kid take his final because he arrived 45 minutes late... hmm, yeah~ hand him his sign!!!

Yep...they all go bananas at finals time--even the instructors. Last week, one student threw a full Coke bottle at a door--the bottle went right through the glass and broke it. Earlier in the week, an instructor threw an absolute screaming hissy fit about something. I like it when all the volatile people go calm down somewhere for a bit!

 

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

And these are all the reasons why I decided customer service was not the line of work for me. I completely relate to this thread.

I was a cashier for about 5 years. I've heard probably every excuse in the world as to why customers think items are marked the wrong price. One older lady, who was with her children and grandchilden, brought a bottle of calvin klein perfume to the register. It rang up the usual price, somewhere around $60, and she complained that it is marked for like $30. The manager (who saw her take the bottle off the shelf) was called over and showed her that the $60 price was right. She insisted that it was $30 because she couldn't bend down to see the real price tag. She just made up a price and decided that is what the perfume was. Now don't get me wrong, I am sorry that she is elderly, but she had many healthy children with her that could have read the price tag.

Another woman once came back to the register and complained that her purchase rang up wrong, it was supposed to be 15cents cheaper. Fine, whatever, I'll do the price change for you. Then while waiting for a manger she continued to complain that she drove all the way home before realizing the mistake and had to drive all the way back. She lived over 30 miles away!!! Can you believe that. She spent way over 15cents in gas to come back to the store to complain to me. I really wonder if some people think before they act. 15cents. I was im complete shock after that.

 

[Crankyshank]

I've come to the conclusion, I simply should not be working anymore. In any job, you're bound to have to deal with people, and I have run my course. I talk to probably 150 customers a day at my job. Of those, I'd say 25% are either mean, think they know everything, cheap as the day is long, or as dumb as a doorknob.

I try to be patient, but I can see it coming to an end.

Anyone else ever feel like this?

oh heck yes. I worked tech support for 10years and now I do admin and facilities support for my building. So um yeah I know what you're talking about. That's why I got out of network operations. Do you have any idea how annoying it is to call a store and ask if they have power and be transfered to 5 different people because they can't tell if the lights are on or not?

 

[Chicago526]

Yes. I'm a travel agent.

A lot of our clients are just fine, no troubles. But then we get the people that never learned geography in school, or think they can do it better themselves online, or think that because they fly once a month, they know more than I do. For example:

"Why is this airfare so high?"

"Because you missed the 21 day advance booking deadline that you need in order to get the really cheap fare"

"But the airlines don't require 21 days to book anymore"

"In some markets they still do"

"Well, I book at least 12 airline tickets a year, and I'm telling you there is no 21 day booking requirement anymore!"

Now, what I wanted to say is that "Well, I book 12 airline tickets a day, 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year, and I'm telling you that YES, SOMETIMES THE AIRLINES REQUIRE A 21 DAY ADVANCE PURCHASE, YOU IDIOT!"

But being a profesional, I didn't say that of course. I just told him that this was the current price, would he like to purchase it.

I've had clients not understand times zones (couldn't figure out why a flight going east "takes longer" than a flight going west!), ask about taking a train from New York to London, and ask "I got an airfare from point A to B two years ago for $199, why are you charging over $300?"

This is one of the reasons I like hanging out on the DIS. Most of you are quite knowlegeable about travel, and I don't have to bang my head against the wall when I read posts about travel (to WDW or otherwise)!!!

 

[Maleficent13]

Do you have any idea how annoying it is to call a store and ask if they have power and be transfered to 5 different people because they can't tell if the lights are on or not?

Bwahahahahaha!!

I love this thread!

 

[Disney1fan2002]

I'm sorry, but if I was that customer I would have been really annoyed too. I only eat hot wings with bleu cheese and I only like them fresh. Reheated wings are among one of the most vile things on the planet. If I had placed an order and they screwed it up and I called to complain, I'd be really cheesed off if they told me "oh, just microwave them." How about you bring me what I ordered and you take the cold, greasy, congealed wings and microwave them yourself? Sheesh. It's not unreasonable IMO to expect that you get what you pay for. That she didn't tip the driver is irrelevant to your response to her. You wouldn't have had to send out free food if you didn't screw up her order.

I do always tip the driver but geez, when did screwing up someone's order become the customer's fault? No wonder customer service has gone down the tubes nowadays. I always try to be nice to the customer service people I deal with because I have been there, done that but if I detected this kind of attitude (someone is WHINING because they didn't get what they paid for) I'd probably lose my patience.

I guess we are two different customers. Because, I would never expect free food because someone forgot a side.

There are screw ups, and then there are mistakes. The customer said her wings would be cold, but how cold really? Greasy cold? No, we are talking a mater of an additional 6-8 minute wait for her blue cheese to arrive. the wings would not have been refridgerated, causing them to be cold and greasy. If she got her wings delivered like that, then absolutely, no questiosn asked, she is getting a hot, fresh order sent out. We are talking about someone who got a $7.00 order of wings delivered, she discovered there was no blue cheese, it would of been an additional 6-8 minutes for her to wait for the blue cheese. Instead, she gets whole other order. What do you think she did with the cold, greasy, wings? Threw them out I bet. (not)

I don't want to argue. I did my job, I kept a customer happy. I asked her about rehaeting, because I was trying to figure out if that is what she expected, for us to send another order. Because she did not come out and say so. She just whined about cold wings. I was not rude in anyway. Missing blue cheese is just not something I would automatically replace a food order over.

I do my job, and posted this to point out there are all kinds of customers out there. To agree with the OP. I don't have to like that I have to kiss butt to people like this customer, but I do it. I am just a different customer. I wouldn't expect free wings over missing blue cheese.

 

[cardaway]

I'm sorry, but if I was that customer I would have been really annoyed too. I only eat hot wings with bleu cheese and I only like them fresh. Reheated wings are among one of the most vile things on the planet. If I had placed an order and they screwed it up and I called to complain, I'd be really cheesed off if they told me "oh, just microwave them." How about you bring me what I ordered and you take the cold, greasy, congealed wings and microwave them yourself? Sheesh. It's not unreasonable IMO to expect that you get what you pay for. That she didn't tip the driver is irrelevant to your response to her. You wouldn't have had to send out free food if you didn't screw up her order.

I do always tip the driver but geez, when did screwing up someone's order become the customer's fault? No wonder customer service has gone down the tubes nowadays. I always try to be nice to the customer service people I deal with because I have been there, done that but if I detected this kind of attitude (someone is WHINING because they didn't get what they paid for) I'd probably lose my patience.

Agreed. The order is either right or it's wrong. If they have a problem with you complaining that any part of the order was wrong, they should get a new job.

I can't believe I'm seeing another rant over the customer thread. And once again, in many of the complaints by workers, the customer was right.

 

[Maleficent13]

Agreed. The order is either right or it's wrong. If they have a problem with you complaining that any part of the order was wrong, they should get a new job.

I can't believe I'm seeing another rant over the customer thread. And once again, in many of the complaints by workers, the customer was right.

The only story i'm seeing where the customer was "right" is the wings story. And even then I wouldn't have done that if I was the customer. But I see the point.

The other stories involve students throwing Coke bottles through windows, people making up their own prices for items, and insisting a delivery be marked "emergency" when they didn't pay for express delivery.

I'll give you the two about the mischarged $0.07 and $0.15...but come on, to drive 30 miles for $0.15 at today's gas prices is just plain dumb.

 

[bicker]

And in many cases, the customer is wrong. It seems to me that it breaks-down 50/50 on online forums. Not surprising, that.

 

[DJBounce]

I used to work retail management and I used to sort out and fix problems all the time. It seemed that the worst of it was the employees who worked there with me. I just could not stress enough importance of customer service, but in the end most of them were just there for the paycheck. But even though the customer was explained everything before, during, and right after the purchase, there still were some that would call back with complaints and want something for free or a BIG discount. I would just shake my head at these calls.

 

[Maleficent13]

And in many cases, the customer is wrong. It seems to me that it breaks-down 50/50 on online forums. Not surprising, that.

Very true.

 

[boomhauer]

My favorite is when a customer places an order and you give them the price, and they say, "Can you do any better on that price?"

I can't imagine myself walking into a Wal-Mart, or McDonalds and saying, "Hey, can you do any better on that?"

 

[bicker]

That's just a reflection, though, of all the parts of our consumer marketplace that don't offer pricing with integrity, and that, in turn, is just a reflection of the consumers' preference (overall) for a purchasing experience that includes the feeling that they're getting a better deal than everyone else. This psychological service that sellers provide results in a system whereby we never really can know if we're getting the best deal available.

 

[Lisa F]

The only story i'm seeing where the customer was "right" is the wings story. And even then I wouldn't have done that if I was the customer. But I see the point.

The other stories involve students throwing Coke bottles through windows, people making up their own prices for items, and insisting a delivery be marked "emergency" when they didn't pay for express delivery.

I'll give you the two about the mischarged $0.07 and $0.15...but come on, to drive 30 miles for $0.15 at today's gas prices is just plain dumb.

Well I have a jewish grandma, and you know how those are. One time my dad brought the wrong brand dog food for her. It was twice as much as she normally spent on dog food or something. She wanted me to return it to the supermarket, both cans. I told her forget it, I wasn't standing in line for 45 minutes on a saturday to return two cans of dog food over $0.50. She actually said to me with a straight face "well if you want your grandmother to starve...." STARVE? I said "when did you start eating dog food? And if you're eating dog food, at least eat the expensive kind." She realized how ridiculous she was being about it, but I think when people grew up in the great depression, it's hard to leave behind the attitude that every cent counts. It's kind of funny, but kind of tragic at the same time.

More often than not I won't say anything when someone screws up my food order, but sometimes, when it has happened for the 10th time, you just get annoyed and you just want what you ordered, and you want it fresh and hot. Sure, there are people who are looking to get something for nothing, but if people did their jobs and didn't mess up in the first place they'd have nothing to complain over. At my job when I make a mistake I don't complain about my boss for being so picky and catching it... I'm glad she caught it before it propogated and I try to be more careful. If people spent as much time paying attention to what they were doing as they did making excuses for when they screwed up, there would be far fewer screwups.

 

[cardaway]

My favorite is when a customer places an order and you give them the price, and they say, "Can you do any better on that price?"

I can't imagine myself walking into a Wal-Mart, or McDonalds and saying, "Hey, can you do any better on that?"

It's called price matching, and yes, Wal-Mart is one of the places that does it.

 

[Chattyaholic]

The chicken wing/bleu cheese story reminds me of my McDonald's experience yesterday. DH had to go to the post office so I asked him to pick up food from McD's. I wanted chicken nuggets with sweet and sour sauce. When he got home there were chicken nuggets, but NO sweet and sour sauce. I should have told him to ASK them if they put it in the bag, as I always do when I get nuggets as I HATE nuggets without dipping sauce. But I didn't tell him to do that, so I didn't receive sauce.

Not about to drive the 10 miles to get it, I had to use the bottled stuff I had in the cabinet but it wasn't "THE SAME" and I didn't enjoy the nuggets as I usually do.

How hard is it to put SAUCE in the bag WITH chicken nuggets?!

I can understand the poster calling about the blue cheese, it was the worker's fault he/she didn't include it, NOT the fault of the customer.

 

[boomhauer]

It's called price matching, and yes, Wal-Mart is one of the places that does it.

Nah Nah Nah - Not price matching. I'm VERY well aware what price matching is, and yes, I do that myself.

Calling up and saying "I can get that same item at so and so for this much money. Can you give it to me for the same price?", is MUCH different that saying "Can you do any better than that"?

I wouldn't walk into a Wal-Mart to buy a TV without a flyer or price in mind and just say "Can you do any better than that?"

Based on what? Because I'm a nice person?

 

[bicker]

The belief held by the consumer in that scenario is that they can do better via an implied threat they they'll not make the purchase otherwise. The reason why they would hold such a belief is that such presumptions are rewarded in some sectors of the consumer marketplace.