BEING SWORE AT

[darren d]

Hi all,I took a telephone call in the callers office off someone who wanted a redelivery of a special to an alternative address.When i told her we cannot redeliver special to an alternative address and after a rather long coversation with her she told me to F*** off at which point I put the phone down on her.What are our rights when it comes to dealing with nasty customers over the phone ? Time and time again we get nasty customers coming into the callers office too. Im really sick of it.Sometimes I feel like not serving them.We should not have to put up with this kind of verbal abuse.If this woman calls into the callers for this special delivery item I know I will feel like not serving her.So do we have rights? My DOM says that I cannot refuse to serve her as its a public service.I think he may be wrong,after all you go in places like hospitals and on buses and there are notices to say our staff are not here to be abused or words to that effect.Thanks all

[Indy]

What are our rights when it comes to dealing with nasty customers

If my years of experience is anything to go by you have no rights. Thing is she'll now complain that you were rude/swearing and put the phone down meaning YOU'LL be the one ending up with the blocking. Customers always win

[TrueBlueTerrier]

We have a sign in the callers office that asks customers not to be abusive to staff members and I have refused to serve a customer who was abusive. Mind you they had to be really abusive and threatening. Most times I can just shrug it off, they are not usually swearing at you as an individual but at the lack of service they think they should get from Royal Mail. The one time I did refuse I went and got a manager and the item, and then explained to the manager what happened and they bollocked the customer. Didn't get an apology though.

[darren d]

Thanks for that Indy.Thought that would be the case somehow

[fishtank]

You need a thick skin dealing with customers anywhere.
You shouldn't have to...but you do.
If they threaten you it's a different matter but i've been told to f**k off that many times now it doesn't even register any more.

[Straight4ward]

Some years ago I knew a fella who worked as a ticket collector for British Rail and more often than not he used to find himself on the receiving end of some choice epithets if train cancellations were announced.

He used to carry two pieces of printed card with him and when someone started to let rip he used to present them with the first card which read that he was hard of hearing and would they please speak up.

As they hit the decibels he would then produce the second card that simply read “Louder!” and he would continue to keep showing them the second card as they raised their voices even more and more.

Eventually they either saw the funny side or the penny dropped and they realised what an arse they were being in front of numerous people. Either way it worked.

[R@YAL F@IL]

First of all I sympathise with you and secondly the next time a customer starts being abusive to you, just ask them to hold the line, while you go to the nearest manager and say there is someone asking for you on the phone.
You do not get paid to get abuse thrown at you so let a manager manage the situation, let's face it they do nothing else

[Indy]

You need a thick skin dealing with customers anywhere.

Its my view that people do it because they get away with it. Was in my local Sainsbury last week and a cashier asked a man for age proof ID as he was buying some alcohol. Within a minute he was being hugely abusive to her. A supervisor/manager came over and quietly and politely said that the customers behaviour was unacceptable and unless he stopped he would be asked to leave.

Problem is RM managers don't want the hassle hence customers believe that they can get away with it so they do it.

[dvbuk55]

You need a thick skin dealing with customers anywhere.
You shouldn't have to...but you do.
If they threaten you it's a different matter but i've been told to f**k off that many times now it doesn't even register any more.

And that's just his missus

I couldn't handle the abuse I'm far too sensitive a person. If you have a phone system that allows you to transfer calls, just tell the customer you are taking her complaint/query/delivery request seriously and in so doing are transferring her call to the/a manager.....and do it. If not, tell her to ring customer services who have more clout in these matters.

[fishtank]

Problem is RM managers don't want the hassle hence customers believe that they can get away with it so they do it.

To be honest i've had managers intervene and it's 50/50 whether it helps or just makes things worse.
Like i said it's a different story if they start becoming a threat but i personally find the best thing to do with a swearer is ignore them.

[R@YAL F@IL]

Problem is RM managers don't want the hassle hence customers believe that they can get away with it so they do it.

To be honest i've had managers intervene and it's 50/50 whether it helps or just makes things worse.
Like i said it's a different story if they start becoming a threat but i personally find the best thing to do with a swearer is ignore them.

WHO SAID THAT

[post_bitch]

sorry mate you have no rights

[Nobodyshero]

I've been told to f**k off that many times I've run out of places where I can f**k off to, I think you did the right thing just say you're not listening to the kind of abuse on offer wait for a reply then tell them you're hanging up and if they want to call back give them the name of a manager to ask for

[krussel]

I ve been swore at on the phone whilst trying to sort out a re-delivery parcel.

Just put the women on hold whilst i sorted the problem leaving the telephone handset near the radio speaker. I gave her about 5 mins to calm down before sorting her packet out

[maisymoo04]

should do what i do it pi@@@ them off even more be nice as pie