Do I really want the job?
After tonight, it makes me wonder why on earth I'd consider doing this job full-time ... at 10 minutes to 11 (pm) I took one last call for the night - and it was a complaint call from hell ... it was the one passenger I've dealt with that has had me in such a state of upset, that my hands were shaking the last time I spoke to him two years ago - and tonight was no different! In fact, by the time I got off the phone at 11.30pm my whole body was shaking and I was nearly in tears ... not a single other person has been able to do that to me. He is the most verbally abusive and obnoxious person I have ever dealt with in my life - and he is verbally abusive to every person he's dealt with. Without breaching confidence/business ethics, I can say that the area that deals with what his complaint is has a huge file on him from all the complaints that different staff have made about him, and there's not a thing they can do about him, because "he hasn't broken any rules in the program". I won't repeat the language I used when I got off the phone, or say what I felt he should do to himself, but let's just say it was rather impolite!
So thanks Mr Obnoxious (name changed to protect the not-so-innocent) for giving me the start of a migraine ... right on the eve of my interview when I need to be feeling calm and centred. The last time I spoke to him he screamed at me ... literally ... for 50 whole minutes before speaking to my Supervisor for another 20 minutes of screaming. At least tonight he was abusing me at a more moderate decibel, so I suppose that's one positive ... He is the only person I've ever taken home in my head and had him appear again as soon as I woke up, he had such a huge negative and emotional impact on me. Unfortunately, that didn't help tonight, as I still have that memory of the previous abuse imprinted on my brain, so I was tensed up as soon as he came on ... but then again, I was also more prepared for his attitude and was able to keep quite calm throughout the whole thing. I will go to sleep tonight fantasising about my final day at work for this company, when I can phone him up and tell him exactly what I think of him ... that should put me to sleep with a smile on my face.
Fingers crossed I'll wake up tomorrow morning with no migraine taking hold, and I can forget about him for a short while, and I'll be able to focus on my interview prep, as I certainly am in no frame of mind to concentrate on it tonight :( I will end by saying, Mr Obnoxious, I hope your hotel room has cockroaches, your bags all go missing for 3 months, and if there is such a thing as karma, you'd better watch out, buddy, 'cos it's gonna be BAD!!!!!
OK, that helped to get that vent out of my system ... sorry for the ranting! :/
Posted by Anne S at 12:36 AM
12Comments:
Best of Luck with the interview, Anne! Hope the migrane stays away.
Girl! You have been having a time of it here lately, huh? well, hugs to you friend! I hope you are abel to get lots of wonderful stitching in, and that will help you calm your nerves, and good luck with the interview! I hate it when customers think they have the right to treat you like garbage, and all you are there for is to try to help! I work in retail, so the only difference is I get screamed at to my face instead of in my ear over the phone. I have learned to laugh, it is quite unnerving to the customer, and shows you really don't care! and after I say "Have a good day" to their face, as they walk away I mutter to myself "And run your car up a tree!"
Good luck to you on the interview! I know you will be great!
~Lana~
Poor you! It's a shame your company doesn't do what a lot of U.S. companies do (although not all of them): there's a threshhold for abuse, so that if it becomes too great, either the call gets passed on to the supervisor, or you are allowed to hang up after saying politely: "Mr. X, if you continue to be abusive to me, I will be forced to hang up the phone." But along the Karma lines, I agree with you: only let's hope he gets a nice bed bug infestation. Picture him scratching his bony legs until they bleed...and then taking his little guests home to infest his own personal hell-hole.
Gah, Anne! I would have hung up on him! DH works at a call centre and gets that kind of garbage as well - he (tries to!) calmly gives them three chances, much like Glenna suggested, then he does hang up! I hope your headache is gone and the interview has gone well!
I HATE people like that. I'm sure it would have been lovely to be able to tell him where "to go" and hang up on him ;)
Hope all goes well with your interview Anne
Good luck with the interview!
Oh dear, Anne!! Your company needs to have a better policy for dealing with abusive calls, as others have noted!! Perhaps that's an issue that can be pursued with the higher ups, or some sort of action taken by the company against this person.
I hope you are able to put this sorry excuse for a human out of your mind and replace him with thoughts of nice people you've dealt with over the years.
Good luck with the interview!!
{{{lots of hugs}}} Anne. I hope you're feeling rested with no migraine and the interview goes well. When you get the job :) perhaps you should suggest a new policy for dealing with abusive customers. In fact, if they ask you what you can bring to the job, support for staff after such an event should be top of your list :)
I hope you are feeling better and able to concentrate on what you need to do. Sadly nothing I can say will make up for what some obnoxious S.O.B. has put you through. But it sounds like you handled him nicely. You are right that his karma debt will be coming to him sometime soon. :D Good luck!
I work hotel housekeeping and believe me I've dealt with some winners. But nothing like that. Usually our front desk staff gets those. But no one should have to deal with that sort of abuse. And if his file is that huge with personnel complaints, something should be done. The only reason I can think of a company not doing so would be the money factor (ie: spends alot with the company, etc) Some people seem to think that we're their personal backboards miracle workers, or whatever etc, or in the case of my job, a personnal slave. See not even my blog, slightly differant case and I ranted. so go ahead. We all need a place to rant. Especially when we've already ranted around the household and still need to get some more steam off. Good luck on the interview. And try not to let the jerk get to you.
Hugs
Oh gosh, Anne. Someone in the company really needs to do something about him. Rules, schmules... write a new one! As for karma, I'm a firm believer, and this guy certainly has a lot coming to him. Maybe that's why his attitude is so bad?
I'm sorry that he takes such a toll on you. You should not allow any person in this world to have that effect on you!
I hope that you are now up, feeling refreshed and relaxed for your interview. *hug*
Agree with Gleena about Mr O. However you to tell him you cannot help him unless he calms down and stops shouting. If he keeps on, you continue saying this over and over, they DO eventually shut up and act like human beings. If he starts again, you start your line up like a robot. It really works, promise. A new reader of your blog. Hugs Coral
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