Anyone else sick of todays blameless society?

krudler

This is kinda work related but something I see everyday thats just gets on my tits, why on earth do people in this country today have such a hard time accepting responsibility for their own actions?

for example, I work for a mobile phone company, and EVERY day get calls from people who are pissed off their bills are too high, on a plan with a specific amount of minutes that are easy to keep track of yet dont bother their arse then ring in to whinge when they get a bill for 100 quid or whatever, I had a woman the other day who gets 50 minutes a month for 20euro and spent, get this, 2100 minutes on the phone last month?! wtf who can you talk to for that lenght of time and expect to not pay for it? of course it was the companies fault for this not hers for not yapping as much all day and paying attention to what she was doing.

another example, the other day while queueing in Dunnes to pay for something a guy was roaring, literally at the top of his lungs at a checkout girl because she ran out of change and had to go get more from another till and he was double parked outside, as if this was her fault he parked illegally?why not use the carpark like everone else?

so are we living in a nation of children who dont think they should be held accountable for, well ,themselves or are the general public just morons? If i ran up a big bill for something then its my own fault, pay it, lesson learned, nobodies fault but my own, but sweet jesus people just want to blame everyone else for everything these days

The Pontiac

I still blame Fianna Fail though..

StopNotWorking

I agree, this is all the governments fault.

Gummy Panda

General public are idiots tbh.

You're an adult, take responsibility for your actions or GTFO!

BTW Retail staff have always been cheap shots for d1ckheads like the guy who double parked. I see GAME have a policy on their counters saying if you get abusive with the staff, you'll be removed from the store and refused service in future.

Fizman

krudler wrote: »

are the general public just morons?

...........and BINGO was his name oh!

The Pontiac

Gummy Panda wrote: »

General public are idiots tbh.

You're an adult, take responsibility for your actions or GTFO!

BTW Retail staff have always been cheap shots for d1ckheads like the guy who double parked. I see GAME have a policy on their counters saying if you get abusive with the staff, you'll be removed from the store and refused service in future.

And I thought the customer was always right

Gummy Panda

zudo wrote: »

And I thought the customer was always right

Only when it doesn't cost the business money. Also there is a difference with making a complaint and being a d1ckhead to staff

krudler

Gummy Panda wrote: »

General public are idiots tbh.

You're an adult, take responsibility for your actions or GTFO!

BTW Retail staff have always been cheap shots for d1ckheads like the guy who double parked. I see GAME have a policy on their counters saying if you get abusive with the staff, you'll be removed from the store and refused service in future.

thank you! having worked in retail for most of my working life or dealing with the public in some form , I could write a book about the sheer ignorance and stupidity of Joe public by now, at work we're supposed to have a "3 strikes" rule with customers, 3 instances of abuse of just generally being a cnut and we end the call, I've fashioned my own "abuse me once and I'll hang up on your ignorant ass" thats gone over quite well with the new starters, I have time for people with a genuine grievance who I want to sort out for them, but people who just assume that acting like a 5 year old throwing a tantrum is the way to get things sorted I have zero tolerance for

krudler

zudo wrote: »

And I thought the customer was always right

Ignorant, stupid, loud, obnoxious most of the time, right about 10% of the time, anyone who works in retail or customer service can back me up on this

The Pontiac

Gummy Panda wrote: »

Only when it doesn't cost the business money. Also there is a difference with making a complaint and being a d1ckhead to staff

Customers cost us money all the time, where I work anyway with returned products. I come accross serious abuse everyday. But the customer is ALWAYS right. That's just the way it is..

stovelid

It's high time for a recession scapegoat sub-forum of AH. Now. Please.

/goes to bed.

Gummy Panda

zudo wrote: »

Customers cost us money all the time, where I work anyway with returned products. I come accross serious abuse everyday. But the customer is ALWAYS right. That's just the way it is..

Ouch!

I'd crack up if thats what i had to look forward to everyday. I'd need a punchbag out the back or some Prozac

aodhank

customers is right unless it costs money.if it cost money thats a problem. fix it. where all in the the sh??.

The Pontiac

Gummy Panda wrote: »

Ouch!

I'd crack up if thats what i had to look forward to everyday. I'd need a punchbag out the back or some Prozac

Tell me about it. Well, they're actually wrong most of the time, but they're still right..:mad:

aodhank

The problem needs fixing .If this cost face it cost no money it builds charter.Sorry for this.but before you tell me to f??? ???.
think about this i have been dealing with the public for 20 years can you think of anythimg i have not been called .(its a job)



If you find some thing your in the wrong job ?????????????????????????

Helix

aodhank wrote: »

The problem needs fixing .If this cost face it cost no money it builds charter.Sorry for this.but before you tell me to f??? ???.
think about this i have been dealing with the public for 20 years can you think of anythimg i have not been called .(its a job)



If you find some thing your in the wrong job ?????????????????????????

i tried babelfish on this but no luck

anyone?

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

zudo wrote: »

Customers cost us money all the time, where I work anyway with returned products. I come accross serious abuse everyday. But the customer is ALWAYS right. That's just the way it is..

Does this include the customer who rang up directory enquiries (NOT 11811) and demanding an explaation as to whey their eircom phone bill was so high?

Or the one who tired to convince me that her cousin in Belfast's UK mobile was listed in the Eircom phone directory?

If the customer is always right, why are they ringing us for help and advice?

TestTransmission

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

If the customer is always right, why are they ringing us for help and advice?

Cuz u get paid to deal with the twats

kyp_durron

I think everything is ok and I like the general public, they are nice.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

jackncoke wrote: »

Cuz u get paid to deal with the twats

True, but that doesn't make them right!

mikemac

I'd say customers are correct about 10% of the time.

The drops to 1% when you are in a hotel and totally sober and you have some drunk resident demanding something be done immediately.

They usually apologise the next day though to be fair...........they have to do when you control the residents bar and who gets served

krudler

I was out for dinner with the missus the other week and some very snobby couple were sat beside us talking out of their arses all night about inane things.
Couldnt help but overhear as they were so loud and the woman demanded some dish be cooked off the menu for her but the waiter was trying to explain they didnt nor have ever served whatever it was she was asking for, cue customer getting pissy and manager being called over, manger says same thing, never served that dish, yada yada when the woman asks the classic "dont you know the customer is always right?" question to which , and I tip my hat to the manager for this, he replies "Well aside from this case where you arent, perhaps you'd like to go be right in another restaurant?" and the couple storm off, now if only everyone who worked with the public had the take not shyte attitude of this guy we'd all be better off, NO is something the public just dont get told enough in situations like this

Horsefumbler

Good point there krudler. You really have to push back sometimes with these fcukers otherwise they'll try to walk all over you.

SoupyNorman

I try avoid getting myself into stressful and needless interactions in any customer service situation. If I have a problem with any product or service I've used then I approach the situation with calm and the expectation that my issue will be dealt with, if not then I kick things up a notch...

The problem with the general public is that they go in looking for a fight/money off/money back/vouchers/xyz. No matter how accommodating the person in the customer service role is it's never good enough.


There are so many people who are victims of the current economic times but keep themselves to themselves and dont complain, but you also have the people who have just used the word recession as a weapon which they use to blame every tom dick and harry then can for whatever they can...these people are in the majority unfortunately.

4zn76tysfajdxp

Yes, booo, we're in a blameless society and everyone else (or the "general public") is to blame. Shame on them.

Unpossible

The customer is not always right, but has the right to be wrong.

I find being calm, respectfull and pleasant when trying to sort out a problem/make a complaint gets me a lot farther. I've even gotten angry beaurocrats on my side that way.

peepeep

one of my favourite websites ever is called Not Always Right, and it's full of stories about idiot customers. it's ridiculously hilarious.

http://notalwaysright.com/

Naikon

Gummy Panda wrote: »

General public are idiots tbh..

This!!!....having had the misfortune of working with the above on plenty of times.

ScumLord

krudler wrote: »

Ignorant, stupid, loud, obnoxious most of the time, right about 10% of the time, anyone who works in retail or customer service can back me up on this

Well I never! I want to speak to your manager! I watch law and order damnit, I know my rights!


I don't mind your average joe trying to avoid taking the blame. I really hate it when big business and government won't take blame though. I hate ringing up a customer support and being lead around the phone system only to be told that the person I end up talking to more than likely isn't able to deal with my issue and they'll get back to me. I can appreciate that you get muppets like mentioned in the op but everyone that calls a customer support line knows that it's more than likely going to be a pain in the hole and that they more than likely won't get any help so their only ringing up to give out to someone.

rainbow kirby

Gummy Panda wrote: »

I see GAME have a policy on their counters saying if you get abusive with the staff, you'll be removed from the store and refused service in future.

Having worked for them for 4 years (2003-2007), trust me when I say that this policy is very much needed! The amount of crap that people give the staff in stores like that is unreal.

Manic Moran

A corollary is the concept that "someone must be to blame"

The concept of "*it happens" seems to have vanished. There's no such a thing as an honest accident any more, there's "the result of negligence" or some other such thing which means you can sue someone for lots of dosh.

NTM

Elessar

Of course not who do you think I am?! WHERE IS YOUR MANAGER

banshee_bones

Gummy Panda wrote: »

General public are idiots tbh.

You're an adult, take responsibility for your actions or GTFO!

BTW Retail staff have always been cheap shots for d1ckheads like the guy who double parked. I see GAME have a policy on their counters saying if you get abusive with the staff, you'll be removed from the store and refused service in future.

Love it. Worked in Dunnes before, certain customer i was told by my supervisor makes it her business to cause needless trouble for staff and even goes as far as to try and get them fired. FFS.

peepeep wrote: »

one of my favourite websites ever is called Not Always Right, and it's full of stories about idiot customers. it's ridiculously hilarious.

http://notalwaysright.com/

saw that website before. absoulte legend. anyone who has worked in retail can identify with 99% of those stories.

5318008!

krudler wrote: »

so are we living in a nation of children who dont think they should be held accountable for, well ,themselves or are the general public just morons?

Yes, a bit of both. We live in a society where the government goes as far as it can to take responsibility away from it's citizens. Can you honestly be suprised when as a result people do not act like adults?

I'm not gonna say it's the governments fault coz it's really the people's fault. Most people seem perfectly ok with the idea of a government treating it's people like children, which saddens me to say the least.

Dudess

Over the last bank holiday weekend, I encountered not one but TWO ****bags arsing around in the middle of the road drunk, on separate nights.
These are residential roads and I was sticking rigidly to the speed limit (60kmph) but had I injured them (and I really had to slam on the brakes for the first guy because that road is so badly lit and he was wearing dark clothes so I only saw him when he was extremely close) guaranteed I'd have come out of it the villain. One of the guys being an obvious scobe probably wouldn't help matters either (if his family are as scummy).

Had I killed one of them (and it can happen even when someone is sticking to the speed limit) then it would have been my life shattered for ever... :mad:

Dudess

zudo wrote: »

Customers cost us money all the time, where I work anyway with returned products. I come accross serious abuse everyday. But the customer is ALWAYS right. That's just the way it is..

Of course they're not always right - that mantra isn't to be taken literally. As has been said, it only applies up to a point. It doesn't make abuse by a customer justifiable, and fair play to GAME. It really appears as if you think abuse and bullying by customers is fair game because "the customer is always right". Thank **** most people don't think like that. Just as people dealing with the public don't have the right to be rude, customers don't either. Basic civility, incorporated with firmness if needs be, costs nobody anything.

recycle

zudo wrote: »

I still blame Fianna Fail though..

Borrowed from p.ie http://www.politics.ie/fianna-fail/66358-i-did-not-cause-recession-ahern-5.html



"I did not cause recession" - Ahern

My new t#shirt is on the way to me. I got the following lyrics printed on it.

Economic collapse?
SING
Don't blame it on sunshine
Don't blame it on moonlight
Don't blame it on good times
Blame it on the Bertie.



+ infinity

ejmaztec

Dudess wrote: »

Of course they're not always right - that mantra isn't to be taken literally. As has been said, it only applies up to a point. It doesn't make abuse by a customer justifiable, and fair play to GAME. It really appears as if you think abuse and bullying by customers is fair game because "the customer is always right". Thank **** most people don't think like that. Just as people dealing with the public don't have the right to be rude, customers don't either. Basic civility, incorporated with firmness if needs be, costs nobody anything.

The one with the cash is always right, so after the cash is handed over, the customer is no longer right.:)

aoibhebree

Customers are always right, as long as they're profitable.

If you've a customer who's constantly complaining, contesting every bill, not paying on time, always demanding discounts and additional extras, this all takes time and money which would be better used to retain more valuable customers.

The sad fact is, the noisiest customers get the most attention, so if a company is constantly trying to appease this minority, their good profitable customers get ignored and may decide to go elsewhere without making a fuss about it.

So that mantra is not, and should not be, always upheld.

taidghbaby

a customer returning something to me one day:

ME: "have you got your receipt?"
CUSTOMER: "no, why do you need it?"
ME: "my computer system is down, so i can't see how much you paid"
CUSTOMER: "why don't you know how much i paid?"
ME: "eh.....you could have been given discount"
CUSTOMER: "this is ridiculous why don't you know how much i paid?"

cue 2/3 mins of argueing

CUSTOMER: "who is in charge here?"
ME "me"
CUSTOMER: "who is he then?" points at some random dude walking around the shop in a suit
ME: "he's not in charge"
CUSTOMER: "i'll talk to him if i want to"
ME: "fair enough....next please"


from my experience customers think that because they are buying something off you that they own you! i'm sorry to have to tell you this buddy that i'm merely facilitating a transaction by where you give me money in exchange for good/services!!
now in fairness i would have gone to any means to help out a customer but all i ask in return is a bit of civility!! especially when the customer is wrong!!

Gummy Panda

aoibhebree wrote: »

Customers are always right, as long as they're profitable.

If you've a customer who's constantly complaining, contesting every bill, not paying on time, always demanding discounts and additional extras, this all takes time and money which would be better used to retain more valuable customers.

The sad fact is, the noisiest customers get the most attention, so if a company is constantly trying to appease this minority, their good profitable customers get ignored and may decide to go elsewhere without making a fuss about it.

So that mantra is not, and should not be, always upheld.

Its also usually the least profitable customer who causes the biggest scene. Some customers take it to an extreme. I know a lad who worked for Vodafone and apparently one of the lads in the Donaghmede store had his car keyed and damaged for following company policy. I think it was over a phone not being repaired, the customer got abusive and was asked to leave the store.

He drove a mini and so it was easy to spot his car in the car park.

The Pontiac

Dudess wrote: »

Of course they're not always right - that mantra isn't to be taken literally. As has been said, it only applies up to a point. It doesn't make abuse by a customer justifiable, and fair play to GAME. It really appears as if you think abuse and bullying by customers is fair game because "the customer is always right". Thank **** most people don't think like that. Just as people dealing with the public don't have the right to be rude, customers don't either. Basic civility, incorporated with firmness if needs be, costs nobody anything.

Obviously they're not always right. I already said that they're wrong most of the time, but it's probably the most popular 'saying' in business and one of the oldest. The most successful businesses in the world instill this into their staff.

There's no one stupid enough to take it literally eg. a staff member gets the crap beat of them by a customer or when a customer starts using foul language. You take it up to a point. It just a way of viewing the customer.

GAME displaying those kind of signs in their shops is a joke. I take abuse from customers (sometimes warranted, sometimes not). To say a customer can never be abusive is plain wrong. They've got every entitlement to be pissed if they've spent money, and feel it's not the product/service they expected.

BTW I've never, ever seen one of those signs in a shop. I wonder why. It's just seems very intimidating.

Acacia

krudler wrote: »

Ignorant, stupid, loud, obnoxious most of the time, right about 10% of the time, anyone who works in retail or customer service can back me up on this

Damn straight, certain members of the public seem to think anybody working in the retail or service industry is an idiot who's there to take crap from them, rather then do their job. They also think it's perfectly acceptable to be verbally abusive for no other reason than y'know, ''it's not a real job, and they're only earning minimum wage..."

Please note, the shop worker you just shouted at for not having something in stock really doesn't give a sh1t about you or if you complain about your 'rights' and is probably hoping you crash your car on the way home.

Thank you, come again!

Black Swan

Acacia wrote: »

Thank you, come again!

Gummy Panda

zudo wrote: »

Play displaying those kind of signs in their shops is a joke. I take abuse from customers (some times warranted, some times not). To say a customer can never be abusive is plain wrong. They've got every entitlement to be pissed if they've spent money, and feel it's not the product/service they expected.

BTW I've never, ever seen one of those signs in a shop. I wonder why. It's just seems very intimidating.

I don't think you understand the difference between making a customer complaint and being abusive. A customer should never be abusive, they can make a proper complaint.

BTW, that shop is GAME and i have complained in there before with those signs on display. I bought a preowned ps2 on my lunch break and when i opened it was missing the charging plug. The controller also had something rattling in it and i think i was worried about the lens inside. I brought it back to the lad and told him i didn't want it in that state. Lad showed it to manager to forward on my complaint, manager apologised and gave me a new ps2 straight from a sony box.

I didn't rant and rave about rights and compensation. Just told them i just wasn't happy and asked them to resolve it. I didn't expect that outcome. I just expected it to be changed for another preowned pack out the back. It was cause i didn't come in barking and calling people idiots, that i feel i got such a good level of customer care when i returned.

The Pontiac

Acacia wrote: »

Damn straight, certain members of the public seem to think anybody working in the retail or service industry is an idiot who's there to take crap from them, rather then do their job. They also think it's perfectly acceptable to be verbally abusive for no other reason than y'know, ''it's not a real job, and they're only earning minimum wage..."

Please note, the shop worker you just shouted at for not having something in stock really doesn't give a sh1t about you or if you complain about your 'rights' and is probably hoping you crash your car on the way home.

Thank you, come again!

It's never OK to be verbally abusive to a staff member.

It's just that in this country over the last few years there has been an appalling level of customer service eg. certain phone companies, cable satellite companies, car industry(how many time I've had problems getting my car serviced), and just the general service from the retail sector.

Anyone remember the prime time special a few months back about all this?

People have every right to be pissed. Especially in this country..

The poor old shopkeeper.. god love us

The Pontiac

Gummy Panda wrote: »

I don't think you understand the difference between making a customer complaint and being abusive. A customer should never be abusive, they can make a proper complaint.

BTW, that shop is GAME and i have complained in there before with those signs on display. I bought a preowned ps2 on my lunch break and when i opened it was missing the charging plug. The controller also had something rattling in it and i think i was worried about the lens inside. I brought it back to the lad and told him i didn't want it in that state. Lad showed it to manager to forward on my complaint, manager apologised and gave me a new ps2 straight from a sony box.

I didn't rant and rave about rights and compensation. Just told them i just wasn't happy and asked them to resolve it. I didn't expect that outcome. I just expected it to be changed for another preowned pack out the back. It was cause i didn't come in barking and calling people idiots, that i feel i got such a good level of customer care when i returned.

Oh god, I knew this was going to happen. Just change the word 'ABUSIVE' to something like 'PISSED'. I don't care. Everyone knows what I mean. I already said I don't think it's right to bring the 'ABUSE' to a certain level eg. foul language, physical contact, been overly aggressive etc.

Acacia

zudo wrote: »

It's never OK to be verbally abusive to a staff member.

It's just that in this country over the last few years there has been an appalling level of customer service eg. certain phone companies, cable satellite companies, car industry(how many time I've had problems getting my car serviced), and just the general service from the retail sector.

Anyone remember the prime time special a few months back about all this?

People have every right to be pissed. Especially in this country..

The poor old shopkeeper.. god love us

I'm talking about people coming into a shop, thinking they own the place and looking down on people who work there. I've seen it happen. Certain customers think the shop staff are meant to bend over backwards and take abuse off them. Don't get me wrong, you should do your best to help a customer. But you don't have to stand there and be shouted at by some ass who thinks he's better than you.

Fair enough, some people give bad service, but customers shouldn't go into a shop with a chip on their shoulder about it and thinking it's okay to treat the staff like crap.

So yeah you can be 'pissed'- just direct that in a positive, polite way. You'll get a much more positive response.

For example, I got a coffee once in some coffee chain place (can't remember which one). It was cold so I brought it back up to the counter, told the girl who gave it to me politely and I got a new one, no problem.

There must have been a problem with the machine or something because a few other people's coffees were cold. One dude thought this was the most outrageous thing evar and started ranting at the poor girl behind the counter "This is rubbish! This is disgraceful!". Totally going over-board.

In the end, he just ended up looking like a right geebag.

That's the kind of thing I'm talking about.

Overheal

krudler wrote: »

This is kinda work related but something I see everyday thats just gets on my tits, why on earth do people in this country today have such a hard time accepting responsibility for their own actions?

for example, I work for a mobile phone company, and EVERY day get calls from people who are pissed off their bills are too high, on a plan with a specific amount of minutes that are easy to keep track of yet dont bother their arse then ring in to whinge when they get a bill for 100 quid or whatever, I had a woman the other day who gets 50 minutes a month for 20euro and spent, get this, 2100 minutes on the phone last month?! wtf who can you talk to for that lenght of time and expect to not pay for it? of course it was the companies fault for this not hers for not yapping as much all day and paying attention to what she was doing.

another example, the other day while queueing in Dunnes to pay for something a guy was roaring, literally at the top of his lungs at a checkout girl because she ran out of change and had to go get more from another till and he was double parked outside, as if this was her fault he parked illegally?why not use the carpark like everone else?

so are we living in a nation of children who dont think they should be held accountable for, well ,themselves or are the general public just morons? If i ran up a big bill for something then its my own fault, pay it, lesson learned, nobodies fault but my own, but sweet jesus people just want to blame everyone else for everything these days

Well wouldnt you the responsible CSR offer to upgrade her to the appropriate package as to recalculate her bill?

GrahamThomas

I work part-time in retail, and the condescending, superior attitude that some people have towards shop staff turns my stomach. I've seen co-workers of mine almost reduced to tears because of the treatment they've gotten from abusive customers.
I mean is it really so hard to act in a mature, respectful manner when dealing with sales staff who are, for the most part, genuinely willing to help you as best as they can?

theteal

Overheal wrote: »

Well wouldnt you the responsible CSR offer to upgrade her to the appropriate package as to recalculate her bill?

i'm sure krudler did just that as that's the obvious solution in that specific case. The point of the post was that the customer knew she was paying €20 for 50 minutes, proceeded to use a significantly higher number of minutes, then duly received a high bill. . .and then complained that it was the company's fault i.e. not taking responsibility for her actions

i can sympathise OP