Physically threatened by a customer

Xenor1

I work in an insurance office and among other things I take customer queries.
The location of the office is transparent on all documentation and my full name is provided on correspondence.

Yesterday I was speaking to a customer looking for a refund he wasn't entitled to (€15) He didn't like what I was telling him. The conversation escalated and he started ranting. He said he was going to call into the office and smash it up, and smash my face up while he was at it. He started asking personal details about my age etc.
I hung up when he called me a f**king tramp.

He called back to a colleague and was as nice as pie to her. My office usually takes the view that if a customer is unhappy, just give them what they want and they will go away. My colleague said she will look into it and will probably just give him the refund for an easy life.

I think his behaviour was totally unacceptable and it galls me that someone like him can bully and make physical threats to get his way, when other, decent customers end up getting no such benefit. Calls are recorded and he confirmed all his own details at the start of it.

I wasn't shook up at the time, but it find myself getting a bit unnerved by the event now. I'm tempted to take this further with management, or even the gardai. Or should I just forget about it?

Atlantic Dawn

Take it to management, it's important to have someone to refer this to or you will be under constant fear. Your company should then report the threat to the Gardaí who can follow it up with the customer.

Manach

As above. You'd have the right to work in a non-threatening environment, and it is up to management to deal with this manner so as to alleviate it in future confrontations.

Billy86

I worked in AonInsure before 123 bought them, office was across from the big Microsoft building in Sandyford and we had a small reception because the place had been around ages under a different name and had some elderly customers who were just used to doing it that was (but were dead friendly, since they knew the owner of the place like most people know their butcher, GP or dentist). This happened a few times, but never came to anything... if you've been working in insurance long you know people lose their sh*t over it sometimes (and let's be honest, some of the admin fees, t-sub/p-sub rates on motors etc can be a farce - as well as trying to explain to them why) and cool down later, just as much as you'll know some people are all talk and no action. After it happens a few more times, you'll just laugh it off trust me.

Best thing to do is usually to keep calm on the call if they are threatening you, and remind them again that all calls are recorded for regulatory, training and monitoring purposes, and that threatening you in such a way is probably against the law in and of itself. Let a manager know of course, but only during the call if you feel extremely uncomfortable or if they request to do so.

Of course, failing that train yourself up and give 'im one ah dees...

gandalf

TBH some people just lose it on the phone and nothing further happens. However you should document this if you have a CRM system or send an email to your superior detailing the interaction.

seamus

Tbh, people getting irate on the phone is something that happens, some people have little self-control and may F and blind down the phone.

But making threats against you and the company is the sign of a true scumbag, and you should definitely make a note about the threat in the call log and escalate the issue up to your manager.

The fact that you're female may also have bearing here. I have experience with scumbags who have been intimidating and downright threatening to my wife on the phone, but if I ring them back they suddenly become humble and quasi-reasonable without resorting to threats or intimidation. Some men (and women tbh) think that because they have a young woman on the phone that a few choice remarks will make her crumble and do what they want.