Thanks DK

I would never even dream of being rude to the client's regardless of what sort of a day I've had. Despite how I might be feeling I'll always talk to them with a smile on my face and I'm more than happy to chat away to them. If people have a reason to make a complaint then that's fair enough and they have every right to, but to just be plain rude because they've forgotten their appointment, or because they didn't phone to order the food therefore it's not in stock come to think of it I'd never dream of being rude on the phone to a business either!

I'm sorry you've had some horrid people on the phone.
There does seem to be an all round lack of good manners in the general population. It saddens me - I do wonder sometimes what can be done to fix it?

Rudeness is anger's unpleasant cousin. It manifests itself in different ways.

Some people:

- are victims of their tempers. They have been known to write the manager afterwards to apologise and compliment the customer service rep. on the professional manner in which they handled the situation.

-unfortunately know that the more obnoxious they are, the greater the possibility is that their grievance may be dealt with, out of turn, just to make them go away. Make them go away.

-are not really rude. They are rightfully upset by the way they have been treated. It is very difficult to be nice when angry. Forgive them

- are "actors" and part of the company's quality control. Spot them asap.

- are actors. One should be allowed to shoot them!

- are "celebrities".One should be allowed to shoot them!

- are celebrities. Be nice to them.

- actually enjoy it. Its their turn to complain about something and it gives them a feeling of importance. The more hurt they can inflict, the better they feel. They get the added benefit of bragging about it in the pub and beating up the OH and kids when they get home.
If its a guy and you have cleavage, show it. Their small minds are incapable of more than one emotion at the same time.

Nav

ive had a rough time not just with BT (overseas call center) but british gas.
we moved into here, wanted a pre-payment meter fitted. and was told that there had to be a debt on the property first ??? so rang up after the first bill arrived. got told that what i had been told was wrong (grrrr) so now feeding an ever ending hungry meter.
BUT i didnt get nasty on the phone, except to BT who where patronizingly horrible to me.
but i try to build a rappor with who ever is on the phone. and when they say is there anything else they can do, i normally say that theres a pile of ironing if they want to help. but they decline??? LOL

I know it doesn't apply to you since you're in a vets clinic but I've felt for some time that a lot of the problems are with the whole concept of 'call centres' customers ring in and all the call centre operator can tell them is what's on their dam computer screen.

In the 'old days' you could get through to the man / women who actually deals with your problem, so at least you knew that it was being resolved.

But there is no excuse for rudeness whether it's call centre or vet clinic or any other business come to that.

thats my trick!!

I am never rude on the phone...i always start out by trying to be lighthearted and have a laugh but when you get hold of some numpty who always says something along the lines of "computer says nooooo..."
then i get annoyed and a bit more to the point and feisty...i always try and remain polite because at the end of it if you are offensive they can just hang up and you are left shouting at a dial tone!

I totally sympathise and the only way I can get through life is believing in reaping what you sow. I have to believe that if you behave like a prick to someone, you will get screwed over in the future.
I know it doesn't always help in the meantime but it's what gets me through.
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