I work in IT for a retail company. At the height (middle?) of global ickiness when things were starting to reopen after everything had been closed, we were swamped. Between people having forgotten their passwords, computers being off and needing to go through 1,000 updates — if they were even able to find the network/domain— and getting new hires into the system because we’d lost some people when things closed, there was just a lot going on. Our hold times were pretty bad while we tried to work through everything.

Normally, I can just roll with most of the “you guys should be better” talk, but unfortunately, right around the time of this particular call, I was not in the best emotional state due to losing my grandfather suddenly. I got a call from a user who immediately started in with the complaining.

User: “Why was I waiting for so long? This is ridiculous. You guys need to answer your phones faster.”

Me: “I apologize for the wait. We’ve been a bit backed up with everyone needing to get back on due to everything reopening. How can I assist you today?”

User: “Yeah, we’ve got a register down, and we need it fixed. Someone already submitted a ticket, but we haven’t had anyone out to fix it.”

Me: “Do you have the ticket number or the submitter’s name?”

User: “No.”

Me: “Bear with me for a moment, please.”

We are able to look up incidents without the ticket or a name, but without either to help narrow it down, we have to go through anything that’s been submitted by the location (and hope it was submitted correctly in the first place).

Luckily, I found the ticket.

Me: “Okay, I see that [Person] submitted the incident for [device] not turning on?”

User: “That’s the correct device.”

Me: “Okay, from the ticket, you guys already checked all the cables and tried a different port, and still nothing?”

User: “Yes. Someone needs to get out here now.”

Me: “I show that the ticket was just submitted about forty-five minutes ago. It is in the queue for [On-Site] technicians to come out, but it hasn’t been assigned to anyone yet. They haven’t had time to do so.”

User: “So why can’t you help us?”

Me: “Because this is a physical issue and sounds like either the cables or the device itself will need to be swapped out. That’s [On-Site]’s job. Since the device is offline, I can’t see it or connect to it to try and do anything. This needs hands-on support.”

User: “Fine. Have a good day.”

He started to hang up the phone but didn’t seat it all the way, so I heard this next bit.

User: “Well, she was just useless. Why would she have been hired?”

I hung up the phone and took a few seconds to almost cry; again, I can normally let this stuff go, but at that point, my emotions were just too raw. Thankfully (I think), right after that call, I had a team meeting. In the meeting, our managers were reminding us not to stress too much and just take each call as it comes.

Me: “Is there any way we can remind stores that we know we’re backed up, but we’re trying, and that everything is still being handled the way it was previously? We shouldn’t be getting told that we’re useless.”

Manager: “We’ll see about getting that communication out. If you have a specific interaction, please let me know.”

I sent him a direct message through our internal chat.

Me: “I was talking to [User] at [Location], and when I told him that their ticket had been submitted forty-five minutes earlier and just hadn’t had a chance to be assigned, he tried to hang up but didn’t completely, so I got to hear him say that I was useless and ask why I was hired.”

Manager: “Thank you for this info. I’ll follow up with his manager.”

A day or so later, my manager messaged me.

Manager: “Hey, [My Name], I just wanted to let you know that I reached out to [User]’s manager and explained that his behavior was inappropriate. His manager was going to talk to him about it and wanted me to let you know that if you get a call from him again or he reaches out to you directly, let someone know.”

Luckily, nothing further happened between the user and me, but the fact that his manager felt the need to make us aware of the potential for any kind of retaliation made me wonder just how many similar complaints had happened and what he’d done in the past.

A customer approaches the customer service desk with their phone screen open to a form. They approach my manager.

Customer: “Your online feedback form is only asking me how I’d like to resolve my complaint, but I wanted to leave a compliment.”

Manager: “Oh, yes, the system is used to receiving negative feedback. We don’t… uh… get people filling out the form just to say thank you.”

Customer: “Well, that’s a little sad. Still, which option should I select?”

Manager: “There should be an option to select ‘other’?”

Customer: “Ah, yes, here it is, and… oh, dear.”

Manager: “Is there an issue?”

Customer: “Now it’s asking me on a scale of one to ten how dissatisfied I was with your service, one being the least satisfied and ten being the… ‘most least satisfied’? Who wrote this?!”

Manager: “Honestly, I don’t know.”

Customer: “Actually, I am going to leave a complaint! I’m going to complain that all I can do is complain! You’ve been wonderful! Thank you!”

Our local health center has a system where the person at the door checks to make sure you have everything you’re going to need and then gives you a ticket with a number. It always makes me giggle that when people try to make small talk to the entrance guy, he tells them:

Entrance Worker: “You have the ticket. Now you shut up, go sit, and wait for it to be called.”

Once, I asked him why he acted like that.

Entrance Worker: “My job is to give people the right ticket — no more, no less. If I start talking with everyone who enters, I’ll be here all day listening to people talking about their lives. Ain’t got time for that.”

Today at my job, one of my coworkers got an award! The executive person came down to present it and get photos.

I was in the room doing my tasks. (It’s a pharmacy; there isn’t much privacy.) I heard them exclaim, “Photo time!” So, I did what I do best and went to Irish goodbye the situation.

The executive didn’t like that. He was very friendly and extended the offer for me to join the photos.

Me: *Politely* “No, thank you. I’m not a big picture person.”

He would not let up. So, with a polite smile on my face, I explained:

Me: “I don’t like taking photos because that is tangible proof that I am at a location. Such proof can be used by my abusers to try and find me. So, thank you, but no thanks.”

Ooh, he was uncomfortable. It made my day.

I followed up with an email to human resources asking them to remind their executives that “no” is a complete sentence.

Related:
No Means No, And Everyone Will Sleep Easier For It
No Means No, And No More Friends For You
No Means No Means ABSOLUTELY THE F*** NOT
No Means No, Even When You’re Three
No Means No (And No Beer)

The following is an actual email chain from our facilities support office. An office manager sets up a new ticket on February 27.

Office Manager: “Hey, guys, regarding the above ticket, the new hire is starting tomorrow, February 28, instead of March 4. Please set up cubicle 168A for them by end of day.”

On February 28, my boss addresses me in the email chain.

Boss: “[My Name], I was here at 7:00 am, and the cube for [Office Manager] was not set up. Going forward, make sure to check [Coworker #1]’s and [Coworker #2]’s work on your way out when you assign them to work together.”

This takes me by surprise. My two coworkers are idiots, but it’s something else to completely not do the work.

The big office boss then emails my boss, my team, and me.

Big Office Boss: “Hi, team. Please make sure this doesn’t happen again. It’s a really bad look.”

Then, [Office Manager]’s assistant emails, CC’ing everyone for some reason.

Office Manager’s Assistant: “Hi, [Office Manager]. I just wanted to let y’all know that there was some leftover IT stuff in cube 168A that I saw as I was leaving yesterday. I went ahead and cleared it out of there for you since we have a new hire starting Monday and they might be sitting there. Take care!”