One of our big issues at work is providing excellent customer care and of course everything we do is geared towards providing an excellent service for said customers. Being a government agency, our life is doubly hard because not only are we representing our organisation but also the government as a whole. Unlike most government agencies, say the Tax Office and Child Support Agency, we are not immediately seen as the big, bad enemy and our customers tend to be more friendly towards us, however we do get the occasional person who thinks we were put on this earth specifically to solve their life issues.

I don’t have a problem with customer service and I strive to do my best to ensure customers have no reason to complain. My main job is on reception so I tend to be the first point of contact for most customers, especially if they don’t really know why they are calling or to whom they need to talk. Our organisation recently attempted to achieve Chartermark status, a fancy award which means we provide excellent customer service, but when the criteria changed we had to abandon it as our work just does not fit into those goalposts. While we were pursuing it, we had lists of things we had to do to prove we provided a quality service and we implemented most of them.

However, not at any time did the criteria state what we should expect from the customer. We were expected to bend over backwards and kiss ass to make sure our customers were happy but at no time were our rights being protected. Is it too much to expect a little respect in return? Yes, if you have a valid problem you have the right to complain but that does not mean you automatically have the right to scream abuse down the phone.

I’ve worked in those govt agencies where you are assumed to be the enemy and I’ve been a target for frustrated and angry customers. I’ve taken that abuse because I’m not allowed to retaliate. I’ve been called names and I’ve had to listen to guys describing in detail exactly what they want to do to me sexually. Not nice. No matter how tough you think you are, those type of comments are always upsetting.

I don’t think you can really understand how unpleasant customer abuse is until you’ve been in that situation for yourself. I have cause to complain about things just like anyone else on the planet but I always, always keep my cool. I know what it’s like to be on the other end of the phone and I know that person isn’t responsible for my problems. Speaking for myself, I tend to go out of my way to resolve issues faster for the people who are reasonable with me than those who rant mindlessly.

My reason for this post? I had to deal with a very obnoxious customer today and it left me physically shaking. She wouldn’t listen to anything I said and accused me of not helping her. As it turned out, I couldn’t help her because she wasn’t even phoning the right place. How stupid are you?!

So, next time you have a problem and your first reaction is to grab the phone and hurl abuse, spare a thought for the poor person on the other end. Take a walk, meditate, grab a coffee or do whatever it takes to calm yourself down. Then you can pick up that phone and talk in a rational manner. While I appreciate some companies are difficult and unfriendly, don’t assume we are all the same. Most of us will work through our lunch or stay late to ensure you are happy.

Respect costs nothing.