Venting Not made for a customer service job

[Circles]

Another thing. I would tell my doctor, therapist family members how absolutely horrible this was making me feel, how much it was worsening my depression and anxiety and suicidal thoughts. The solution to people treating me like garbage was to take medication, do stupid relaxation techniques so I could accept the abuse because "that's just the way things are".

Holy shit that's weird. My mother says that shit to me as if that makes things better. Like I am supposed to somehow will myself to accept this life at face value? I just don't get it.

 

[Lra888]

Holy shit that's weird. My mother says that shit to me as if that makes things better. Like I am supposed to somehow will myself to accept this life at face value? I just don't get it.

Some people accept things as they are. Positive reinforcement is their goal and that's their motivation.

Work a horrible job until my body and mind are burned out and I can retire and die. Okay.

 

[Roph]

Just been told by another customer theyre gonna make an official complaint about me. Why have I not killed myself yet.

Let 'em complain. Anybody can complain about anything. Whether or not it's valid is an entirely separate matter. Don't let them intimidate you. If you're doing you're job, that's all anybody can ask.

 

[BaconCheeseburger]

I'm so dosed up on Pregabalin right now, I took like... 5 tablets, and each are 50mg... so 250mg Pregabalin? Also took some earlier in the day so I'm just... I'm okay. I know the upset is there but it's currently sitting a mile away from me, until these meds wear off.

 

[Trashcan]

It's tough. I didn't last 2 weeks without attempting suicide.

 

[Angst Filled Fuck Up]

I know how you feel. I am really sensitive to scrutiny, criticism, people's tone of voice etc. It absolutely destroys me when I have a nasty interaction with someone - I replay it over and over in my mind, and it messes with me for days on end. Because this is basically all jobs, I am totally unsuited for the workforce.

 

[BaconCheeseburger]

I know how you feel. I am really sensitive to scrutiny, criticism, people's tone of voice etc. It absolutely destroys me when I have a nasty interaction with someone - I replay it over and over in my mind, and it messes with me for days on end. Because this is basically all jobs, I am totally unsuited for the workforce.

my problem is that I not only replay it in my head, I come up with additional scenarios where these people come back and make it worse. I'm not in work the next two days but I'm just waiting in my head for this horrendous complaint email to come through to our inbox, which all of my team can see :(

 

[Angst Filled Fuck Up]

my problem is that I not only replay it in my head, I come up with additional scenarios where these people come back and make it worse. I'm not in work the next two days but I'm just waiting in my head for this horrendous complaint email to come through to our inbox, which all of my team can see :(

Do you feel anger with it too? I have that pretty badly, and will rehash the situation in my mind and obsess that I should have said this or done that differently. It's like I can't live with the feeling that someone got one over on me or made me look stupid/weak somehow.

 

[BaconCheeseburger]

Do you feel anger with it too? I have that pretty badly, and will rehash the situation in my mind and obsess that I should have said this or done that differently. It's like I can't live with the feeling that someone got one over on me or made me look stupid/weak somehow.

I don't feel anger, I just have pure fear and anxiety. I agree with the rest of what you said though

 

[BaconCheeseburger]

Woken up and the anxiety and worry are back. Hopefully I can CTB between February and May, so never happens again.

 

[littlelungs]

People can be really fucking shitty, and I'm so sorry you get the brunt of that as a customer service employee. I feel like customer service pretty accurately sums up what it means to "shoot the messenger". It's a pile of crap.

The last service job I had was at a Walmart when I was 20 -- a man threatened to hunt me down and kill me over a carton of milk, and I told him to take his shit and get the fuck out of my lineup, and then I quit. I don't recommend doing what I did, but it goes to show how far people can push you until you snap.

Working is hard and people are rude; put the two together and you can get a pretty interesting combination. I really wish I could help to ease your anxiety about all of this. You're definitely not alone in feeling this way, and again, I'm sorry that people can be such entitled and insensitive pricks.

I feel for you. Big hugs.

 

[Shewaitsforme]

I took pregabalin for the first time when i was on a psych ward, a patient gave me 2, i snorted. Didnt think they did anything went to sleep, next morning couldnt walk properly. Got into the lounge and couldnt figure out how to sit down. Nurse had to pull the chair out for me, gave me some tea and i was helped back to my room. Wish i had some now, it took almost a day to wear of fully. I dont take meds so maybe thats why it hit me so hard. The drugs team apparently came to see me to discuss my cocaine habit but i was so out of it the nurse didnt come get me.

 

[azucaramargo]

If it makes you feel any better, my customer service "career" only lasted five minutes. I was in high school, working at Burger King, where I was one of the "cooks" in the back. One afternoon, we were short-staffed, so I was asked to take orders up front. The very first customer, an entitled Baby Boomer asshole, berated me for not giving him his order quick enough. He was a complete dick about it too. I was ready to hop over the counter and punch his fucking lights out, but I didn't unleash my aggression on that day. I ended up walking out of the job a few weeks later when two of my co-workers accused me of being lazy because I wasn't able to help them at a time when I was absolutely swamped. I shouted at them and challenged them to a fight because I was sick of their shit. One of them picked up a broom (a fucking broom... can you believe that?) and I told him that I'd shove it up his ass Jeffrey Dahmer style before cursing them out one last time and storming out of the restaurant. I lost a $2,000 BK college scholarship because of it and my parents were pissed!

Thanks for posting this. I would've done the same thing. Thank you for describing this experience.

 

[Jodes]

I know how you feel. I am really sensitive to scrutiny, criticism, people's tone of voice etc. It absolutely destroys me when I have a nasty interaction with someone - I replay it over and over in my mind, and it messes with me for days on end. Because this is basically all jobs, I am totally unsuited for the workforce.

Same

 

[azucaramargo]

Just had the nastiest dick of a man have a go at me for following our policy and I felt so threatened and upset and I've been close to crying for most of the end of my shift.

I'm not made to handle people like that. They make me feel even more worthless than I already am.

I want to take all of my Pregabalin right now and just forget I even exist. I wanted to try going without any but I'm not capable of calming myself down. I'm breathing as deep as I can and it's doing nothing.

I know not everyone in the world is nasty like that, but the people who are send me into such a panic and I'm a mess now and will be for the rest of the evening.

Can I just say how happy I am you posted this? I just quit my job as a server at a restaurant, and while the job made me miserable - like you describe-- I really regret having quit because now I have to find a NEW job. But, I was feeling just like you were. And, I wondered whether the job was good for people like us -- forcing us to interact with the public and maybe feign "positivity." Or, if it was bad for people like us. I just regret having quit because a) it was unprofessional b)my co-workers were my only "friends" c) no money. God damn myself! But, yeah, I admire you for posting when you felt you had your breaking point. That's better than quitting. All my love.

 

[mattwitt]

I know what it's like !!!
I quit my last job being a supervisor because of all the people crap I had to put up with.
First they never asked me if I wanted to be the supervisor. After the last supervisor walked out because he didn't want to be drug tested the human resources person told me I was the new supervisor and that I didn't have a choice about it and they never even gave me a raise for horrible job promotion either and I did it for 3 years before I quit. Every other supervisor ever was asked if they wanted the job and offered a raise and was even able to negotiate the raise before they accepted the position. Then as a supervisor I had to supervise people who were untrainable and unsupervisable who would walk all over me and even threaten to beat me up, kill me and even put a hit out on me if I ever got on them or told on them for anything.

 

[BaconCheeseburger]

Good news, guys. I had an interview last week, got the job and have emailed my notice to my current job today. I've got a week left of this stress, and then I can move on to.. New, better paid stress? Haha

 

[Miss clefable]

Good news, guys. I had an interview last week, got the job and have emailed my notice to my current job today. I've got a week left of this stress, and then I can move on to.. New, better paid stress? Haha

Congrats

 

[Misanthrope]

Really pleased for you Bacon. I really hope the new work environment is a less toxic experience and you can thrive. Maybe you will get a laugh from this site and know you are not the only one exposed to the open sewer of the general public and their absurdities. https://notalwaysright.com/

Take care.

 

[azucaramargo]

Good news, guys. I had an interview last week, got the job and have emailed my notice to my current job today. I've got a week left of this stress, and then I can move on to.. New, better paid stress? Haha

That's freakin' great, Bacon Cheeseburger! I have liked so many of your posts (the ones I can remember), and I'm really happy that someone I like is prospering. I'm so happy for you! One for the good guys!

 

[wiIIow]

I used to work customer service jobs, and I have many awful stories that I could tell. As someone with seriously debilitating anxiety, some people made those jobs truly unbearable. One story sticks out to me in particular, and was also the end of my customer service run:

I was working at a café/bakery/giftshop, and in fact was one of my favorite spots in town, so I was pretty excited initially. I thought it would be pretty chill, and surrounded by nice smells all day. Uh... except the main demographic for that place is old rich entitled white women. What a fucking nightmare

So this one chick orders a breakfast sandwich, which are all pre-assembled ij the morning and microwaved before serving. She asks me, "is the bacon fully cooked?" Yes, the bacon is cooked. "Well make sure the bacon is cooked, and extra crispy!" To which I explained that while being fully cooked, we could not necessarily alter the crispiness, or lack of, of said bacon. She was just like "okay yeah whatever."
So I give this bitch her sandwich and wish her a nice day and all that. She comes back inside 2 minutes later, stomps up to the counter, and throws a fucking tantrum. She literally started slamming the bacon onto the counter in front of me, "THIS BACON IS RAW AND DISGUSTING. YOU LIED TO ME. ETC" and like.. at that point I was freezing up badly so I just said "It is cooked, I don't know what to tell you." Lol

She left a bad and extremely dishonest/exaggerated review on yelp the next day and I got fired for it (the owner regularly checked yelp reviews)

Fuck customer service. People are so awful when you're in a position of servant and they have power over you.

 

[Sundayafternoon]

I feel like such an idiot. Sitting at this front desk with bright red puffy eyes and I'm sniffling and I have to answer questions as if nothing is wrong.

I know you wrote this a while ago but i can relate. I've sat at my desk and cried so many times since my first desk job in '00.

It's so frustrating having to deal with people and there silly egos. Not having an option to just go.

 

[Lefty]

I've worked customer service jobs and retail. They are worse. I can no longer work such jobs as they make it even harder to deal with my mental illness than it already is. Sorry you had to deal with that. I hope you feel better.

 

[stargazer]

Yes they are very difficult. But whenever I did those jobs, I didn't know what was the greater hell: doing stock all shift out back in a windowless, stuffy area, with minimal social contact apart from colleagues, or having to deal with customers at the register or at front of house/reception.

Such drainers. Even when I would do things right and be feeling in a good mood, all it would take is one negative customer to come on in and just plain ruin my day. That, or some criticism from management, did this wrong, did that wrong.

Is it any wonder I get apathetic, you'd think they would sympathise.

Customer service sucks. It sucks a lot. Courtesy is a two way street!!