1

User: “Use to teach basic computer skills to children at a school”

Issue: Computer mouse and keyboard not working

Phone Call:

Me: “How can I help you?”

User: almost yelling at me “My mouse and keyboard aren’t working I need you to come fix it”

Me: “Just relax there is no need to raise your voice”

User: yelling intensifies “I need to get work done. Why did you give me a broken mouse and keyboard?”

Me: “I’ll be right there ma’am with a replacement”

  • five minutes later I arrive at her station *

User: Continues to yell and blame me for the issue

Me: Looks over and turns on the computer “… you should be all set now ma’am”

User: looks away in embarrassment

Now my question is how would you handle a user yelling at you like this?

149 Spice ups
2

How dare you give me a computer that doesn’t turn on automatically.

155 Spice ups
3

Is ignoring an option?

21 Spice ups
4

I know I’m such a jerk

25 Spice ups
5

Note it on the ticket, await a contrite apology, raise it to your/their manager.

People get frustrated and can focus their feelings in the wrong direction. Most people who have misdirected their anger at me have subsequently apologised and I was happy to accept that.

80 Spice ups
6

Jokes on her when she realizes there is no OS on that system!

25 Spice ups
7

Be polite and walk away, do not lower yourself to be on the same level. Explain you can only do your job professionally when dealing with professionals.

65 Spice ups
8

I would note it in private notes on the ticket to document it. If it’s a one-off thing…everyone has bad days sometimes, though it’s no excuse to treat others badly. If it continues to happen, you now have documentation of each time it’s happened via ticket notes and you can use that as evidence to loop their manager in.

49 Spice ups
9

After I’d fixed the problem I’d have to say something snarky like:

“There, is everything working? Yes? Good. Next time you phone up with an urgent issue I’d appreciate some respect and being spoken to in a civil tone. Yell at me again and I’ll be filling a HR complaint against you”.

32 Spice ups
10

Totally agree with @joewilliams , sometimes people vent in inappropriate ways or direct their frustration at the wrong targets. People are people, sometimes we don’t like them. But we have to accept them sometimes and just move on. I’d say, personally, as long as she owned up to her mistake and apologized, we’d be all good.

6 Spice ups
11

A complaint to her manager and or HR.

Nobody deserves to be treated like that. I don’t care how shitty your life is or what your excuse is. I’ve been through some really bad times in my life and never once have I yelled at someone for something which was not their fault, or treated anyone badly unless they were literally asking for it.

People like to think of IT as “less than” and until we stop allowing them to, it ain’t changing.

14 Spice ups
12

Thank you everyone for the suggestions.

I did add it into the ticket what happened including how i was spoken to and treated and then she came in to apologize like 45 minutes after and she went down the street to the cafe bought me breakfast, coffee, and a small cake to say sorry.

152 Spice ups
13

There you go, just be polite, you’ve no idea of whats happening in someone elses world as to why they are being horrible.

Sounds like the person was having a bad start to the day and you got the brunt of it. But they were humble enough to apologise and with style too.

47 Spice ups
14

I’d prefer to give the user some leeway if they were just shouting and not swearing by having a quiet word. If it happens again then I complain.

3 Spice ups
15

When someone calls in or responds to a ticket by being rude on the phone I try and sympathize with the user. I let them know I understand they are frustrated that they can’t get their work done. I tell them I am hear to help if they can calm down I am sure there is a solution to their problem. If that doesn’t work I discontinue the conversation and call my boss before I say or do something that may get me in trouble.

3 Spice ups
16

Damn I probably would have notified her boss. You shouldn’t accept that kind of treatment.

3 Spice ups
17

I love the “Run to HR” responses at the first hint of conflict, life is full of conflict.

The nicest person in the world you know could flip out and attack you.

Privately a loved one has died, another family member just got cancer, their best friend is going through a divorce and they’ve got all those feelings inside their head and despite managing to keep it together…the tinest little most insignificant thing sets them off in an explosion.

Is it justified? No but we are all human and crack under pressure. Given the user apologised, then bought a few items to try and make up for it, well done to the user and well done to you for not reacting badly.

Going to HR is for genuine abuse or issues, running to the chain of command if someone says boo to you is not how you handle things.

49 Spice ups
18

I’d add it as a private note to the ticket. If it’s a one time occurrence just remember that we all loose it once in a while. If it’s a recurring issue with this user then you’ve started a documentation trail on them.

10 Spice ups
19

How would I handle it? Not well. Do not yell at me for your stupidity. I didn’t raise you.

4 Spice ups
20

Along these lines, one response I’ve used is, “Listen, I don’t work for you, so don’t talk to me like that”. You can put me in the IDGAF category. But, you know, I’m Sid (I strap people to rockets).

6 Spice ups