Quote:
Originally Posted by Hugh
Richard, you state
Why is it, then, that most major companies* train their staff to respond to being verbally abused (on the telephone or over a counter) by informing the customer that it is not acceptable for anyone to be abusive, and if it continues, they will refuse to serve the customer/put the phone down.
There is a huge, huge difference between speaking to customers, employers, colleagues, suppliers etc with courtesy and respect (which I totally agree with), and being expected to accept verbal abuse.
*the companies I know personally who train this way are BT, O2, Next, Asda, Directline, Halifax - others I have been informed of, by people who work there, are the Hilton and Holiday Inn hotel chains, DWP, British Gas, Npower.
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Most people, on the face of it, would say that verbal abuse to staff is unacceptable- end of.
But, it depends very much on the situation and context.
- Many of my staff work in adult environments, often with people under the influence of alcohol. There's an old Yorkshire saying "when drinks in, wits out".
Many won't mean or remember what they are saying afterwards. Those who are going to get offended by adult conversation late at night are unlikely to pass their work trial period.
- What about a dissatisfied customer who has reached the end of his tether because of poor service and indifference/inaction in response to his complaints? What if it involved something emotive, like a funeral wake or his wedding day?
We all have different temperaments and will lose control at various stages. In this scenario, I would expect staff to be apologetic and examine what has happened, not make matters worse by going into a sulk. Sometimes people have a perfect right to be angry and verbal abuse to let off steam is preferable to physical attack.
- Should a nurse be subject to verbal abuse? Most people would say not, but what about when s/he is treating someone who shouts out an expletive due to the pain? Should they be left alone and no longer treated?
- What about if a waiter accidentally spills hot soup all over your new designer suit? There aren't many people who wouldn't react to that politely. Should the diner be refused service whilst sitting in soup covered clothing?
- Some people, unfortunately, know no other way to express themselves. This could be due to mental illness/disability, bad upbringing, lack of education etc. Sadly, this is getting even more prevalent with the emerging "underclass" and "Chav" culture.
If someone were to refuse service to someone suffering from Tourettes Syndrome, they may even find themselves on the end of legal action for disability discrimination!
Of course, there is a world of difference between these scenarios and someone walking into an establishment swearing at staff for the sake of it or to be deliberately provocative.
As you rightly point out, most companies have procedures to deal with such situations and, as long as these are followed and common sense applied, the employee/s should not find themselves facing disciplinary action.