*sigh*

[kellinator]

In an attempt to deal with my work frustrations, I've been thumbing through a book titled Dealing with Difficult People in the Library.

The book is making me kind of depressed. Its advice in many places is basically the library is a public service, so suck it up. The example given is the cranky dad who rushes in three minutes before the library closes because his kid has a report due the next day. The librarian stays late to help the guy, who as he leaves is bitching because it took so long to get some books. My blood just boils reading that, but the book's only real advice is "don't take it personally." Oh, and the more people abuse you, the more you should suck up to them to "prove that you're listening to them as a person."

Am I expecting too much in thinking that people should be polite? That people should take responsibility for their own actions? Am I an idealist? An elitist? A fucking hypocrite because I can be plenty rude when I want to be?

Maybe I'm just not cut out for a service industry. Then again, I don't think I know anyone who is.

Comments

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

The library itself may be a public service, true. That doesn't mean the /librarians/ are. Why should someone stay late to deal with a nasty parent with no time management skills? I mean, sure, for five extra minutes or something if someone's nice about it I could see, but .. I don't see how 'sucking it up' to that extent is going to get anyone anything but walked on. I mean, people should be expected to have at least a modicum of politeness and common sense. We expect it of our children (or we should, anyway, but that's an entirely different rant).
It's always been my experience that kindness and courtesy on the part of the customer will get you a hell of a lot further than yelling - at least to the front line reps, anyway. They don't make the decisions. Yell at the higher-ups who do.
That said, apparently I'm weird for having this opinion, in some circles. So ... yeah.