*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

[nyxalinth.livejournal.com]

Sometimes, you meet people in the customer service sector--management, usually, who haven't been on the phones in years, if ever--who would agree totally with the book.

It majorly pisses me off that people take that attitude. Customer service jobs have a huge turnover because they treat the employees like shit and expect them to take shit from customers on top of it.

And then they wonder why they spend so much on training!

I know you don't work in a call center, but the idea seems to be the same.

[ladylabyrinth.livejournal.com]

Oh, it is. I've been in both retail and call centers, so I know exactly what it's like from both ends. At least in a call center you can hit mute and bitch a little to vent some steam. But this is why we have LJ. Read this little rant I put in my journal for an example.