What Do They Want?! (employers, hired, office, training)
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Today, I got a written warning for how I work. In that written warning was an incident that I thought was giving quality customer service.
Some time ago, a customer needed a service, not provided by us but not in conflict with us, either. I looked it up for the customer as a courtesy, gave the customer the time they needed to be at the place to get the service and off they went, happy as could be.
I come back from lunch, and find out that the customer was back. Seems the website gave the incorrect information of the time. The customer said that when they got there, the company had changed the time just two days before...but did not update the website.
I felt bad for the customer so, again as a courtesy, I looked up the phone number to the place to contact them and get the right answer from an actual person. The person gave me the information, I passed it on to the customer and they were delighted for all of the help. They thanked me very much, said I should get a raise, (said this right in front of my boss, btw), and went on with their day happy.
So, in my write up I was told that I was unprofessional for doing this.
WT*?
I said I was trying to provide quality customer service. No one had to wait extra because of it, no customer was put out, there was no que of customers waiting while I did this. I had the time to do it and did so as a courtesy for this customer.
The boss of my boss got mad and yelled at me saying I should have just given the customer the phone number when they came back and have them do it themselves.
WTH?!!
Going above and beyond is now considered unprofessional?! REALLY?!!?!?!!?!? I have a fricken write up for trying to help a customer? Not just doing my job but doing more than I had to in order to give the customer a good impression of our establishment while putting no one out at all and THAT is unprofessional?!
There's no SOP that says we can only spend x amount of time with customers. Again, there was no que, there was no line of customers waiting to be helped, it was something I could do to help to give a little more than what is "required" of me.
I'm floored. I am absolutely floored. I do not even remotely comprehend how this is a bad thing. I should have just given them the phone number and let them call themselves instead of me doing a little extra and helping them. REALLY?!!
So much for "going the extra mile" and "going above and beyond" and "doing extra" to stand out and take pride in my job.
WT*!
I do not understand what the hell these companies want!
It's crazy **** like this that's driving me to be self-employed and getting out of the employment market entirely. To me it sounds like a setup; you mentioned that you were older than most of your co-workers and overqualified for the job. I don't mean to be blunt but I'm thinking they might be trying to drive you out to get someone else in for a lower wage. This happens all the time; I think they might be trying to drive my mother out of her job at the hospital (she's been there for over a decade and is currently a department manager there) from what she's told me.
As far as rulebooks for companies go, they really mean nothing in the long run. Companies can make up rules on the fly and don't give a damn what the employees think. The employee handbook is there partially to give the employee an idea of what the company MIGHT tolerate and what they MIGHT NOT tolerate. The company handbook can say that managers shouldn't do something, but in real life they can do whatever top management tells them provided it doesn't break the law. An employee rulebook doesn't make the workplace a democracy or free. Not even close, unfortunately. Employees don't have rights on the job. Even if you work for a laboratory as a scientist with PhDs in your field of work and have written peer-reviewed articles in respectable scientific journals, you don't have freedom. If your boss doesn't like you, kiss the job goodbye eventually. The scientist I just mentioned has no more freedoms or rights on the job vs someone working the fry pit at Applebees. College degrees give you no more job protection than even being a HS dropout; the only reason college degrees even hold their value is simply because the jobs that require them are somewhat harder to fill. They're still rare as of right now even with the glut of college grads, but even those jobs might not be available if the H1B visa program is expanded even more.
I wish you best of luck, anyways. This is ridiculous now with what employers pull.
You did nothing wrong, you helped the customer I agree with you WTF!! is right. I would have done the same thing in that situation. You have a very crappy co worker. I hope you find a job where you would be appreciated. Also make sure you document everything they do because that's exactly how my lovely experience started. It sounds to me like you have been doing CSR work for awhile now and you know how to treat a customer this place just sounds screwed up. I hope you find something decent soon.
That reminds me of when the GM pulled me aside and screamed at me in front of the sales managers simply because a customer was complaining about bad service and I responded with what I thought was a good answer I simply said, "Have you talked to Rick about this is? If the mechanic did indeed make a error maybe it can be corrected?" I was screamed at for about 5 minutes and told not to talk to customers. Well um I am the receptionist how is that possible
Idiot employers, and employees for sure.
Did everything they wanted me to do, today. Every thing.
At the end of the shift, I saw the boss' boss and said, "So, how was today?" because I made every f-en effort in the world to be the exact employee that they wanted. And the people I did work with today have not had and did not have any issues with me at any time. I figured I can't do better than today.
The boss' boss decided to tell me about a co-worker who had filed a letter with HR. In this letter, at the very beginning, SHE ADMITS that she has not worked with me yet, (she hasn't), but that I was rude to the customers and rude to her and dealing with me was "unpleasant".
I'VE NEVER WORKED WITH HER!
I discussed this with the boss' boss...how on earth can someone make that kind of judgement if they have never worked with me, as they admitted, and it can be taken even remotely seriously? (Of course I said it differently than that.)
Long story short, he basically told me it would be better for me if I resigned because no one wants to be terminated and, if someone calls asking about my work history there, they could say I worked from x date to x date and resigned the position or they could say I worked x date to x date and was terminated.
I said I thought I had two weeks. He said, in a nutshell, probably not.
I said I would like 24 hours to think about this and he said, "Don't think too long about it."
In essence, he's telling me, "resign or I'll fire you".
Because I gave a customer excellent customer service, (and I told him tonight that my boss was there and not a THING was said to me at the time...wouldn't that have been the appropriate time for that?), and because some f-en hag who has NEVER worked with me decided that she wanted to go along with her little friend, (the one who started all of this), and say bad things about me in a letter to HR. ADMITTING she has never worked with me or even knows me. She's never seen me work, she's never seen me interact with customers, NOTHING.
But they take that seriously.
Screw 'em.
So...I'm not going back. No point. I will write my letter of resignation and that's that.
Are you serious? I seriously do not even remotely understand how they can take a letter seriously from someone that you haven't even worked with! That's crappy.
I am so sorry and I hope you find something asap. Just apply, apply, apply and something much better will come for you it sounds like you are a good employee.
I cannot believe that after all you have been through, this is the result ( I believe it, I just DON'T BELIEVE IT). I am thoroughly disgusted at them and I know you must be too. I feel so bad for you, I know you worked really hard for this - but I absolutely believe that things happen for a reason and it will be revealed at some point in time. This place sounds like someplace I would not want to associate with anyway. If you are still on probation there will you still at least qualify for Cobra and UI?
I wish I could say something that would make you feel better, only thing I got is what goes around comes around, and I think there is something better out there for you anyway - you gave it your best shot. I hope you document everything and maybe talk to someone in Labor Relations and find out what your rights are. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers, and I am so sorry you are going through this. Sending you a giant (((hug))).....
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