Thread: The end of common courtesy? Or the end of professionalism?

So I got the job I interviewed for. Yay!

I have to go through thirty hours of training, so I called the person who is supposed to help me set up my schedule. I was a little frazzled because I'd just gotten home from school and I was in a rush to call the healthcare center before they closed, and I was trying to get all my papers organized just in case I was asked for my social security number or something, and this secretary answered my call.

Obviously I was a little distracted, especially because the dishwasher and the dryer were going and the tv was loud, and I had to go back and forth for numbers and such, so I couldn't quite hear what she was saying and I only asked her to repeat herself a couple of times, in a very polite and respectful manner, and she sounded so annoyed with me!

I guess maybe I was rude too, for sounding so distracted or whatever, but I don't see how I could have helped that. And I can understand why she was a little irritated, but from a professional standpoint, it's very unprofessional to sound so impatient when you're talking to someone. I talked to another secretary a while ago, just before getting ready to go to school, and she was super duper nice to me. She was one of those chipper, sunshiny people who is nice to everyone. Why can't they all be like that?

She told me she'd call me back in a few minutes. It's been an hour. Not sure I trust her.

Congratulations on the new job!

I deal with people all day, every day. Everyone from CEO's to administrative people. Most people are polite and professorial, but there are some who are indifferent and a few who are downright rude. There's really nothing you can do about it. I'm ALWAYS polite and professorial, even when I'm frustrated or annoyed. Most of the time, people respond in kind, but if they don't -- no big. Some people are jerks. I refuse to let them affect my mood. I have enough stress in my life as it is.

Thanks!

I know. I doubt I'll spend much time talking to her, for which I'm glad. I hate being around people like that.

Anyways, nothing can really put a damper on my mood now that I have a job. Woo hoo!

I have a job. Woo hoo!

I do hope this lasts a while before it turns into "I have to go to b****y work."

Congratulations, and give her a chance, it might have been the end of a long hard day and she might be really nice when you get to know her, she might even have a flying pet pig.

No I'm sure she's nice when she wants to be. I actually meant wouldn't be spending a lot of time around her. I won't be working where she works.

Originally Posted by Dreamworx95

I guess maybe I was rude too, for sounding so distracted or whatever, but I don't see how I could have helped that.

Perhaps by turning off the dishwasher, the dryer and the TV before you made the call??

Great advice. I'll be sure to take it next time.

Originally Posted by Dreamworx95

So I got the job I interviewed for. Yay!

I have to go through thirty hours of training, so I called the person who is supposed to help me set up my schedule. I was a little frazzled because I'd just gotten home from school and I was in a rush to call the healthcare center before they closed, and I was trying to get all my papers organized just in case I was asked for my social security number or something, and this secretary answered my call.

Obviously I was a little distracted, especially because the dishwasher and the dryer were going and the tv was loud, and I had to go back and forth for numbers and such, so I couldn't quite hear what she was saying and I only asked her to repeat herself a couple of times, in a very polite and respectful manner, and she sounded so annoyed with me!

I guess maybe I was rude too, for sounding so distracted or whatever, but I don't see how I could have helped that. And I can understand why she was a little irritated, but from a professional standpoint, it's very unprofessional to sound so impatient when you're talking to someone. I talked to another secretary a while ago, just before getting ready to go to school, and she was super duper nice to me. She was one of those chipper, sunshiny people who is nice to everyone. Why can't they all be like that?

She told me she'd call me back in a few minutes. It's been an hour. Not sure I trust her.

Without saying "I'm defending the Sec retary", I should explain that at my last job I was exploited-literally doing the work of six people. In addition to running a shift, I had a tremendous administrative load. I would leave work with my inbox empty and return the next day to find it full. My subordinates understood that I was quite busy, but everyone took it for granted that under my clothes were blue tights and a red cape. Saying that, people got upset with me because of the following:

Phone rings

Me: Shift Supervisor
Them: Hey, Dudester, how ya doing ?
Me: I'm quite busy. What can I help you with ?
Them (getting upset) Nevermind *hangs up*

I literally didn't have the minute or two of socializing to get to whatever they wanted, which was usually to call off the next day so that they could have a three day weekend, or to ask if they could jump the line to get their pay check ahead of everyone else.

Yeah but the difference is I wasn't socializing or calling to ask for a day off. I was calling for a legitimate reason. Obviously if she's a secretary, she gets paid to answer calls and help clients and employees, so I just didn't get why she spoke to me like I was a waste of her time.

But you do get it now, don't you? Otherwise my previous post was in vain.

Still harping on that is kind of weird.

Congrats on the job, Dream . Sometimes people are having a bad day and come across as impatient or short when they don't mean to. I've talked to people over the phone in public service, representatives of banks for example, and sometimes they're unfriendly at first (maybe just dealt with a grump), but after a few minutes of talking they realize I'm not hostile or looking to give them a hard time, and sometimes they lighten up.

People whose jobs put them at the mercy of the public, waitresses for example, have to deal with some real characters. I saw one lady in a government building once deal with this guy, complaining about his welfare or something, who was beyond rude. But she took it so zen. Didn't even phase her. I really admired that.

For the OP to be still harping is kind of weird, considering.

In the South, some people are v-e-r-y particular about how they want their fried chicken prepared. I was at a favorite haunt where they specialized in that. A guy came in and quickly became rude, then started crossing boundaries with racist taunts (he was black. The workers were hispanic). He was leaning across their counter and calling those girls many different names.

I was in uniform. The Manager glanced at me to make sure I had her back, then she handled the situation with quite a bit of grace. She finally told him he had crossed lines and she would refuse to serve him. He fired off a few more obscenities, then walked out the door. When he got about ten feet away, I went to the door and stood there. When he was about fifty feet away, he turned around like he had a second thought. For the first time, he saw me. He turned around and kept going.

When I walked back in, the Manager said "I'm glad you were here." I told her I had thought of intervening, but she had it controlled-and I saw no need to expose everyone to harm and making a mess.

I'm not harping on it anymore. I realize now she probably was just having a bad day, but I just can't help the feeling that she doesn't like me because I'm a young employee or something.