"I only take it personally if they make it personal. When I worked in retail it wasn't really an issue since people who are rude to retail workers are usually those who just want someone to be angry at. The sort of business I work for is kind of complicated and we have "regulars." One guy told me I was not nice, no one likes me but everyone loves my supervisor and that I'm a bad person. It wasn't about the company, it was about me. I did take that personally since the guy meant it (he's a bully) and nonetheless I do not take calls from him anymore. He can all someone else.
I don't care if people call to complain about the company (since hey, I hate some of our policies too). But there is never a reason to insult someone as a person, especially someone who is trying to help you."
Oh yeah, I remember one time when the company I was working for was offering free coffee mugs to new customers. Now, these coffee mugs were the cheapest plastic things you could possibly get - in fact, they would fall apart after just one round in the dishwasher, but they were FREE. One day an older customer of ours calls in demanding a free mug. The supervisor was already VERY adamant on NOT giving out free mugs to people who weren't NEW customers so, I had to tell him no. He proceeds to start screaming at me and calls me a "F***ING B**CH" and hangs up.
Then we had another woman call in with a broken power chair. In these situations, it's policy to fill out a questionnaire in order to provide 24 hour "Emergency Service" and while I'm trying to fly through the questions as fast as possible in order to send help, she starts screaming and calling me profane names. Finally I tell her that I'm only trying to help and unfortunately I have no choice in the rules I have to follow. Her reply? "I hope someone cuts off both of your legs and you're left alone to live a miserable life or even better - DIE." At that point I hung up the phone immediately and had to step outside to collect myself.
I took a vow to never do that sort of work again after that. That job actually started to make me a bit bitter toward people in general. Glad I was able to get out and get back to normal though.
@Anonymous wrote:Mortgage Loan Officer in California here
. What about you?
breaking bad
@Anonymous wrote:I work as a Customer Service Representative in a Call Center.
I take all the customers that are mean, screaming my ear off, and swearing profanities at me for something I didn't actually do.
Next time you call in to Customer support, please be calm and understand we are here to help even if we can't do much more because of the policy.
Sorry to hear that. I feel your pain. I did that for 3 years as a rep, 2 more years as a supervisor. Mine was in a medical call center (aka doctor's answering service). Patients, doctors, nurses... they all can be nasty.
I am still with the same company except now I work for corporate in a separate department. I still "work for" the call center, but I'm a software developer for the call center applications that the operators use during calls. My current supervisor actually sought me out because of the industry experience and software experience I have. I make a lot more money now though. And no phone calls! 
@Anonymous wrote:I work as a Customer Service Representative in a Call Center.
I take all the customers that are mean, screaming my ear off, and swearing profanities at me for something I didn't actually do.
Next time you call in to Customer support, please be calm and understand we are here to help even if we can't do much more because of the policy.
Much respect! Been there done that... I only lasted 3 months before I felt like I was going insane. Needless to say I no longer work with the public
IT grunt.
Password resettin'
Telephone help deskin'
Wifi router unpluggin'
Server rack kickin'
3am "emergency" respondin'
Memory module reseatin'
Spider nest in the HR Director's ancient Windows XP machine eradicatin'
Boy howdy, I do it all.
