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People out of work can't be choosy when on a job hunt.
It's seldom they land on a meaningful gig that makes them happy and where getting a paycheck on top is the proverbial icing on the cake.
So they take what comes their way as a means to an end
Redditor scottmforreals asked:
"Which profession gets the most hate just for doing their job?"
People working in the customer service industry can't catch a break.
Don't kill the messenger.
"Customer support. Where your capabilities are judged on your ability to help someone while they are cursing you."
– Abhinavpatel75
"Customer support: the poop shield for the company higher-ups."
– brtzca_123
"Soul-Crushing"
"If you're on hold for a long time to talk to CS, it's because the top brass don't care. They could hire more people and provide good service if they cared about their customers."
– DoctFaustus
"I used to work for an internet company for a while as a contractor for a few months. My entire job was to call customers who were supposed to have a technician come out today to fix their internet only to tell them that we don't have an available technician and I'll need to reschedule them."
"My service area was northern Florida. Along with six other contractors, I would each get a list of at least 100 customers a day to call. It was so bad that we didn't know how to react when a customer was actually nice and understanding, haha. Of course, our managers were unavailable every time the angry customers asked to speak to a manager."
"That job was soul-crushing..."
– Zjoee
Dealing with people on the phone is one thing. Dealing with customers face-to-face is another.
At The Register
"Cashiers. I promise they don’t set the prices."
– MayaGitana
Working In Sales
"Most retail work. I once had a lady waiting outside the store for almost 2 hours when I worked customer service at a toy store just to tell me how I ruined her kid's birthday by not giving her a popular toy that we were sold out of. Lady, I don't control our inventory."
Gas Pricing
"I worked at a gas station back in High School. So many people found it appropriate to blame me for the gas prices."
"Listen, if I could control the gas prices, I sure as sh*t wouldn’t be standing at the counter of a gas station at 10 p.m. on a Friday night."
– wynnduffyisking
Human Punching Bag
"I worked as a manager for a convenience store in the early 1980s. Cigarette prices went to $1 a pack. For a few days, I received lots of comments and more than a few packs thrown back at me. People complained but then came back an hour later and paid the dollar."
– Upstairs-Radish1816
Brewing Resentment
"I used to work as a barista in a well-known coffee shop chain, and I had GROWN adults hate my guts because I made their 'special' drink wrong. Most of us are just trying to get by in life, man. Lol"
– Reddit
People break down what it is about customer service workers being easy targets.
They Are Not The Problem
"My parents would spend hours every few weeks cussing out and yelling at the top of their lungs to tech support or any customer support for cable, any bills they had, etc. and I remember feeling SO embarrassed for how my adult parents were acting."
"Now, even if I am furious and really pissed off over a situation and have to contact someone in customer support I try to start casual conversations with them about their day or get to know them because I know they are not the problem!"
"I’ve had so many calls where they genuinely did help me and learned a lot about random strangers. I understand what other types of customers they’ll have that day, so I always try to make their day as best as I can. A little goes a long way! I feel for people in customer support."
– Subject_Monitor_4939
Flawed System
"I have come to the opinion that customer support infrastructure is built to be annoying on purpose. This is so when the customer finally gets to talk to a human, they are more upset than they normally would be because they just had to go through the infuriating support network."
"Then when they realize how mad they are over something so minor, they apologize and let the company walk all over them without really addressing their complaint."
– c2dog430
It Pays To Be Kind
"Back in 1983 I worked at Toys R Us when the Cabbage Patch Kids dolls came out. People went NUTS over these damn things. We had to keep them hidden in the back because there would be actual fistfights between parents to get them. People would buy them and sell them for 10x the price."
"I worked in the back stock area, assembling bicycles and various toys that people paid for assembly. (note: never pay for the store to assemble things. We were rushed, untrained, and didn't care if parts were left over or if it was done right) If someone came to pick something up and was really nice to me, I would let them know we had one Cabbage Patch doll left (we actually had many) and give them the purchase coupon for it if they wanted to go buy it."
"So always be nice to your store employees. It could pay off."
– OddDragonfruit7993
What Grandpa Taught Me
"Honestly, I’m glad my grandpa drilled the lesson of dont be sh**ty to food service and retail workers, he always told me 'you can always tell the character of a person, by how they treat someone in a worse off position (real or perceived) than themselves.'”
– Funtimes1254
Some Redditors thought these examples should've been at the top of the list.
Road Rage
"Trucker here. People go absolutely ape-sh*t at the very idea that I have a lower speed limit than they do and actually have to obey it. People risk death every day to not be behind a truck for even a few seconds. Ten years over the road and zero accidents, but the number of close calls has been in the thousands."
– Puzzleheaded_Pea_753
Hating On Attorneys
"Everyone hates a lawyer until they need one."
– Designer-Equipment-7
"People really don't understand how the justice system will start to f'k up the life of everyone accused of a crime when even the worst murderer doesn't get a fair defense."
– EvaSirkowski
"Even when they need one. Sometimes you work your butt off but you don't get the result the client wanted even if you warned them that it wasn't possible. They still hate you, you didn't work hard enough."
"You got what they wanted but not as much as they wanted? Yeah, you could've done a better job."
"You lose the case because it made no sense at all and the client was in the wrong? 'I'm not paying you, you didn't get me what I wanted!'"
"I'm tired of this, honestly."
– ZucchiniAnxious
A Common Misconception
"Social workers - they don't exist just to destroy your family and take your kids."
– errant_night
"Also, their pay is incredibly low for the hours they put in. Being on call. Putting up with violent parents. Listening to children describe how they were abused. A lot of nightmares and taking it all home with you."
– meanycat
"It’s worth pointing out that social worker is not synonymous with CPS. Most don’t work in CPS at all, although all of them are mandated reporters.
Even with CPS, the real problems are systemic. In my state, CPS workers have massive caseloads and are chronically burnt out, which is a huge part of why people have such sh*tty experiences with them. I’m sure other states have the same problems."
– zarathustra327
If you're ever not satisfied with customer service, think twice before you lash out at the person trying to help you.
Most of the time, your irrational behavior in the heat of the moment is not warranted.
There's always a better way to address a problem rather than making someone feel potentially even worse for being in their position.