The extra mile

[depechemodefan]

Back when Bill Clinton was in the White House, I learned not to go the extra mile. Because people will lash out at you.

We had stand-up computers . Then one day the IT people put 5 terminals on tables, and those computers were more popular than a drunk sorority girl at a frat party. No longer will our usual customer have to stand at a terminal for the 12 hours we are open! Now they can sit for the 12 hours we are open.

I got a lot of people coming up to me wanting to sit at the sit-down terminals but I would tell them they had to wait for someone to get up.

One day a guy comes in and says, "I need a sit down terminal."
I said, "I'm sorry, you would have to wait for one to become available." Then I decided to go the extra mile "Is there something I can do for you?" Because sometimes a person wants to use a computer just to see if we have a book.
He said, "you arn't doing your job."

Being new, I felt abused but I didn't say anything. Of course, he was an ass, not getting up since he got there.

So I decided not to go the extra mile.

Recently, after a performance review, I decided to start to go the extra mile. I get in a big pile of doo with this SC, who also claimed he worked as a CSR.

Me:
SC: ass

Me: *greeting*
SC: I wanted a DVD and I called yesterday and they said they would have it ready for me. I came in and I couldn't find it on the hold shelf.
Me: Can I have your name:
SC: *gives me name*
Me: *after looking up his account* I don't see it's on hold for you. Did anyone call you yesterday? (note: we will call to tell people if we didn't find the material)
SC: Yeah, but I didn't understand the message they left on the machine.
Me: It seems they called you to let you know that we didn't have it (esp. since he came in and didn't find it under his name).
SC: Ok, that's fine.
(OK, he seems fine I should have just gone to the next call but I decide to go the extra mile)
Me: Do you want me to see if another library has it?
SC: yeah. The name of the DVD is Walking with chimps.
(So I type in the title and specify that it's a DVD. Nothing comes up)
Me: Ok, I don't see any DVD by that title. ARe you sure about the title.
SC: Yeah! I'm sure! I looked it up myself! I don't have a computer now but I found it and so did the other librarian!
Me: *looks by title, w/o the qualifier* Ok, I see that it's not really a DVD. it has page number and a call #...
SC: It is a DVD! I saw it said DVD!
Me: Yes, let me finish. under the prefix it says DVD but it doesn't say "video recording" after the title. It was cataloged wrong. It's really a book.
SC: *says other things that I don't remember, but is arguing with me* You know what? You are rude! I worked as a Customer Service Representative and I know you don't know how to talk to people! I want a manager!

So I go get a manager, and I find the original request, which showed that it wasn't found on the shelf.

The manager talks to him, then tells me "I want you to apologize to him." I say "no." She says "Do it for me" So I get on the phone and say "I'm sorry." But I don't hear him respond.

Worst part, the librarain from the day before didn't catch that it wasn't a DVD, but put the order in anyway. She was in the room that day when he called back. She told the manager that I was rude to the customer. Nice back stabbing, bitch. The only thing I can say was my voice got higher as I got more agitated.

[powerboy]

I will will go the extra mile. But once they are an ass to me, then forget about it.

[wagegoth]

The manager talks to him, then tells me "I want you to apologize to him." I say "no." She says "Do it for me" So I get on the phone and say "I'm sorry." But I don't hear him respond.

Why? The library is a free service paid by my tax dollars. I expect the librarians to be helpful and knowledgeable; I don't expect them to be kissass doormats.

My guess is that most of the people who are rude and demanding probably aren't paying taxes anyway.

[Apathy]

Worst part, the librarain from the day before didn't catch that it wasn't a DVD, but put the order in anyway. She was in the room that day when he called back. She told the manager that I was rude to the customer. Nice back stabbing, bitch..

Seriously, what the hell? I tend not to expect that kind of crap from coworkers.
Well, unless you get the "All for the company" people that desperately want to be management.

[depechemodefan]

I will will go the extra mile. But once they are an ass to me, then forget about it.

I'm too jaded to go the extra mile. sad. But I suffer less stress, go figure.

Why? The library is a free service paid by my tax dollars. I expect the librarians to be helpful and knowledgeable; I don't expect them to be kissass doormats.

Thank You.

My guess is that most of the people who are rude and demanding probably aren't paying taxes anyway.

I got one guy angry at me and he says, "I'm a laywer and I pay taxes." What he wanted was the want ads to look for a job. He was angry at me for asking for his id, when we always ask for id to hold on to.

Seriously, what the hell? I tend not to expect that kind of crap from coworkers.
Well, unless you get the "All for the company" people that desperately want to be management.

She's generally bitchy when you ask for help. I never go to her for any advise or help. Though outside of work I understand she's nice.

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

Your manager wouldn't know what a spine is if someone clobbered him/her over the head with us

[depechemodefan]

None of the managers have spines. The ones that do get promoted to IT or the director's office, somewhere they can't help their co-workers.

For ex., we have handicap terminals. That is what they are called. It's just a terminal with a chair. Anyway, this guy was just sitting at the terminal, not doing anything but writting something in long-hand. I tell him that that terminal was for computer use. He said that he was going to use it. I tell him he had to log in. He said if anyone was waiting, and no one was (though believe me, if someone was waiting, I had people say "I was here first!" or "well I'm using it"...people do not want to let go of a handicap terminal because it's a sit-down terminal). He said that I was bothering him and to go away. So me, being tempermental, called security. And so the guy decides to have a staring contest with me. I'm helping other people, he's staring at me, and not writing and not using the computer. So security comes, I tell them what is happening and of course he has to interrupt, and finally he calls for a manager. So a manager shows up and then pulls me asside and tells me that I'm to leave him alone. Now, there are other handicap terminals in the library. We weren't busy. Since this man was hostile with me, the manager should have done me the favor and found another handicap terminal for him. She didn't do that.

Believe me, people walk in a library and people who have a right to a handicap terminal (heck, it's not just for the disabled) and if they see someone sitting there they will usually leave. And we've had people not want to leave the terminal, even though there's a time limit for all terminals. If we tell them "there's someone waiting, you've been there past your time, you have to let someone else use it." The a-holes will argue with you.

Originally Posted by depechemodefan
The manager talks to him, then tells me "I want you to apologize to him." I say "no." She says "Do it for me" So I get on the phone and say "I'm sorry." But I don't hear him respond.

Why? The library is a free service paid by my tax dollars. I expect the librarians to be helpful and knowledgeable; I don't expect them to be kissass doormats.

Re-reading your response, I don't know the "why" is why I apologized or why I was asked to apologize? I apologized because my manager at the time wasn't really a manager. The manager of the phones got shifted to another dept. and her underperson became responsible for the phones. Then we moved to another building and the only help she had was me. She was overwhelmed, but she was doing fine, I just thought it was bullshit that they got a person who was a librarian 1 to do a librarian 3 job, and she had all this responsibility and it wasn't fair to her. I felt sorry for my manager and I just didn't want her to suffer more. Really, hard to explain. Though when she was hired a year before, she had a set of duties, and when out of the wisdom of the higher ups (ie, people in a fantasyland where they imagine glory but put unrealistic goals on the librarians) gave her responsibility which she didn't sign up for, and isn't getting paid more for, I felt I was helping her, not giving in to the asshole.

[Peppergirl]

Wow. Your so-called managers suck, DMF.

I give you credit though, I'd have flatly refused to apologize and would have probably gotten fired for my trouble.

I had a manager back in the day who admitted he knew I wasn't wrong but wanted me to apologize anyway, I refused multiple times and he wrote me up for insubordination and some verbiage about not respecting the customer.

Thankfully, the HR director was doing her job properly and after investigating, revoked the write up.

I quit shortly after. I couldn't work for someone I had lost respect for. It's a shame too, because I really liked that job.

[chainedbarista]

wow; you didn't owe that douchesnausage an apology, period. for a 'csr,' he seems to be lacking in the very skills he mentioned, making me wonder how long and if he really was one.

as for the ass kissing, i don't expect that from anyone; it's too demeaning as a person-i prefer real and honest (tempered within reason), rather than corporate brainwashed zombies. bah.