Suspended with pay.. Will I be sacked?

JReacher1

BorisThomson wrote: »

Or how about a little humanity?

Once you make a complaint you have no control over the level of punishment that person receives. How would you feel knowing that person could lose their job, knowing that their benefits will then be sanctioned because they've been sacked?

Good old Christian values eh!

If people thought about the consequences of their actions then they would take more care over how they behave.

Although I wouldn't complain myself if I phoned up BT and the person at the other end of the phone said "!!!!!!! Computer" I would not be impressed with the service I received! As it is the OP will hopefully learn when he is in a workplace he should not be swearing

pmduk

JReacher1 wrote: »

I would not be impressed with the service I received!

I wouldn't begin to justify the outburst, but to his credit, the OP has admitted to being in the wrong from the outset.

Fortunately, customers could never hear some of the names I was calling them in my mind. Colleagues knew that the more politely I said, don't worry, that's what I'm here for, the longer my personal time to calm down would be!

TyreLever

ScorpiondeRooftrouser wrote: »

Are we really living in a world where some sensitive soul is so upset at overhearing someone swear that heads must roll for it?

Does this person never go outside their own front door?

While the advice above is no doubt best for the OP to follow, to be safe, the customer's attitude is !!!!ing ridiculous.

Thats the way of the world now. Its why even the sickest of criminals have rights, and its why one day I will be allowed to bare my anus but have to wear a balaclava:mad:

John-K_3

pmduk wrote: »

Having worked in call-centres, there are no shortage of customers like this! Rarely would a day pass without someone promising to have my job.

The other side of it of course is that customers are often at the end of their tether by the time they get through.

Something has gone wrong with a product or service, they have called a number, sat waiting for fifteen minutes while, being told disingenuously that the call is important, and then quite possibly bounced around what sound to be uninterested teenagers.

It is understandable if then they get sworn at that they complain.

Edited to add, OP, I hope that you do not lose your job over this. As above, apologise, say you have learned from your mistake, and hope for the best.

Detroit

While I think it would be a great shame for the OP to be dismissed over this error, I'm surprised at the posts implying that there was nothing wrong in his action and that the company are overreacting.

It seems quite reasonable that a company would expect client facing employees to avoid any behaviour that clients may deem offensive.

The fact is, many people do find swearing offensive and it is part of our culture that certain words are not deemed polite.

While I would not have complained as the customer, I don't think it can be argued that the use of language that is unacceptable in a business environment fell short of the service a customer is entitled to expect, and the image the company would want to convey.

I would certainly go for the unreserved apology approach, with no excuses about management wanting to leave, as this looks like trying to partly shift the blame.

Jobbing musicians suggestion is imo by far the best approach.

pmduk

John-K wrote: »

It is understandable if then they get sworn at that they complain.

I believe you may have misread or misunderstood the thread of the post. Nobody has been sworn at. The OP swore at his computer in the hearing of the customer, which he himself accepts was unacceptable. It can be a nightmare wrestling with unfamiliar computer systems so soon into a new job.

What he did has to be a huge lesson for him, in what is probably already a steep learning curve.

There is never any excuse for a call-centre agent to swear at a customer, (or indeed vice-versa). I'd expect such an action to lead to disciplinary action for gross misconduct. Probably instant suspension, followed by dismissal.

ThemeOne

Nothing really to add, but I wonder what the OP will do if he gets offered another job, and *doesn't* get fired from the current one! A happy predicament to be in after all the agonising,and you never know your luck ...

John-K_3

pmduk wrote: »

I believe you may have misread or misunderstood the thread of the post. Nobody has been sworn at.

No, I think that you have misunderstood. The OP did not intend to swear at the customer, but clearly that is what they did.

I was also responding to the more general point, about how customers can feel when dealing with call centres on occasions other than this one.

xapprenticex

Control yourself, there is no need to swear at work especially when its customer service orientated.

Tahlullah

John-K wrote: »

No, I think that you have misunderstood. The OP did not intend to swear at the customer, but clearly that is what they did.

I was also responding to the more general point, about how customers can feel when dealing with call centres on occasions other than this one.

I believe there is a world of difference between saying 'fxxxing customer' and 'fxxxing computer'.

One is aimed at you and the other at the situation. An adult should be able to tell the difference.

The OP made a mistake in making his comment where the customer could hear, but he did not swear at the customer.