I just had a man call and he got everything that I told him wrong.
His mother was hysterical when she got on the phone thinking we weren't going to service them until next week. I said, no, that's not at all what I said.
Well, my son is mental and doesn't understand things.
And I know better--but...
I said, Then why would you have him call?
We finished the phone call, I got her straightened out about her service, and I got a ten minute lecture about how hurtful it was of me to have said that. Knowing that I was in the wrong, I refrained from asking her if it wasn't HURTFUL to put her son in a position that he is unable to handle, and then tell everyone that he is "mental"???????????????
She is evil and ignorant, and now I feel evil and ignorant.
4 comments:
Im just completely annoyed on your behalf. My son is "mental"? And YOU were hurtful because you asked an obvious question? Its not you buddy.....not you at all...
Thanks, CRSE!!!
I knew it was a mistake as soon as it fell outta my mouth, but what can you do at that point? I offered one faint apology at one point, but didn't re-iterate it as she went on and on about how hard it was on HER to have to cope.
We have a schizophrenic guy that comes in and has some truly epic conversations at me, to the point that his mother has come in to apologize, so I really don't think that I am super insensitive.
But I was a bad, bad CSR, and so I could not tell this lady what I thought. Okay, maybe I'm a good, good CSR for NOT telling her.
I'm so confused.
Perhaps Mom was just trying to let him feel useful/competent/busy and it backfired. I confess to doing that with my son from time to time because he needs to learn how to do stuff. If mom is old, she may be worried about how he's going to function when she's gone and is trying to ease him into dealing with things slowly.
However, then getting on the phone and explaining that her son is "mental" (which says to me that she's old - no one uses that phraseology anymore) is kind of rude and puts you in an awkward spot. A better way to do that would have been to call first, explain the circumstances and THEN put the son on.
You sound like a great CSR to me. Even angel's halos slip from time to time (or there wouldn't be a cliche about it!).
That was just so totally rude of her to do, she set you up. And from the sounds of things she does it often and probably enjoys it. What a lovely woman.
If she wanted to give her son some experience with getting something accomplished, she should have gotten on the phone and explained the situation beforehand to you, then let him talk. Or she could have been more sensitive herself than calling HIM mental. I mean seriously, what mother would call their child that?
But we've all had those days when we wish we could take back something we've said. It happens.
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