CS posts full of OP ew suck.

[Josh]

just had to vent. really enjoy the CS site.. but one thing that just burns the frack out of me are some posters that dont see themselves as part of the problem. directly telling them that their attitude is the main problem is not allowed (i can see why) but having to read their self pious pompous view and further encourage that behavior by only allowing seal clapping adulations while disallowing feedback that points the obvious suck of their attitude is a disservice worthy of any super uber EW. didnt appreciate all the 'f' bombs either.

[Ree]

I wish there was a way to allow us to say, "Ummm...you're part of the problem," but we had to take that stance because it became a huge problem with infighting and debating about what constitutes sucky behaviour by customers, and that's not what CS is about.

It's meant to be a safe place to come and vent.

I actually agree with you about some of the stuff I read.
There are a lot of people in customer service who shouldn't be.

Not every customer is sucky, and not everyone on CS who comes to vent is without fault either.

If there was a tactful way of explaining how their own attitude or actions contributed to the encounter with the customer, that would be fine, but to allow it for one person means we have to allow it for all. Not everyone has the tact required, however, and that's when the problems start.

[Gravekeeper]

I admittedly skip a large measure of CS posts these days due to one of four things:

1) Op not realising their part of the problem.
2) Events of the story coming across as bullshit.
3) Ops actions in the story coming across as bullshit ( IE. claims of "pwning" SCs, etc )
4) Op just....raging....about the SC. Like so angry about it that it's uncomfortable to read.

[Ree]

2) Events of the story coming across as bullshit.
3) Ops actions in the story coming across as bullshit ( IE. claims of "pwning" SCs, etc )

TRUE!!!!!

Not much we can do about it, though.

Sometimes, the whole thing is just too convenient. (Customer makes a scene. Police get called. Customer has umpteen hundred thousand gazillion outstanding warrants for assault, grand theft auto, making Baby Jesus cry, etc. and off they go to jail. Pwned! Yeah. Right.
Clerk tells off customer in front of other customers and the whole store applauds. Alternately, CS member is a customer in a store and sees another customer behaving badly and steps in to defend the poor downtrodden employee and the whole store applauds.
Not saying that none of this could happen, but in some cases, with the telling of the story, you just wanna raise the flag. )

[Gravekeeper]

Clerk tells off customer in front of other customers and the whole store applauds.

Yes, and they always have the perfect snappy comeback ready just in case of an SC. >.>

I've never seen a store applaud. Normally a raging SC just makes everyone quiet and uncomfortable, shuffling their children away from the scene or leaving the store. After an SC departs, I usually just share a look of quiet understanding with the clerk after he realizes I know his suffering. ;p

9 times out of 10 a manager steps in way before any other customer can or would.

[Mytical]

Yes I've seen some post that make me wonder if they actually happened or the poster is inventing things, but I can see the point of the 'failing to see the suck rule'. In some cases, my older stories I can not honestly say exactly what happened..because I have the memory of a gnat that has ADD. So there is a good chance some things are embellished or changed. Though I try to be truthful, and it is what I remember..that doesn't say much because I have a horrible memory.

I think that may be the case with most of the posts that might be a bit hard to swallow. Though not all of course.

[HYHYBT]

If there was a tactful way of explaining how their own attitude or actions contributed to the encounter with the customer, that would be fine, but to allow it for one person means we have to allow it for all.

Well, that's not quite true. You *could* choose to allow only tactful and polite replies of that kind. You instead choose to disallow them all, regardless of tact or rationality, but that IS a choice. It's easier not to have to make as many judgment calls, but it's far from the only possible way the rules could be written.

Whether they *ought* to be written differently, I think I'll stay out of for this go round But there's no reason to claim it *has* to be all or nothing.

[Gravekeeper]

Well, that's not quite true. You *could* choose to allow only tactful and polite replies of that kind. You instead choose to disallow them all, regardless of tact or rationality, but that IS a choice. It's easier not to have to make as many judgment calls, but it's far from the only possible way the rules could be written.

But thats kind of the problem: Judgement calls. By allowing it, the moderators take on even more work parsing what is and isn't acceptable and invite tons more drama between forum goers. I'll freely admit being irked by CS.com's policies at times, but by the same measure I likewise fully admit said policies do a great job of keeping the site free of open drama and infighting.

The mods job is mostly reactive remember. I can see some massive shiatstorms being caused in threads even just in the window before something gets reported and addressed. Plus then everyone wants to reply to that thing and it spirals out of control until the whole thread gets closed anyway. It happens even as is now and then. Raising the possibility even further seems like a headache waiting to happen. -.-

[Ree]

Well, that's not quite true. You *could* choose to allow only tactful and polite replies of that kind.

Actually, the CS rules specify that ONLY tactful and polite replies are acceptable in ALL cases, yet, gee, the mod inboxes are hit daily with reports because some twat decided to go off the rails and attack another member. So, yeah, it sounds great in theory, but lacks in execution since there's that whole pesky human element involved.

You see it as a judgment call, yet members see it as a double standard if we allow one person to make a response yet rein in another member and delete their response.

A lot of people simply aren't aware when they come off as condescending, pompous, rude or snarky They simply see it as being candid and straightforward. If we even dare to suggest that their response came off badly, we get all kinds of nasty responses accusing us of favoritism and overreacting. "I said the same thing he did but you removed my comment and left his!"

"No, actually, your sentiment was the same, but you insulted them while the other person politely offered constructive advice."

The rules may not sit well with people, but every single one of them was put there for a reason.
It's like the warning label on some products, such as the ones telling you not to put an electric appliance in water.

Seems silly and unnecessary, but you just know, at some point, some dickwad tried to blow dry their hair in the tub and sued because nobody told them they couldn't do that and they got hurt.

Problems in the past on CS were answered with, "It's not against the rules," so we had to make a rule because common sense just didn't work.

[Lace Neil Singer]

*sigh* Sometimes I wish that my stories would end so neatly, with the SC being hauled off in handcuffs and/or being humiliated in front of the other customers... sadly tho, I'm limited to the truth. XD

Whereas I do sometimes post my thoughts at the time in italics, rest assured that I did not actually say those things to the customer. I'm not actually allowed to backsass customers, tho I think that some do deserve it.

[Ginger Tea]

I've noticed though on the posts that say "thoughts in italics/bold/whatever" end up having replies along the lines of OMG you did not say that, again some preface their posts with "This happened 3 years ago when I worked in another trade." which always gets skimmed over by someone who treats it as a recent event.

Re the warning lables post.
At work we have cooking instructions on our lids, nothing fancy just "Remove plastic and place in oven" "hot desert/liquid" "cold desert do not place in oven", no lable means just cook it as is. The ammont of times I've stressed that just cos we know this is remove plastic or cold desert, doesn't mean the person at the other end does and if the lidders don't put the lables or rigfht lables on, we can just send it right back for the correct ones, or if its just a few, do it ourselves.
I was once told and use this as an example, that our swiss roll type cake in a thiner clear plastic box was once put in the oven as it didn't have a lable saying not to, I don't know if we refunded for their stupidity or not.

[fireheart17]

I think there are a few where there's a case of Vinegar Boy syndrome rearing its ugly head however those seem to be in the minority.

I tend to avoid commenting on posts where the story is a bit TOO well-rounded. (like someone described earlier) Not necessarily trying to single out anyone in particular, but I've noticed that it tends to be the newer members of the group, who want to make a good impression and "top" the legendary stories, or even get nominated for their own War Story. To be fair though, there are some people who can come up with a decent comeback on the spot, while others may take some time for a comeback to be effective.

Of course, while some of the stories may be bullshit, they're still funny to read.

As for my earlier comment regarding the newbies, you do not necessarily need a great story to "establish" yourself in the community. Just posting once in a while about something funny you saw at the bus stop, or something strange that happened to you at work. Sucky Customer stories are good and all, but for some of us who were previously employed in retail and are now unemployed, sightings stories are still funny. CS.com sort of turns into your family over time, I followed Mono through her pregnancy, I have followed the stories of AnaKhouri and her son, I have always enjoyed reading up on IDrinkARum (or whatever her name is now) and Child Rum. Back when JoiTheArtist was still at her job, I looked forward to her driving her Dalek around the office and the pictures that accompanied it. I have seen people turn to the boards for advice (and I have on more than one occasion) and people have been more than happy to provide it.

I'm unemployed right now and I haven't posted a story in the Sucky Customer section for AGES. I have posted occasionally in the sightings section or more in the Off Topic section, but if someone is having a bad day and is just venting off steam on a particular thread then I'll let them vent. I might find some funny aspect to comment on, but that's it. Take Gravekeeper's posts for example: some of the stuff I don't find particularly sucky. Other people might however, for whatever reason. It doesn't matter to me-they find it funny, let them have their fun.

[bara]

Yes, and they always have the perfect snappy comeback ready just in case of an SC. >.>

I always think of the best snappy comments after the SC leaves. Personally, I find it to hard to think of snappy comebacks while I'm resisting the urge to choke them. Besides that, its not like I can actually say them anyway so no point in thinking them up at the time.

Just me though.

[Ree]

I've noticed that it tends to be the newer members of the group, who want to make a good impression and "top" the legendary stories, or even get nominated for their own War Story.

One might think that. There are actually a few who have been around for a long time that cause me to facepalm when I read some of their stuff, but they have a huge following who seem to hang on their every word like they're reading the adventures of a superhero.

I find that some of the newer members who are posting obvious embellishments seem to draw more attention and hit the BS meter a lot quicker so their threads die out.

[Gravekeeper]

I always think of the best snappy comments after the SC leaves. Personally, I find it to hard to think of snappy comebacks while I'm resisting the urge to choke them. Besides that, its not like I can actually say them anyway so no point in thinking them up at the time.

Likewise on both counts. Usually I'm too stunned by the stupidity or am simply loathing them silently. Nor could I really use said snappy come back anyhow.