CS posts full of OP ew suck.

[Lace Neil Singer]

What I'm thinking is less a snappy, witty comeback and more "I hate you. Go die in a fire".

[smileyeagle1021]

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

I'll admit there are times when I post where I tweak what I've said to make myself look better, and I think most people would be lying if they said they never have. Truth be told though, my best comebacks really were spur of the moment, not caused by wit, but caused by a brain to mouth filter failure and saying something I really shouldn't have and thanking the gods later that I never got in trouble for it.

As far as the store applauding, I actually have seen that once... okay, not at a store, but in a movie theater where a patron was being unruly and really ruining the experience for all of us, the audience did applaud the manager who escorted him out... that is a world of difference though (we were the ones being directly affected, not the staff) from applauding someone taking down a sucky customer who isn't affecting them beyond making it awkward and uncomfortable.

[guywithashovel]

I can understand the frustration. However, as someone who was a member of the forum back before the "Fail to See the Suck" rule got implemented, I can understand why it's needed and appreciated.

During the time I worked in retail and was a member at CS (2003-2005), it sometimes seemed like I could not post a work story without someone picking it apart and trying to make me look like the bad guy. One time, I posted a story about a truck driver who was nasty to me because I wasn't unloading his truck fast enough, and someone had to give a pity party about how his dad was a truck driver and that truck drivers got jerked around a lot and were on tight schedules and because of that were sometimes on edge and I shouldn't have been offended at this sucky truck driver because of this.

Gimme a break.

And then there were the self-righteous goody tooshoes who had to rake people over the coals for being too negative or ranty when venting about bad things that happened to them at work. Or even better, the Gold Star people who had to harp about how they were always calm, nice and professional with all customers no matter how sucky whenever someone admitted to losing even a little bit of their cool with an SC.

So yeah, I can understand why the rule is there. Heck, there I was, told that CS was a place for me to come and vent, and after a while, I started feeling a need for a place to vent about CS.

So thank you, mods, for implementing this rule. Very good move on your part.

[Ree]

So yeah, I can understand why the rule is there. Heck, there I was, told that CS was a place for me to come and vent, and after a while, I started feeling a need for a place to vent about CS.

So thank you, mods, for implementing this rule. Very good move on your part.

Thank you!

Many of the people who have the most problem with FTSTS are those who have been given mod warnings for doing just that.

I admit, I used to offer constructive advice when I thought I was reading a story where the member contributed to their own situation.

When I read a story and the member claims to have done everything right and given completely respectful responses to the customer, but then they claim that the customer went from zero to ballistic in a split second the moment they were told they could not be accommodated, and this person repeatedly posts the very same experience with every single customer in every single post, then I have to wonder if they are:
a) making shit up
b) not being totally honest about the way they handled it
c) honest about the customer going ballistic, but not aware that, even though they think they were being respectful, they may have come across as robotic or following a format and that put the customer on the defensive

If it's a case of answer "c" then I saw nothing wrong with letting the person know that, if the same shit keeps happening with every single customer, then maybe it's not the customers, and perhaps they need to look at their customer service skills.

Unfortunately, the situation described in the quoted post is exactly what started happening.

I stopped posting work stories entirely, and only rarely post about sucky coworkers or management now.

(The coworker/management thing is because I worry about someone finding the forum and reading about themselves.)

After posting several stories that I felt were about quite sucky customers, I got all this "devil's advocate" crap and I realized just how annoying it was when I had just posted to vent.

[Peppergirl]

To add to what Ree said, it would be simply too difficult of a job for (volunteer, unpaid) mods to allow the pointing out an OP's error, assuming it's done politely.

I honestly wish it could be this way, mainly because I think some of the more blatant offenders could stand to learn a thing or two about customer service.

However, we just don't have the time or the manpower to police the chaos that would ensue. Trust me, I'm not a fan of 'blanket' rules either. But in some cases, there's just no other way.

If you guys could see some of the crap we actually catch before it's even seen - you'd perhaps understand the need a bit more.

We do appreciate that the vast majority of you do seem to understand the reason we have to take such a hard-line on this issue. We have a great community here!

[smileyeagle1021]

c) honest about the customer going ballistic, but not aware that, even though they think they were being respectful, they may have come across as robotic or following a format and that put the customer on the defensive
.

C.5, perspective... as someone who suffers from depression, I know that there is a lot of times that people would look at me and say I'm being sucky, but what some people see as being unreasonable to expect to be right all the time is sometimes that one small thing that is keeping me from going over the edge. I do not mean to be overly sucky, but that's how it is. That is the hardest part of being on the boards is holding my tongue and avoiding pointing that out to people that what they see as a small nothing may truly be the straw that broke the camels back and to try to be more understanding.

To add to what Ree said, it would be simply too difficult of a job for (volunteer, unpaid) mods to allow the pointing out an OP's error, assuming it's done politely.

I honestly wish it could be this way, mainly because I think some of the more blatant offenders could stand to learn a thing or two about customer service.

to be honest, this is part of why I don't post that often anymore... I know that my sucky customers are by and large other customer service employees, and I know it's just a matter of time before I post a story about the sucky retail employee only to see the same day a post from someone about the sucky relay operator.

[Mytical]

On one hand I for one like constructive criticism..on the other not every critique is constructive. The rule is a good rule. We all need to vent. Typically my posts get very few replies, and that is ok..as they mostly are just that..to vent. There are tons of stories every day..if one doesn't suit you..don't need to post that..just read another

[blas87]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. It's a vent site, and no one needs to come home to vent to hear about what they coulda/woulda/shoulda done diffrently by the armchair experts and "blunt" assholes who just like the look of their own words on the screen.

[Gravekeeper]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. It's a vent site, and no one needs to come home to vent to hear about what they coulda/woulda/shoulda done diffrently by the armchair experts and "blunt" assholes who just like the look of their own words on the screen.

Pretty much. If someone vents and you respond with "Hey, here's where you fucked up", you've pushed a couch over top the vent. While constructive criticism is great and all, the ratio of constructive to unconstructive criticism on the Internet is hilariously lopesided.

Constructive criticism on the Internet is like finding a gold nugget after the sewer backs up into your bathroom. You weren't looking for it, certainly didn't expect it and even after you found it you still have a bathroom full of shit left you have to wade through. >.>

[blas87]

You worded it a hell of a lot better than I could have.

And while I'm obviously very glad about the FTSTS rule and whatnot, it's not that I don't believe people aren't partially at fault for some things, nor do I wear rose shaded glasses just because we're a community of friends. I do believe many members have been jaded from years of abuse in the retail field. I don't blame them, though, because I worked retail from 15 to 19 and if I can help it, I'd never go back. I'm quite jaded in my own line of work and I can see sometimes that I am actually just looking for things to dislike and reasons to hate someone, that other people have rubbed off on me. I'm trying to work on it. I'm better than I used to be about it.

And besides that, it still boils my blood when someone posts about someone who made them really upset at work, or whatnot, and someone just has to come along and find a reason to excuse the behavior or tell a stupid story of how their mother's friend's gynocologist did that once at a pharmacy but it was ok because it was the second Tuesday of the month.

[Racket_Man]

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.

this is the majority of how my job works. I really can not say ANYTHING snarky or nasty to a customers face. I can ONLY think it. yes it might show up in my face but..... which is why I only post stuff that, frankly, shows how dumb people are at times. I do not embelish my posts or add things to make me look better (the customers and others do a good enough job).

I have had enough posters do the FTSTS on some of my posts BUT they did not take the time to read ALL of my post/story where their "points" were addressed. they got sidetracked on some minor detail and inflated it out of proportion even AFTER I corrected them or posted the info again.

Heck I get a few SC's that deliberately just make stuff up to get free stuff.

Yes there will always be some that "go the extra mile" so to speak. but I would rather have that than the flame wars that used to happen many moons ago.

Dang have I actaully been around CS for almost 11 years now??????

[Gravekeeper]

I have had enough posters do the FTSTS on some of my posts BUT they did not take the time to read ALL of my post/story where their "points" were addressed. they got sidetracked on some minor detail and inflated it out of proportion even AFTER I corrected them or posted the info again.

Yes, I recall way back that use to happen with my posts too on occasion and it was kind of like....um....hey, I was there. You weren't. How the heck are you debating the version of events? >.>

[Canarr]

Constructive criticism on the Internet is like finding a gold nugget after the sewer backs up into your bathroom. You weren't looking for it, certainly didn't expect it and even after you found it you still have a bathroom full of shit left you have to wade through. >.>

I am SO stealing that for my sig...

But, yeah: as a mostly-lurker on CS, I, too, have often been annoyed by the FTSTS rule, since it really chaps my hide at times when there's an obviously made-up story, or some minor, childish annoyance that the OP inflates into some massive insult. But I get the importance of that rule, even if I don't like it, and I accept it (with just an occasional whine about it... ).

After all: Raps' house, Raps' rules. Don't like it? Over there's the rest of the internet...

[Rapscallion]

To be brutally honest, the vast majority of the rules are reactionary against behaviour that makes you think, "Why did they reckon it was reasonable to do that?"

Also brutally honestly, the vast majority of members are the sort of people I'd have over for a cup of tea and be able to trust them if I went to bed with the instruction of 'here's the key, let yourself out and post it back through the letterbox'. Most people are more than trustworthy. We've even avoided any sort of disciplinary action on more than one occasion over the years by giving people a quick nudge, or asking if they were ok as what they were doing was hugely out of character for them.

FTSTS - it's regrettable that it's necessary because of the bullshit stories we see. We don't have a good solution. If you do, please get suggesting.

Rapscallion

[Lace Neil Singer]

I had a bit of a hiatus from CS.com due to two things; a) thinking that my stories were boring compared to everyone else's stories of superhero status and b) thinking my stories were minor compared to others. Now tho, if I get an SC, I will post it. Sometimes the most minor issues are what makes an SC explode, and it can be funny to read about. I'm always happy if people reply to my thread or if a discussion erupts from it; such as the one I posted recently on 10p milk. XD

Someone in the past might have commented and said, "Oh, that lady wasn't being sucky, she didn't insult you did she?" when in fact, it was more her behaviour that was sucky, not her words. I was there, you were not.

Of course, I could have embellished it to have the SC spontaniously combust in the middle of the store... but then, that wouldn't be what happened, would it?