Do you ignore end users snide remarks?

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I will be honest with you I am still adjusting to the professional world.. there is nothing I dislike more than bullies and the corporate world is infested with them. Now if someone were to try bully me on the street my first thought would be to knuckle up on the spot broad daylight but obviously at work this cant be done as much as Id love to. I hate when end users have an issue and you are asking them about the behaviour of a certain problem and they are trying to make your life as hard as possible.. do you just ignore this? Or would you be rude back? So far Ive kept it together but Im getting sick of being spoken to like a dog..

 

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Well to be fair, in those sorts of situations it is best to cover yourself and dont give them the chance to complain about you to your manager. I have had a few spats with people but I have noted things down for when it has been brought up through a manger etc.

I do find sarcasm works really well for me, it does stop me effing and jeffin which is not really a good thing to do. Sometimes you will have to grin and bear it then pounce when they want a favour.

 

Sarcasm is the way forward mate! I LOVE sarcasm. People say its the lowest form of wit, I disagree.

Instance, The same user at my place every couple of weeks, something isn't working. Its not a problem with equipment, its because the user is a complete F*ckwit. He is one of these that isn't senior management but wants to be and seems to think he has this ungodly right to be dealt with first.

he is condescending, rude, obnoxious and ignorant. So I go out of my way to be nice to him. It REALLY winds him up and I love it. He calls Service Desk moaning and shouting. Its got to a point now where he asks that they send someone else. Problem with that is I am the only person in London so it has to be me.

He knows he cant intimidate or bully me and he HATES it, which makes me do it even more mate. He cant goto HR, what can he say, "Ron is being too nice to me"

Honestly mate, don't let them get you down. Oh, and Document EVERY SINGLE THING! Same User, I requested X and you have given me X. Go through the paper trail (Email and Service Now), No you ordered the wrong thing, not us.

Honestly, the guy HATES me.

 

Hmm I will try the sarcasm approach..thanks

 

Sarcasm definitely wouldn't work for me. That just gives them something negative (attitude) to complain about. Most times I try to make it a collaborative process, such as "OK, I see you're having this problem, lets work together to solve it. When did it start or what are you seeing?" Some people are just jerks and feel so unempowered or threatened in their roles that they have to try to push someone around that they view as inferior. The way you approach your job is to set a professional, collaborative tone from the start and stick to it. Even so far as to say, "Look, I'm here to help, you can make it easy or hard, how about we just work through it and we both can continue to work on our jobs?" That's my two cents anyhow and what I find works best for me.

 

Fair point mate, but I think in some instances that doesn't work.
Ive tried the whole "lets work through this together" and its met with "Its not my problem, your the IT Man, make it work".

When you are met with that sort of negativity, its very hard to want to help someone.

 

I just don't think bullies should be let off the hook lightly... I am considering going to my HR about him even though that really isn't my style but I want to cause him problems if possible, seeing though I am not in a position where I can put my life on hold and do a 6 month stretch for assault, I will punish him differently.

 

If he is a bully, stand up to him, just cover your back when it comes to the crunch. Write down and document everything. When it comes to a paper trail make sure you are not left open to any comeback.

As for going to HR, be very careful on that as some HR depts can be a bit leaky with the info they recieve. If you want to cause him problems, think of a better way where nothing comes back to you. Be like me, the teflon kid.....nothing sticks

 

Just stand up for yourself.

I had a situation a month or two ago where some guy was effing and blinding at me and I just stood there and told him firmly not to speak to me that way and it wasn't acceptable.

Basically everyone took my side on it, and now I don't really have to put up with his shít any more. He's also nice as pie..Even though I'm sure he must change his tune when my back's turned, but who cares?