How to deal with Not Nice People
By ssebrinatw
@ssebrinatw (175)
United States
April 10, 2011 7:17am CST
Okay, so I have a question for you all. What do you do if no matter how nice you are to a customer, they are just being absolutely nasty to you? So I work in healthcare doing the job that every patient dreads... I draw blood. I go in very slowly and quietly warning first that the lights will be going on. The moment I do this lady lets me have it every which way. I apologize for waking her and explain what I am doing and why and she starts with the hand motions that I am doing useless yapping. At this point I get very stern because she says it is ridiculous that I am waking her and I let her know I understand it's frustrating to be woken repeatedly but in healthcare, if you are sleeping it means we are not doing our job to get you better and out the door in a reasonable amount of time so she needs to let us do the job to get there. Of course she is cursing and cussing at me the whole time and says i'm ridiculous. Nothing got through. Do you feel I was in the wrong? How would you handle a situation like this?
1 person likes this
3 responses
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
11 Apr 11
That is a very good question. It is very hard to deal with rude and nasty people. I know how that is. I just try to be as nice as possible to them too. I think they regret being hateful sometimes, but some of them will never let you know it. You were not in the wrong. you were just doing your job. I think you handled it very well by not being hateful back, but instead, explaining yourself to them.
1 person likes this
@ssebrinatw (175)
• United States
11 Apr 11
Thanks steph! That's how I feel and that's what I attempted to do.:)
@GardenGerty (160697)
• United States
11 Apr 11
Obviously if she is in the hospital she must not feel well, and so she picked the closest target, and that was you. I just realized tonight what a grouch I am, and I just have a cold, I can only imagine how I might get if I was sick enough to be in the hospital. I have worked in nursing homes, and I was certain that you were going to be posting about that, many residents are mean and grouchy, because they hate being where they are, but the sweet ones sure do make up for it.
@ssebrinatw (175)
• United States
11 Apr 11
Some get mean and grouchy because they are sick, some because they are confused, some because they are frightened. It just really kicks you in the butt at the end of your shift when you're bright and smiley and really putting forth an effort.. just to get chewed out really bad.
@GardenGerty (160697)
• United States
11 Apr 11
You are doing an important job. Someone should have warned her, perhaps that she should expect these tests that early, but communication is not a strong point anywhere. I think what you did was fine and your calm demeanor was probably the best thing that you could do. I might have also added that you needed to get the labs drawn while she was fasting so that she would be able to eat breakfast when she got up for the day. For the most part my experience has been with outpatient lab, and the people are always so very nice. When I have been in the hospital I guess I am just not the type to get upset with people doing their jobs. You will find that it is good to be able to come on here and vent as well.
@GardenGerty (160697)
• United States
11 Apr 11
Basically it was her problem and you became an easy target. That is why it is good to keep a perspective on the situation.
@ssebrinatw (175)
• United States
11 Apr 11
Thanks for the support. I was so frutstrated. I was afraid I was being in the wrong, but I am one worker here that patients constantly say good things about and ask for by name. So this whole situation just flustered me.
1 person likes this
@kukueye (1759)
• Malaysia
11 Apr 11
well just ignore at her and do your job, just explain to your supervisor she is difficult and ask your supervisor to take over, if not just continue to follow the company policy, she can join other healthcare if she don like or go complain to your supervisor as your have just explain to supervisor that is against company policy the customer cannot sleep.
