Did I make the right decision by being honest?
I work as an accounts receivable clerk, and for the past several months, I’ve had to deal with a particularly verbally abusive customer. She often asks me questions that fall outside my job responsibilities and becomes infuriated when I try to direct her to my supervisor, the chief financial officer. Despite the fact that we’ve been communicating for six months and she knows I am the accounts receivable clerk, she belittles me by saying things like, “You’re the accounts receivable clerk, so you should know this.” She says this when she asks inappropriate questions or when I need a moment to gather the necessary information to respond to her inquiries. For instance, when I attempted to look up her account statement, she told me, “You don’t need to pull that up; I have it right in front of me.”
A few days ago, after another round of belittling comments and questioning my position, she asked to speak with my manager. I informed her that my manager had already left for the day, to which she reacted angrily, exclaiming, “Already left for the day?! At 1:30 in the afternoon?!” I calmly responded, “Yes, she has left for the day; would you like her voicemail?” She then requested my manager’s personal phone number.
Following our call, she sent my manager an email, suddenly adopting a polite tone. I was CC’d on the email and noticed she lied about certain details of our conversation. She later sent another email stating, “We’re okay with any payment terms for now,” despite having told me on the phone that our current COD policy wouldn’t work for them and demanding immediate shipments. Feeling compelled to address the discrepancies, I decided to inform my boss about the situation and even mentioned the customer’s request for her personal phone number.
I didn’t want to stir up trouble, so I tried to downplay the situation by suggesting, “Maybe she didn’t mean any harm, just comes off as a pushy person.” However, my boss found her behavior utterly unprofessional and decided to call the customer. So far, she has only received her voicemail.
Even though that woman was unprofessional and crossed the line, I still struggle with whether I did the right thing in telling my boss. I expressed to her my fears of appearing weak or incompetent, but she reassured me that wasn’t the case. Part of me wishes I had stayed quiet, especially since the customer seemed to gain favor by acting so sweet in her emails. However, I don’t believe someone who is abusive should be rewarded.
The motivation to speak up arose when a colleague joked and asked if I had experienced any verbal abuse that day. I mentioned the woman’s comments to him because it was his project she refused to pay for. The project manager acknowledged hearing that she was aggressive, and I confirmed, “Yes, she is verbally abusive. She told me, ‘You should know this, you’re the accounts receivable clerk.’”
If I appear unprofessional, then so be it. I’m struggling to cope with this incident and it’s weighing on me at home. I want to stress that her tone was always aggressive, and she cut me off whenever I tried to access our database for account details, insisting, “You’re an accounts receivable clerk, so you should know this.” With hundreds of accounts to manage, it’s impossible to memorize every detail. This makes me question my capabilities and feel inadequate in my role.
One response
It sounds like you’ve been through a really difficult situation, and I want to reassure you that you did the right thing by speaking up. It’s essential to stand your ground when facing verbal abuse, especially in a professional context. No one deserves to be treated that way, and by bringing the issue to your boss’s attention, you’re not only advocating for yourself but also setting a standard for how customer interactions should be handled.
Your feelings of discomfort and uncertainty are completely valid. Dealing with an aggressive customer can take a toll on your confidence and mental well-being. However, it’s important to remember that the way this woman treated you reflects her character, not yours. You’re in a challenging role, and it’s normal to not have all the answers at your fingertips, especially when managing multiple accounts.
Your boss’s reaction indicates that she recognizes the unprofessionalism in the customer’s behavior, and it sounds like she appreciates your honesty. Reporting the situation demonstrates initiative and professionalism, not weakness. It’s also a way of protecting yourself and clarifying the truth amidst any misleading narratives.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s okay to feel shaken after such an encounter, but you have shown strength by being honest about your experience. If her behavior continues to disrupt your work or well-being, keep documenting the interactions and share them with your boss to ensure you have continued support. You are capable and strong; this situation doesn’t define you or your abilities. Remember that you are doing your best in a challenging environment, and that’s something to be proud of.