Working with someone you dont like?

Question

I work a telecommunications company and I deal with about 100 techs everyday that work out in the field. There is one inparticular that is always nasty and short with people, not just me. But today he got really nasty with me and I told him to please not take a tone with me. The tech got snotty and asked for my boss(who isnt in) but then asked for my immediate supervisor. She then called me into her office and I explained to her my side of the story. But my question is what do I do? Defend myself against someone that has been with the company longer and get labeled a *****? or simply apologize to him and make things better?

Answer 1

Did your immediate supervisor give you any advise on how to work with the person? If a person is just unpleasant, you probably will just have to ignore the person, but if he or she is abusive in anyway, you should make a complaint about the person to your supervisor or HR.

I always try to play a game with myself and these jerks, to see if I can find a way to tame them, and get them on my side...

Answer 2

Be professional, don't apologize. Ask your boss if you should be documenting this tech behavior. The big issue is this person maybe nasty to customers in the field, and that is not good.

File a complaint with HR. You have 99 other techs out there that respect you and treat you nice, surely people will know you have a bad egg on your hands.

Answer 3

Unfortunately there are unpleasant people everywhere you go, and you have to deal with them. You were right to be offended by the tech's tone, but there is probably a better way you could have addressed the situation than to call him on his tone, especially if he has been there for longer than you. Seniority plays a major role when supervisors are trying to settle a work conflict. To show you're a "team player" and avoid this guy getting you fired, you might just have to suck it up and apologize.

Answer 4

It might be good for you to put this situation down on paper and ask that it be made a part of your employee file. You could add to it that you have a problem with this particular tech on a regular basis but not with others.

You could be sickly sweet to this tech, but that doesn't always work with rude people. Once he is done ranting and being nasty, (you being totally silent), then say "so how may I help you with that? or I have done all that I am capable of, may I transfer you to my supervisor to see if she can help you?

Answer 5

No one has the right to be "nasty" to you in the work place. If your immediate supervisor doesn't know how to handle this, then you report your coworker to your Human Resources officer and let HR handle it.

Now, with that said, your interpretation of "nasty" may come into question. So be prepared to calmly explain exactly what was said and in what tone and in what context.

Answer 6

I have to say this: if 99% of the people you work with are decent, and only 1% is a jerk, you're pretty lucky.

If somebody on the phone gets totally snotty, you could always (accidentally, of course) disconnect them. Then if they call back, you can say oh gee, I'm sorry, we must have gotten disconnected somehow - they'll know d@mn well what happened, but it might also give them something to think about.

Answer 7

You just have to deal with it.

You might get this person to stop being nasty to YOU if you ask "what's wrong? did you have a bad day"? Something like that.

But if you don't care enough to ask, don't. But don't put your job on the line by taking time out of your day by coming to this person's level.

Odds are they WANT a conflict. They are so irritated with the world that anyone who dares call them out for their behavior will be tattled on.

Answer 8

Go to HR and make a complaint if your supervisor does nothing about the nasty person.

Answer 9

well normally i would say to stand your ground.but in this case i would just let it slide.if theirs one thing i hate its 2 have drama at work.and to be labeled that by EVERYONE is worse than being labeled that by one person.im not saying that you should like this guy but im just saying to ignore him.things WILL get better.it would just be worse if you yelled at him and then he told everyone bad things about you so no one would like you.their are goona be people we dont like but thats just life and we r goona have 2 deal with that.but the best way is to avoid him,i mean if he thinks it doesnt bother you he'll probably move onto someone else to act like a jerk 2.
goood luck!!!