I work in customer service and I was curious as to why a disproportionate amount of elderly folk...?

Question

are so mean nasty and rude? Now I know that there are alot of wonderful elderly people out there and I mean no disrespect but the times I have been treated poorly it was always an elderly person who did it. They rail on about young folks having no manners but mayhaps this is because they never led by example? Is there a medical reason perhaps that makes them this way? Will I become rude and nasty as I age?

Have I wrongedyou insome way v man? It is a legitimate question. Who is the one being an ***hole here?

Thank you dragon.

Answer 1

As we age we tend to accumulate sadness. You may encounter a elderly person that just buried his last brother or sister. It seems that all too frequently another friend dies and the friend list is shrinking fast. We are faced all too often with our own mortality. Things we see throughout the day are reminders of things we once did but can do no more. Often we are required to take medications that alter our bodies as they react to the poison we just took. Most mornings it hurts to get out of bed. In past years we may have held important positions of responsibility and perhaps authority. We were the decision makers, now no one cares what our opinion may be. Many have been forced to retire through political games in business and industry where the young conspired to oust the old. We tend to lose patience easily and have little tolerance for BS. We're not mean. Nor are we rude. We're GROUCHY dammit!

Answer 2

I think people that were rude when they were younger will be rude when they get old. My mom is a wonderful, generous, caring person but if she thinks someone has disrespected her or not waited on her fast enough she speaks up and not very nicely, either. But she has always been this way. She is impatient and judgmental too but she's always been that way. Now that she's older (83), she doesn't censor anything that comes out. I think people's personalities are basically the same as when they're young. I'm guessing a lot of behavior traits are exaggerated when we age. I don't think elderly people are disproportionately rude though. I see nasty and rude people every day and age isn't necessarily a requirement for these poor manners.

Answer 3

I'll tell you why I am SOMETIMES (but not always) irritable with customer service representatives on the phone.

First, I'm bounced around through voicemail menus, having to select 1 for English, then listen to a list of things, none of which seems to relate directly to my question. Then I get a recording telling me that they're busy, but my call will be answered in the order in which it arrived.

Then, I get a customer service representative who either has English as a second language, talks too fast, has the mouthpiece too far from the mouth, or all of the above.

Then, I get scripted answers. If my question doesn't match the script, they put me on hold and go ask someone. When they come back on the line, they either give me information they've already given me, which didn't answer the question the first time, or they say they're sorry they can't help me, so they'll transfer my call to someone else.

When that someone else comes on the line, I have to start all over with the explanation of my problem. I have to answer the same questions and explain the same way that their solution doesn't answer my question.

So there I sat for 20+ minutes, and I still didn't have the problem solved.

Trust me when I say that I'm not usually prickly, but just knowing I have to call for customer support somewhere automatically braces me for this very upsetting scenario.

Answer 4

There are many elderly around and we can learn much from there. They often have fascinating life stories.

Yes, there are also rude elderly. We don't revere the elderly in the US the way they are revered in other countries. They are outright disrespected by many young people. I am middle aged and I look around at the younger generation and wonder where the respect and discipline went. I'm not bashing all young people, I know so many wonderful younger people. But I see so much of the opposite, those who have no respect for others at all. It wears on us after a while.

When you're dealing with a grumpy elderly person, be your nicest anyway. It will make a difference to them.

Answer 5

I have noticed a rapid decline in my parents manners over the last ten years. I'm not sure why as they were previously very courteous people.
Seems since they retired they feel it's okay to complain about anything & everything.
Maybe it's fear of an ever changing world and customs that causes some elderly to act so rudely.
My mother in-law who is a little younger than my parents has recently starting to act the same way.
I think it's more of a social problem than a medical one.
Keep an open mind and heart & I'm sure you won't end up an old meanie.

Answer 6

Perhaps you should change your current job. What you are experiencing with "old folk" is common among all age demographics at this time.

Our societies current ethos with regards to customer service seems to be that CSR's are the equivalent of tele-marketers, only in this case we have to call you.

To add insult to injury, some companies now have a computer call your home, and then the computer asks the person answering the telephone to "please hold for an important message" while the computer tries to find an open CSR to actually talk on the phone. This form of contact is corporately sanctioned rudeness.

Older folk receive a disproportionate number of these types of calls. They also have condescending little twirps answering their technical questions, such as "What does it mean to google the term 'idiot?' "

Answer 7

As a senior, I too have noticed this, I get treated the same way by my own age group.
I have always treated seniors with respect but now that I am one, I see some not giving respect to others.
Respect is earned and is always on going. The younger generating (some not all) is not very kind to the older generation.
Times change and so do attitudes. To answer your honest question-Some could have a medical problem, but I feel it is just the way they were when younger. As for your future-No idea, crystal ball needs a battery charge.

Answer 8

Disproportionately? I don't think that's so. I've noticed that the younger generation has an awfully lot of rude people, too.

Elderly people are the same as other people, except that their body parts are wearing out. Maybe that does cause a certain amount of testiness.

Answer 9

super humorous tale! I enjoyed it and picture the lady in the back of the table merits an academy award , whether that could be a humorous tale. Edit that to have her win an award! She merits it! I used to artwork with many purchasers and that i know how some can act. I even have long gone to my boss and refused to attend on a customer for good reason . I caught to my weapons and one customer replaced into attempting to purchase a gun from me and pointing all of it around. i replaced into no longer likely to sell this fool a gun and that i placed my call on the workplace work and that i did no longer. yet another guy replaced into procuring a television, stereo and different electronics and gave me $a hundred expenses and advised me they have been from drug money. I have been given his issues on a flatbed, filled out each and every of the workplace work and proceeded to the front of the shop. the guy replaced into below the impression of alcohol and extreme, so I referred to as a cab for him and advised the dispatch the concern and to deliver out the main important and burliest cab driving force that they had. that could be a real tale!

Answer 10

I think by the time people are elderly they have had much
loss of loved one, sickness, lack of money for health needs and many of them are left lonely and deserted by their loved
one who have no time for them. Many years of this kind of life
has probably just caused them to forget manners and that other people still deserve respect. I know it makes your job
difficult as no one likes to be treated like that, but just hang in
there and know when it happens it is not actually being directed at you but at their miserable lives.