Front office admins at the schools, why are they so rude

[Anonymous]

I never met a nice one before this year and she’s retiring.

[Anonymous]

I'm a teacher and our front office staff is hard to deal with. I will tell you that they do protect us from really obnoxious parents who try to cross all kinds of boundaries. And in the case of a school shooting, they'll be the first to die (not sure why I thought of that). So, we try and take good care of them. If they weren't there, our building would be out of control with parents who cannot follow the rules.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is our first year in the public schools (elementary school - previously kids were in Catholic school which had its own different set of problems). I’m not at my kid’s school too much, but when I’m there I’m shocked at the attitude of the front office employees. They have some sort of complicated computer system to sign in, it’s an automated computer system which scans your ID and has a barely functional touch screen to select your purpose at the school. It seems like every time the prompts are a little different. And all the front desk ladies do, even mid-day when phones aren’t ringing off the hook and kids aren’t coming in a little late, is sit at their desks and shout at you “no don’t press that button ... you need to press the one below it” “you have to scan your ID - NO NOT LIKE THAT!” “It’s not PRINTING BADGES RIGHT NOW! We have to give you a STICKER!!!”

How do they get off speaking to adults that way? And if they’re that rude to adults, how are they treating the poor kids? This is at an above-average regarded elementary school too, so not a lot of behavioral or parental issues. It’s just a bad attitude from the very first interaction with the school and a presumption that every person who is visiting the school doesn’t belong or is causing a huge inconvenience.

Does this happen to be a new front office staff with a new principal in Montgomery?

Hah, no, I’m actually in Virginia. But good to know it’s not just my kid’s school.

Is this a school in Reston?

[Anonymous]

I work for FCPS and am a parent of an FCPS graduate, too.

Front office staff at nearly all of the elementary schools with which I am very familiar are rude, abrupt, impatient and mostly unhelpful.

I often wonder if only a certain personality type can put up with near constant interruptions and a steady stream of parents.

[Anonymous]

I would say that mine are a little bit of abrasive but they are also very hard jobs and they are dealing with a lot of tasks and also a lot of interruptions. I always believe in being kind and putting on the charm offensive to deal with difficult people and see how that goes

[Anonymous]

Our front office staff at our school in Howard County PSS are great. They are helpful and nice. They've helped fix several problems my kids have had over the last school year and we've been very grateful for all they've done. So much so that Christmas week, I bought lunch for the staff (I sent pizzas from a local shop to the office) on a day I coordinated with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is our first year in the public schools (elementary school - previously kids were in Catholic school which had its own different set of problems). I’m not at my kid’s school too much, but when I’m there I’m shocked at the attitude of the front office employees. They have some sort of complicated computer system to sign in, it’s an automated computer system which scans your ID and has a barely functional touch screen to select your purpose at the school. It seems like every time the prompts are a little different. And all the front desk ladies do, even mid-day when phones aren’t ringing off the hook and kids aren’t coming in a little late, is sit at their desks and shout at you “no don’t press that button ... you need to press the one below it” “you have to scan your ID - NO NOT LIKE THAT!” “It’s not PRINTING BADGES RIGHT NOW! We have to give you a STICKER!!!”

How do they get off speaking to adults that way? And if they’re that rude to adults, how are they treating the poor kids? This is at an above-average regarded elementary school too, so not a lot of behavioral or parental issues. It’s just a bad attitude from the very first interaction with the school and a presumption that every person who is visiting the school doesn’t belong or is causing a huge inconvenience.

Why can't you be a bit patient and follow the directions on the scanner better so they don't have to yell at you (If in fact that is what is happening).

You sound like an entitled nightmare.

Wow. pp! Why are you jumping this poor woman for sharing her frustration with rude people where the elementary culture and kindness would be in place? One has a right to expect certain standards from people who work around children. This is not excessive request.

[Anonymous]

Because the new visitor management system in MCPS is supposed to be self-serve. Unfortunately, to many people can't follow directions and figure out how to use it. They want the staff to do it for them. The staff are sick and tired of doing every little thing for the entitled, ignorant, belligerent parents, there are only a few more weeks of school and they don't give a sh*t because every student, teacher and staff member are counting down the days until summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you talking about Bethesda?

The worst front office we encountered was a private in Bethesda

[Anonymous]

Wow PP - bitter much?
Most electronic things are not intuitive the first time you use them - at least for me.
Besides that though the front desk staff should be welcoming and nice. Staff at one kid’s school in FCPS are just that. Staff at the other - a “nice” MC school in a bit snooty area - are cold at best.

[Anonymous]

Yes, they are horrible. Basic customer service for this job. PP is right that this would never fly in retail or anywhere requiring a modicum of professionalism. Maybe they belong in the DMV. Or bouncers at a club! Haha.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our schools office is sweet and helpful *shrug

Same. I find it so odd that you have had this experience at ONE school and you generalize it to “the schools.”

[Anonymous]

I do wonder how these same parents navigate self-check in at airports and other locations. I suspect that they see an older woman sitting at a desk and feel she owes them help although the machine gives step by step directions.

[Anonymous]

I’ve never had an issue.

[Anonymous]

Why are you in the front office every other day?

Why do you expect the front office to teach you how to operate a piece of technology every other day while offering compassion and a smile while you helplessly offer, "I just don't understand technology."

Do you regularly interrupt other office workers every other day?

Do you go to the Superintendent's office every other day too?