A Reddit user shared a post criticizing Gen Z people who work in the customer service industry and who have given them several unpleasant experiences. The post was shared Nov. 14 in r/CustomerService and drew 195 comments as of publication.
The Reddit user started the post by writing that not all Gen Z people, but most of them, are terrible at customer service. The user recalled several unpleasant experiences, “with them pointedly not saying a word, dismissing any attempts at general friendliness, or just being outright rude.”
Further criticizing Gen Z, the user wrote that its members have poor customer service skills. The user also wrote that Millennials understand more than any other generation, even if they do not understand the situation to the same degree. “Us younger Millennials have almost all worked in customer service and came into adulthood off the back of an economic crisis; we witnessed the implementation of the Patriot Act and Citizens United, and the rampant, blind patriotism that caused citizens to allow the weakening of labor protections in the name of ‘security.’ It’s all been downhill since that moment, and there’s a strong argument that it was set in motion in the late 70s through the Reagan era.”
The Reddit user also added that most customers are human beings trying to navigate the mess curated by the hyper-wealthy to funnel as much wealth upward as possible. The user argued that customers should not be treated as if they are personally responsible for the working conditions employees face. “This mentality among customer service employees of customers being a herd of stupid apes is f-ckin ridiculous and obviously a result of the poor treatment of service employees.”
The user concluded the post by writing, “Dominant mindsets have a tendency to overcorrect and rubber-band to the opposite extreme because humans are lazy and seek shortcuts to avoid burning precious brain juice. I think it’s a sign of mental weakness to assume that every customer is a bumbling idiot, and it makes you no better than the shitty customers who do deserve your disdain.”
One commenter wrote, “I've seen this attitude among Gen Z. I've also met great people who are Gen Z. Unfortunately, the ones that spent all their formative years on Tiktok are the ones that seem out of touch with reality - go figure. Hopefully they will learn some social skills while working out in the real world. I know it helped me as a young person to be less shy and awkward. LOL.”
Another wrote, “They have no social skills. They didn’t regularly interact with actual people while growing up. They have been raised by a screen thus limiting their social interaction with actual people. Not necessarily their fault, but the parenting is suspicious. They do almost everything on a screen. Dating, ordering food, etc is on the screen. No need to look people in the eye and have a conversation. Those of you who think that the boomers are annoying and such should try and remember they grew up without screens, and don’t understand why you appear to be disassociated with the public in general.”
The Daily Dot could not independently verify the claims made in the thread. The details reflect accounts shared by users in r/CustomerService. The commenters’ identities have not been confirmed.
