I feel sorry for the customers but even more so when I see colleagues who are trying unsuccessfully to satisfy all of them - which is literally impossible to achieve since we are shortstaffed.
Unfortunately, customers seem to have more empathy and understand our position better than managers?
Yesterday was the last time the manager yelled at me because I failed, literally, to be in two places at the same time. He will not have that opportunity again.
Good for you. I do hope you reported that fine piece of work. NO manager should be yelling at ANY employee, period. Some of them are simply out of control and need to be taken down a notch. They'll do it to the wrong one on the right day eventually.
this is what happens when the short term bottom line is the ONLY thing that matters. Hedge fund fools who invest and thus control big corporations couldn't care less how good a company is....just how profitable it is today. I dread everyday here now and am embarrassed to work here but will retire soon so i need to milk every drop out of them.
Stress is going to increase. From every direction. Make up your mind now to handle it the best way you know how--prioritize the things that keep you healthy and sane, and find a way to keep things in perspective. Management has the job of at least appearing to be in control of the situation, whereas your customers have the option to be more empathetic. But every aspect of our shaky society is coming under increased pressure on a daily basis. Get ready to ride some changes, and see increased stress from all directions. Did you read about the psychology of mass formation during CV? Our society has become "atomized"... many people are no longer part of a church or social organization, or even part of a family. So many have lost their moorings to anything significant and meaningful. This results in some of your customers--and managers!--being in this category...they are in dire straits in aspects of their life that you don't see, so you're interacting with someone who is afraid of the general downfall of society and has no one to talk to about it. I'm not saying you should take on their therapy, but don't be surprised when they struggle just like you might be struggling. If you can, try to move in the opposite way; try to be calm, and be someone dependable and trustworthy instead of adding to the instability of everything. And please consider preparing to do what you can to take care of yourself when the system fails you...food, water, shelter, tools, clothes, medicine, transportation, etc. Being short staffed is just a small symptom of the slow collapse taking place in real time.