Tenant at my job is threatening to report me!!!

[enchanted771]

I work in property management for residential low income housing. I would say 95% of my tenants are normal, but every once in a while you run into an irrational tenant. Basically, this tenant was send a notice for not coming in to do her yearly paperwork. My boss, handed the call over to me without getting the details of the call, then went downstairs. So, I am trying to help the girl, and she is basically screaming at me, and said she wants to hold until my boss comes back, so I said ok. After about 15 minutes she got disconnected, then she calls accusing me of hanging up on her. Crazy. So, I was trying to have an adult conversation with her and help her, but its very hard to do that when you cannot calm the person down and all they are doing is shouting. In fact, she threatened to come down to my office. The call did not end well. So, my boss comes back and I told her exactly what happened and her response was " dont worry about it" then the girl talks to my boss, of course rational by then, and said I was being disrespectful and too abrupt. Now she is threatening to file a resport against me, which is exactly what I dont need!! It took me a long time to secure a full time job, so I dont need to lose my job over this its ridiculous. SO, I responded to my bosses email stating that I want it documented because I feel I have to defend myself over false statements made against me. The girl was putting words in my mouth.

 

She wants to call the company and file a complaint against the main boss, who is not only my boss but my bosses boss. And I know of course they have to take the tenants side, but I dont like looking like the bad guy.

[BellaDonna]

Stay calm. Especially in front of your boss. You didn't do anything wrong. Act as if her report means nothing. One thing I've learned is that if you make a big deal out of something it convinces others to make a big deal out of it.

 

So keep your cool, be confident in the ability to do your work, and just calmly tell it like it is: She got a notice (per usual policies) that she didn't do her paperwork. She called yelling and screaming. She wanted to hold to talk to your boss and got disconnected. She called yelling and screaming even louder and said you hung up when you didn't. Then she made threats toward you. If you truly did nothing wrong in the situation you should have nothing to worry about.

 

She probably files a report about everyone she interacts with and will eventually show her insane side to your bosses.

 

She should put her efforts toward getting her paperwork for low income housing done instead of filing a report on you.

 

I dealt with people like her a lot when working in a medical setting. They would be rotton and obnoxious to me on the phone and then as sweet as pie and calm in front of the doctor.

[RedDress]

Honestly? Crazy people always show their true colors (eventually). Like BellaDonna said - she has probably filed a report against everybody.

 

If you truly felt you did no wrong - state that when questionned. I'm sure they've dealt with her before and know she's crazy. Especially if your boss said "don't worry about it". That's quite telling.

 

What you have to remember is that your bosses are people too. Usually pretty smart people. And they know these things happen, and they know that some people are crazy. They've probably dealt with a few themselves.

 

If you feel you were right (and it sounds that you were) - just be confident. The real story always comes out in the end.

[Ariel85]

Don't over defend yourself. It makes you look guilty, which you are NOT.

 

Like RedDress said - crazy shows as crazy. This is low-income housing, and I would imagine this won't be your first whacked out tenant, nor is it the first that your bosses have encountered either.

 

Continue to be professional like you are, and it will blow over soon enough.