Customers complain of me being robotic, despite trying

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I work in food service and my manager has told me customers and coworkers have complained about me. Customers about me being a "Rude Robot" among other things, and my coworkers about having to do more work on opening shifts days after I work. My hours have been cut virtually in half and I rely on this job for any chance of being independent.

Am I unsuitable for any kind of work whatsoever?

I remember having customers and co-workers call me robotic at my old cashier jobs. I did improve after a while, but I still didn't "pass" as NT enough to avoid the occasional ridicule from customers. If your hours are being cut, and they aren't giving you a reason why this is, I would assume they are trying to get you to quit. I would seek out other jobs, while still staying at your current one for now if you can. Have you considered positions that don't involve much customer interaction?

I suppose there's nothing you can do about the customers other than try to learn to "pass as an NT" more, but your coworkers... are they right? Do you think they really have to do more work after you than they have to after others or are they just trying to smoke you out? If they are right then figure out what you do differently than others, what causes the fact that there's more work to be done after your shifts.

You may be out of your comfort zone, and your body language and tone of voice are showing this without you realising. It happened to me especially when I had to do phone based work, or work that required me to be spontaneous in constantly changing workloads. I thrive on a constant routine, and any sudden change puts me on edge and has made me appear tense, and even irritable and aggressive to other people in the past. Keep an eye out for new jobs just in case, but also check both in work and out of work as to how you are coming across as 'robotic', that term is very vague, and doesn't really give any advice on what exactly you are doing that's upsetting customers.

If you at least try to show that you're wanting to put effort into trying to improve your interactions, then really that's the best you can do. Hope it all works out for you

Hey, you’re doing them a favor—sooner or later, they’ll be dealing with actual robots. Better get used to it

"robotic" could be good or bad

In your case getting your hours cut involuntarily was bad

In other jobs being robotic is good

Probably not, perhaps just unsuitable for customer service type work. So it may be a good idea to start looking for other jobs that don't have as much customer interaction, don't quit yet....but certainly start looking.

You could also talk to your manager/employer to see if they might be willing to move you to a back of house position or something where you don't have to deal with customers as much...like dishwashing, food prep, cooking...you would still have to communicate with co-workers but its more busy work so they won't try and chat as much if you look busy. Of course they may not be willing to do that, but if you like the job or the pay it might be worth a try.

Also though, if they entirely cut your hours try not to let it get to you too much. Its a cowardly way to fire someone, and its certainly not your fault if they do. That is how I was 'fired' from my last job, they just stopped giving me hours and eventually removed me from their list of current employees. Up until that point it also sort of seemed the management was making themselves unavailible so with already having aspergers and social anxiety I didn't even feel like I could call and confront them about it. I just had to think of it this way, they knew it was wrong and their inability to discuss any problems with me or fire me face to face just proves it.

I once held this server job at a banquet facility in my hometown. It was based at two hotels and a riverside restaurant not far from downtown in the city that I live in. I tried desperately to fit in but to no avail. One night I screwed up at least three orders at three different tables and got the banquet supervisor yelled at three times. It was mainly cause I was not paying attention to where my assigned tables were and this one server had to keep reminding me whom I found unfriendly to be around. Other than that I yelled at another server to get off his phone and help me clean silverware near the end of the night and I even carried heavy serving trays with too much glassware, plates, silverware, and coffee jugs on them that I spilled a couple on the way to the kitchen and had to clean them up. That was not fun. Even worse, my hours got cut down from three days, 36 hrs a week to one day, 12 hours a week I later figured out that this was due to slow business. I only received $11/hour .60 above minimum wage ($10.40 at the time) from my job and I left because of the unfair working conditions. But you’re only unsuitable for any kind of employment if you’re not happy and don’t enjoy what you’re doing. Learn to take a job for a job cause it’s a job and we all shine on in the end.

I worked as a cashier in retail and got promoted to a team leader after I tried doing the assessment about 4 times. Never been called robotic. However last week I got accused of being rude on the phone I was dealing with an accounts query in the office

I used to work at CVS as a shift supervisor, although i would be on the register most of the time. I have had customers tell me i looked like i had no sympathy, and that i "rehearsed" my communications with them. They were right because i suck at socializing.My manager told me everything was rehearsed but she didn't care.

I struggled so much with my first cashier type job. It also included receptionist work, so I had to handle customer enquiries and take bookings etc.

It was so stressful. I was always trying to figure out what it was exactly people wanted from me.

Actually my next reception job after that was hard too. I worked with a passive aggressive older lady who just would not communicate directly. She drove me insane. Eventually they fired me. I was actually relieved.

3rd job was better. It was data entry. That was a breeze.

Yes, customer service is very taxing to us on the spectrum.

15 years on I think I can handle that sort of thing better. I've learned to adapt as the years go on and ive meet and interact with more people.

You are not doomed.

I concur. Look for another type of job that will be less stressful.

I've been doing data entry since I was 19. I'm 57 now.

Isn't it good you "rehearsed" your interactions?

Preparation

Spontaneity is good, in some ways, at some times.

I used to rehearse interactions when I was young.

I swear I could've written this myself. I had a similar issue when i was 16 and working at a fast food place everyone thought i was weird and though I never been diagnosed with any mental delay I have trouble catching onto things as fast as others. I was slow and kept messing up the sandwiches and my coworkers would stand behind me and laugh.the manger started treating me like I was a small child.

I know how you feel, they started deducting my hours. I felt stupid and slow like i was in the way but that's literally every job since i started working so maybe some of us just aren't cut out to work

I'm still looking for a job that I dont screw up

Did you get a degree for that? I've been thinking of pursuing that field