It’s hard to leave a bad day at work behind when you know tomorrow will probably be more of the same. After 16 years in customer service, this man has noticed how much he’s changed.

When he started the job, he was polite and patient with customers. But over time, he started losing that patience, and now he catches himself snapping at people who haven’t done anything wrong. At first, he could leave those feelings at work, but now he’s even angry on his days off.

He knows something needs to change, but he worries that leaving means giving up good pay and benefits.

Read on for the whole story.

Customer service has turned me into a bad person

I am writing this after a gruelling 8-hour shift, but I’m tired. This is half rant, half looking for advice. Also, as a note, I’m in therapy.

I’ve been at this place for 16 years. I’m a 38-year-old man. I have no schooling.

This job has good pay and benefits. But through these 16 years, I’ve noticed a gradual decline in positivity in myself. I used to be very pleasant, polite, and gave good customer service. But now? I’m just such a miserable person to be around.

After a while, he started noticing his own demeanor had changed.

I’ve noticed that even with nice customers, I’m very cold and rude. If they ask me how I am today, I get annoyed and just ignore the question.

I always greet someone with a hello, and if they don’t even say anything back, I shut down and get cold. I’ll even say something like, “Oh, okay, I guess we’re not doing ‘hi’s’ today.”

If they don’t say thank you, I’ll basically loudly say, “You’re welcome,” when they’re leaving.

My coworkers all kind of know me as the guy who’s always angry. And before anyone rips into me and tells me I’m an *******, I know I am. I’m a surly, rotten *******.

Apparently, his coworkers expect this behavior from him.

Everyone is so rude, so mean, has no manners, and is inconsiderate and stupid that I’ve completely shut down any part of me which is “nice.”

I used to be able to just clock out, wipe the sweat from my brow, and move on. But now, even on my days off, I’m quick to anger, rage over nothing, and just seethe, like the ***** that I am.

This job has completely ruined my life. It’s ruined who I was. I was such a good person before, but now, I’m just the shell of that person.

Unfortunately, he’s at the point where he needs advice.

I need to either find a way to fix myself and just be nicer to clients and everyone around me so that I can survive work days without feeling like ****, or find another job.

Thing is, this job pays really well, so I’d switch the stress of a bad job for the stress of financial instability. I’ve been thinking about going to school to get a degree or a trade, but I really struggle with academia and don’t do well in school.

If you found yourself in a similar boat, how have you bettered yourself?

Wow! Those are some pretty deep feelings.

Let’s see what advice the people over at Reddit have for him.

It does sound like burnout.

This is excellent advice.

Things are similar for this reader.

Here’s someone else who can relate.

The good news is that he recognizes the problem and wants to do something about it. But the nice customers don’t deserve the frustration he’s carrying around from everyone else.

And since it follows him home, he needs to take his own unhappiness seriously, too.

While there’s no rush to quit, he should at least check out some options. At least then he’ll know what’s out there.