Aspies For Freedom

I currently have a situation where I'm dealing with a person who doesn't know how to deal with someone with AS. My last phone conversation with him stirred me up and I don't know how to put him in his place. (I know that sounds mean, but I don't know how else to describe it.) I've told him 3 times now I'm a person with AS, and the easiest way to deal with me is be straight and to the point, I see black and white, not shades of gray. The way he operates, I'm seeing red.

To make things worse, he was supposed to get back in touch with me 2 months ago on some outstanding business issues. When confronted yesterday about it, he had obviously forgotten about them. He then brought up another issue (that he didn't present well, thus the seeing red on my part) that made it appear to me as he was being confrontational about it, to the point that it gave me the perception he was trying to blackmail me... a if you don't let B alone, I'll nail you on A... and A will cost you a lot more than B. Towards the end of the convo he came out and said he would never do the threat above (the make me pay for A if I pushed about B... potentially thousands of dollars versus a hundred). But I've been told by others in his company, it's perception not necessary the action that is bad enough. Yes, I did tell him off, as I wasn't going to take this abuse. I then followed up later with an email and apologized for going off, but not excusing him for his actions (didn't say that). I did reiterate how I think so it is in black and white for him (now for the 4th time).

I've dealt with others in this company before I knew I was self-diagnosed AS (my son has formal DX), and was fortunate to find people who could figure out where I was coming from (even though I didn't know myself... ).

So, my questions.
Is AS considered a disability, covered by something like the ADA?  (from my reading I think this answer is YES)

If you give disclosure that you have AS, and you are treated in such a way, is this considered harassment?

How might others have handled this?

TIA.

Have you tried talking to your boss about it, or his boss, blackmailing is harrassment, and people who harass are asses. (LOL) One day hell get fired and be packing your groceries.

AS can certainly operate as a disability in a practical sense, and what this guy did is clearly very wrong. Unfortunately, some people use people's weaknesses (or perceived weaknesses) against them.

I do not fully understand your situation.

Are you self-employed?  Otherwise you could try to get someone else to handle the situation.  If you have a contract with this business, you might need some legal advice.

If this company is a customer, you may have to do business with them and put up with their abuse if you want the contracts.  Sometimes an employer will not put up with harrassment and refuse to deal with a customer even by losing their contract or future business.  

The only danger is that, you will show yourself to be an employee who can not deal with certain customers and endanger your employment.  Employers have some responsibility to ensure that their employees are not harrassed by other empolyees and even customers.  But when a customer is doing the harrassment, the usual choice is to get someone else to serve them.  If they are very obnoxious, they might be criminally charged or banned from the premises.  However, some people are very good at harrassment and will just make you look bad.  I would just get someone else to deal with this person and save yourself the trouble that any conflict will bring.

Yes, I am self employed, therefore I am the boss on my end.  I am a customer of theirs (our local phone company... NOT one of the big ones).  In the last 8 years or so I cannot get anything done by them correctly the first time... and this guy's attitude was the straw.  I like their product... wish I could get it elsewhere for the same price/service... it's the screwups and the "can't get it right the first time" that have irritated me since day 1.

The person who harassed me is a high level VP with the company in question.  His boss is the COO, who reports to the President.  I have spoken to his boss several times.  Supposedly they have done an investigation, but since this is an "internal matter" they will not discuss the results of their finding as it is a personnel matter.  All they will tell me is that they've done an investigation and he is still working for the company.  This person was "ordered" to write me a letter of apology, which at this time I'm not accepting; it isn't worth the paper it's written on, as there are still unanswered questions about my account.  

I have received some advice elsewhere that says I should consult a disabilities lawyer on this.  I think this is overkill and I don't want to do this, but have let the COO that I was given such advice (haven't gotten a response to that yet).  I think they need to see the severity in this case of this offense.

If you're the boss cant you fire him?

I'm the boss on MY end.  It's just me, myself and I.  He works for a corporation with about 40K employees.

Because phone service is essential and you have no other competitor to take your business to, you are should seek legal aid.  You should try to carefully document all correspondence with them.  You are being discriminated against then.

Surely this company could give you a different rep. to talk to? I just wonder if it might also be possible to find another company to give your business to? Even if their product isn't quite as good, it would be well worth it to get better service.

I actually have my old rep that I can consult (he had the harasser's position when I dealt with him) and now the COO, both of which have my interest in mind.  

The service in question is DSL internet.  I am a business class customer (complete with static IP), which just isn't the same using cable, which is really the only other option.  

The harasser just started in without listening to the particulars of my situation, which is what got him into trouble... talking without thinking.  He made a lot of assumptions that weren't the case... and we all know what happens when one "assumes".    Also, when my account was handed off from the old rep to him, he didn't listen to the situation.  (All of this info in this paragraph was told to me by the COO.)

I just wonder if it's possible to insist on having a proper rep and not this dropkick loser. If only there were a way to line up another provider, you could tell this lot that you will take your custom elsewhere if they don't smarten themselves up!