View Full Version : Why the Customer Isn't Always Right...
There are a lot of posts on here moaning and criticising people who work as sales assistants, for supermarkets and in retail in general. But as I have worked in those fields before, I know that the customer is not always right, and instead of critising the workers, here is a run down of the some of the most disrespectful and irritating things customers do...
1. Throw their cash, debit/credit card, store card, etc at you instead of handing it over politely. Complete lack of respect for person behind the till.
2. Smugly tell you how it's such a "lovely sunny day and your stuck in here" and how it's "too good a day to be working", etc whenever the weather is nice. Every second or third customer out of the hundred of more you serve throughout the day will say this to you. And it's often their way or rubbing it in. Well, it's not that when their outside getting soaked on a rainy day and your lovely and warm in your work.
3. Stare at you. Have they never been told that is is very rude to stare?
4. Make personal remarks about your weight, hairstyle, facial expression, accent - anything they can. What right have you got to make such comments about another person? Especially when they are at work?
5. Don't say please or thank you. This works both ways. Would be quick to point out or put a complaint in about a store assistant if they didn't mind their P's and Q's.
6. Expect you to be a mind reader. For example - If you don't ask the store assistant to put your items through the till seperately, don't moan about it afterwards if it is not done. Speak up and let them know what you need.
7. Boldy tell you how your job must be so easy and "all you do" is sit behind a till all day. This isn't true. Customers only see a few moments of a full days work, they have no idea what goes into your job or what other tasks you do there.
8. Moan at you or act annoyed when you ask them questions that are part of your training. Don't they realise it is your job to ask and that you will get in trouble fi you don't do it correctly? It is not worth getting in trouble for the sake of customers who seem genuinely irritated by being asked if they want help with packing or have a store card?
9. Speak to you as if your braindead. It is very small-minded and ridiculous to presume that because a person works in a supermarket, corner shop, etc, that they aren't intelligent.
10. Blame you for the price of goods. You are just a general dogsbody, you don't run the company or have any say in the price of items or any business matters. To attack a store assistant for such things gets you nowhere and isn't fair on them.
changilass
28-Jun-09, 01:39
In an ideal world we would all be super polite and you might just be able to sit on your but whilst the customer goes and finds things for themselves.
By the time the customer has gotten to you they have probably already done their 8hrs of drudge and gotten a load of crap from their boss or their customers - you may have been one of them.
At the end of the day, the moaning, critisising, inconsiderate customers pay your wages.
If you can't handle all that goes with the job, then just maybe you should rethink your career and not work in the public sector.
Completly agree with you emc246. Its all why i hated working in retail and why i got out of it.
emc246, I think that you may need to consider a change of carreer. The first rule of business is to look after your customers. As long as your customers are trading with you, you have a business. When you work in the retail trade part of your training should cover how to deal with irate customers, because you will get them. You only have to look in the recomendations section here on the org, to see the slating some businesses have taken over the years due to unhappy customers. Remember customers have a choice, and their money spends just the same no matter where they go.
arana negra
28-Jun-09, 09:20
In an ideal world we would all be super polite and you might just be able to sit on your but whilst the customer goes and finds things for themselves.
By the time the customer has gotten to you they have probably already done their 8hrs of drudge and gotten a load of crap from their boss or their customers - you may have been one of them.
At the end of the day, the moaning, critisising, inconsiderate customers pay your wages.
If you can't handle all that goes with the job, then just maybe you should rethink your career and not work in the public sector.
OMG do you go home and kick the dog too ?
In my opinion your attitute stinks ! If a person sees their job as 8 hrs of drudge then get out as you so rightly suggest. If they have had crap from their boss, take action if it is unfair. Hahaha that last bit made me laugh do unto others and all that. Sounds like you think everything is somebody else's fault and they deserve the rudeness. I hope you are never on the other end of serving me.
Maybe 'they' should take your advice.
seem like somebody had a bad day..[disgust]
Yes customers are rubbish sometimes and yes it is our job to look after them. But there are customers out whose sole purpose it seems is to ruin your day or try to reduce you to tears.
At no point is it ever acceptable to swear or shout at us! No matter how annoyed you are!
And at NO point is it EVER acceptable to be so horrible to young assistants who are trying to help/do their job and reduce them to tears. To some customers, they seem to find this satisfying.
Luckily, the good and nice customers make up for the nasty ones.
(Please feel free to add in rude words and swearing to above whilst you are reading it)
Well being an employee in Skinandis I can tell you that the customer is always 100% wrong, ALWAYS!!
Well being an employee in Skinandis I can tell you that the customer is always 100% wrong, ALWAYS!!
You should tell that to your boss, then wait and see how long you remain an employee.
I think working directly with customers is an eye opening experience and u would be suprised at how awkward and vile some people can be towards you i used to work behind bars years ago and no full well what its like to have to tolerate a customer all night that is horrible person who thinks there the it
The worst thing with working in a bar if u have customer that drinks in there daily and say spend £30 on drink a day which u do get people that spend more if he vile towards u there is not a lot u can do about because the owner of the bar isnt going to bar someone thats spends a lot money in his bar is thats just all part of a bar persons job to tolerate it
I still work with customers during the day and my saying is dont give a customer bullets because he will only fire them back at you when he gets his bill in and is trying to get a discount or if there not happy.
In an ideal world we would all be super polite and you might just be able to sit on your but whilst the customer goes and finds things for themselves.
By the time the customer has gotten to you they have probably already done their 8hrs of drudge and gotten a load of crap from their boss or their customers - you may have been one of them.
At the end of the day, the moaning, critisising, inconsiderate customers pay your wages.
If you can't handle all that goes with the job, then just maybe you should rethink your career and not work in the public sector.
Changilass you should always treat people in the same mannor you would like to be treated it costs nothing to be polite but unforutatley u will always get vile customers and your right if u dont like dealing with all the hasstle with a customer then u are in the wrong job and should think about changing.
You should tell that to your boss, then wait and see how long you remain an employee.
you should get a grip
OMG do you go home and kick the dog too ?
In my opinion your attitute stinks ! If person sees their job as 8 hrs of drudge then get out as you so rightly suggest. If they have had crap from their boss, take action if it is unfair. Hahaha that last bit made me laugh do unto others and all that. Sounds like you think everything is somebody else's fault and they deserve the rudeness. I hope you are never on the other end of serving me.
Maybe 'they' should take your advice.
well said
dx
By the time the customer has gotten to you they have probably already done their 8hrs of drudge and gotten a load of crap from their boss or their customers - you may have been one of them.
At the end of the day, the moaning, critisising, inconsiderate customers pay your wages.
So that makes it ok for them to act rude and obnoxious? Get a grip. Treat others as you expect to be treated. Having a bad day does not give anyone a license to treat other people like dirt.
Also, the whole "customers pay your wage" thing grinds my gears no end. By the time anyone says that, it shows what kind of character they have.
Everyone pays for everyone else in some sort of way.
You should tell that to your boss, then wait and see how long you remain an employee.
I think Kenneth is quite likely over exaggerating, but he's right, most of the customers are wrong.
I agree with the OP. I don't get why people seem to think it's ok to walk over people who do jobs in the public sector. I always make sure I'm polite to everyone who helps me in a shop or over the phone if they're being helpful. Even if they're not helping you solve a problem, I don't see what being assy is going to achieve.
ALSO... I have to say, posting how you think a customer should act is a bit poor. People should know this sort of thing. Basic manners.
butterfly
28-Jun-09, 15:14
So that makes it ok for them to act rude and obnoxious? Get a grip. Treat others as you expect to be treated. Having a bad day does not give anyone a license to treat other people like dirt.
Also, the whole "customers pay your wage" thing grinds my gears no end. By the time anyone says that, it shows what kind of character they have.
Everyone pays for everyone else in some sort of way.
I think Kenneth is quite likely over exaggerating, but he's right, most of the customers are wrong.
I agree with the OP. I don't get why people seem to think it's ok to walk over people who do jobs in the public sector. I always make sure I'm polite to everyone who helps me in a shop or over the phone if they're being helpful. Even if they're not helping you solve a problem, I don't see what being assy is going to achieve.
ALSO... I have to say, posting how you think a customer should act is a bit poor. People should know this sort of thing. Basic manners.
Well said Jeid.
Well said Jeid.
Snap bfly lol [lol]
Margaret M.
28-Jun-09, 15:39
In an ideal world we would all be super polite and you might just be able to sit on your but whilst the customer goes and finds things for themselves.
By the time the customer has gotten to you they have probably already done their 8hrs of drudge and gotten a load of crap from their boss or their customers - you may have been one of them.
At the end of the day, the moaning, critisising, inconsiderate customers pay your wages.
If you can't handle all that goes with the job, then just maybe you should rethink your career and not work in the public sector.
I agree, Changilass, anyone who thinks the customer is always wrong is obviously not cut out for working with the public. Sure, some customers can be very trying but the majority of customers are very pleasant and should more than make up for the disgruntled. The staff help establish the tone for the interaction. If the customer senses a bad attitude, then the exchange will probably not go very well. Interpreting a customer commiseration about you having to work in nice weather, as the customer rubbing your nose in it, indicates a very negative attitude.
So that makes it ok for them to act rude and obnoxious? Get a grip. Treat others as you expect to be treated. Having a bad day does not give anyone a license to treat other people like dirt.
Also, the whole "customers pay your wage" thing grinds my gears no end. By the time anyone says that, it shows what kind of character they have.
Everyone pays for everyone else in some sort of way.
I think Kenneth is quite likely over exaggerating, but he's right, most of the customers are wrong.
I agree with the OP. I don't get why people seem to think it's ok to walk over people who do jobs in the public sector. I always make sure I'm polite to everyone who helps me in a shop or over the phone if they're being helpful. Even if they're not helping you solve a problem, I don't see what being assy is going to achieve.
ALSO... I have to say, posting how you think a customer should act is a bit poor. People should know this sort of thing. Basic manners.
jeid if u owned you own business and u had an arrogant customer thats comes to u everyday and spends a lot of money on regular basis to your business and ure staff was putting in complaints about him your hardly going to band him and tell him to go else were are you it wouldnt be in your interest thats the way life is thats why its important to get the right staff with proper training on how to deal with customers
you should get a grip
what exactly do I need to get a grip of ? If you are trying to tell everybody here on the org that every customer walking through the doors of your place of employment is wrong, then I have to disagree with you. Every business needs to have customers in order to survive, and every business has good and bad customers. Now don't get me wrong I am not condoning rude and abusive customers, I believe that no one should have to suffer abuse or torment in their place of work. You as a bartender have the right to refuse to serve someone who has in your opinion "had too much", and ask them to leave the premises. There should also be other mechanisms in place if you are feeling threatened by an abusive customer, like bouncers. When you say that all customers are 100% wrong, that's not really a fair statement, especially when all those customers trade are contributing towards your earnings....
i work with the public every single day. in fact working in cust. services i get all the prob. all in all the majority of cust. are great. are usually patient.. will wait patientky while we try to resolve the problems, and at the end of the day go away sat. or a least a sence we tried to help to the best of our ability and if needed to pass it on to someone that can do more.
HOWEVER: there are those cust. that are out to cause trouble. think you are the dirt beneath thier feet, and their own personal punching bags.
I have in fact, refused to serve cust. told them they could leave the store and once told a cust off... after he talked very derogatory to myself and another female member of staff. any manager will side with the members off staff when they are being abused. yes we are there to sell a product and we have a cust base.
but no we do not have to suffer abuse, and honestly i will not serve a abusive cust.
I agree, Changilass, anyone who thinks the customer is always wrong is obviously not cut out for working with the public. Sure, some customers can be very trying but the majority of customers are very pleasant and should more than make up for the disgruntled. The staff help establish the tone for the interaction. If the customer senses a bad attitude, then the exchange will probably not go very well. Interpreting a customer commiseration about you having to work in nice weather, as the customer rubbing your nose in it, indicates a very negative attitude.
I've been on both sides of the counter. When behind it, I'd rather have a customer chatting about the weather than saying nothing at all. It's just being sociable.
I've been on both sides of the counter. When behind it, I'd rather have a customer chatting about the weather than saying nothing at all. It's just being sociable.
Maybe so but I don't think any businesses would be in a good state if they just served sociable customers. Customers pay the bills and they tend to be a right fickle lot in a small community like ours.
jeid if u owned you own business and u had an arrogant customer thats comes to u everyday and spends a lot of money on regular basis to your business and ure staff was putting in complaints about him your hardly going to band him and tell him to go else were are you it wouldnt be in your interest thats the way life is thats why its important to get the right staff with proper training on how to deal with customers
I never said anything about banning customers, so I don't get what you're on about. I said people should act like they want to be treated.
Customers are the first to complain when staff have bad attitudes. As with most things in life, manners go a long way. I've had to complain about things and I've never had to take a bad attitude with the person to get the problem resolved.
There are a lot of posts on here moaning and criticising people who work as sales assistants, for supermarkets and in retail in general. But as I have worked in those fields before, I know that the customer is not always right, and instead of critising the workers, here is a run down of the some of the most disrespectful and irritating things customers do...
1. Throw their cash, debit/credit card, store card, etc at you instead of handing it over politely. Complete lack of respect for person behind the till.
2. Smugly tell you how it's such a "lovely sunny day and your stuck in here" and how it's "too good a day to be working", etc whenever the weather is nice. Every second or third customer out of the hundred of more you serve throughout the day will say this to you. And it's often their way or rubbing it in. Well, it's not that when their outside getting soaked on a rainy day and your lovely and warm in your work.
3. Stare at you. Have they never been told that is is very rude to stare?
4. Make personal remarks about your weight, hairstyle, facial expression, accent - anything they can. What right have you got to make such comments about another person? Especially when they are at work?
5. Don't say please or thank you. This works both ways. Would be quick to point out or put a complaint in about a store assistant if they didn't mind their P's and Q's.
6. Expect you to be a mind reader. For example - If you don't ask the store assistant to put your items through the till seperately, don't moan about it afterwards if it is not done. Speak up and let them know what you need.
7. Boldy tell you how your job must be so easy and "all you do" is sit behind a till all day. This isn't true. Customers only see a few moments of a full days work, they have no idea what goes into your job or what other tasks you do there.
8. Moan at you or act annoyed when you ask them questions that are part of your training. Don't they realise it is your job to ask and that you will get in trouble fi you don't do it correctly? It is not worth getting in trouble for the sake of customers who seem genuinely irritated by being asked if they want help with packing or have a store card?
9. Speak to you as if your braindead. It is very small-minded and ridiculous to presume that because a person works in a supermarket, corner shop, etc, that they aren't intelligent.
10. Blame you for the price of goods. You are just a general dogsbody, you don't run the company or have any say in the price of items or any business matters. To attack a store assistant for such things gets you nowhere and isn't fair on them.
Ever thought that it might be you or your colleagues in the shop that makes customers act in one of those ways. For your list and comments I suspect that maybe the problem is not just with the custumers.
Now here is what is really madenning - sales staff who do not know their inventory. I worked for a few months in one of Canada's largest outdoor gear sales emporiums. (No Canadian Orgers, it was not MEC, it was Eddie Bauer - now bankrupt.)
I enjoyed the job because the goods were so wonderful - goose-down parkas, gore tex jackets, chamois cloth shirts, compasses, back-packs, etc etc.
Because this was a high end store we got intelligent customers who asked questions about the gear we were selling. And that was the best part of the job because I enjoy that kind of gear so I had a lot of good conversations.
The pay was not great but there was a staff discount and we got first crack at the warehouse sale.
But I guess some staff members were bored and lazy and thoroughly useless. These staff people should have been fired after a probationary period. Because any store is only as good as its employees. Some staff never did grasp the difference between waterproof and shower resistant, or the different advantages of hollofill and down. (Down is warmer but useless when it gets wet.)
It always seems to me that the staff people are key in any store.
Can any Orgers remember the newspaper stores in Thurso, manned (if that is the word) by stern and knowlegable ladies and gentlemen who may not have been quite in the full bloom of youth but who compensated with complete authority over their domains.
Sandy MacDonald (fishing tackle) and Maggie Mackenzie (all you needed to survive while building Douneray)were two outstanding examples.
Can Orgers think of any more examples of good service?
Of course some stores are unusual and I have no idea what level of skill is needed to sell the goods of this place below. But if anyone is looking for a can of gravity you might want to get in touch...
http://www.stumbleupon.com/s/#7Y3Y94/blog.atribecallednext.com/2009/03/31/brooklyn-superhero-supply-co//
northener
30-Jun-09, 09:06
Any employer who allows their staff to be repeatedly abused in any way by a 'customer' - just because they spend a fair amount of money - is not worth working for.
They obviously put their own financial gain before the well-being of their staff...normally whilst parroting the 'caring' employer' routine at the same time.....
As for the customers, everyone has a bad day now and again.
Unfortunately, there are those in our community who believe that bullying or insulting people in a service position is acceptable, simply because 'the customer is always right'.
Usually, these people are nothing more than gutless nobodies who only pick on those who they think cannot answer back because of the position they hold. An easy target for someone who is obviously inadequate and needs to show everyone just how 'important' they really are.
Oh, and anyone who wanders around squawking "the customer is always right" at staff invariably is a prat anyway.
butterfly
30-Jun-09, 12:40
Any employer who allows their staff to be repeatedly abused in any way by a 'customer' - just because they spend a fair amount of money - is not worth working for.
They obviously put their own financial gain before the well-being of their staff...normally whilst parroting the 'caring' employer' routine at the same time.....
As for the customers, everyone has a bad day now and again.
Unfortunately, there are those in our community who believe that bullying or insulting people in a service position is acceptable, simply because 'the customer is always right'.
Usually, these people are nothing more than gutless nobodies who only pick on those who they think cannot answer back because of the position they hold. An easy target for someone who is obviously inadequate and needs to show everyone just how 'important' they really are.
Oh, and anyone who wanders around squawking "the customer is always right" at staff invariably is a prat anyway.
Bang on there Northerner again!
[quote=emc246;566839]There are a lot of posts on here moaning and criticising people who work as sales assistants, for supermarkets and in retail in general. But as I have worked in those fields before,
i have been worked in those fields as well for about 20yrs,i found it is interesting to serve in publie sector, because it help me making friends with alot strangers who came to the store or shop.
2. Smugly tell you how it's such a "lovely sunny day and your stuck in here" and how it's "too good a day to be working",
when customers say this to you, it only means that you met some friendly customers who like to have a nice talk with you. that is good thing.
3. Stare at you. Have they never been told that is is very rude to stare?
i know customers will stare at staff behind till when they get confused,or when they are looking for some help from you. nothing wrong with that.
4. Make personal remarks about your weight, hairstyle, facial expression, accent - anything they can.
to me, i think customers care about you, then they can notice when you change your hairstyle, or when you loose weitht?
5. Don't say please or thank you.
as i know, most customers they do, but when customers got disattracted by the other thing(speaking on the phone,or talking to someone), they will easily forgot saying thank you
6. Expect you to be a mind reader.
when customers expect you to know what they want, that means customers respect your working experience. they thought that you are experienced enough to know what they want. that is good.
7. Boldy tell you how your job must be so easy and "all you do" is sit behind a till all day.
a lot of customers saying that only try to please you, to make you think how lucky you are, make you feel happy on your work. how wonderful are these customers!
8. Moan at you or act annoyed when you ask them questions that are part of your training.
as customers, how are they suppose to know what have you been trained and what you haven't been trained to serve customers? so, please forgive if customers ask something that you can't help.
9. Speak to you as if your braindead. It is very small-minded and ridiculous to presume that because a person works in a supermarket, corner shop, etc, that they aren't intelligent.
that is rude
10. Blame you for the price of goods.
by doing this,i guess customers only hope that you will take these message to your boss, or pass the complaints to someone who can deal with that. they didn't mean to blame you.
i guess that you are maybe not suit for this kind of career.
6. Expect you to be a mind reader.
when customers expect you to know what they want, that means customers respect your working experience. they thought that you are experienced enough to know what they want. that is good.
i guess that you are maybe not suit for this kind of career.
Have to say i see why emc246 has said this one as i work in a bar i have had a very esperating customer who vaquely said i'll have a whisky. we have 6 different kinds. How am i supposed to know which one to give her if she doesn't say which one she wants. she may have just wanted any of them but it was espaerating to expect me to be a mind reader. It caused more delay in her getting her drink and got both fo us irritaited.
Many people who work in customer services only do it for a job not a career. some people ahve no choice but to get a job in customer services as its a job you certainly dont have to go to college to do. i worked in a supermarket for 5 years and it was only ever a job never a career. I think this is properly how emc246 feels.
[quote=emc246;566839]There are a lot of posts on here moaning and criticising people who work as sales assistants, for supermarkets and in retail in general. But as I have worked in those fields before,
i have been worked in those fields as well for about 20yrs,i found it is interesting to serve in publie sector, because it help me making friends with alot strangers who came to the store or shop. --- You can't make friends with the type of customers I was talking about, they aren't friendly or respectful enough to make friends with.
2. Smugly tell you how it's such a "lovely sunny day and your stuck in here" and how it's "too good a day to be working",
when customers say this to you, it only means that you met some friendly customers who like to have a nice talk with you. that is good thing. --- No it does not. Maybe sometimes, yes, but most of the time customers say this in a smug way to rub in the fact that people in shops are missing the sun and they aren't hahaha kind of thing. Why would anyone stuck behind a till want to hear that?! The customers who say this only make you feel even worse about the fact your missing the sun - this is their intention a lot of the time. If they say it with a smirk, then that's not having a nice talk with you as you would say. They think you can't answer them back because you'd get in trouble with managment, that's why they do it.
3. Stare at you. Have they never been told that is is very rude to stare?
i know customers will stare at staff behind till when they get confused,or when they are looking for some help from you. nothing wrong with that.
--- I didn't mean when they get confused I meant when they stare at you like you have a growth coming out the side of your face. I have served customers and they were staring right through me, I felt very uncomfortable. It is rude to stare and that's the end of it.
4. Make personal remarks about your weight, hairstyle, facial expression, accent - anything they can.
to me, i think customers care about you, then they can notice when you change your hairstyle, or when you loose weitht? --- I was talking about the critcal personal remarks. Not the nice ones that you were on about. I had a customer tell me "I don't like your eye make-up at all, no, don't like it" - that was extremely rude and unnecessary, how dare a complete stranger talk to me like that. I'd never do that to someone if it was the other way around. I meant comments like that - it is WRONG.
5. Don't say please or thank you.
as i know, most customers they do, but when customers got disattracted by the other thing(speaking on the phone,or talking to someone), they will easily forgot saying thank you --- Well they shouldn't be on the phone or get distracted, they always get angry at store assistants who are on the phone when serving them or "forget" to say thank you. You don't just "forget" to say thank you, you should always remember to be polite.
6. Expect you to be a mind reader.
when customers expect you to know what they want, that means customers respect your working experience. they thought that you are experienced enough to know what they want. that is good. --- Again, you are defending things that are wrong. I had a customer go mad at me as I didn't put their items through seperate, but they hadn't told me they wanted them put through seperate! This is what I meant.
7. Boldy tell you how your job must be so easy and "all you do" is sit behind a till all day.
a lot of customers saying that only try to please you, to make you think how lucky you are, make you feel happy on your work. how wonderful are these customers! --- Why would that please me? To be told that I just sit on my backside on a till all day. That is rude. They haven't got a clue so should not past comment on it. A lot of them say that to be smart and cocky. I meant the customers who say it in that context.
8. Moan at you or act annoyed when you ask them questions that are part of your training.
as customers, how are they suppose to know what have you been trained and what you haven't been trained to serve customers? so, please forgive if customers ask something that you can't help. --- I meant, for example, when they get angry at you if you ask them "Do you have a store card?", they must know that you HAVE to ask this. It's only obvious as they will be getting asked if everytime they do their shop. They all know for example that in the Co-Op you get asked if you have a dividend card. So why go angry and ratty with store assistants when they ask for it? You don't have to be a genius to know that it's just something they are trained to ask. They act like your deliberately being annoying or something when you ask such things, it is just your job and they should realise that, they don't have to know the ins and outs or your training to know these basic facts.
9. Speak to you as if your braindead. It is very small-minded and ridiculous to presume that because a person works in a supermarket, corner shop, etc, that they aren't intelligent.
that is rude --- well at least you agree with something.
10. Blame you for the price of goods.
by doing this,i guess customers only hope that you will take these message to your boss, or pass the complaints to someone who can deal with that. they didn't mean to blame you. --- I meant when they personally attack you for it. You can only tell management so many times about complaints, can't you? I had a customer tell me "I'm not like you I don't support and back Gordon Brown, about time the prices here were lowered, when will you do something about it?" I was irate. How dare he presume I support Gordown Brown for starters. And personally attack me for the prices, I have to pay the same for goods as everyone else does after all. It was completey nasty and rude.
i guess that you are maybe not suit for this kind of career. --- That is why I quit working in retail, but at least I am not defending customers who should not be defended like you are. You are being too soft. When customers make you feel bad or personally attacked, that is not right. Why should store assistants have to take such abuse or disrespect???
Ever thought that it might be you or your colleagues in the shop that makes customers act in one of those ways. For your list and comments I suspect that maybe the problem is not just with the custumers.
I no longer work in retail as I am not the type of person to allow myself to sit behind a till being insulted, disrespected and generally ill-treated by customers who are rude and nasty.
I had some great customers and regulars too, of course I did, but the bad ones meant that I ended up detesting my job.
I never acted in the way I spoke about in my original post towards customers, I wrote that post to vent pent-up anger over it after witnessing a man throw his cash at a sales girl the other week in a shop, it just reminded me what I had escaped from.
What I was trying to put across was the fact that people are always complaining about bad customer service - well what about the staff who are doing their best to be helpful, polite and provide the best service they can to customers - and are being treated with no respect, no kindness and no gratitude?
I have had customers snatch change, walk off and no say thank you after me saying thank you and goodbye to them.
I have had customers criticise the way I was dressed or had my hair done, just right out of the blue, it was hurtful and actually quite alarming to me that someone could be so rude towards me. I was just trying to get on with my work.
I had a new start on with me who was on his second day with us, he forgot to ask for the customers store card, they went mad at the poor man, even though I explained they could still get their points added on another time, wasn't good enough, they made the new start feel that low and knocked their confidence, it was sad to see. No need for it.
The list goes on and on and on. None of this was my fault and was not behaviour I provoked in any way as you seem to be implying. It dents your confidence and is just NOT ON. End of discussion.
sassylass
30-Jun-09, 22:44
It takes skill to handle nasty attitudes and self confidence to let irreversible nasty attitudes roll off your back and, no doubt, it takes thick skin to work with the public.
I have never thrown my credit or debit card at anyone serving in a shop in my life, but have had it thrown back at me a few times.
You as a bartender have the right to refuse to serve someone who has in your opinion "had too much", and ask them to leave the premises.
In fact, is there not a legal requirement not to continue serving someone who has had too much?
I have never thrown my credit or debit card at anyone serving in a shop in my life, but have had it thrown back at me a few times.
My wife has been ordered over the phone by a credit card company to cut up a customer's credit card. No choice - she had to do it. So serving the public can be a thankless task. You're right - she didn't get thanked!
JimBews
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