To think this person was rude to my DD?

[DorkingMum]

DD (17) needed to get something printed and bound for one of her A levels. I had phoned a print shop I use locally and agreed I would pay for it later by bank transfer.

When she picked it up today they gave her an invoice and she asked, "What do I need to do with this - do I need to fill it in or anything?"

She says the woman on the desk made a face and said "You need to pay it!" then asked him how old she was. When she told her '17' she said "by the time I was your age, I had left home and was living on my own."

DD has dyslexia and some processing issues (so can come across as a bit slow on the uptake sometimes, I know) but AIBU to think this was still pretty rude?

[DorkingMum]

asked her how old she was

[Onetwothreeeee]

I’m surprised a 17 year old doesn’t know what an invoice is

[Really123456]

Rude but miniscule issue... You'll both get over it I'm sure 😂

[SmallChickBilly]

Definitely rude- I bet they wouldn't have spoken to someone older like that! She was perfectly reasonable to ask advice for something she never done before and good customer service shouldn't be dependent on the age of the person you're taking to.

[TheMemoryLingers]

YANBU. Poor customer service. I doubt it would only be 17 year olds whose first impulse, on being handed some kind of form, would be to ask what to do with it.

And, so what if she left home early. Good for her. Doesn't mean it's desirable for others.

Not a way for them to get repeat business!

[Babymamamama]

Yes that is rude. I would raise it with the owner of the business.

[Isabellaswann]

Very rude.

[GinDrinker00]

It was a little rude but how they suppose to know she has processing difficulties? Most 17 year olds would know what an invoice is.

[recrudescence]

minuscule issue

Agreed.

[DorkingMum]

Really123456 oh don't worry, nobody is scarred by it!

I guess I was just wondering if I was feeling a bit over-protective of DD as I know she can find some interactions like this in shops etc challenging.
I don't think I would have known what an invoice was at 17!

Not thinking of complaining or anything.

[BookMeOnTheSudExpress]

First world minuscule issue. No, it wasn't rude. It was conversation.

[DorkingMum]

This WAS the owner of the business! (Small shop)

[Batqueen]

You shouldn’t treat customers like that, even if they ask the most ridiculous questions. I think responses would be different if it was older people having internet issues being treated poorly. Young people also deserve respect.

[74NewStreet]

Not remotely rude.

[DorkingMum]

I think younger generation do so much online these days that physical, paper forms DO freak them out sometimes!

[TheMemoryLingers]

It was rude. "You need to pay it" is very abrupt, especially if accompanied by face-pulling. A polite and helpful response would have been "It's the invoice, so you don't need to fill it in - it's the bill for our service" or similar.

[LolaSmiles]

It's abrupt and not brilliant service, but I also would expect someone arranging to pay later to know what they needed to do in order to pay it later (eg what an invoice is).

[RufustheLanglovingreindeer]

It was rude

I doubt my 17 year olds would have a clue


The 23 year old guest here asked if it was like a bill...and if it was why it wasn’t just called a bill

[BlankTimes]

I had phoned a print shop I use locally and agreed I would pay for it later by bank transfer

If you'd asked your DD to say My mum rang you [time and day] and agreed to pay for my order later by bank transfer' when she collected it, the woman would have reacted differently.

[PermanentlyFrizzyHairBall]

I didn't know what an invoice was the first time I saw one. They're rarely used any more in this country. I was living abroad the first time I was given one and it took me a moment to work it out. (I'd be living alone for many years and done an international move by that point so I was hardly a baby either).

[5zeds]

If she’d lived at home a bit longer perhaps her parents would have taught her how to be kinder, who knows. Sounds like a tedious person to me. Tell Dd to ignore her and to always be kind when someone asks her to explain something that she thinks is obvious. Sometimes the only good is to never do it to someone else.

[TheGnusShoes]

First world minuscule issue. No, it wasn't rude. It was conversation.

OMG what an irritating and pointless reply!
Yes it was rude, it was very blunt and accompanied by a face so yeah, not exactly polite. And asking her age served what purpose, when she could've just answered the flipping question? I don't understand why more people running businesses don't make an effort with polite customer service.

[Evilspiritgin]

That phrase is used on here all the time!!

[krustykittens]

I can understand if there was confusion as to how the bill was being paid - if the lady who served your DD didn't know you were paying later by bank transfer I can understand her being taken aback about being asked what to do with an invoice. But she shouldn't have kept talking. To pass comment on a customer's perceived lifestyle is very rude.

[nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut]

DD was a bit daft, woman was a bit rude. Sort of thing that irritates you but probably isnt worth a complaint. I wouldn't give it much headspace. We're all guilty of the odd 'blonde moment' or bad day/mood. I wouldn't blow it out of proportion tbh.