Retail workers.. Has a customer ever made you cry?

[NotProudOfMyself]

One did today. I'm not proud of myself. But they were one in a long line of customers today who decided to tell me how rubbish I am at my job (I'm not BTW, and I wasn't doing anything wrong )...and it just got to me. And I hate myself for that.

I wish people could remember that just because we wear a uniform and serve you doesn't make us less than human, or mean that we don't have feelings too.

We do. And we need kindness and understanding as much as you do. Trust me.

It's not just retail or public facing jobs. People can be arseholes to anyone they come into contact with.

I spent many years working in retail 9 (in my family shop) and there were plenty of rude/obnoxious customers.

Then I trained and became an accountant - what should be a "cushy" office job. Guess what - there were plenty of rude/obnoxious clients. And yes, sometimes I was reduced to tears.

It's just a numbers game. Retail workers come into contact with more people, so they're more likely to come across the arseholes, but I'm pretty sure everyone comes across arseholes who could make them cry in all walks of life, just less often.

I’ll always remember the day a (male) customer said to my lovely lady manager “Smile, love. You look like somebody died!” Her Father had just died. She just gave him a ferocious stare and disappeared into our stockroom. I was mortified for her.
People can be so thoughtless!

Dentistry is as bad at times You’d think that shouting at the people with the tools to get you out of pain would be counterproductive
I had a patient refuse to leave my chair as he had fallen out with the dentist ( different chair I’m not even a dentist). Patients thinking they can tell the dentist what treatment they need or complaining loudly to me or reception that the waiting list is too long/ why can’t we move other patients so they can have that appointment/ cost ( that they already agreed to pay ) is too high etc etc
Threats to sue the dentist because there was a family emergency and the dentist had to leave at short notice
I’ve been threatened with ‘now we’re aren’t going to hurt each other are we’

And the sexual comments from some patients is shocking - people touching themselves in the chair. Rubber glove fetish. Sex noises

It’s fun ( not)

‘now we’re aren’t going to hurt each other are we’
God!! That's bloody chilling. I don't think I could work on someone who said that!

God yes - several times. Worst one was a man literally screaming at me in the middle of the womenswear department because a brand didn't stock the size of clothing his wife was. Unfortunately we didn't have any clothing of that particular size in any brand so all I could do was apologise profusely and suggested looking at the website and I could help them get it delivered the next day. But that didn't pacify him at all. His wife there starting yelling at me that it was my fault because i must have hidden all the clothes in her size because I didn't like her. Very bizarre - I just kept apologising.

I am always extra nice to retail staff because I remember how rude customers made me feel and I would never want to make anyone feel that way.

Thank you. I know its not just retail too. But in my case it is just retail! I'll never be anything else..

I worked in retail and customer facing/service roles and have seen staff crying

I worked in a bank at one time and a dreadful customer had a cashier in tears, very unpleasant calling her stupid and incompetent etc

The manager was called for and listened to the customer (who calmed immediately) and then asked what accounts the customer had, asked another cashier to check for anything outstanding etc

And then told the cashier to close every account and give the customer the money ...he wasnt welcomed as a customer

It was awesome, doubt it would happen now

I did much prefer obnoxious customers on the phone...cos then you could hang up if necessary (if the customer swore, you weren’t allowed to doit if they were just horrible)

Sorry notproud 💐

I'm so glad to be out of retail.
I've had customers make me cry. I've had more than one march up to me and just start shouting. They're in a bad mood and need to take it out on someone and as a lowly shop assistant I wasn't allowed to answer back. I've never understood that mentality.
I also agree that everyone should do a six month national service placement in retail, specifically as the lowest paid position in the store.

Worked in a post office as an 18 year old. Man (well into his 40's) from the local car dealers came in wanting a new tax disc. I explained he needed insurance/ MOT documents etc which he didn't have. He kicked off to the extent that by the end he had spat on the plastic glass and cracked it by punching it.

He said he'd 'fucking see me outside when You've finished work fucking bitch I'll fucking cripple you!' and then left. I served the next customer who looked a bit shell shocked and then I went round the back of the filing cabinets to weep. I was terrified. I used to walk 30 minutes home as I couldn't afford the bus and I just pictured him lurking round a corner ready to pounce.

Told my manager who immediately called up the dealership and explained they would not be doing business with them any more. They shit themselves and sent one of their lovely blokes round with profuse apologies declarations of his sacking and a case of wine for me. I didn't care they were protecting their business, i those days wine was a massive treat!

I happened to be in a post office 20 years later in Canary Wharf and the twat next to me was having a long and protracted go at the poor girl behind the counter, calling her 'stupid' because he didn't have the documents to renew his tax disc! She was being very polite and looked on the verge of tears. I told him calmly to listen to her and fucking leave because she's just doing her job and she wins the argument.m. He looked shocked and scurried out. Bless her she thanked me as I left but did tell her I'd been in her shoes once and my tolerance for that behaviour now is extremely low!!

Yes, 15 years ago when I was visibly very pregnant and working the till in a shoe shop.
Disgusting man said some awful things because he couldn't return his purchase. I cried right there in front of him and he still didn't back down.
The whole queue behind him was outraged on my behalf and I had some lovely women give him a good talking to.
Wanker!

Thankfully I don’t have to deal with customers anymore but my DP does in a phone capacity and he has calls every day that would make me cry. He calls people about their unpaid bills and the abuse he gets is crazy. It’s just his job...but people ask if he’s even human, or the good old ‘I’m a single mum of ten disabled children and a blind dog so I can’t pay my bill and you’re trying to take the food from their mouths.’ No, he’s not, he’s doing his job. He gets sworn at, called foul names, and threatened. Yes, he can hang up after giving a ‘three strikes and you’re out’ approach to abuse but he shouldn’t have to take any abuse but it seems that people often don’t consider that it’s just another person doing their job.

Yep, supermarket opening day, lots of high up members of staff there.

A customer asked me if the children's ready meals were suited for adults too and I said yes, some of them sounded lovely and I wish they did them in adult portions and I laughed. She stormed off and went over to the area manager and store manager in front of the high up staff and said she'd recently had a stroke and I was laughing at her for needing children's meals.

Nobody believed my version of events, we'd only been open about 10 mins and I had anxiety at the time so sat crying in the staff room for ages!

She was a regular customer there after that and would always come to my till but refuse to speak to me.

I cried as an 28 year old when som horrible old bitch had a go at me as I needed a void on the till due to the barcode scanning incorrectly. She shouted and threw the books she was boiling at me, called me speccy and asked why I couldn’t fucking read. A guy in the queue actuslly saw ‘haw Mrs do you not think that’s a bit much!’ She flounced out. I held it together until my boss asked ‘are you ok?’ And I just burst into tears, all the staff were coming into the staff room to hug me lol.

I really wish shop staff could give back what they get as I think most people wouldn’t be as brave and wide as they are.

Oops *18 year old

Haven't RTFT yet but I remember one bloke did when I worked as a bank cashier, can't remember what over but he was awful. It was towards the end of the day and no one else was around so after he left I burst into tears and was being comforted by a colleague.

Anyway he must have had a pang of guilt and came back in looking apologetic started to say "look I'm-" but I just waved my hand dismissively and said "just leave it ok. Leave it" And off he sadly skulked out, so I hope it made him think about his actions in future.

Yep, when I was 16, he wanted something doing which was physically impossible and started shouting at me. Manager rescued me and I went and cried. It was awful

Ds has worked retail and he witnessed someone physically attack an employee and try to strangle her. This attacked person was 16 and absolutely terrified. She had tried to help this customer but the customer wouldn't take no for an answer.

He has lots of stories of abusive customers. On his first shift he accidentally scanned a plastic bag twice and was humiliated by the customer for this innocent mistake which he noticed and rectified immediately.

I am genuinely sorry that you all had such awful experiences

Sorry to hear what a nasty experience op
Imo most of the people that are nasty to readily workers are just cowards as they pick on someone unable to knock them out or really swear back etc
Probably just miserable in their own lives
But like some of the mumsnetters that are nasty
For no reason
Because they are miserable twats so best felt sorry for !!

I was a "fucking twat," when I worked on the checkouts at Asda, because there were no sprouts left. At 3.30pm on Christmas Eve when the shop closed at 4pm.

As a Saturday girl many years ago. Had already had a difficult conversation with a customer who thought she could return her hoover just because she didn't like it. No - not when you've used it and it's full of dust.

Anyways after loooong discussion with this emotionally manipulative woman, she finally got the message that I wouldn't be returning said filthy hoover and went to leave, only for Mr billy big bollocks in the queue to have a go for making the woman cry and telling her to take legal action.

Horrible man.

Too many to recount all but the one that comes to mind was a bloke with his kids in tow who wanted a refund for a product missed from his order that he hadnt had...kicked off, kept threatening and walking towards me..meanwhile my male colleague kept his head down and stayed out of it...in the end shiity customer gave up but stormed off up the store,I followed at a distance and grabbed a manager who followed him.
Afterwards the store manager came to find me to check on me, apparently the manager I saw told the store manager who went up to the customer, and threw him out and barred him. The colleague who had ignored what was happening was called out for leaving a colleague at risk and not calling for help.

@Heatherjayne1972 That is absolutely vile. I'm not a fan of going to the dentist but WTH?

@tectonicplates
Yep. We hygienists are often women working alone unfortunately some men think that makes it ok to make sexual remarks
Or get aggressive- although aggression is not exclusive to men
I’ve been sworn at lots of times - just for doing the job they’re paying me to do!