To have said no this customer?

[LittleMissGerardButlersMinion]

I work in the wonderful world of retail

Today a customer in the queue asked me to heat some baby food for her. I apologized and said I'm sorry we can't heat it for you, but can give you a flask of hot water for you to heat it. We are not allowed under health and safety.

She pulled a right face at me and huffed 'well that will take far too long' and stalked off!

Yes I know its annoying, and we have a microwave, but its right behind the counter, so can't let customers round to use it.

I wasn't doing it to be annoying!

Another customer asked for a knife so I smiled and said they are in the dishwasher they won't be a minute, she stalked off to her table. As soon as they came out I took one over, she just looked at me and didnt even say thanks.

I always try to be nice and treat customers how I like to be treated, but its so hard when they are rude

YANBU.

She should have gone somewhere that has a microwave available for customers to use if she was so desperate to give her baby microwaved food. Or brought food that didn't need to be heated.

That's crappy :(
I was served soup last night without a spoon though so did you serve steak without a knife? I can see that would be annoying because the food gets cold while we're waiting for the appropriate cutlery
Running out of knives rooky mistake no ?

It's a small cafe, with not enough knives! They were literally going through at the time, and they had scones so not going cold :)

YANBU. People show their true colours when they're customers. It's surprising how many people who'd normally be polite turn into rude, indignant brats on their high horse when they're customers and think no-one they know is looking.

They are being unreasonable. You sound like a saint.

There is no excuse for not having enough cutlery, it is a basic service requirement.

Does your dish washer cool them?

I hate to be handed something out of the dishwasher warm that is meant for chilled food, or drinks.

I think YABU if you spect customers to sit and wait for cutlery.

I used to like a scone with a hot cup of tea.

Yanbu about the first thing but if you don't have knives for ccustomers then you/your boss should get some more. it is unreasonable to expect people to wait

YABU.

I had something similar the first time I ventured out with DD2 and a 12 mth DD1. It'd taken longer than anticipated so we were out at DD1's mealtime. I bought some food to be heated up but due to the packaging it needed a microwave. For the record it was the only food I could get and DD1 was hungry and we were in a coffee shop that didn't have any food

I was told it was against health and safety. I said I'd take full responsibility but was told no. I cried. New mum hormones, hungry toddler, just too much.

I would have appreciated that retail assistant showing me a little kindness and common sense, OP.

If it's against health and safety that's not the OP's fault. Anyone who disagrees with any rules should approach those who made them, not take it out on people working on the shop floor.

You'd appreciate the retail assistant showing some kindness and common sense, Twinkle? I imagine he/she would appreciate you offering the same and understanding that retail assistants don't set the rules. Employers don't take kindly to staff, often on casual contracts, disobeying rules that can get the employer in trouble if broken. You'd like somebody to put their job on the line to heat some baby food for you because things were getting a bit much for you? Seriously?

Yanbu about the baby food. We had the same at the cafe I worked at. Everyone blamed us as the cafe assistants but we didn't set the rules. Easier to blame us and make comments about our lack of common sense and kindness (yeah sorry we didn't risk our job for you!) than make an effort and complain to people who can change things.

I'm amazed how rude customers can be, just because they think they can. I work in retail and had an absolute bitch have a go a me today because I couldn't do the impossible thing that she wanted me to do.

Nevermind the arseholes OP, hopefully there's more nice customers than shitty ones.

Oh and YANBU

YANBU about the baby food as them's the rules

The knife thing is a bit crap though

Such a very basic thing to keep on top of

Some people are just so bloody rude. There is no excuse. YANBU.

Bananas don't need heating, and even baby food in a jar can be eaten at room temperature. YANBU

Why is a microwave against health and safety?

I'm gobsmacked that people actually think that shop assistants carry out the health and safety risk assessments that decide how shops allow customers heat their baby food .

Is it really against 'health and safety' legislation or is that something employers like to say to avoid any possible legal issues?

Genuine question, not being sarky.

I know I have sometimes said 'it's against H & S' to get out of doing something.

And really, running out of knives in a cafe is unforgiveable - surely if you have limited numbers you wash them in batches or something? How was the customer supposed to cut her scone?

It's not the microwave , it's the fact that if you have to reheat food it has to be a minimum temperature of 82c ( or something , but very hot ) and that obviously would be too hot to give to a baby .
So then the customer would complain that it's too hot ... And so it goes on .
But running out of cutlery .. Hmmm ( opening my own cafe soon , will buy more knives )

Wait, people heat bottles with a microwave? That's not a good idea.

YANBU about the baby food.

YABU about the cutlery, there should always be some available and if there are not that is a sign of poor organisation.

HSE view on issue:

www.hse.gov.uk/myth/myth-busting/2012/case036-babyfood.htm

(OP YANBU to advise your employer's policy, however your employer may BU to say it is Health and Safety)

Tyne thanks for that.

I think far too many places use H & S as an 'excuse' rather than clearly explaining their own policy. It's probably why H & S is seen as such a joke in so many areas.

Yanbu about the baby food -I taught mine to suck the contents straight out of the Ella's pouch for that exact reason - very classy! But soooo convenient!

Not so sure about the knives.