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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask why the fuck some people are so rude to retail staff

198 replies

Abbinob · 08/05/2016 16:05

Been working in a shop for all of 2 months and I'm starting to hate people.
I don't care about people being on their phones or whatever but it's the people that just chuck there stuff down, almost throw their bag at you and then just chuck a bunch of coins in the counter without even saying a word. I am a person not a bag packing scanning machine robot thing. Or people who throw strops because there's a massive queue and half way through scanning there things they realise they have no money so want to go and get some out the cash machine round the corner and have a huge strop because obviously I void their stuff so I can serve everyone else.
And not to mention the man who came in today and demanded "oi girl! 20 richmond"
Don't "Oi girl"me you rude cunt
Angry

OP posts:
storybrooke · 08/05/2016 16:07

I've never understood this either, they must have no soul. Yanbu

OliveBranchCollins · 08/05/2016 16:07

Nope the 6 yrs I spent in retail were hell.

SideOrderofChip · 08/05/2016 16:09

I believe the phrase 'The customer is always right' is the key issue

Unfortunatly some seem to see it as a right to be as rude as possible as they feel they can do no wrong.

YoJesse · 08/05/2016 16:10

People are shits who don't get that there's a person in front of you and not an automated till. I work in hospitality and have been called girl loads and shouted at for stuff that's not my fault. It sucks. I just zone out and pretend I'm playing a part when people treat me like that. It's like they're not really speaking to the real me that way. I love serving Americans though, they tend to be much more considerate and polite.

ForalltheSaints · 08/05/2016 16:12

Some people treat others as if they are a servant, and others have no manners towards anyone.

SpeakNoWords · 08/05/2016 16:12

I don't know either, and I'm sorry that you've had to put up with such vile people.

ShatnersBassoon · 08/05/2016 16:13

I suppose it gives the average twat a daily taste of having a servant; in shops and restaurants, these arseholes can imagine themselves to be above those having to take the orders. Retail and waiting staff must have superhuman levels of patience.

alltouchedout · 08/05/2016 16:14

No idea. They do it to bar and waiting staff too but at least when waiting tables there are opportunities for covert but satisfying revenge :)

YoJesse · 08/05/2016 16:16

Like what alltouchedout?? Grin

Lockheart · 08/05/2016 16:16

It's a mystery to me. I've done most jobs going - waitressing, tills, shelf stacking etc. Everyone should be made to do at least 6 weeks behind a till / bar - that would stop a lot of people being rude I think! It's always people who've never had to work with the public that do it.

MeDownSouth · 08/05/2016 16:16

the customer is always right.. except when they're wrong! I used to live for my one or two lovely regulars and hated the rest of the time :(
Hope you don't have to put up with it for too long.

Want2bSupermum · 08/05/2016 16:18

I really feel for you and anyone working in retail. Living in the US, I used to love returning home to go shopping. Shop assistants were helpful, could be easily found and were honest when asked if something made me look like an elephant being squished by 2 buses.

Now, there has been a race to the bottom at the majority of stores. Trying to find someone to help me is tiresome. I regularly wait more than 20mins to purchase items in my shopping cart at the supermarket. Clothes shopping is just painful. I've given up and gone online, only visiting stores to return items if the store is on my way.

The only store where customer service is somewhat acceptable in the North West without going into super expensive boutiques is John Lewis. Even then I notice they have less assistants on the floor than they used to.

Oh and Tesco lost my business when they starting hiring people to work in their stores who speak zero English. Sorry I'm no UKIP affectionado but when I whipped out my phone to translate my question of when the next batch of hot cross buns would be ready I had a moment of rage in my head. I put my shopping back and went to Sayers. Local assistant served me right away after saying hello as I walked up to the counter, had a quick banter and was on my way. I paid a little bit extra and it was worth every single penny.

Becky546 · 08/05/2016 16:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

YouTheCat · 08/05/2016 16:23

I remember one time a customer had thrown his money on the counter and demanded his pint, whilst I was busy with someone else. He kept on while I served other people.

When I got to him I told him he could ask me properly or he could bugger off to the club. I never had any bother from him after that. These people do it to make themselves feel big because they are woefully inadequate individuals.

OiWithThePoodlesAlready · 08/05/2016 16:23

I've worked in retail for nearly 15 years. Some lovely customers but some really horrible ones. I was physically assaulted by a middle aged man when i was 18. It is not an easy job.

The shop I work in now is pretty good really. We get some stuck up people but most of the people are nice.

Optimist1 · 08/05/2016 16:26

I agree, customers can be vile but I try to redress the balance a bit by being pleasant, reasonable and patient when I'm the customer. OP you might like the website notalwaysright.com which gives people working in retail a chance to vent!

angelos02 · 08/05/2016 16:30

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

RaeSkywalker · 08/05/2016 16:30

I worked in retail from when I was 15 until I graduated aged 21. People are unbelievably rude- the worst treatment I got was working on the checkouts in tesco. People talking about me like I wasn't there, "she had better pack our bags", etc. The stand out example of this- I was only 17, and jumped on a till on my break to help reduce the queues, and out of nowhere a man started screaming in my face about how long he had been waiting. I thought he was going to hit me and I sobbed on the bus home after my shift.

Having said that, I do think that as a general trend, customer service in shops has reduced in recent years. DH and I were in Debenhams earlier and the assist who was scanning our items chatted away to another assistant about her weekend without acknowledging us once Hmm I worked in Debenhams and would've been in major trouble of I'd done that!

It's always lovely when I'm served by someone friendly and polite. People really appreciate and respond to it. And I am always very patient as a customer now, having been on the receiving end of it myself!

TheFuckersBitingMe · 08/05/2016 16:30

We popped to our local shop a few weeks back and a man saw the queue at the checkout and just barged straight in front of us (I was with the DCs) and he was so incredibly rude to the chap on the counter. DS1 has Aspergers and has little to no indoor/outdoor voice; it's just voice, and loudly asked "Mum, why did he push in, he clearly saw us in the line, I wonder if he's going to regret his rudeness once he goes home and has time to think about it". I have never seen anyone go so completely red in my life. But to add to his shame I said to DS1 "You're right, he's probably really embarrassed by his behaviour now, thank goodness you have some manners and can wait nicely".

It takes a second to smile even if you're in a shitty mood. Taking it out on others proves what an utter cockrocket you are.

RaeSkywalker · 08/05/2016 16:32

The your son is a legend!!

daisychain01 · 08/05/2016 16:37

"oi girl! 20 richmond"

I'd have been tempted to say "sorry? Run that one by me again?" But I know you'd probably get a roasting from your manager!

Memunchiesanomanomnom · 08/05/2016 16:37

YANBU.
People can be so unbelievably rude and unpleasant and it's not necessary. A lot of folk out there don't seem to have any respect for anyone. Someone could be going through some hard times and then they have arrogant fuckwits come along to make them feel even more shittier. I just look at people like that and think pull your own head out of your own arse.

OhMrBadger · 08/05/2016 16:46

I like to think that people who are rude to staff are projecting their own misery and lack of self esteem. I worked in retail for 6 years and customers could be so unspeakably rude that it was soul destroying. I always make sure I say please and thank you to shop staff, waiting staff etc and will always stand up for or empathise with them if another customer is rude. I cannot abide that thing some rude people do of trying to make eye contact with another customer, so that they are drawn into the drama. Smacks of bullying to me.

tethersend · 08/05/2016 16:48

Cuntstomers.

musicposy · 08/05/2016 16:51

DD, 16, works in McDonald's and 50 year old blokes have called her a bitch for not hearing them first time or if the shake machine isn't working. She gets it all the time, says sorry, is really polite and still people rant and swear. I can't believe people - do they not have daughters themselves? Do they forget what being 16 felt like? There's just no excuse.

I think I've said this before but a friend's son works in Tesco and a customer said "I bet you wish you'd worked harder at school, then you wouldn't be working in Tesco" Shock He was just stunned and said "I'm doing A levels actually".

We said next time he should say "I bet YOU wish you'd worked harder at school, then you wouldn't be shopping in Tesco" Grin

People are twats.