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AIBU?

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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:
BackforGood · 08/05/2016 16:52

Some people have been dragged up without ever being taught there is a better way to be, in life.
It's the same with all walks of life though - driving, for example. Some people just have no manners or consideration for others.
Like OhMrBadger, they are probably very lacking in self esteem and also happiness themselves. I just try to feel sorry for them instead of getting worked up about it.

MothertotheLordsofmisrule · 08/05/2016 16:58

I've worked in retail and in a cafe and make a point of politeness and actually chatting to the person behind the till. As has been pointed out they aren't robots - they are enabling/helping you to buy something.

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 08/05/2016 16:58

I can't believe that anyone would think it was OK to say 'oi' or 'girl' to a staff member.l
It makes you wonder how people can stand to do a job that brings them such regular rudeness. Well done to everyone who carries on regardless!

OhMrBadger · 08/05/2016 17:01

I just remembered the incident that saddened me more than all the others...

...working in a clothes shop when I was 22, recently graduated and had just moved from Scotland down to SE England. A man started to chat to me whilst his wife looked around and asked all about Scotland, reasons for my move etc. At the end of the (seemingly) pleasant conversation he said, "so you've got a degree and all you're doing is working in a shop." He shook his head and walked off.

I felt utterly crushed and couldn't even squeak a response. Not rude as such, but condescending, thoughtless and deeply bigoted.

TwentyCupsOfTea · 08/05/2016 17:01

I used to work in retail and once a little boy (maybe 7/8) sidled up to me and said 'my mummy says people who work in shops like you do didn't do very well at school'.

Shock If that's how people speak to their children about retail staff its only going to be worse in coming years...
TwentyCupsOfTea · 08/05/2016 17:03

OhMrBadger ive had similar behind a bar.. A lovely chat with nice couple. Who then asked me what my job was (which ive had numerous times, and I always think im doing it now you idiot!! Their response is ALWAYS no your proper job). I was insulted as didn't expect it from how nice they had been. They then remarked it was a shame to see my 'wasting my life' since I seemed quite intelligent

RiverTam · 08/05/2016 17:04

People can certainly be vile, but equally most customer service you get in shops in the UK is appalling, rude staff who clearly couldn't give a shit. So 50/50 I'd say. Even in John Lewis the customer service has gone downhill.

Nanny0gg · 08/05/2016 17:10

I used to work in retail and once a little boy (maybe 7/8) sidled up to me and said 'my mummy says people who work in shops like you do didn't do very well at school'.

Similar to what people say about hairdressers and beauticians.

Muskateersmummy · 08/05/2016 17:11

I think it depends on what kind of retail you work in. I'm very lucky to be in a small independent shop and pretty much all of our customers are lovely, friendly and polite. But it's a crying shame that this is so infrequently the case

BoopTheSnoot · 08/05/2016 17:15

I work in retail. For the most part, I love my job. I will go out of my way to get to know my customers, as often we will spend about half an hour or so together. I do try to make everyone's experience positive and special. BUT if you are rude to me, expect the same attitude to be reflected back at you. I don't go to work to be spoken to like dirt, and I don't get paid enough to be anybody's verbal punchbag because they're having a bad day. I guess my philosophy is, I'm a human being just like everyone else and you should always treat others how you would expect to be treated. If I give someone short shrift, there IS a reason behind it.

DieSchottin93 · 08/05/2016 17:26

YANBU. I have some horrible customers where I work, the kind that make your heart sink when you see them walk in because you know they'll be awkward Sad some people just refuse to admit they're wrong (listen, the reason your newspaper bill "isn't right" is because you forgot to pay a week or so ffs, it has nothing to do with me) and get all arsey and demand you do something RIGHT NOW. There is nothing worse than having to deal with a rude and sometimes aggressive customer, and I sometimes feel they don't take me seriously because I'm young (22)

donotreadtheDailyHeil · 08/05/2016 17:49

I totally agree that everyone should have to work in a customer service role - maybe it should be added to the end of year 11 after GCSEs have been finished :)

I worked in a library for a year about 4 years ago and although customers were pretty nice on the whole, it was a good lesson in how the other half live. That said, it also taught me what good customer service is - we wouldn't get away with leaving customers to wait while we did another job, which seems to be quite normal in some shops (and in particular the post office).

SenecaFalls · 08/05/2016 17:51

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.

How can management tolerate this? I have twice in my life been in McDonald's (in the US) when a customer became abusive to staff, and both times, the manager came out, informed them in no uncertain terms that they could not speak to the server like that, and asked them to leave. In one case they called the police because the man refused to leave.

PalmerViolet · 08/05/2016 17:52

It gets no better when you work in management. You not only get ignorant twunts moaning at you because one of your colleagues hasn't been servile enough to them, but then they think that it's ok to start swearing at you as well.

In those situations, I generally just get rid of them as fast as possible and then go and make sure that the staff member they've obviously been an utter arse to is ok.

There's no need.

PalmerViolet · 08/05/2016 17:54

(I am leaving in September to go back to study, I cannot wait. I never, ever want to work in retail ever ever again)

WitchyPoos · 08/05/2016 17:54

Oh I feel your pain I have had a full 6 hours of the shitbags today Angry
Clicked at to get attention, General arseholeness, "BAG" .... Yeah which a 5p or 6p bag for life.... "BAG" AngryAngry
She got it thrown at her I was proper pissed off I'd had enough of rude cunts by that point

Did the self scans for a few hours, been really busy as loads of people coming in buying beer/bbq stuff. I've had prob no less than 100 people grow a dick on their head cos they have to wait 30 seconds for me to finish dealing with a costumer before I get to them.

One woman didn't have enough money, she was like I'm not coming here again, I can't owe 3.00, I'm not coming again, why won't you tell it I don't owe the machine anything.
Piss off like I give a flying shit your not coming again, the prices are right your shopping was 13 pound, it's not my fault you don't have enough money I can't just give you the stuff. I took some stuff off your bill to get it down to what money you had what do you actually want me to do Hmm

Ive had a shit day hence the tant but have had worse costumers believe it or not. I've found im going grey this morning I now know why Grin

WitchyPoos · 08/05/2016 17:58

And I've had several people say I should of done better in school. One said to his kid while I was serving him, knuckle down at school or you'll end up like her.

I've got a levels in psychology and law . And told him so

Original poster
Abbinob · 08/05/2016 18:04

Some people are just so rude I dint know what.is wrong with them.
Man wantede to check his lottery ticket . Machine said the draw hasn't happened yet so I told him this. He shouts to the woman on the next till "the girl clearly doesn't understand the machine. She can't do it"
Yes I do. YOU don't understand dates you miserable fuck.
I keep calling customers twats once they've left forgetting there are other customers in the queue, they usually agree with me though Blush it's like it has to come out my mouth as soon as they've gone "what.a twaaaaaat"

OP posts:
TSSDNCOP · 08/05/2016 18:05

My friend and I used to think that the concierge desk handed out arsehole pills some days.

But then we spent a lot of time dealing with brides and bridesmaids some of whom needed a bloody good kick in the flaps.

sandrabedminster · 08/05/2016 18:09

I worked in gbk for a while, I often put something in the food of the people that were vile.

People full stop are just horrid.

LarryStylison · 08/05/2016 19:10

I worked in retail whilst at university. I learned that the general public are thick as shit, and about 10% of people are just vile.

What's odd is that I noticed that me and my female colleagues tended to get it worse than our male colleagues. Customers would rarely shout at the beefy 6ft man-mountain we had in bakery. I wonder why?

ministryofmayhem · 08/05/2016 19:21

Love cuntstomers GrinGrin

I got through my 4 years in retail by being extra nice and over polite to the rude ones, they hated not getting a rise out of me....apart from that one who I swore at...manager secretly loved that Wink

rockchick78 · 08/05/2016 19:42

I feel your pain! Retail is genuinely the worst career to go into, I've asked so many people over the years to actually leave the shop because of their vile attitude and have explained the situation to my managers in case a complaint was lodged. 2 so far have actually returned to the store to apologise.

I've even had someone argue that the sign outside said 'Toolstation' when I actually worked for a different company within the TP group despite the company branding being outside (NOT Toolstation), on the wall behind my head, on my shirt, business cards and a stack of brochures next to me...

There are a million stories I could tell!

Meemolly · 08/05/2016 19:47

I work in retail and I don't find my customers too bad, my boss is a total bitch who treats me like dirt though, so she makes everyone else seem ridiculously polite no matter what they say to me!

lazyarse123 · 08/05/2016 19:51

I too have to say TWAT after they have left the shop. I really hate it when they put the money on the till so they don't have to touch me but then hold their hand out for the change, being very grown up i too put the change on the till. I also hate cyclists do they really think i want to touch their manky sweaty money. Bastards.