AIBU to wonder why people are so rude to shop workers?

[Hofty]

I work in a shop. For context it isn't a supermarket, it sells quite expensive gifts. This is relevant only because it's not a busy and stressful place to shop.

Yesterday morning a woman came in, it was very quiet and I was quite bored so I left her for five minutes and then went over and said 'hi, how are you?' she then preceded to lean into my face and barked at me 'I don't want to talk to YOU. I want to shop' whilst looking down at me like I'm a piece of shit. I walked away. I cried out the back though.

At a different retail job I had a customer actually scream in my face once because I didn't hear what they said because it was loud in the shop.

I also seem to get quite a lot of tutting and eye rolling for absolutely no reason from the general public, I could maybe understand that if I was making mistakes, but I'm not. I'm just serving them on the till.

So, AIBU to wonder why on earth customers are so rude to staff in retail?

"I prefer the less invasive 'Do let me know if there is anything you need help with?'"

A customer doesn't need to be told they can speak to you if they need your help though, surely. They can work that out for themselves.

I'm never rude to shop staff, in fact I'm never rude to anyone in a customer facing role, wouldn't dream of it.

Ive worked in retail, also as a hotel receptionist and a nurse in the past. I currently work as a taxi operator, and have never ever dealt with such horrible people. I get called a cunt at least once a week and am verbally abused and spoken down to every single day. It's made me hate people.

Insomniac they are told they have to approach customers though, what are they supposed to do?

My mother is the sort that is horribly rude to shop workers. She speaks to them as if she is superior and will tut and huff if she is kept waiting for any reason. Queuing makes her completely irrational for no good reason, then she will take it out on till staff by being passive aggressive with them. Even when she needs help finding something, the tone of her "Excuse me?" will be curt and unnecessary.

I don't understand her because she's worked front line for the dwp and has been spat at and abused by people. And now she's a receptionist at a hotel chain. I dread to think how she talks to the customers.

My local Sainsbury’s has recently got rid of its customer service desk, which was staffed by nice, competent helpful ladies. Cost cutting, no doubt.

Now, when you have an issue, you have to search for a staff member And when you do find one they look at you blankly and have no idea how to sort out whatever the problem is. This is extremely frustrating and an example of how annoyed customers are often a consequence of crap or non-existent customer service.

Why do staff in small stores feel they need to approach you. Aslong as your at the counter and available then I think adults are more than capable of asking for advice or help.

There's nothing worse than going into a small shop and the staff pounce on you straight away, it makes you feel rushed and as if they are watching you to make sure you buy something. I find this tactic actually makes me leave and not buy. However management think customers love it

When I was in retail the shopping centre we were in insisted we do this customer service training called 'Alf dunbar'. It's absolutely ridiculous and you can tell Alf had never worked in a shop. You can tell if a shop is using this training as they will ask 'did you find everything you needed today?' You are also encouraged to engage customers in conversation. Eg if someone is looking at a top you are supposed to walk upto them and say something like 'oh that would look great on you!'

Those of us who've been there can probably all agree it's not possible to appreciate just how many oddballs are out there until you've had to serve people in a shop (or probably any customer facing role!). I learnt that as hard as it is, those rude and ignorant customers are just not worth getting upset over, the problem is theirs and they're probably not very well liked wherever else they go.

Soooo many oddballs. They all used to come in on Wednesday where we were. Market day in the nearest town.

Because people are arseholes. The rudeness I encounter daily still shocks me... not to mention the sexism. I work in a male dominated sector and it's staggering how many men are hideously and openly misogynistic towards me and my other female colleague, with an added bonus of calling us 'girls' (silly girl, daft girl, clueless girl etc) for having the audacity to be under 25.

Why do staff in small stores feel they need to approach you. Because the management tell them to, because they seem to think that customers like it.

PhaedrasChocolate "Insomniac they are told they have to approach customers though, what are they supposed to do?"

Yes I do realise that and whenever it's said to me (i.e. "let me know if you need any help") I smile and say "OK, thank you" pleasantly. I have never been rude to a shopworker in my life. I have worked in retail but ages ago (between 1970-1975 aged 16-21). Shopworkers can't win really.

I am supposed to speak to you if you have clothes in your hands and offer to put them in a changing romm for you

Most people say yes please or no thankyou

Some react like I'm mugging them

Also, were told we must greet customers as they're far more likely to complain if we don't than if we do and it lets the dodgier ones know that we know they're there

My Dd was told to fuck off at the weekend from a grown man after she told him sorry the thing he wanted was out of stock Yanbu people behave shockingly I don't understand why

People are rude. But sometimes the other person starts it 😀

I struggle with upselling but I would never be rude. I just let them go through the patter and say no. Or if they are especially nice I just buy the thing to make them happy 😀

Yeah keil by saying hello

After 25 years of working in retail I've had enough... time for a different role for me! It's made me hate working with the public and I'm looking at retraining!

I found the posher the shop the ruder the customers

Yes, we are forced to approach customers if managers are around. Although that wasn't the case yesterday, for once I didn't have a manager breathing down my neck. But I asked her how she was anyway. If we fail to engage two different customers in conversation in one shift then a member of management does manage to do it, we get sent home. If I don't approach people I will loose my job. I KNOW you hate. I find it excruciating too, and I don't like it all when I'm a customer, but I have bills to pay.

Normally the customers i come across are lovely to be fair

Most customers aren't rude (though I know just how vile some can be having done the job myself!) but not all retail workers are polite / offering good service either

Retail staff are often told they have to ask ‘open’ questions so a conversation will follow. A ‘closed’ question would be Can I help You which allows either yes or no as an answer and shuts down any further conversation. Ridiculous when all you want to do is mooch around undisturbed but that is the way things are.

What gets me is the number of people who don’t say please or thank you. They are the first to start bellyaching about poor service.

I have not worked in retail but did as a librarian for years. I still cherish the memory of a woman who was very rude to me. In front of the people waiitng to be served I asked where she was when the manners were handed out. Of course she told me she paid my wages as she paid her rates so she could speak to me how she wanted. I told her I lived in the borough and also paid my rates but not be insulted by the likes of her.

I got into quite a lot of trouble for that.

I think you may have missed s word in your title OP. Surely you mean SOME people.

I have never knowingly been rude to people working in shops.