Customers swearing at retailers today

[chocolateworshipper]

AIBU to hope that customers who shouted swore at retailers today feel BLOODY ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES. Did you SERIOUSLY believe that the teenager behind the till was responsible for your Visa card not working?

We had a fire incident
Get out or burn kind of situation.
Customer wouldn't leave without purchasing their bath mat first. I mean WTAF. Priorities much.

Wolfiefan it was probably the poor woman I wouldn’t sell a dress to!

Many sympathies to everyone who had to deal with rubbish customers today. I think everyone should have to work in a customer facing role for part of their lives just to appreciate his shit it can be! I will never forget the customer who said to her daughter whilst I served her "and this is why you need to work hard at school, or you will end up like this lady"...

Such a shame. AIBU to buy a dress even if my arse gets burnt to a crisp!
Jeez. People eh?!

I remember one particularly lovely customer calling me a cunt because I wouldn’t put a dress she wanted through the till. The reason I couldn’t serve her? The basement of the shop was on fire!

Customers never want to leave when the fire alarms go off, lost count of how many ask if they can be served before leaving. Then they all stand as close as they can to the doors s they can be the first back in. If there was ever an explosion most of them would be seriously injured or worse

YY a new form of national service?

X post.

sweeneytoddsrazor it wasn’t just the alarm we had thick smoke!

Service staff get so much abuse and all frustrations customers might have towards the retailer end up being hurled at the staff in the trenches. I have the utmost respect for anyone who works with the public, it seems to be getting harder.

WellI've spent many happy years when younger dealing with Joe Public but I'm bloody glad i don't have to any longer! It seems that they "know thier rights" to the exclusion of good manners and patience but thats the times we're in.

However..

It shouldn't be beyond the wit of the banking and retail industry to come up with a back up system even like the olde world mecanical swipe system course that has limitations as it can't check that you have enough credit etc but even then some backup system ought be in place via alternative links such as GPRS or 4G GSM etc.

Cards are now fast replacing cash and its high time that the finance industry realised this!

The guy who rammed his trolley into me was extreamly cross because I was apparently in his way. How did I react? I apologised profusely. If I had been a customer in his way, would he have rammed me with his trolley? Hmmm probably not.....and would I have apologised for living? Would I fuck. It's the game we have to play to keep our jobs.

YANBU OP, however I was served today by a totally rude person who implied loudly in a restaurant that it was my lack of funds was the problem not VISA.

I wasn't very accommodating in Tesco when they insisted that I didn't have enough money in my account and that's why it was declined.

When I'm Prime Minister the first thing I will do is introduce retail national service. See how these entitled arseholes like it when they're on the receiving end.

That’s a fabulous idea angry. Everyone should experience at least a stint as customer facing minimum wage employees while they’re young.

nancy75
The general public have always been arseholes to retail staff.

Would you care to rephrase that OTT statement?

Respect works both ways surely?

I hope the majority of customers are not like the ones described in this thread! I usually have a nice chat with the women on the tills at my supermarket - I recognise quite a lot of them after shopping there for years. I've comforted some after bereavements, we've exchanged news about our various children, and one lovely customer services lady gave me a hug when my cat died. I always prefer a manned till to those self serve ones, it makes shopping more human and sociable. The wee shop in our village is where we catch up on all the local gossip, too, as the assistants hear everyone's news.
Maybe all those sweary shouters are in big cities, where it's more anonymous and they don't see the shop assistant as a fellow human being?

I went into the bank earlier to make a query as they've been having issues for weeks which has left me overdrawn on occasion. Lady behind the counter seemed shocked I wasn't shouting and swearing like others have been. It's not like they're personally responsible

swimlyn no need to rephrase it, I worked in retail for 15 years & could fill mumsnet with tales of customer rudeness & vile behaviour.

nancy75
So you really want to state that ALL of the general public, ALL of your customers are arseholes?

Nice!

I agree with Nancy. I first worked in retail back in 1978; there were arsehole customers then, because human nature. I suspect that things are probably worse now than then.

And I think it’s fair to say, swimlyn that by and large, retail staff show far more respect for their customers than their customer do for them.

swimlyn no need to rephrase it, I worked in retail for 15 years & could fill mumsnet with tales of customer rudeness & vile behaviour.

Very very true. a couple of weeks ago a young girl of about 16 decided she didn't like me asking her to move away from an incident that was happening and spat over me. i actually cannot remember the last day I worked and didn't get sworn at.

I used to be cabin crew, we used to get verbally abused all the time. I mean I know we have been sat here on the tarmac for two hours but unfortunately the crew didn't cause the fog, snow, atc issues, mechanical failure etc etc. But now that you've shouted at me sir, I've been bestowed by magical powers and overcome these natural forces!

swimlyn if you are decent and polite to retail staff then clearly it doesn’t apply to you. You should only be offended if you fall into the arsehole category..

I apologise for my brother who is an arsehole and frequently rude to retail staff.