Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Why do people

32 replies

Darkestnight · 02/12/2018 18:07

Need to be rude to shop workers specially the person behind the till. On doing my shopping today waiting for my turn the lady in front was so rude to the cashier for no reason other than she was a bit slow but this was not aldi this was morrisons.
I work in retail to and have come across rude nasty customers and company's think that the staff should sit and take it. Why should someone who's helping a customer be sworn at while doing there job. Do these people who like to be ride have no morals as I bet they wouldn't do that to someone in the street.

So can people not be rude to staff in shops were here to help you not get abuse thrown at us. Of course if the staff member is being rude then report to a manager but overall its customers who are the ones with a attitude problem

OP posts:
Original poster
Darkestnight · 02/12/2018 18:08

Rude not ride

OP posts:
Mumof1DS · 02/12/2018 18:09

Some people are just genuinely that rude and discourteous. It's a shame :(

MikeUniformMike · 02/12/2018 18:10

Unless they have done something to piss me off I am always courteous and friendly to shop workers. Shop staff are sometimes the only people I speak to that day.

Grumpbum123 · 02/12/2018 18:11

Because some people are arseholes

GruciusMalfoy · 02/12/2018 18:13

Some people are just dickheads, and they probably don't limit it to retail workers.

OliviaStabler · 02/12/2018 18:14

Because they know the assistant can't really fight back.

Saw a woman have a go at a sales assistant as there 'wasn't enough in the sale' and she was pissed off about that. This was a big department store and unless she was unbelievably thick, she should know the sales assistant does not make decisions as to what goes in the sale

Original poster
Darkestnight · 02/12/2018 18:41

I just refuse to serve them and let security deal with it.

OP posts:
Nightfall1 · 02/12/2018 18:48

People are rude because they know that anybody that directly works with the public are often unable to say or do anything about it and it gives the aggravator what they believe is a "win" or power over that person.
If we were all able to challenge this without fear of reprimand) - then I think that it would help to change this culture. (I do challenge these people btw cos I'm too old for their shit! :) ) but would never have done it when I was younger.

Rude arseholes do it because they can. Especially prevalent when they are getting something for free as well I find!

ems137 · 02/12/2018 19:23

If I'd have been the woman on the till I wouldn't have just sat there and taken the bullshit! I worked in supermarket retail for many years, for a good while as a checkout manager and often jumped on the tills for short periods so I'm not just saying it either.

I don't understand why the staff member would just sit and accept someone swearing at them and speaking to them like shit?! They must have really shit managers!

Foamybanana93 · 02/12/2018 20:17

I work for an insurance company and the amount of rude customers you get daily is an absolute joke Angry

Boswellox · 02/12/2018 20:36

I would never do that but fear there has been a right wing movement unfortunately facilitated by the likes of Jerry Springer and the Douglas Coupland McJobs meme that has resulted in work that past generations would have done without question being disrespected and considered unworthy.

Sparklesocks · 02/12/2018 20:42

I think some people think because someone is serving/assisting them they are above that person - but they aren’t.

GertrudeCB · 02/12/2018 20:46

Because some people are cunts.
My dp's owned a general store when I was growing up and so I can empathize with retail workers. It's a hard enough job without abuse being flung in your direction.

Original poster
Darkestnight · 02/12/2018 20:49

I got told if a customer started ranting at me just sit there and smile at them as apparently she said this gets to them even more as there not getting the desired reaction out of you

OP posts:
Huntawaymama · 02/12/2018 20:54

I used to work in retail and hated it but now I always leave with a genuine comment like "have a nice weekend" or some hint similar as I know a lot of the time their job sucks. I've rubbed off on my husband and it's really nice seeing how nice he is to supermarket staff. Although coincidentally today i was asked for ID in tesco (I'm 29) and had none so had to unload the £50 worth of alcohol from my trolley, another customer said "you're clearly old enough why don't you complain to a manager, I'd go mad", I was annoyed by the other customer, the poor girl was just doing her job, which I told her several times as she then apologised to me for asking for id

Laiste · 02/12/2018 21:00

My mother's got form for being a bit of a finger clicking, shouting in her best queen's voice when dealing with members of staff sort of person.

Annoys the bloody hell out of me and everyone around her. No idea why she does it. Everyone's always Hmm so hard our eyes are nearly lost in the back of our heads! This is a woman who's past is as a underling florist and a part timer in a lighting department ...

Toptheginup · 02/12/2018 21:07

I went shopping a few weeks ago and asked the lady serving if she could help me separate my shopping as I go because I had stupidly piled it all on the belt together but some of it was for foodbank. She got very irritated with me and asked if any of it was actually for me, I felt so humiliated and offended. It works both ways. I'm always polite, never asked for help before, and always chat away about new products/offers etc. Most staff are lovely, especially the younger girls and can get into convos about their nice nails etc, it's the older ones who are arsey imo.

MummatoaMunchkin · 02/12/2018 21:08

Totally agree with this, i work in a customer facing job and the people yesterday were so rude and entitled. Theres just no need for it!

Granted there were so really lovely people too!

iLoveFoood · 02/12/2018 21:09

People are rude because they are insecure

It's really very simple! The only people who are purposely rude to service workers are unhappy in their lives.

OliviaStabler · 02/12/2018 22:11

People are rude because they are insecure

It's really very simple! The only people who are purposely rude to service workers are unhappy in their lives.

While it is not nice when you are unhappy, doesn't mean you have to take it out on everyone else!

ConferencePear · 02/12/2018 22:21

GruciusMalfoy wrote
" they probably don't limit it to retail workers."

How right you are. I'm just back from a short stay in hospital where the food was barely edible. I felt so sorry for the woman who brought the trolley round because she got all the brickbats.

PhaedrasChocolate · 02/12/2018 22:26

I've been a nurse, a hotel receptionist, and worked in loads of bars over the years.

Never, ever have I been abused as I have in my current job as a taxi operator. It's destroyed my faith in people.

There's a really nasty element in society. I don't understand it at all, and it makes me angry and sad in equal measure.

RibbonAurora · 02/12/2018 22:30

There's just no need to be unpleasant to people doing their job, I often wonder, when I see or hear it in stores or restaurants, what jobs those being arsey do and if they get subjected to the same kind of rudeness.

Taffeta · 02/12/2018 22:32

I worked with the public for years and because of this go out of my way to be polite and courteous to shop workers, restaurant staff etc

I pull up others I’m with if they aren’t

Had a big old argument with someone I was eating with once as they were exceptionally rude to the waitress

Totally unacceptable - some idiots forget that they are people too

llangennith · 02/12/2018 23:18

I agree. No need for rudeness. The only time I get annoyed at the till is when it takes two or more staff to deal with a till problem and they all huddle together around one till ignoring the queuing customers. Even then I just say, "Could you call a supervisor and get on with serving the rest of us". Please!

Swipe left for the next trending thread