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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

customer told me I was miserable as sin.

161 replies

loserlily · 31/12/2019 15:51

Feel very pathetic. Working in retail over Christmas during the Uni break.

On my shift, a woman in her 60s comes to the till. I serve her, and she snaps at me "I said I didnt want a bag!". I say sorry, take the bag off her purchase and carry on. After this, I didn't make an conversation with her, like I normally do, because she seems impatient and not wanting to talk.

She then decides she wants the bag, so I pass her it.

She snaps at me "are you having a bad day?" I said no.

She then shouts loudly "well you look as miserable as bloody sin". Grabs her receipt off me and leaves the shop.

I could feel my cheeks burning up, and my lip start doing that stupid wobbling thing. Had to carry on serving the next customer, who heard.

I feel pathetic for getting upset. AIBU to think she treated me like a piece of shit? Or is this an okay thing to say?

OP posts:

BackInTime · 31/12/2019 16:21

@heartsonacake If only all managers in customer facing roles were like you. In too many situations the staff are terrified of getting in trouble as managers will go with 'the customer is always right' moto so they do not stand up for themselves and just take abuse. This happens a lot with younger staff perhaps doing their first job. All staff should be able to rely on their manager or senior staff for back up when dealing with horrible customers.

heartsonacake · 31/12/2019 16:25

BackInTime Yes, I agree. I remember all too well how horrid it is not feeling like you would be backed up and I vowed I would never be like that as a manager myself.

As a manager you have a duty of care to your staff; you should look out for them and intervene in these sorts of situations.

My staff know they can rely on me to ensure they are working in a comfortable, safe, friendly environment. Abuse and rudeness will not be tolerated; we don’t want customers like that.

Pop2017 · 31/12/2019 16:26

She is the rude one. I used to get called miserable all the time whilst working. I’m not, I’m actually really nice but I have a good resting bitch face 🤣 if she wanted to talk she could have made conservation.

mencken · 31/12/2019 16:28

what a bitch. People like this do generally get what they deserve eventually, console yourself with that.

and that she is clearly very miserable. So piss her off by not being miserable over her.

Sh0na · 31/12/2019 16:34

Stupid cow, you have to pity her having got to that age and still being a wagon to retail staff.

I agree, piss her off by being pleasant.

Fairly recently this awful man tutted me and glared at me and muttered rude under his breath at me because the bus stopped right beside ME. (An empty bus). I always sit downstairs, he always goes upstairs, so were are not in ''competition'' for a seat. I got on quickly to avoid slowing the bus down. He was nothing short of menacing and abusive in his determination to catch my eye and tut at me. University lecturer I think! What an utter arse. I shouldn't have let it get to me but I did, foolishly. Just to have somebody glare at you with so much hatred. Wow.

There are people out there who are teetering on a knife edge continually. It's nice not to be like that.

Ohyesiam · 31/12/2019 16:37

She was really rude and nasty.
Don’t take it to heart, she just has no idea how to behave.

Sh0na · 31/12/2019 16:37

@heartsonacake well you are clearly not my old manager at a job I had about 3 years ago! She was ruthless. If a customer complained, it was ALWAYS the staff member's fault. Her view was you could have handled it better, no matter WHAT happened. She made you feel like utter shit. She always made us feel we were thiiiiiis close to losing our jobs Her reaction was always worse than the random complainer.

ilovesooty · 31/12/2019 16:37

She was really rude but people can be rude and unpleasant at any age.

Flossyfloof · 31/12/2019 16:38

I always try to think that maybe people like that are going through tough times - but she had no right to speak to you like that. Either way, try not to be upset about it. She was nasty.

Magpiesshinynest · 31/12/2019 16:39

She is the one who is as miserable as sin, by the sounds of it. What a twunt

user1498572889 · 31/12/2019 16:40

People are arseholes.

TheBigFatMermaid · 31/12/2019 16:40

Try not to let it bother you. She really isn't worth it.

1990shopefulftm · 31/12/2019 16:42

don't waste your time over a rude person like that.

leghairdontcare · 31/12/2019 16:43

This is problem with retail! You come into contact with such a volume of people it's only a matter of time, statistically speaking, until a complete cunt turns up at your till.

paranoidmum2 · 31/12/2019 16:44

Do retail staff really get disciplined for standing up for themselves?

Whenever I have seen a customer being rude to a member of staff for no reason I have stood up for the staff member.

Having said that, I have had some terrible customer service (looking at you Debenhams), so I thought that retail members may get away with being rude to customers.

xJodiex · 31/12/2019 16:46

Maybe she had a mental problem or something. Still upsetting though.

ilovethickboys2 · 31/12/2019 16:46

thats rude as fuck op

Likethebattle · 31/12/2019 16:50

At least your aren’t her because then you’d be a fucking massive atsehole!

PepePig · 31/12/2019 16:52

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BackInTime · 31/12/2019 16:53

Some older people are just deliberately rude and antagonistic particularly towards young people. I see it regularly with staff in shops, restaurants and on public transport and my DD says her and friends experience it a lot. DD has been snapped at for offering a lady seat on a packed bus then snapped at for not offering a seat when the 30 something year old man on the outside of her was not asked to move. They get lots of muttering about 'bloody snowflakes' and just generally nasty stuff that is completely unfair.

justlonelystars · 31/12/2019 16:53

I remember serving a customer once and I asked if he wanted a bag (he was buying something tiny like chapstick). He looked at me, curled his lip in disgust and said “where else am I meant to put it, you stupid girl?”.
I nearly cried (16 at the time) and wish I had the balls to suggest his pockets to him
Sorry someone said this to you but don’t take it to heart, some people are just nasty little toe rags (like my chapstick customer!)

Bluebutterfly90 · 31/12/2019 16:54

YANBU.
Working retail sucks at times and people (mostly but not exclusively older people) seem to think you should be super happy to serve them no matter how rude they are.

NumbersStation · 31/12/2019 16:56

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Megan2018 · 31/12/2019 16:56

She was very rude but you need to toughen up too-I did 5 years of part time retail (full time in holidays) as a student. Did me the world of good!
It is bloody hard work, but I have very fond memories of it, we worked so hard and usually on no sleep as we were out every night too. It’s great discipline, you learn how to keep smiling whilst wishing people a horrid death

Dinosforall · 31/12/2019 16:57

I do grit my teeth sometimes when the shop assistant asks if I want a bag, I say no thank you I've got one and they don't even take in the answer and bag it up anyway.

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