AIBU to think that retail customers are getting worse?

[TheMarbleFaun]

If you work in a retail or customer service role do you think that the behaviour of customers is getting worse?
I’ve had lies told about me, I’ve been verbally abused, I’ve had people tell me how clever they are and that they have plenty of money (I work in retail so the implication is that I’m stupid and penniless) all over things as petty as not getting discount off an item or not getting a refund.
I’ve been in retail around 10 years and definitely think the attitude towards anyone who works in a customer facing role is getting worse.
AIBU in thinking this is the case and if you think this sort of behaviour is acceptable can you outline why?

I don’t work in retail but I am finding the general public do seem to be coming more selfish, entitled and impatient.
When I dropped my dc at school this morning there were parents parked up on the yellow zig zags even though there were parking spaces about 20 metres away (I parked in one)
I was sworn at a few weeks ago I was walking along a narrow pavement, people were walking side by side taking up the whole pavement and then wouldn’t move to let me past - where they expect me to actually go I do not know.
I live on a road that is all on street parking, a car was coming along when a van coming from opposite direction charged at him, common sense would have told the van driver to hold back 2-3 seconds, the car would have got through and the van could have carried on but no the van driver then gets abusive and it then takes about 20 seconds to sort out and get everyone going again.

I think some people just like to think they’ve got one over on you - it’s pathetic.

Sending for having to with such idiots on a daily basis.

It’s not you and it’s not just retail related. The public are getting worse in terms of manners, expectations and respect. I see it when I travel, when I shop and when I work. It’s a sad sign of the times.

When did the words please and thank you go out of fashion? And how are kids supposed to have good manners when adults don't?

General people not just limited to retail. I work as a volunteer and paid out of my own money for quite a few children to do a £2 because there parents forgot. Had to send three reminder emails to get all the money back. On the last email I got. 'Calm down it's only £2. ' fuck off I could be working instead of dealing with your shit and your child.

I agree. I tell my kids you get further being nice not horrid. That said some of the TV soaps only seem to show aggravation and abuse. I think that has a lot to do with it.

I don't think it's just retail or the service industry. Since about 2008, and definitely in the last 10 years, people in general have got shorter-tempered, more entitled, and more rude. Resources have been cut everywhere you look and things are much, much more unstable and insecure.

It's been a rude awakening for me to realise that those relatively golden, optimistic years we enjoyed (mostly) between about 1997 and about 2003 were the blip, not what we're experiencing now. This is probably the long-term norm, unfortunately, and we all just need to get used to it, while doing our best not to model that behaviour ourselves. It's one of the reasons I mainly try to avoid groups of people in real life if I can.

So, hmm, wonder what could have happened in those 12 years?! (And no, it's not just the government; it's things like Smartphones as well).

Thank you Deelish
Seems it’s a general trend sadly

People are much more badly behaved in general I think and retail/service staff will notice it more/have worse experiences because of it because they see so many people every day.

I notice it every day even in tiny ways like people not 'waving' to say thanks when you stop for them to cross the road, or pull over a bit and stop so they can pass in their car, not saying thanks when you hold the door open or move out of their way and similar.

unfortunately we all just need to get used to it,
I’m not sure that’s the answer chocolate although I do think you’re right about smartphones

Your not wrong, it’s gotten particularly bad in the last two years. As a retail manager I have a very high tolerance for customer bad behaviour and over the last two years extreme over reactions, and at times aggression has become much more common place with threats, getting in faces and shouting being the most common for the most minor matters, not getting a refund, discount or not being given the price they just swapped over being the most popular tipping points. The shoplifting has gotten a lot worse as well. However most customers are decent and I laugh off the incidents-but a lot of people can’t.

People are SO much ruder in general these days, but many seem to think it's their God given right to speak to retail staff like scum. It's a shit enough job with terrible pay and long hours without having to deal with entitled arseholes as well.

I find it so bizarre when people are rude to staff serving or selling them food. When I was in Sixth Form I worked for a posh supermarket on a fresh food counter, making made-to-order salads and pizzas. People regularly called us names, demanded that we prepare the food faster, and would bang loudly on the counter to get our attention. My colleagues used to spit in the food of people who were rude to them

I think people are just more entitled and demanding. I don’t really know how it’s grown. I don’t thinks it’s a “snowflake generation” thing as some people I know would say because it’s people much older than the current “snowflakes”.

Is it a media thing? Has social media played the biggest part in this? I feel like people are pushing for reactions and pushing a reaction out of people.

Once upon a time, if you bought something and it broke straight away, or ripped, or you realised it was stained or lost a button or whatever, it would be annoying but people would just take it back to the shop and could normally exchange or refund. Problems not sorted out at that level would be taken higher with a letter maybe.

Now people go to the media. Facebook feed, stories of wrong parcels being delivered and CHRISTMAS IS RUINED because that new toy car had a slightly broken door and child was so upset and he could have died because it could have come off and chocked him and then all the family friends on FB edge them on to make a complaint and go in there and scream and say that the management should be sacked etc.

I think we just have no patience anymore. We don’t have to wait for our favourite Tv show to play anymore because we can download them. We don’t have to wait for the shops to open because there is a local supermarket express open the whole bloody time. We don’t have to sit through adverts anymore. We can send an email straight away and therefore expect a reply straight away, rather than waiting for days to allow postage. We all carry phones so expect immediate response.

Therefore this translates to customer facing people with people who cannot wait for anything, expect everything to be ready at their convenience. When if something goes wrong it’s not normally the fault of the customer facing person.

Yanbu and in my lived experience, the 50+ demographics are by far the worry for being rude, aggressive and entitled.

I think chocolateteapot is right about the underlying cause. Over the last decade life has got progressively more stressful, complicated and precarious for most people. Many are permanently one incident away from crisis, and even among those who are relatively secure, there is a strong sense of impending doom (Brexit, climate change, Trump/Johnson). I think probably the majority feel a lack of control over their circumstances, and that spills over into feeling either an actual inability to control reacting badly to minor setbacks, or maybe a conscious choice that one thing you can control is not allowing other people to “take the piss”. Life is hard so people respond by retreating and going on the defensive.

Crime I feel like we’re in the same boat gives virtual high five as it was swapping prices that got me thinking about this

I normally do laugh off most incidents but the latest the customer told a downright lie & I think that’s why it annoyed me so much

I've worked in education for six years and god those six years are enough. The way that staff are treated by students and parents is appalling and I work in a sixth form so the students are MORE than old enough to know better.

The change in the last six years is actually insane.

Over the last decade life has got progressively more stressful, complicated and precarious for most people. Many are permanently one incident away from crisis, and even among those who are relatively secure, there is a strong sense of impending doom (Brexit, climate change, Trump/Johnson). I think probably the majority feel a lack of control over their circumstances, and that spills over into feeling either an actual inability to control reacting badly to minor setbacks, or maybe a conscious choice that one thing you can control is not allowing other people to “take the piss”. Life is hard so people respond by retreating and going on the defensive.

I agree with this.

It is getting worse.
I was putting stock out today, using a trolley tucked in as close to where I was working as I took the items from the box and someone wrenched the trolley out of the way, barged me with their elbow and grabbed what they wanted before walking off, shoving my work trolley even further away from me.
All that was needed was, "Excuse me, but could I get that item in front of you please?" I think I heard the words "excuse me" twice in the entirety of November and December.
I always think it's hilarious when I get grilled as to why we've sold out of a particular item. We are a shop and sell stuff to people who want to buy it. One day I'll be brave enough or pissed off enough to say it to their face.

Its a sad state if affairs unfortunately, over the last 20 years, in the same job, ive been called everything from a stupid little girl (im neither stupid nor little and im an adult so he was wrong on all counts!!!) to a cunt and I've been told to go and fuck myself on numerous occasions. My response is well you rang me so if you want my help speak to me properly or not at all. I teach my children good manners, which has been commented on by teachers, and our motto is if you cant say anthing nice then don't say anything at all. There used to be sign on the wall at school (years ago when i was a stupid little girl) which read good manners are infectious, lets start an epidemic.

over the last two years extreme over reactions, and at times aggression has become much more common place with threats, getting in faces and shouting

Do you think drugs play a part?

We're in the end times of capitalism. People taking it to its natural conclusion

I agree with the comments about people just generally being ruder than they used to. It's also true, however, that the level of service you get in retail settings is far far worse than it used to be. That might have something to do with the OP's experiences.

You should go onto YouTube and type in r/tales from retail, r/entitled people, r/I don't work here lady and r/I do work here lady. There's a few channels who cover these topics and the all read threads the found from Reddit. Oh the stories and "Karen's"