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Original poster

Retail workers- Whays the rudest thing a customer has done or said to you ?

232 replies

Femail · 07/03/2020 22:52

I work in retail and provide good customer service and always help customers.

Last week I had one go in to a full blown rage as we did not have any hand sanitizer and it was apparently all my fault. So I said dont speak to me in that manner and turned around and walked away from her.

Therr are many other moments I could mention but we would be here all day Grin
So what is the rudest thing a customer has done or said to you?

OP posts:
Chienloup · 09/03/2020 19:37

I worked in Waitrose on the bakery whilst doing my A-level. Lots of rude bastards, but two i remember vividly 23 years later -
A woman who had her teenage daughter with her and loudly said to the daughter "If you don't start revising you'll end up like her, working in a supermarket."

The other was a man in his fifties who upon seeing me crouching down to restock the bottom shelf said "Whilst you're down their love," with a horrible lewd laugh, I was 17.

Snotalot · 09/03/2020 19:37

So, here is another 'what's the rudest thing a member of the public has said to you thread'. Nice username. Very brazen 😂

Rainbo83 · 09/03/2020 19:46

Years ago I worked in a video shop. Was told that I probably never got laid and whore (what a juxtaposition) because I insisted a customer pay their overdue fine.
Few weeks ago a customer at work asked me to go in to the carpark with him to suck his c...

Awful people are everywhere!

DreamTheMoors · 09/03/2020 19:46

Not a customer but a salesperson in a large retailer - punched me in the face and bloodied my nose because I had the audacity to tell her she was incorrect about my order. Store manager fired her on the spot. Manager said upon arrival, “Oh, I was afraid it was going to be Rebecca and it is.” (not salesperson’s real name) It was terrible & evidentially not this person’s first go-round with the public & her anger issues.

namechangetheworld · 09/03/2020 19:51

"Fuck off back to your council house love."

(I dont live in a council house, not that it's revelant.)

namechangetheworld · 09/03/2020 19:52
  • Relevant!
happytoday73 · 09/03/2020 20:01

Working in Supermarket: man with wife and daughter about 15: man says loudly 'If you don't start working at school you will end up in a pathetic job, with no hopes or future like that girl there'...pointing at me...
I turned around and glared at him so he knew I'd heard.
I was so annoyed I never answered 'actually if she works really hard at school she might also go to university and have a holiday job in a supermarket too... . .' rude, rude, rude, obnoxious man...🙈

Rosebel · 09/03/2020 20:17

Not sure if it's directed at me but I have heard people say if you don't work hard you'll end up with a shit job like this.
Not sure who they think is going to serve them in the future.....

Jennifer11 · 09/03/2020 20:17

Not retail exactly but rude members of public! I worked in a bar when I was 18 when I was in uni (many, many moons ago) Woman speaking to daughter very loudly and pointing at me "and thats why you need to do well in school!" Angry

Squirrelwithaflute · 09/03/2020 20:24

I've worked in my current retail job for 15 years. Alot of it was working on customer services. 2 memorable accounts were a guy came in asking for a refund on a used product that wasn't faulty, I said no so he took a boxed TV off the shop floor and walked out with it. Another time I had a faulty buggy thrown at me over the counter.

tiramisususu · 09/03/2020 20:24

Not retail but customer service, I've had some corkers over the years. The guy who leaned over to try and punch me because I told him that we wouldn't be refunding his money - I was 8 months pregnant at the time. The stinking drunk who tried to grope me and complained to my boss when I refused to go for a drink with him. The absolute wankstain who made death threats to me because I asked him to stop destroying a display - at least he did get arrested and cautioned.

St3v3 · 09/03/2020 20:30

I used to work at the Post Office counter at a time when there were still pension books (before cards). A customer said "thank you" at the end of the transaction and added "I don't care if a monkey serves me as long as I get my money" !Rude or what?

SandwhichGenerationGal · 09/03/2020 20:31

It’s not all one sided. I am never rude to retail staff but they are often rude/bored/disinterested/indifferent. I have been know to ask them if ‘they hate their job’ which totally throws them and caught unawares they say ‘yes’ 😂. Well it’s obvious you do but your job is to pretend I am the best customer you have ever served.

TrueFriendsStabYouInTheFront · 09/03/2020 20:46

I worked in BHS for less than an hour Grin

Had been on shift for all of 30 minutes, got left on the home department by myself so got busy tidying stock on the shelves. Customer comes over and asks to be served as there is no one at the till. I explained it was my first day and I didn't have access to the till yet and would he mind popping over to the (adjoining and visible) till on menswear. He proceeded to call me a fucking idiot and stormed off.

He made a complaint about me and I was told off by a manager!!! Sod that, I was out of there. Was absolutely gobsmacked that the manager would even dream of bollocking me when I'd been in the shop less than an hour, and had no clue how to use the till! I didn't even have a log in! WTAF?!

I knew from the off that I would never be supported by management so I wasn't wasting any time there.

SharkAttack1972 · 09/03/2020 20:48

Wow, a lot of these are shocking! I loved the one who brought the worn shoes back! Hilarious.

Teddybear27 · 09/03/2020 20:54

I think EVERYONE should be made to work in customer service for at least a month, they might then see what it is like on the other side of the desk/counter/till....

Warsawa31 · 09/03/2020 20:57

We had a group of travellers pitch up in our supermarket car park, one of them came in and filled a trolley with champagne, expensive meat, Manuka honey and all the most expensive flowers. About 400 quids with of stuff.
Proceeded to walk out, all staff called to front and he then decided to pull out a motor bike chain out of his rucksack, and dare us to come and get the stuff back.

He must have been high or something because his caravan was actually in the car park lol. Police came and arrested him.

Another time i was helping my dad who owned his own small firm. fit a windscreen for a transit van, guy stood there watching us for 30 off minutes. Dad gave him the invoice and said do you want to pay cash or card or should we bill your insurance? To which this guy removed his coat and said “let’s fight for it”

I really hate people for the most part

HonestlyItsFine · 09/03/2020 20:59

It’s not all one sided. I am never rude to retail staff but they are often rude/bored/disinterested/indifferent. I have been know to ask them if ‘they hate their job’ which totally throws them and caught unawares they say ‘yes’ 😂. Well it’s obvious you do but your job is to pretend I am the best customer you have ever served

This. No matter how shitty the job, you take pride in it and do it the best you can. I've left stores before where the staff were more interested in gossiping than in making a sale, even though I was standing there, item in hand. Worst was, mid running up a sale the sales assistant ran off to look because her friend screeched at her from the other side of the store "HE TEXT ME BACK!". I just left the stuff on the counter and walked out.
Kudos to the staff who do take pride, and obviously nothing excuses being nasty to retail staff. Vote with your feet if you don't like the serve you are getting.

MooChops89 · 09/03/2020 21:12

I worked in a fast food restaurant and when I was 17 a grown "man" told me he was going to drag me outside and knock me out because I wouldn't replace the burger he had already eaten, because he said it hadn't looked like the picture on the menu. The abuse us young girls used to get in that job was disgusting.

rosieglovestea · 09/03/2020 21:12

I was a teenager and working in Tesco. I was scanning a weekly food shop for a man when the fire alarm went off. We had to leave the store for a short time and then return when we were given the all clear. The man I had been serving started kicking off, shouting at me and saying that he should be given the food for free or at least with a discount for the inconvenience. I had to call my manager over and he didn’t get a discount, but I was upset with all of the abuse he had given me. Unfortunately for the man I knew who he was. My dad used to give him lifts to work to save him getting the bus. My dad never stopped at the bus stop for him again. I love karma!

NemosPoorlyFinn · 09/03/2020 21:13

Iv worked in retail previously for 10 years
I also worked in a doctors surgery as a receptionist for a year
I'd say they are on a par with each other for the verbal abuse you get
Nobody should be verbally abused just for doing a job Angry

Supermum29 · 09/03/2020 21:23

I once had a customer tell me that they wished me or a member of my immediate family were involved in a fatal car accident.... the week previous my mum and sister had been involved in a serious crash! My employer actually refused to do any business with them again as a result of their behaviour!!

spongejack · 09/03/2020 21:26

@HonestlyItsFine but this thread isn't about customer service, it's about the staff on the other side? Did you miss the title? 🙄

SandwhichGenerationGal · 09/03/2020 21:41

@honestlyitsFine - Nope, didn’t miss the title. Just trying to give a balanced view

Fishfingersandwichplease · 09/03/2020 21:43

Had a guy tell me l need to worry about my job because a competitor had opened up nearby....couldn't even bring myself to tell him l only work there to get out the house and to set a good example to my daughter about earning your own money. DH and l are nicely comfortable financially don't need some condescending prick telling me to worry about how l will pay my bills!
Had a homeless woman tell me l was a nasty piece of work because l handed her her order and said here is your order! I am always nice to shop workers and waitresses etc cos l know what they put up with