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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To rant about a customer complaint?

115 replies

Superlooper · 01/04/2020 18:22

Just need to get this off my chest Angry

Frontline essential staff who are still working, serving customers when the rest of the country (non essential workers) are told to stay home and stay safe and getting paid to do so in many cases. Meanwhile many frontline staff are stressed and worried and have to keep working.

So this customer puts in a complaint that the person who served her didn't serve her with a smile.

AIBU to be mad with this customer?

(I will hopefully calm down before I respond)

OP posts:
JigsawsAreInPieces · 01/04/2020 19:19

@iklboo

Now go fuck yourself with a loofah you sad, petty, pathetic twat

Think this is the best response.

ilovecakeandwine · 01/04/2020 19:25

This is why I couldn't work with the public I would of killed someone long ago .
It's bad enough I have to speak to people on the phone , I've had it once or twice someone try to antagonise me and complain it's petty but you call her a bitch behind her back and move on .
But this I mean what a bitch !!

Rosebel · 01/04/2020 19:27

There have been a few complaints like this at the supermarket where I was working and they get passed on to our manager. Written ones go in the bin, verbal ones he makes the right noises and then might say to the staff member customer complained but don't worry.
They should have too much going on for managers to worry about stupid complaints.
And the customer was a complete knob.

Bluetrews25 · 01/04/2020 19:27

Thanks for your feedback
I hope you have a better experience in our competitors' shops.
You are no longer welcome in ours.

cabbageking · 01/04/2020 19:28

Difference between not smiling and being sullen and rude.

Is that just the complaint or is there something about their attitude or other?

DonnaDarko · 01/04/2020 19:30

It's a silly complaint, so I would just say thanks for your feedback, we will consider your comments. And leave it at that.

That person is a fecking moron.

ACertainSupermarket · 01/04/2020 19:33

Apparently one of our managers has said, under the circumstances I shall have no issue with anyone telling customers to f* off and shop elsewhere!! (not advocating it and, only possibly, a joke?)
Today we had an elderly lady throw a strop as, when it was pointed out that her and her teenage accompaniment didn't both need to be in the shop, said she needed the help. Asked what the help was for as, in the nicest possible way she was walking and pushing a trolley with no issue, she said to pack and carry at the till. So it was pointed out we have people at the till happy to help anyone do that. She then bodily shoved her trolley away and stormed out.
Nothing in the trolley, I mean absolutely nothing, was essential or really even edible!

IamAporcupine · 01/04/2020 19:36

I went to the shop yesterday and the young lad that was serving did look (understandably) stressed - I made the effort to smile and said something to try to cheer him up a bit!

YoTheGinPussyOfStMawesOnThigh · 01/04/2020 19:36

I wonder what the customer’s attitude was like towards the staff member? Did they say thank you at the end of service? Two small words but rarely heard from the lips of prats. Why should the staff keep an inane grin on their face all day when they are tired and worried.

My response would have been ‘There’s the door, feel free to go elsewhere if you don’t like the service here’.

izzywizzygood · 01/04/2020 19:36

Food sector/post office/bank/pharmacy/other "essential" shops/services and so forth have my full on respect right now. Not only are they still working (for small wage) but they do it without visibly begrudging customers. They are amazing.

I bet the person you are writing about here is at home, off work, on full pay, watching TV.

Wehttam · 01/04/2020 19:43

I’d have said, with a beaming smile, ‘Fuck off you stupid stinking dirty ugly rabid cunt’

Ladiva1971 · 01/04/2020 19:45

I was working on the self check outs today I asked a guy to step back to stand on the line we have on the floor and he replied "Are you a fucking Nazi?? Hitler died years ago!!" Needless to say he was kicked out of the store, and he called me a Fucking slag as he left...………….

Saucery · 01/04/2020 19:48

The best thing we can do for retail workers right now is to be polite, smile and get the fuck out the shop with the minimum of time spent and no fuss.

over50andfab · 01/04/2020 19:48

Yesterday the woman at my checkout was busy telling her colleague at the next till that she was leaving on Thursday - and couldn’t wait as she couldn't cope with the stress anymore - rather than paying attention to or smiling at me. I didn’t take offence, I just wished her all the best as I left.

Now some of the others shoppers highly pissed me off by passing way too close, or standing right in the middle of the aisle with their trolley while their partner foraged on the shelf.

I’d go with some of the responses suggested here like Dribble’s though draw a line rather than saying it will be dealt with later.

Khione · 01/04/2020 19:58

My favourite guy at the local never smiles but one day - before this - he seemed down, so I said “all right?” And he said “yeah, but I think I might still be hungover from the weekend”. That kind of thing shows real community, IMHO 😂

Whilst I totally agree with your sentiments - Males don't have to smile, aren't expected to smile and when they do it makes a nice change. ... However ...

WTFdidwedo · 01/04/2020 19:58

The day before my restaurant was asked to close, when the team knew we were going to close but the government financial help hadn't been announced yet, someone complained that their server didn't seem very interested. Luckily my colleague dealt with it because I'm sure my very impolite response would only have escalated the matter. It's the reason I've been trying to get out of hospitality!

june2007 · 01/04/2020 20:05

What makes me think there was more to this complaint then simply no smile?? Because if that was the case it was v unreasonable.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 01/04/2020 20:10

YANBU. Is that all she’s got to worry about.
The stupid bitch.

e1y1 · 01/04/2020 20:14

YANBU. I was served the other day by probably the most unhappy, disinterested and miserable looking shop assistant I had come across in all my life.

Found it strange of course but didn't care one bit as realised they are probably up to their limit, and put it down to the person in front of me was purchasing.

I'm just thankful she was there to serve and process the transaction, she maybe also thought my purchases weren't direly essential, as I picked up few bits to take in to work; key worker and of course have to go. So bought some stuff in shop to preserve what's at home.

amusedbush · 01/04/2020 20:14

I barely notice if a sales assistant is smiling, let alone give it headspace. Who the fuck would actually complain about that??

May all of their future poops be jaggy ones.

Marpan · 01/04/2020 20:17

I would of probably started coughing.

JimDuggansEye · 01/04/2020 20:19

I used to work in high level complaints.

Avon bought a job lot of PAYG phones from Orange to give as free gifts to their customers (whilst stocks last, obvs). One bloke wrote to the CEO of Orange kicking off that his wife didnt get a phone. Cue half a dozen letters each from me and him all saying "You need to speak to Avon" and "I want a phone".

I then get sick of this and wrote a seven paragraph letter (apologies that I cant remember every word, but the paragraphs began thus:

Further to your recent letter
Unfortunately
C
K
W
I
Thank you and I trust our position is clear.

My boss said it was one of my better letters and we didnt hear another word from him.

e1y1 · 01/04/2020 20:21

Just reminded me of another. Dsis and I were in a very famous pharmacy chain in one of their big stores at Christmas doing some shopping and the checkout operator was chatting away with us about one of the items we picked up - something to do with that JoJo Bow girl and she was on a rant and had a slip of the tongue and ended up swearing. We weren't bothered one bit, it was a slip and suppose in the context of what she was saying,

However the lady behind us didn't look one bit impressed and I knew she was going to put a complaint in, was really bothered about that when walking away from the store, one for it probably being thought we were the ones putting in the complaint (never had any intention of doing) and two it was a genuine slip and not like she had rubbish attitude and an unwillingness to help or anything along those lines.

FromTheAllotment · 01/04/2020 20:24

“Given the current worldwide situation, I am forced to assume that your complaint is a reflection of your own worries, rather than a genuine complaint that in the midst of a pandemic, a member of frontline staff failed to smile at you. I therefore wish you the best and hope your own mental state improves soon.”

PinkiOcelot · 01/04/2020 20:25

I work in NHS admin and had a guy on the phone going off on one because his appointment was cancelled for next week because “of this Coronavirus thing”. It’s a disgrace blah blah. Couldn’t believe my ears tbh.
Some people are just arse holes!