To hate customers

[rahjama]

Somewhat lighthearted.

Working in hospitality/retail, what things do customers do that really, really annoy you when you're working? I'll start

• Booking for 6 people and then saying "Hope it's okay we're now a party of 194"

• Paying in cash but they're 1-20p short. "Can you cover it?" No I cannot

• Sitting on tables that are dirty/unset/in the process of being cleaned when there are clean and set tables literally next to them. Then complaining about the lack of cutlery.

• Buying the cheapest pint, saying it's flat/doesn't taste right, then swapping for the most expensive pint.

• Picking up an allergen menu and then saying "is this all you do?" No that's all we do GLUTEN FREE it says at the top!!!!!!!!!

Another bus one, customer " I have been waiting over a hour for this bus"

Me " why didn't you get on this bus when I was here an hour ago"?

Punters often used to ask if another bus had been through, how on earth was i supposed to know? One bloke wanted me to get on the radio and ask, then refused to believe that we didn't have radios fitted.

@YarnHoarder I can well believe your customer trying to make you use your break to help them. I went out to get a hot chocolate on my lunch break once. To get into my own staff area, I had to pass our fitting rooms. They are staffed but the girl had stepped away to get someone a different size. Obviously someone heard my footsteps and a curtain popped open and the head of a regular- and known cf chancer- customer popped out.

"Ooh good- I don't want this pink top, and could I have a size up in the blue one" whilst trying to force the stock into my arms. It was winter and my clothes- obvs store stock- were covered by a coat and huge scarf and I was wearing gloves and a hat, had my handbag over my shoulder & carrying a hot drink cup, with my keys in the other hand. She recognised me as regular staff yes, but it was very obvious in that instance that I obviously wasn't on duty. I just stepped back and sort of turned slightly so she couldn't shove stuff into my arms and said I was actually on my break right now and couldn't help, but X could, she'd be right back. I then called to X to let her know. CF customer just stood there with her mouth hanging open.

I do appreciate that sometimes customers struggle to find a staff member but please don't try & get off duty staff to help you. If someone is wearing their coat or carrying their bags etc, they're not in a position to help you, they're likely not being paid to do so in that time and the fact that they are obviously off duty or leaving for the day should be respected. We have stuff to do & places to be. I am not missing trains, appointments, the last 15 mins of counter service at the bank or trade at boots or the post office etc to help you when I'm in my winter gear with my hand on the door handle to leave, and it's 5 min past shift end so I won't be paid for it anyway. I'll just tell you I'm not on duty & probably park you on someone else.

The customer above bought a lot & my old boss used to give her goodwill multi purchase discount- she did this really freely. When old boss was fired (not for that reason but it was still frowned on), we had to be super strict about that sort of thing- audit watching like hawks etc. This woman was told multiple times that we could no longer do that sort of thing without valid codes or proof of qualifying for discount etc. That the brand had cracked down. We really tried to train her out of it, including saying simply that "Jane" who always gave her discount had been fired and let her link all the above info.

All that happened was she'd occasionally ask if she could just have it again and she tried it on with all new staff members rather than people she recognised- telling them she always got money off, just because; till controls and puzzled staff just meant one of us would be called over though- and she'd still be told no. We'd usually swap newbies away from the tills or warn them and hover when she wanted service. I had one newer staff member almost in tears pull me off my lunch break to get rid of her because she just stone walled attempts to say no with her "but I always, Jane let me" routine. Staff member actually hid. I just reminded cf that it had been over 2 years since "Jane" had gone- had actually been sacked and the crackdown was still in place, so no. She pretended to be shocked and was as nice as pie to me, no argument. Didn't ask again for maybe 4 months.

It's a special sort of person that is this greedy, brazen and stupid all at once.

@YarnHoarder oh the amount of customers who have asked me for something and expected me to serve them when I've either a) still got my coat and bag in after just walking in the door, b) am sitting down at a table eating my lunch in the middle of a 12 hour shift or c) putting my coat and bag on to leave is ridiculous! Why does anyone think that is acceptable. I've even had one customer follow me upstairs to ask for the bill when I'm on my break! It infuriates me and sadly is a common occurance.

I think there's so often a lot of pure egocentrism at play. People think "It will only take half a minute to serve me - which is their job anyway - so why can't they 'just' do that and then take their break afterwards?

Firstly, it's never just half a minute; secondly, it isn't your job to do anything whilst you're on a break; thirdly, if everybody does the same as them, you'll never get a necessary and legally-sanctioned break at all.

I always remember once reading a very sad news report where a person (obviously already in a very bad way) died because the ambulance crew took a few extra minutes to arrive. There was heaps of criticism of another couple of paramedics who, it happened, were very close to where the patient was, but who were on their break.

"These disgusting, selfish, inhumane shirkers who thought it more important to sit around outside the McDonalds drive-through than actually do their job and save lives - didn't they realise that it was an EMERGENCY?!"

Yes, the circumstances and outcome were tragic, but these are human beings who cannot be expected to work non-stop for an entire long shift without ever getting a break and something to eat. Plus, the fact that seemed to escape people: EVERY job that they do all day/night involves an emergency; they're still humans with human needs, just like everybody else.

Or why they'd do it in person. Surely a famous singer has 'people' to do this stuff for them?

Or was it someone off of X Factor? 😂

I've just read a story about a group of diners behaving inappropriately towards their waitress, including touching her and the owner/head chef turning the entire bill over to said waitress by way of an apology.
The story is centred around his gesture but I really think it should be centred around the people who did this and he should have named and shamed.
I get that people would probably frown upon that, and call him 'unprofessional' if he were to do that, but if service hadn't been up to scratch or the waitress had behaved in a way the guests deemed inappropriate, the diners wouldn't hesitate to name and shame publicly - trip advisor is a prime example where people feel justified in naming someone publicly to shame them, I feel customers who behave in an appalling manner should be treated to the same courtesy.
These days I tend to have the opposite effect on people like that (shouldn't bar maids be pretty?) As I'm older and a bit heavier than I used to be, but it's almost like this type of behaviour is not just acceptable but expected when you work in a service position, and it's not limited to women (though it does happen more to women and women are usually more vulnerable) because I've seen it done to male colleagues too.
I doubt public shaming would make people like this remorseful or change their thinking, but it might make them do it less or not at all if they thought they wouldn't get away with it without any concequences.

Here is a link to that story, it was a restaurant in Cardiff

www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/lee-skeet-cardiff-cora-refund-23868072

The headline says he gave the server 1000 but the text says he emailed them asking for their bank details so he could refund them all but 100 which he is giving to the server.

Anyone know which it was?

The article says he later changed his mind and decided to give her the full £1000, what is sickening is the people in the comments excusing the customers behaviour. Really does say alot the mentality of certain individuals.

Oh I do this 😳 my waitressing days taught me to as those lil fuckers fly off the mound of plates your carrying and enevitable that you'll try to stop it and end up dropping 5 plates 😳 I didn't realise it was a bug bear I'll stop!

Also ex weekend W’stones….
Child has taken most of the books of the lower shelves in the childrens section and put them on the floor. Mother who has been browsing at the other end of the shop goes back to reclaim her daughter. ‘Don’t worry darling, the lady will put them away!’ 😡

For me it's because I'm going to have to put my hand inside the glass and get it out, especially when it's a narrow glass and wedged in nice and tight and stuck to the glass from the drink residue, and someone has wiped their mouth/blown their nose etc on it, it doesn't just tip out into the bin.
Worse are wet wipes/napkins with chewed food wrapped in them - like from a high chair for example, just put it on a finished plate and I can scrape it all into the bin.
When I'm clearing I pin the napkins between plates or under cutlery to stop them taking off 🙂

I worked behind a bar for years!! I fucking hate people now!!

Guy ordering 20 drinks but wants to tell me the order 1 by 1 as how could my woman sized brain handle more than 1 at a time??? Then orders the Guinness last, fuck wit!

The guy who orders a Guinness and a Fosters, I put the fosters in front of him.... "is that the fosters?" Mate, if you don't know the difference between a Guinness and a Fosters by now, I can't help you!

Those who don't know what they ordered food wise 20 minutes ago whilst I stand here with hot plates! Nah, its alright, I can wait!!

The office party that turns up on Tuesday afternoon when we have 1 member of staff on the bar and 1 in the kitchen and proceed to order 40 drinks and meals individually! Fairly regular people too, heads up would have been nice then I could have rotaed more staff!

The regulars who complained that as the new manager, I moved all their regular chairs away from the bar so you know, other customers can get to the bar!!

The Xmas office party with the once a year drinkers who let out all their pent up aggression on the staff! Or the one who dressed as santa and accidentally set himself alight with a fag then complained I doused him in water to, you know, save his fucking life!! 🙄

Different job, the customer who phoned me and proceeded to eat an apple whilst talking on the phone 🤮🤮🤮

I could go on forever!

I've never worked behind a bar , but I'd be pleased at my age now to have the drinks order one by one as I'd never remember more than two at a time. I appreciate that people are far far better at this than I would be though!

The apps some pubs these days are good I think and must cut down on the indecisions at the bar about what to eat or drink.

Some of the customer 'come backs' in this thread are so patronising, self-centred and tone-deaf.

It pisses me off NO end when retail/hospitality staff resolutely refuse to make eye contact or say 'I'll be just a minute' if they're serving a customer that's taking longer than expected

This seems very mean-spirited. How about they're completely exhausted and burnt out, and the onus is on you to be patient and not expect the whole world to revolve around you? If it's obvious that they're busy please cut people some slack. They're usually doing their best.

And not just that, the amount of times I say make eye contact and say "Won't be a minute" because I'm serving someone else and get a response like "I just want to....." Or "Can I just ask/get...." No, because I'm serving someone else and giving them my attention, I've made eye contact and said that I won't be a minute (even though they can see that I'm serving someone else) to be polite and welcoming, the person I'm serving was before them and I'll answer the question, query or serve when I'm finished serving them.
I think it's rude to talk over someone else being served (and I include other staff in that) their time is no more important than the person I'm serving, and it's clear they either haven't listened when I've said I'll be a minute because they plough on regardless or don't really care what I'm saying because it's all about them and they want what they want now.

I agree! I've also worked in retail and was actually told by management not to make contact with anyone else in the queue and focus on the person you are serving
Can't win lol

Used to work in a video store.

1. People rocking up at 9.30pm on a Saturday wanting the newest release and being furious, just Furious, when there weren't any left. One memorable man wanted me to call him as soon as one was brought back and then leave it under the desk for him. When I pointed out we were closing in half an hour, he said it'd be fine to hold the store open as he'd be "really quick".

2. People rocking up at 9.58pm and promising to be "really quick" but then still being there at 10.20pm when we were no longer being paid.

3. People shouting at us for "letting" their kids watch the 18 certificate they'd rented for themselves and left lying about in their house.

4. People shouting at us for not letting their 8 year old rent an 18 certificate.

5. People shouting at us because they hated the film they'd rented and we wouldn't allow them to have a refund.

6. People shouting at us because they'd brought something back late and accrued £40 of late fees and we wouldn't just wipe them for them.

7. People shouting at us for not having whatever kids blockbuster was in vogue that weekend and ruining their kids' life forever.

People are awful. I could never work retail again. Hats off to those who do.

Had a man banging on and on for hours about not being able to eat in our pub as he hadn't booked a table and we were busy. He couldn't get that just because he can physically sit at a table that doesn't mean our kitchen isn't at capacity. Moaned about it to several staff during the day. When it came to me asking him to leave with his children as it was 9pm, when our licence states children should be off the premises, he started to tell me what a sh!t pub I have, and what a sh!t landlady I am, and he can just walk into Wetherspoons and get food so why can't he here.

Fast forward a week, he turns up at the bar. I feign surprise and say how I didn't expect to be seeing him again as my pubis so sh!t and am such a sh!t landlady. I say this quite loudly and the tables around went silent as customer squirmed with embarrassment and apologized profusely.

It's the little victories that make all the difference!

In my job management take it very seriously. We're provided with DNA swab kits.

I work in an art gallery, and several times a year we shut for a day to rehang everything. When this happens we put a sign on the door at eye level and massive font saying that we're closed.

The problem is no one reads it, and we get customers trying to force the door open, and rattle it until one of us has to stop what we're in the middle of doing ans goes to open the door to basically say to them what is written on the sign 😒

I also get people asking for massive discounts, like £100 off a painting that costs £300. I've had people get quite nasty when I say no. I look very young for my age, so I've had people trying to pull the 'I've bought a lot here and your boss has always given me a big discount' because they think I'm about 21 and must be a new staff member. We'll I've worked here 8 years and never seen you before. I literally said this to a woman once and she stormed out slamming the door 🤣

I love it! The neck of him to even come back in after being so rude!

I think it's rude to talk over someone else being served (and I include other staff in that) their time is no more important than the person I'm serving, and it's clear they either haven't listened when I've said I'll be a minute because they plough on regardless or don't really care what I'm saying because it's all about them and they want what they want now.

Agreed. As a customer, I don't understand why someone thinks it's okay to barge in, saying I just wanted to ask...
Happened to me very recently, in M&S. I was just about to pay when a woman barged at the guy at the till, wanting change so she could get a trolley. She didn't say excuse me or anything else, and had barged past others in the queue.

He said politely that he couldn't open the till for her, and asked me how I was paying. As it happened I was paying cash, which meant he could open the till.

I said dryly to her 'it's your lucky day' and stepped over slightly to make the point that she was blocking my way, having inserted herself between me and the till, the ignoramus. In fairness to the shop assistant he finished out my transaction before dealing with her.

If I was a waitress I would write down who ordered what so could just put the food down in front of the right person.