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!!!!!!!!!

Decades ago I used to run a petrol station. The thin end of the infuriating customer wedge were the ones who would fill up to the point the pump would cut out, then withdraw the nozzle and attempt to squeeze another 0.1L in. Of course, this renders the auto-cut off useless, so once in a while it would result in a customer covering themselves in petrol/diesel through their own stupidity

"Your pump is broken!!!"

No, your brain is broken.

The worst were the ones who would fill up, drive off, then appear a day or two later. "You sold me dodgy petrol, your tank must be full of shit! I broke down minutes after filling up!"

Yes, that's right. Of the hundreds of people who filled from that tank either side of you, you are literally the only one who has come back in here complaining, which means there absolutely must be a problem with our petrol and not your car. I mean, every morning I go out and lift the manhole cover, open the filler, and shove as much dirt, gravel, water, and anything else I have lying around down there just to make sure your car gets wrecked. I'm not happy unless there is a queue of broken down cars and irate drivers lining the street by lunchtime.

By far the worst though were the ones who burst in ranting and raving at completely blameless staff. "Get me the fucking manager!". So I would go out and tell them to calm down and stop abusing my staff. "You can't speak to me like that!". I think you'll find I can, and I just have, and what's more, do not bother coming back here, your custom is not welcome and you will be refused service. "You can't do that!!!". Wanna bet? "I'll right to head office!" Good luck with that, this place is privately owned and I set the polices. Now off you fuck. Have a nice day!

*write

I worked in a petrol station for a year or so, generally great, definitely agree with the West Coast Scottish blue or green lighter thing, but the annoying things were the junkies coming in yelling at you because kitkat changed their wrappers and weren't foil anymore. We always used to sell loads of milky bars that stayed foil for much longer.

And people who filled up knowing they couldn't pay so would fill in the pink form and come back and pay us after pay day etc

That is just truly bizarre.

I work on the Tube so lots of people need my attention at once. I've done it for decades. I have found that the people who are armed with information but cannot make a decision then want you to make a decision for them are the most annoying. For example, part of the District line is closed this weekend. One customer asked me if it was worth taking the replacement bus to where she was going. I mean, what can I say to that? I also get annoyed by customers who ask you for a route, then they tell you the route they want to go on, then they say I was wrong. Can't win!

Some of these are completely reasonable and make working with people sound horrendous.

some of them are quite unfair and show a lack of understanding re how humans work. Yes, it’s probably annoying for you if someone asks for your advice on the best route but you do work at the underground so it would be assumed you would have more information than them, if they know nothing. Same with people at shops - of course they will come in and say they think you have something if someone has told them you have!

lots of the “staring at each other” issues have both parties to blame. Surely when you bring hot food you say “WHO HAS the XYZ” so people have to answer?

also, I just want to say it annoys me when someone just says “clubcard?” In the supermarket, as opposed to the proper sentence/ but I can see that if you have asked 290 times in an hour you might not bother

When something doesn't scan at the till... "Oh thats free then... HO HO!" Thinking I've never heard that before... 🤔 🤔 🤔

When I was working in a wedding venue as a wedding planner my biggest hates were...

Brides turning up at 5pm on a Friday with a TON of stuff for their wedding breakfast tables including table runners!! By 5pm the the day before their wedding the tables were already laid!! It would mean stripping the tables and starting again!

Brides emailing late in the evening and by 10am the following morning sending an arsey message because I hadn’t replied yet!

I have a rather 'forceful' (rude) aunt. The last time we ever went to a restaurant with ehr it had one of those sort of open kitchens where the food would be put on a shelf ready for the wait staff to collect. Ours was taking a little time, so she decided that the plates that had just been oput on were clearly ours and... went up to get them herself and plonked them down on our table.

They were not meant for us. Oddly enough in a restauarant with a menu other people had ordered same or similar meals.

It was mortifying.

We walked out and my parents said they would never go out with her again. I was 17-ish. I am now 48 and we never ever have.

Retail in seconds shop is exhausting.

I could buy it from Tesco for that price....so f off to Tesco then!

You didn't pay for it, why should I? Because it was donated to us and we have cleaned/checked/repaired it?

I'll give you a pound for it. Clearly marked at more than a pound. See previous argument.

Leads to cheeky fuckers switching labels. When you know you priced it that morning fairly. Full blown argument about how they're not liars, the customer is always right (wtf said that?) CCTV has helped reduce this.

My fave was a long term CF we've just banned after a decade of buying large items, we deliver them then changes mind so demand we collect and replace. Every few months. Huge shrieky argument about how she was a great customer. No she wasn't, we constantly refunded her and spent unknown on fuel/staff time dancing to her wants! Argh!

My colleagues and I prefer dogs to people.

There is an American who has a blog called “ The Bitchy Waiter”, based on his experiences as a waiter. It is hilarious! My daughter worked in a pub and would come home and tell me about the ridiculous customers she had to deal with.

I was a flight attendant, AKA waitress with wings. Doing CPR on a passenger on the floor and I had a guy send in a letter of complaint about my “Abrupt Attitude” when I refused to stop what I was doing to get him another cup of coffee.

Leads to cheeky fuckers switching labels. When you know you priced it that morning fairly. Full blown argument about how they're not liars, the customer is always right (wtf said that?) CCTV has helped reduce this.

We get this all the time, especially fun when you've put a pair of (for example) ladies shoes out for £10 about 5 minutes before and it comes up to the till with a £2 bric a brac sticker on it. Those shoes are brand new with an original price sticker of £60 on them, they are not going to be sold for £2. People think we're idiots.

No, I wasn’t going to touch it!
Obviously it led to loads of abuse from the customer but that was better than touching £20 notes that had been in her knickers!

I’ll fess up and say I’ve done this once.

the restaurant we were In used to do the most delicious amazing fish pie. I asked about it as it wasn’t on the menu (thinking maybe it was a special or maybe they didn’t do it any more - the previous time I’d been was about a month prior and it was there) to be told that it was only now served in the bar area downstairs. 😞 we were seated upstairs so different menu.

I asked if there was any way I could have it. Because I’d been looking forward to it. I did say that it wasn’t an Issue if not the rest of the menu looked yum.

they came through and I had the fish pie.

I wasn’t rude. Not demanding. Just asked about it nicely.

@ememem84 as someone who worked years in hospitality, that wouldn’t have bothered me in the slightest. Totally reasonable request.

I have had people turn up to the soft play I run with their own lunch and when I said they can't eat it have kicked off that they (and their child) don't like what we serve. (Pizza and hotogs).
Thats fine, don't come at lunch time then! Same people then asked about parties. I pointed out that food would be pizza and hotdogs - "oh thats okay!"

I’ve worked in shops, bars, fast food and high end restaurants and high end hotels- never again. The public are awful and seem to love to pick holes, be mean, show you whose boss and put you in your place- yes granted some more than others.

You can tell the tricky ones from the onset and it’s often so unnecessary and exhausting. You can complain without being an arse!!
That said in a good restaurant you mark on the order who has ordered it what, using a seating plan every colleague is familiar with- customers are there to enjoy themselves so they will forget and we should accommodate!!

"I pay your wages!"

Aye, but not in isolation, alongside the other customers spending their money here that you're holding up having your little tantrum, and actually you don't, the company (who set the policy I'm adhering to and you're complaining about) do and they have the power to stop paying my wages for not adhering to said policy, so funnily enough, it's them I'm going to listen to when they tell me to do something, and shouting at me, calling me names or threatening to wait for me outside and 'sort me out' still isn't going to change that.

And the licencing law experts -
"The law says I can give my child alcohol over 5 years old if I want to, so you have to serve my 15 year old a double vodka and coke!"

Nope. Only certain drinks, which don't include spirits with a table meal and then only 16/17 years old. And no, a bag of crisps isn't a table meal. But keep shouting, I'm sure the law will change if you do.

Best one though was a customer when I worked in a paper shop, opened at 6 and it was 5.30 and I was sorting the newspapers for the day and putting them out.

"Are you open"
"No sorry, we open at 6"
"But you've got the lights on!"

Uh yeah, I kind of need to see what I'm doing!

😂😂😂😂😂😂

Oh my god 😂

Aaaah, I love that last line! 😂
Some people are angling for money back, free meals or whatever, by pretending to find fault.

I read a brilliant post elsewhere - every bit of accommodation booked solid for miles around, a couple arrived back to reception complaining about their room. And what could the hotel do for them, about price and so on.

The guy at the desk politely refunded them, phrasing it as doing them a favour, said he could not have them staying in a room that they were so unhappy with, and immediately gave the room to someone else.

Then watched them leave with satisfaction, knowing that they would not get a room for miles around.

@Giraffesandbottom Tbh people are amazed I do this job when I actually don't like most people . I am very self-reliant so when customers ask what they should do it triggers me. Don't they have a brain, or any common sense? I'm not very good at the "human interaction" part of the role. Everything else, I'm brilliant at.

Walking straight past a great big sign that says "Please wait to be seated" and saying "do we just sit down?"

Saw a couple grabbing the nicest table in the place recently by doing just that. They didn't bother asking, just barged past the very clearly displayed sign and sat down.