Upset a staff member in tesco.. feel bad now but was I wrong?

[SpringIsSpringing23]

Last night I popped into tesco. At the checkout, the young lad (can't have been more than 18) was looking at his phone, didn't speak to me, kept chewing his nails and sticking his fingers in his mouth.

When it came to pay he didn't tell me how much. I was getting irritated at this point and just stood there until he looked up and I said you've not told me how much (obviously I could see on the screen). I said "you're too busy playing on your phone, and it's not hygienic to be chewing your nails when you're going to be handling food". I didn't have a go but said it in a firm manner.

He went bright red, muttered sorry and didn't give any eye contact the rest of the transaction. I then realised he had tears running down his face. I said I'm sorry, is everything OK? He ignored me so as I left I explained to the security guard (nobody else around) what happened and he said he'd go talk to him.

I feel absolutely awful that I've upset somebody... but was I wrong to have said something to him?

You say you feel absolutely awful, but then you come out with gems like this.

You think that people that are 'badly brought up' would get so emotional about being spoken to the way you spoke to him? Really?

The use of the word subservient is interesting when you use it in the context of customer service - why are we (as a whole) expecting subservience rather than just a service from people who are serving us in some way?

The money you pay is for the item(s) or service(s) you are buying - not for someone to be subservient to you, and furthermore, why does anyone want subservience from someone else? What does that add to the item(s) or service(s) for the customer?

I've quoted this post because it uses the word, not to have a go at the poster because I actually agree with what they're saying!

That's actually a solution for the OP. Waitrose do not employ anybody who bites their nails or wear false nails - well, at least until someone points out that it's discriminating against ND candidates who bite their nails as a stim/are displaying a condition recognised in the DSM as part of the OCD spectrum, at any rate.

It's not normal to cry after Mrs Bucket told him off so I think maybe he wasn't very happy in general. The OP could have just paid and then made a mental note not to use his till again.

People irritate people everyday but like I said if we all started telling people off it would a total shit show.

@VWCVT6

or maybe people just need to not be so sensitive to the slightest criticism

What sort of a world are we living in, where we can't call out extremely bad customer service??? His behaviour was appalling for someone in his position. There is never any excuse for treating a customer the way OP was treated, and she didn't do anything wrong. I have been working with the public for years and wouldn't dream of gazing at my phone and ignoring a customer.

You never know what’s going on in someone else’s life and if you are already at rock bottom someone being arsey to you like this can really tip you over the edge.

You do not take whatever is happening into your life to work with you. If it is something so bad that you can't treat a customer with respect then you shouldn't be at work.

So many entitled people in the world these days - who the hell do you think pays your wages? It is, indirectly, the customer - no customer, no wage.

VWCVT6 - Yes she could have done that but she didn't. It doesn't matter whether he is having a bad day that is not the OP's problem. He is being paid to do a job which is to interact with customers. We shouldn't have to put up with poor service in case the person is having a bad day.

You have no idea why he cried. I very much doubt that it was because of the op, unless she is minimising what she did/said.

It's much more likely that it was just the final thing on top of whatever else was going on.

A VOICE OF REASON!!

@CrappyJob

so should no one ever give anyone any constructive criticism in case it’s the straw that breaks the camels back?!

Maverickess · Today 16:58

And I've had some pretty shocking experiences too, some of the attitudes displayed on this thread explain why!

I can understand OP being put out, I may have been, but I would probably have tutted and left.

Two mother of my daughter's friends work in Morrisons and some of the stories they've told me are bloody awful - and they NEVER get any back up from management.

One gets a few sarky customers and she deals with it by means of pretending not to realise and being really bright and cheerful with them.

I didn't say that.

Perfectly reasonable to call out poor customer service.

I am getting fed up with these snowflakes, who can't take an ounce of criticism and straight away turn on the waterworks! Before starting at the tills I am sure he was given a training and should have known to at least tell you the amount, never mind not to use his mobile while working.
It might have been a lesson to his, it might have not. Don't worry about it. You haven't done anything wrong.

As a retail worker, this thread has been kind of depressing 😕I am almost certain that he wasn't crying because of OP and the lack of compassion is eye opening. I guess we should all know our place. And I say that as someone with 10 years experience in customer service and a very, very thick skin.

@CrappyJob

which is exactly what op did

hence she is not being unreasonable

simple

I absolutely agree with you.

There are a lot of people that maybe should stick to the self serve checkouts on this thread.

I didn't say op was unreasonable. Simple.

I did, however, call out the difference between her opening post and subsequent posts, which are very different in tone.

Shouldn't be at work??????

Some people don't have the choice when to turn up for work and when not to.

Well having worked in cc the only time i was able to have my phone on me was whilst i was waiting on the results of my poorly parent and then them dying.
unfortunately sometime you cant simply ‘leave your homelife at home’

Perfectly calm thanks.... and it doesn't sound like it was manners he lacked but social skills, and there are numerous reasons including Tesco's own Disability Confident scheme which might explain why he didn't have them.

Apparently, the type of world where over reacting to something that's hardly worth rolling your eyes over never mind the outrage seen here, is commonplace and accepted when it's to do with customer service and where anyone in a customer service position is below anyone else.

Oh and where anyone customer facing should be deferent and subservient because for some reason it adds something to the item or service you are buying, the actual thing you're paying for.

And very true that no customer= no wage, but then no staff= no shop, and we're seeing that bite in a lot of places now aren't we because there aren't enough people willing to be treated like shit for a living.

Some people confuse server with servant.

I used to work in retail. I was the nicest, most helpful checkout person there was. Did I still get shit every single day from rude, ungrateful, entitled people? Yep. You can't win.

I've very rarely felt the need to tell off some random member of the public becaude I think they owe me a smile and a conversation. If I had a rude checkout person who didn't do anything directly to me (i.e. call me names or something), I'd just leave and get on with my day. I think it's such a waste of time to tell someone like this to be better at their jobs. Working in retail was one of the most soul crushing things I ever did. I don't blame people for not always being happy to be there. I go out of my way to be the best customer that ever was now because I know how crap it feels to be treated poorly while I'm working.

Her updates, especially the last one, have changed their tune rather remarkably. Makes the first few post look questionable in a sickly sweet Umbridge way

So many entitled people in the world these days - who the hell do you think pays your wages? It is, indirectly, the customer - no customer, no wage.

If the customer is paying the wages then the customer deserve all the shit service they get.

@BadNomad

eh? How do you work that one out?