To ask retail staff your worst customer stories?

[JaneTheVirgin]

There's been an influx lately of people complaining about the most minor perceived slight from customer service staff when in reality what they deal with on a daily basis is 99% of the time worse than not kissing your backside for buying a £5 chicken or £2 nail polish.

So, current and former retail staff - who was your worst customer? What shit do you put up with daily?

*Disclaimer for the whiny and chronically offended, I'm not talking about ACTUAL terrible service, which does happen but at a much lesser rate than terrible customers treat staff on minimum wage.

i got called a c**t by a customer because we didn’t have any advent calendars left. It was like the 6th December and he seemed to think I’d brought them all for my own greedy selfish gains. 🤣

Worked at a football stadium briefly after leaving school for what was basically pocket money every other week. Food kiosk, two hours of gradual build up, a very quiet 45 minutes, then absolute bedlam.

The lack of patience your average Joe has with 16 year olds trying serve hundreds of people as quickly as possible never left me. Not getting food quick enough, not counting change quick enough, not having change, having to go and get change, not keeping an eye on who's actually next because people can't queue properly, running out of items because you have a finite amount of perishable stock, not having enough ketchup sachets because everyone has been busy serving...

Wish I could have slapped them all.

Christmas in retail/hospitality really is like being in another world.

I’ve been lucky in the retail side of things- nothing massively awful has happened to me personally, but from my hospitality job while at uni- I could write a book on things that happened on the lead up to Christmas.

We always dreading seeing groups of work ones out for their staff do’s, weirdly even though they were more mature than the typical students who came in, they were always much more poorly behaved.

Groping. Fighting. Spilling drinks everywhere. Shouting at each other the whole night rather than taking. Insisting on standing in doorways and blocking entrances and exits for some reason. Talking to bar staff like they’re dogs. Clicking fingers. Refusing to leave at closing.

The students could be boisterous at times, but they typically would listen if you asked them to move or to calm it down. These groups of people just laughed at you and continued on. I presume because most of the staff were early twenties.

Funnily enough, when we sent our rough-as-fuck manager out to tell them to wise up or leave, they did simmer down after that. He was many things, but we always respected the fact that if his staff were being terrorised, he didn’t give a fuck about reviews or customer service. He’d quite happily go over and tell them they were getting fucked out in the bluntest way possible.

When I was 19 I was a supervisor in a small shop. A teenager (I'd say 16 or 17) came in and made a purchase. Half an hour later he is back with his parents. Dad screaming and shouting that I shouldn't have sold him anything without a parent present. Even though they had taken him to a shopping centre and let him walk around on his own. Totally nuts. He wanted a refund. Of course the shop had a no bloody refund policy. Stupid and annoying cbviously but I did not make the policy and had no control over it. But still, it was my fault. After half an hour of verbal abuse the dad threw the item at me and cut my face.

Turns out he was a policeman. Scary.

Honestly working retail is the worst job I have ever done.

Was at work yesterday-I only work 7 hour shifts due to arthritis (rather than 8)

Ugh

One kid came in a few weeks ago with a winning monopoly sticker (I thinks she's won the double cheeseburger/6 nuggets combo)

The gambling rules state,clearly,that you have to be over 18 to play/redeem-i can't let her redeem it,but I can allow an adult

Cue her bloody mother coming in every single time I've been on shift since,just to scream at me for not breaking the law and allowing her dd to redeem the bloody thing

I've told her that I'll cheerfully serve her,but that's not good enough-i shouldn't have personally served her dd the winning ticket (I didnt),I should work out who's underage and not serve them the stickered food (I really don't have the time for that-she needs to speak to head office and they need to pay for another member of staff,whos job is to solely do this) and she is convinced I personally came up with the gambling laws just to spite her (I do agree its not fair for a child to win but not to be able to redeem but as a mother myself,I'd claim and give it to my child)

Honest to God,all she had to do is give me the sticker herself and I'd put it through with no issues and she can then give her food to whoever she bloody well likes

But nope,I'm the target for this hate campaign and have been for the last few weeks-the managers have been fantastic and she is now banned but doesn't stop her marching in to scream at me and sods law means they are normally dealing with someone else whenever she starts

It's a fucking cheeseburger/nuggets-not the crown jewels

Another bloke put in a complaint because I handed him his cup of tea(in rush hour-it was heaving-i had 15/20 pending on the screen)-but didn't add his milk and sugar for him-the only thing he didn't want me to do is drink the bloody thing

He rang head office to complain!

The local junkie came in,off her head as normal (when not off her face,she's lovely-its when she has taken something,she's not)

She's known for being violent and carrying needles-so my manger and i are trying to get her back out (I mean I don't want to have to deal with her either)

Cue a table full of mummies screeching at me to 'get her out','if you don't,ill leave a bad review and I'll phone your head office' and 'what a dirty bitch' which of course,wound her up further-It's no fun dealing with someone who's off their heads,isn't exactly listening to me and is taking swings at everything

I mean,I wouldn't want to see this either,but I'm on min wage,I'm not trained to deal with her,they could see we where trying to deal with her and the police couldn't give less of a fuck,so don't bother showing up when we ring them

I finally managed to get her out,the mummies left-leaving a huge mess,2 shitty nappies and dirty baby wipes on the table (the baby changing was 5 feet away) and a massive puddle of baby vomit dripping off a stool

Someone else shat in the gents,5 minutes before hometime-smeared it all over the walls,(i think he was trying to write his name in it) which meant I was 20 minutes late going home and in agony from my arthritis

I got home and cried

I finally managed to get her out,the mummies left-leaving a huge mess,2 shitty nappies and dirty baby wipes on the table (the baby changing was 5 feet away) and a massive puddle of baby vomit dripping off a stool

Wow, that really is extreme chutzpah - doing that and then calling the other woman a 'dirty bitch'!

What is with all of these horrifying stories of people smearing poo everywhere? I always understood it to be a very rare behaviour by people with the most challenging mental health issues or severe learning difficulties; but going on this thread (and many other similar ones), you'd think it was a regular lifestyle choice made by about 20% of all people.

Too many to mention! But the highlights;

worked in a chain pub at 16, guy who was raving drunk came in (before my shift started) ordered a steak, it wasn’t cooked now he requested so he proceeded to call me from a pig to a dog and threatened me with the steak knife….:

worked in a well known retail store. Was supervisor on the changing rooms when I discovered a massive 💩 in one of the cubicles

same shop someone had snotted in a load of towels then refolded them….yak!

A different retails store…..some lovely woman told me I ruined her child’s Xmas as when she came in at 3.55pm on Xmas eve we had sold out of the best selling toy for Xmas that year.

so glad I haven’t worked in retail for 10 years now

I worked at a popular London fc as a steward after leaving school and yes I was paid a pittance despite having to basically herd groups of football fans safely in and out of the football stadium. Hated football then and hate it even more now. Glorified players kicking a ball around a field and people going crazy over it. No thanks!

@FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper
I have seen it in pubs, coffee shops and even in top shop in Oxford Street!
You also get the ones that leave a little parcel of shit wrap up in toilet paper in the floor. Inside the toilet cubicle! This one always puzzled me.

@Lalanbaba

What have we become, when such a high proportion of people are doing this? They can't all be very vulnerable - in fact, I'd assume that most of the vulnerable people for whom this may be normal behaviour wouldn't be out without a carer.

Don't people who happily smear poo up walls for some kind of sick joke realise that THEY have to touch the poo as well as their victim?

My BF formally worker in retail - mainly supermarkets - for 13 years and has dozens of stories.

Best was probably him having to break up a fight between two elderly men trying to hit each other with walking sticks!
Cause of the argument was them both getting to the checkout at same time and insisting they were there first!
Boyfriend thinks they knew each other and had previous bad blood between them.

Not retail but still customer service/facing.

Work in a theatre. You'd expect people to be fairly well behaved (bar the few incidents reported recently in the news)

Nope.

We have our own... poo on the walls incidents too

Plenty of drunk people who always "know someone" or "work in a bar and know the law" when you refuse them service or ask them to calm down

People who can't seem to read where the tickets say things like "people around you may stand" or "restricted view seats" and kick off because people are standing or their seats are restricted view

People trying to claim discounts that "they definitely could use last time" except they couldn't because its never been a thing

Threats of violence, slurs thrown around, a few sexual assaults, things thrown at us, thefts...

And shifts have ended with at least one member of staff in tears and others of us close

I worked on a market stall selling salad about 2years after leaving school and who should one of my customers be??? a bully who made my life hell ( was in my tutor group and for some reason hated the sight of me). He smiled sweetly while buying his salad and pretended he didn't recognise me 😂 when he asked for a soft lettuce ( formally known as school dinner lettuce) as I wrapped it in newspaper I pressed the 'spine/top' of the lettuce to break it so that when it was unwrapped it would present as a pile of leaves... childish I know but sooo satisfying. 😂😂😂

.

Have you not heard of Watch This Thread? It completely eradicates the need for such selfish and idiotic 'posts' like . .

As a student I worked in a burger store at Liverpool St station. I am ethnically Indian as were many colleagues. The number of times we got called the P word by men and women in suits late at night was unbelievable. The Police were often there to hear this- but did nothing. One evening a guy was kicking off big style as he thought we had given him the wrong burger (reality is he was too drunk and asked for the wrong thing). I am only 5’2” and he was getting right into my face so that I could feel the spit. There was a guy I had served earlier sitting down reading a James Joyce book quietly at one of the tables who slowly got up, walked over, tapped him on the shoulder nutted him on the bridge of his nose- there was blood all down him- stood there to see if we would respond and then quietly sat down again and got on with his book. The drink man stumbled off to I do not know where.

Not surprised at some of the behaviour in bookies. They are designed to exploit the most vulnerable in society. Anyone with an ounce of knowledge and a chance of being unprofitable will find themselves banned. While at the same time the bookie will hook those in who they can profit from no matter the personal cost

Doesn't excuse the behaviour. But the traders/top brass at the bookies are bigger scum. If the companies took it seriously they'd ensure staff safety.

I was aide to a senator in California. I manned the office alone. Basically customer service.
After doing all I could to assist a couple avail themselves of public services and food banks, the husband arrived in my office and threatened to kill me because I didn’t find him any “free money.” He stubbornly refused to believe that there isn’t any “free money.”
I called the State Police and pretended they were the “free money people.” They arrived shortly after and took him into custody.
After that, the police put me and other offices on their regular rounds.

I called the State Police and pretended they were the “free money people.”

Clever 😂 Well done, and I'm glad you were safe.

Not the worst but certainly the funniest. The woman holding me personally responsible for the fact that the Pink vacuum cleaner was £10 more expensive than the blue one of the same make. 😂

I’ve so many!
When I worked for boots I used to help on the self serve photo machines at times. This lady’s husband was terminally ill and she wanted to print photos of him through his life and make a scrap book. She selected what she needed and that was that.
A few weeks later she returned and asked for my help again. She had other photos she needed to print. For those of you who have never used a boots photo machine, your photo album is displayed on the screen. The first 10 photos were of her dead husband in his casket. About 3 of m were REALLY close up There was no warning and she didn’t look mention it either!.

Another story about the photo machines. There was this frail old lady that needed help. Again she didn’t realise that your photo album would be displayed for all to see.
the first photo were of her spread eagle on a bed completely naked 😅 I don’t know who was more embarrassed.

I have plenty more but those have really stuck out for me.

Guy who came into the bakery at the supermarket every day who always wanted a “crispy” rowie (a flaky morning roll/buttery).

He would always point at one at the front of the display case and make someone come out from the counter, through the bakery with the ovens, round the corridor and into the store to open the display case at the front to get it.

He would then um and ah and ask to feel the roll through the plastic bag to see if it was crispy enough.

When I was a teenager I thought he was just really picky (a lot of people were a bit fussy about them and point at one they wanted, but in reach or ask you to show them the toque and say something like “have you got one that more well fired”. But never come round or ask to touch it.

It was all lassies on the counter, late teens, early twenties. So now I realise he was a perv and got his jollies from it.

In my local Lidl one big pane of glass in the milk fridge is currently broken. A member of staff told me that a customer got really angry that there was no red milk so rammed it with their trolly until it smashed 😱

A customer at my local Supermarket lost it completely and had a tantrum (think stamping feet and pounding fists) at the deli counter because they had run out of chopped pork that day.