Customer’s absurd suggestion

[Auburngal]

Customer is one of those who insists on going to us when it’s extremely busy. As per usual we are short staffed - which is the case for many retailers. Again it’s because staff leave as fed up with the rude and aggressive behaviour from customers. In fact - some customers are bullies. As when they shout at me, I get the same feelings that I got from bullying at school.

She suggested that we should be on call on our days off! What a bloody ridiculous idea! I want my days off to relax etc. If any retailer had this option- no one would take it up!

I don't know anyone who doesn't watch it and have a flutter. Young or old.

Whilst I appreciate the sentiment, let's not forget the full quote "the customer is always right in matters of service"

Why the customer said this to you I have no idea, they'd be better off calling your head office to discuss this surely? YOU can't implement such policies but the directors could!

Change jobs, then.
If customer is not always right, they vote with their feet and don't come back to your small business anymore.
I'm very polite towards retail staff myself, however, let me tell you this.
One satisfied customer will tell another one, two people.
One dissatisfied customer will tell twenty others and more.

Not you, again.

Yeah, if you're not up for being constantly being spoken down to, humiliated, shouted at and abused because people can't control their own emotions then you're in the wrong job.

Absolute bull shit excuse to justify shitty behaviour.

The customer is always right does not mean the staff are always wrong, it's not an excuse to treat people badly with impunity, to make unreasonable or impossible demands and then behave like you're the victim of some heinous crime when it can't be delivered, for a bit of attention and superiority.

I worked retail for years so I had some sympathy until I saw this bullshit

It takes a massive empathy bypass to have a rant this big about a group of people you have defined as 85+

I cannot imagine there are many people who are over 85 shopping by themselves anyway so this must be a minisule problem and not worthy of such a tirade

I hope people have more sympathy and patience with you if you are still shopping by yourself over the age of 85!

most shop as couples. So can’t use the loneliness excuse

An excuse for what @Auburngal ?
Shopping? Perhaps their excuse is needing some food.

@Auburngal you're really quite unpleasant and judgemental. I've a feeling the "unkind" behaviour of the customers is in response to your attitude.

Tedious isn't it!

It's not them hun
its you

There are some people who think the world revolves around them, unfortunately they also have to go shopping and those of us how work/have worked in retail have to endure their stupidity. Of course you deserve time off OP, and of course the customer isn't always right.

Neither is the OP

Tbf in France customers always get a Bonjour and are expected to return the greeting.
If you’re busy just call out Good morning.

I didn't mention loneliness in my posts?

And now we are up to couples in their mid to late 80s...

So out of a population of about 68 million there are only approx 550,000 who are 85 or over, living in a couple and living independently

Like I said, a miniscule problem given some will possibly online shop, some will have family or carers shopping for them and some will shop during the week

So unless they suddenly all live where you work then this is a non issue except as an opportunity for you to have a massive rant about how (essentially) old people should be shut out of society two days a week.

Im going to place a bet that disabled people piss you off being visible in society too...

I think customer service has gone downhill too. I went to b and m the other day and the lady in front was querying the total. Apparently the teabags were on the shelf at 3.00 and she was being charged 3.49. The shop assistant was really rude sighing etc when she didn’t then want them and needed to refund her. The queue was getting really long at this point.

I’ve worked in retail and would of had a colleague check the shelf and honour that price normally or apologised depending on store policy. He was rude she was embarrassed. It just felt really awkward.

@Auburngal is obviously sick of retail work.

I did a Christmas season at JL once.
We shut the changing rooms 15 minutes before the store closes.
A man wanted to try about 4 garments on.
I apologised and explained he couldn’t as it was too near to closing time. However he could buy the goods and return them if necessary.
Next minute he’s stripping off in front of a long mirror in the middle of the shop.
The manager told him firmly to buy the clothes or leave.

@Auburngal

It's not the elderly customers shopping when they do that's the issue, and it's just as not fair for you to blame them as it is for other customers to blame you.
The issue is the customers who take it out on you and your colleagues that the elderly customers could shop at other times but don't, for one it's not something within your control and for two, when you venture out into the world, other people are there and you will come across them and sometimes they'll hold you up - it's the general intolerance across society with that, and then the attitude that because it's frustrating that can be taken out on customer facing staff that's the problem, not when the elderly people doing their shopping.
No, they don't have to shop on a Saturday morning, but then no one does these days, most supermarkets are open from 7/8am to 9/10pm, and some 24 hours, and on Sunday as well 10-4, smaller ones longer and then of course there's click and collect and home delivery. I doubt there's many people now who's only opportunity to get shopping is on a Saturday morning.

It's not the people shopping on a Saturday morning that are the issue, it's the people who think they should have priority because it's the most convenient time for them, and others should get out of their way that are the problem.

Can you tell me where I said the OP IS always right?
(Oh yes, I didn't).

I remember when I worked in a call centre and the fire alarm went off. I told the customer that that the fire alarm was going off and I would call her back end she went BALLISTIC that I wouldn’t sit in a potentially burning building to talk to her.

I guess that the customer at no point in their working career ever was on call, possibly never worked weekends, and demanded having time off over Christmas even if it meant others never could.

A bit like those who want longer Sunday opening but never work one themselves.

I used to work alone in a money kiosk....on an 8 hour shift i would get one break of 30 minutes....I lost count of how many customers kicked off and complained that my kiosk was closed for 30 mins whilst i had my lunch...one customer suggested that someone should be employed just to cover my break each day lol......i was like yeah its going to be easy to find someone who wants to work 30 mins a day 🤣🤣

@KeinLiebeslied54321 can you tell me why I'm wrong to point about the obvious!

Oh no I'm not

Well first off, no one is "always right" and adults shouldn't expect to be "always right". I don't expect workers to crawl on their belly for me. I expect them to be polite and stick to whatever policies their company have put in place.

Second, customers voting with their feet isn't done every single time a customer doesn't like something IME. I've seen customers who have actually told me or other staff that they're "NEVER COMING HERE AGAIN" come back a week later like nothing ever happened. In those cases it was hard to know whether to be amused they'd come back, or disappointed tbh.

My DM worked on the customer service desk in a supermarket for many years and had lots of comedy stories about rude customers. The most memorable one was the lady that stormed in one Monday morning shouting that the sho had ruined her weekend. This was because the disposable BBQ she'd bought did not contain the sausages, burgers etc that featured in the photo on the packaging.

😣 🤦🏻‍♀️