Customers’ behaviour has made colleagues leave

[Hmlp]

This year had:
. Colleague A left because he was grabbed by the wrist and told to FO
. Colleague B said to me that she will work another Christmas and retire after that. She mentioned this in Jan. Three months later she left
. Colleague C has worked for company for 45 years - first 5 years at a different store. She handed in her retirement notice as she is getting fed up with customers’ behaviour. She came home on Thursday in tears - the first time in 45 years. She is not retiring until next month.
. Colleague D had two weeks off sick and handed in her notice as customers have upsetted her.

These colleagues will not be replaced as according to head office we are 320 hours over a month!

We are stressed. We can’t cope as it is. No idea how HQ say we are 320 hours over when it feels 320 hours under!

Customers need to understand that shouting at retail and hospitality workers is bullying and totally unacceptable. What happened to treat others as you wanted to be treated yourself? Ie don’t talk down to retail workers like they are piece of dog shit on your shoe.

We can’t say to customers that we are 320 hours over. They will go ballistic.

Any ideas on how to stop customers being rude and bullying

What do you have against elderly people? It's not them with behaviour problems is it? I doubt it anyway. I didn't realise if you don't work you shouldn't ever go shopping on a weekend...

Totally agree @HollyKnight

That's what I came on to say!

Tedious isn't it?

Yes, taking out your anger/ disappointment in life/ disappointment in others / anger at the news / anger at politicians on whoever you can.

Sounds like the managers are doing a poor job of staffing ratio’s. Surely they need to reduce their weekday staff and put more people on at busy times. That’s nothing to do with the customers, and if this is one of the big 4 I’m surprised they are getting away with poor rations. Many people work in retail until something better comes along. I worked for one of the big 4 when I was at Uni, I was on the checkout and never had any issues. Mainly I guess as it was a sleepy town in Wales where I lived before I moved to london for work. If your job means you need to take anti depressants then it’s time to look for something else, no-one should feel like bad at work.

Do customers really get angry at retired people shopping on a Saturday? If they are that annoyed why don’t they shop online? I shop on a Saturday, from the comfort of my bed as I get a delivery Sunday morning

Not to anyone who can read.

I have never worked in retail/ customer facing services because I know I wouldn’t cope. If you are taking antidepressants because of your job then you need another job. I’m not trying to be trite but your mh is your priority and your colleagues have prioritised theirs by leaving.

The current climate in retail and the management in retail isn’t going to change anytime soon.

OK I have lost a bit of sympathy for the OP since it seems she doesn't like elderly shoppers after all!

So elderly shoppers cant come on Saturday or on Wednesday morning?

I accept this example as the person taking the elderly person shopping works in the week.
its those like the late in-laws of @GirlOfThe70s who are too stubborn and ignorant to change their shopping habits and insist going on Saturdays when they got all week that annoy staff and fellow customers alike.

I do like elderly customers, but they need to understand that other customers get fed up with them shopping on Saturday mornings.

While customer behaviour has become totally unacceptable, part of it is that stores are cutting numbers of staff and mostly employing inexperienced ones and not training them because it's cheaper. It really shows during the "shopping experience."

A mini Tesco near me has just put the tills behind full plexiglass partitions with just a little circle cut out so that's one idea 🙄I've also seen an off- license owner subdue an unruly customer with a cricket bat but don't see asda or whatever going for that.

“They need to understand”. Is not a good take. The other shoppers need to live and let live. They will be old too one day.

I’m the first to say that behaviour generally has deteriorated significantly in recent years. I’ve witnessed (and intervened in) people being horrifically abusive to staff. More needs to be done on that, including security being able to throw people out and the police being quicker to attend and prosecute.

HOWEVER.

Some shop staff are just as bad. Some - and note the use of the word some - view customers as an inconvenience and assume that customers are going to be a problem before they’ve even opened their mouths. The combativeness at least partially creates the problem.

And if staff are having panic attacks because of the sight of a customer and refusing to serve, and complaining that older people are shopping at what they consider to be inconsiderate times (I mean, WTF? Do older people not have lives around which they need to fit their shopping like everyone else? ) then that’s just as much the problem as rude customers.

I'm 66. Just wondering at what age I become an "oldie"?

PS I will continue to shop on whatever day and time suirs me.

In the US supermarkets often give discounts to senior citizens for shopping during off peak times. I believe the supermarket Iceland gives to over 60s 10% off on Tuesdays. I don't know why more of them don't have this type of incentive scheme. Waitrose for example could offer 5% off or just a free piece of cake with your free coffee if you spend over a certain amount on weekdays. Seems.like it could make Saturday shopping a lot less stressful for everyone.

Hold on OP, are you saying your abuse is coming from elderly customers wanting to shop on a Saturday?
Please look back at my PP and if you have experienced any of the stuff i mention then perhaps be upset about that.
Not because Janet from number 32 wants to get a loaf of bread and made an obvious comment on how busy it is.

I started reading this thread with a lot of sympathy for the OP but her attitude towards the elderly has made me lose my sympathy for her.

Why are all these young people shopping in store on a Saturday when they can do online shopping and leave the physical shop to people "older" people who don't use online shopping. Then the store would be much quieter.

Then they should do a click and collect if they get that annoyed.

I also think the public should support when they see this behaviour and not turn a blind eye. All part of living in a nice society. I was in a Premier Inn last year and standing behind a couple in the queue for breakfast. Man hadn't booked breakfast when he checked in and they were now full. Started giving the 16 year old girl lots of abuse who looked petrified. I saw red and stepped in. Perhaps not my finest hour but as an adult and a mother I felt I had to. The manager did turn up and dealt with it but we can't stand back as a society and put it all on them. Call it out.

No one should be grabbed or abused but..

People can shop when they want!

Can’t believe you think it matters

Do customers really get angry at retired people shopping on a Saturday? If they are that annoyed why don’t they shop online? I shop on a Saturday, from the comfort of my bed as I get a delivery Sunday morning

How on earth do you manage that? Whenever I try to do an online shop I usually just get slots for the week days. If I could get weekend delivery I’d never set foot in Sainsburys again 🤣

I haven't read the full thread, but I wonder if some poster at the entrance showing busy/quiet periods would work, with suitable wording like "Prefer to shop at quiet times?". Also, I agree the Iceland discount idea on Tuesdays is a good one.