To have called colleague out on stupid behaviour?

[BakPain]

I work in a store and there is a toy aisle. On said aisle they installed a sensor that kicks off playing music everytime anyone walks past. (Party style music).

First time colleague and I walked past it it went off and we jumped a mile then fell about laughing. It was funny and if it had ended there I’d probably still be smiling about it now.

However, it didn’t. Next time we walked past it the sound kicked off, we both jumped again and colleague fell about laughing. I laughed and said “I forgot about that stupid thing”.

3rd time - it kicked off, I didn’t react as was expecting it. Colleague jumped a mile and then fell about laughing. I laughed a little and said “I’m used to it now thank god”.

Anyway, she had continued to “jump a mile” everytime it goes off. I no longer react to it or her as it’s getting boring now. As a result she’s gotten more dramatic jumping, throwing things in the air, screaming etc. I ended up saying to her “you really should be used to that now, we go past it nearly every day - we no longer need to shit ourselves over it”. She fell about laughing saying I was making it funnier by being so serious about it.

Yesterday it went off, she jumped, screamed and threw a load of papers in the air. She screamed so loudly that customers gasped and looked to see what was happening. I said to her “what are you doing??” So she said “that thing frightened me to death!” I said “no it didn’t” she said “what do you mean??” So I said “it didn’t frighten you, it’s been there weeks and you react the same way everytime, it’s getting a bit old now. It was funny at first but now it’s just daft.”

She hasn’t spoken to me since and is making snide comments about me to others.

So was I right to call her out of it or am just being an old misery?

You were in the right. She sounds insufferable.

Attention seeking.

Bizarre

She sounds like an attention seeking twit but you do also sound a bit of an old misery. I couldn't be arsed to say something in this situation, I'd just ignore.

I agree that she sounds dramatic, attention seeking and very irritating but it wasn't your place to shame/ attempt to embarrass her. You should have just ignored the behaviour, walked away and not given her the attention it soon would have stopped.

She is childish and attention seeking.
I would eye roll and not react, hurry away and let her pick up her stuff on her own. Would soon stop.

Just ignore, no need to " call her out"

If it’s got to the point where she’s impacting customers then of course she needs to stop.

Mind you - if it made you jump out of your skin the first time you heard it then perhaps it shouldn’t be there at all, given that it’s probably making customers jump too.

She sounds unbelievably tiresome but unless you are her boss, it's not your place to 'call her out' and you should have just ignored her.

I would have just moved the item away

she thought she had a shared experience with you and to her it was very funny. I wouldn’t have shamed her

This is what I was thinking.

Report to a manager if she continues with this unprofessional behaviour.

And pray she hasn't seen this incredibly outing public thread.

She sounds attention seeking and tiresome.
As a customer this kind of attention seeking behaviour would annoy me and I would think it reflects poorly on the business.

However unless you were her manager it was not your place to call her out on it. By all means have a quiet word with your manager and explain that it is annoying customers.

Just curious how do customers react to the music.

It sound a very annoying unnecessary sensor, what if it frightens customers and children, if its that loud that it scares adult staff I'd suggest if gets removed, she sounds a bit dramatic though but it wasn't necessary to embarrass her

She screamed loudly and threw papers around in the store whilst customers were shopping?

Good grief, does anyone care about the customers and providing a good customer experience anymore?

You're right, its getting stupid and ridiculous. I would have lost patience with her too.

She sounds very irritating, like the class clown who acts the goat for laughs but does the same joke over and over until it really isn't funny any more. Screaming and throwing things around on the shop floor on purpose is ridiculous behaviour.

It reminded me of the Ramona books where the grumpy grandmother used to say "first time funny, second time silly, third time a spanking". (I don't advocate spanking children I must add but the gist is broadly the same.)

I think you gave her two polite warnings that her joke had worn thin and she carried on so you made it clearer. I disagree with the posters saying it wasn't your place to call her out. On the contrary, as a manager, I would hope and expect staff members to initially seek to resolve their differences informally first. Otherwise it's a bit like saying "Miss, Billy's annoying me, make him stop."

I wouldn't have felt the need to 'call her out' I would probably have just ignored her dramatic behaviour.

Good on you!

Id have been passive aggressive; I’d have ignored or muttered under my breath and have avoided her. When I read your post I literally re-read it to see what wording you used as I think you phrased it in exactly the right way! She WAS being daft and whilst there’s a small chance she’s still shocked, her increasing responses to the noise suggests she’s bullshitting for an easy laugh. Except it’s not funny when it’s fake.

Just ignore her, she’ll come around eventually. Does she jump like an idiot when she walks past it alone? Bet not!

If you hadn’t had said anything, she’d still be doing it everytime, at least now she’ll walk normally (hopefully)

I would try not to walk into that aisle with her ever again, she's obviously very stupid and a right little Diva.

Good on you to have said something, but she's miffed and was never going to be happy about a comment