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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To reply to a rude customer, saying no customers no wages….no workers no benefits

120 replies

Isthisfairorwhat · 28/07/2025 08:08

I felt I was just reply back in the way he spoke to me, mirroring
as we taught to do…..

he was annoyed that he wasn’t attended to instantly
but it’s not the kinda place you can do that instantly
it can take a couple of mins

OP posts:
Ariela · 28/07/2025 11:15

In our pharmacy, they're on an elevated level, and the head pharmacist seems to remember everyone's name and greets everyone and tells you how long the wait will be.

IZK · 28/07/2025 11:15

HonestOpalHelper · 28/07/2025 11:13

Pharmacies are incredibly in-efficient places - back in the day they literally made up prescriptions, now, by in large its stick a label on a factory sealed package.

But the regulations make it sooo in-efficient - for example I always ring ahead to Tesco to check if my prescription is ready, and go to collect, when I get there it is ready, bagged up, but still the pharmacist has to open the package and fucking check it again - its already been fucking checked and stapled in a bag.

And you see why customers get pissed off, because it makes no sense - in most countries the majority of things dispensed on prescription as we do you just go and pick up or the pharmacy assistant sells over the counter.

Its not your fault, its the bonkers system.

Show quote history

This is why I get mine delivered for free.

I used to have to go in my short lunchbreak and despite having rang ahead, it would still take up most of it.

NoSoapJustUseShowerGel · 28/07/2025 11:22

Isthisfairorwhat · 28/07/2025 08:53

Exactly

he doenst pay for his prescriptions because he’s on benefits

so his point no customers no wages
is the same as no workers no benefits

Show quote history

So you’ve voiced out loud in a public place that he’s on benefits- sensitive personal information.

Arlanymor · 28/07/2025 11:31

Yes the general public can be frustrating, yes it's tough working in customer-facing roles.

But that was a low, low blow to reference his financial status. I think it's fairly horrible actually. Contributes to stigma and is also highly unprofessional.

CommonAsMucklowe · 28/07/2025 11:34

Isthisfairorwhat · 28/07/2025 08:38

for context it’s a pharmacy, and you can’t possibly serve everyone the second they walk in as there’s not enough staff and no one would get there prescriptions if you don’t at least finish one off, if you rushed to greet everyone the second they walk in you wouldn’t get anything finished so they have to wait a min or two

sadly wasn’t always like that years ago but these days like most places
are run on not enough staff

I hear you, we need more staff here and we are worked into the ground on MW. No chance of any support from management and no jobs out there to move to. It's awful.

thepastinsidethepresent · 28/07/2025 11:37

YABU. You were rude and your tone is also quite arsey in parts of this thread. Of course people don't think medications are 'Smarties', that's a batshit thing to say.

It's not OK for customers to be rude to you, but whether a customer is on benefits or not is none of your business, pretty low of you to reference it out loud imho.

lunaswand · 28/07/2025 11:51

I struggling to believe that someone with such a attitude & terrible communication skills has been employed in a pharmacy to be honest

MyDeftDuck · 28/07/2025 12:00

Tryingtokeepgoing · 28/07/2025 11:14

Don’t you often find that organisations that put up signs like that know they are providing poor customer service, but rather than address the issue they just take a passive aggressive or threatening stance to people who even think about questioning service levels.

That’s not to excuse the behaviour of some customers, but it’s almost a threat at times. Don’t question us, or we’ll have you thrown out. Often prevalent in council / government / NHS / public transport facilities where people have no choice but to use whatever service provider it is, and where staff know you don’t have a choice and so often don’t bother to provide even the bare minimum of acceptable service. It’s often not the fault of those on the front line, but the managers of the service who get paid regardless and who wilfully understaff or under invest. Because the customers / users have no choice.

Show quote history

Not necessarily……..I find a great many people to be entitled, rude, impatient, bloody minded and incapable of accepting that there’s a queue and they must wait their turn……..alternatively , bigger off somewhere else

whynotwhatknot · 28/07/2025 12:00

i wouldnt have said what he did but i dont like being ignored if im standing right in front of someone

doesnt take much to say will be with you in a tic-i order online now much easier

HelpMeUnpickThis · 28/07/2025 12:14

Isthisfairorwhat · 28/07/2025 09:08

Well put it this way, he’s going to have an extremely long long wait every single time
all you can really do
and then let it go in one ear and out the other….

@Isthisfairorwhat I don't think customer facing work suits you, going by your posts.

Everanewbie · 28/07/2025 12:22

Yeah, I think that response would be unreasonable. Think it but don't say it. When you're working your fingers to the bone for pretty average money, and someone who blatantly hasn't worked a day in their life is rude, I get that its galling. Resist the urge, deal with it firmly but professionally.

PhilippaGeorgiou · 28/07/2025 12:24

Isthisfairorwhat · 28/07/2025 08:53

Exactly

he doenst pay for his prescriptions because he’s on benefits

so his point no customers no wages
is the same as no workers no benefits

Show quote history

Lots of people get free prescriptions for reasons not associated with benefits. I have free prescriptions and I am not on benefits. If you work with people then you need to accept that they may be impatient or unhappy at times and suck it up. It is not excuse for being rude. For example, I could point out that is is good that you are in work and serving cutomers on a Monday morning at 8am, but it is bad that having got to working age you didn't learn any form of use of punctuation or that "kinda" isn't a word. But I am not going to do that. Instead I will marvel at the novel method of benefits bashing, and wonder possibly when the school are going back.

MarieAndTwinette · 28/07/2025 12:24

That was an incredibly rude thing for you to say. For whatever reason he seems to be reminding you that all customers are worthy of respect. They are.

IZK · 28/07/2025 12:34

PhilippaGeorgiou · 28/07/2025 12:24

Lots of people get free prescriptions for reasons not associated with benefits. I have free prescriptions and I am not on benefits. If you work with people then you need to accept that they may be impatient or unhappy at times and suck it up. It is not excuse for being rude. For example, I could point out that is is good that you are in work and serving cutomers on a Monday morning at 8am, but it is bad that having got to working age you didn't learn any form of use of punctuation or that "kinda" isn't a word. But I am not going to do that. Instead I will marvel at the novel method of benefits bashing, and wonder possibly when the school are going back.

Show quote history

Lots of people get free prescriptions for reasons not associated with benefits. I have free prescriptions and I am not on benefits.

The customer was though.

Not that it makes the OP's reply to them in any way ok.

PhilippaGeorgiou · 28/07/2025 12:38

IZK · 28/07/2025 12:34

Lots of people get free prescriptions for reasons not associated with benefits. I have free prescriptions and I am not on benefits.

The customer was though.

Not that it makes the OP's reply to them in any way ok.

Show quote history

If they are to be believed.

Pinty · 28/07/2025 12:54

Isthisfairorwhat · 28/07/2025 08:53

Exactly

he doenst pay for his prescriptions because he’s on benefits

so his point no customers no wages
is the same as no workers no benefits

Show quote history

There is no need to respond that way though. You have no idea what his circumstances are.

Funderthighs · 28/07/2025 13:01

I find that the more unpleasant and unreasonable a customer is, the best course of action is to be over the top friendly and polite. That way, they have no cause to complain about you and you can be calling them whatever you like in your head. (It always seems to annoy them a bit more too yet they can’t complain as you’re being so lovely 😉).

Toptotoe · 28/07/2025 13:07

A simple ‘l’ll be with you soon’ would probably have gone a long way to placating him.
people like to be acknowledged and it’s not that hard a task to do that.

BakewellTart66 · 28/07/2025 13:17

That sign off just screams “I didn’t bargain for all this criticism. I’m stomping off now.”

CeffylCoch · 28/07/2025 13:47

YABU - You sound rude and shouldn’t be working in a customer facing role

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