Those worked today with customers, how many of them it’s awful Etc to be working today

[Byeretail]

My username is appropriate for this. Handed in my notice in earlier this month and my last shift is Tuesday. Starting my new job away from customers on 12/1. Can’t bloody wait.

I must had about 15-18 customers in my 5.5 hours shift. Who has the nerve to say things like that to retail workers? Pot kettle black with the standards. Think it’s awful for shops to open but you are ok popping in yourself.

In 20 years of retail and customer service in 3 companies, I had enough of the rudeness etc from customers which has got worse, the forgotten heroes of the lockdowns

I've just posted my rant as the owner of a retail business. This year has been particularly awful with rude customers, both online and in-store. Some have been extremely nasty over the most trivial of things, or worse, when they have made an error themselves and want me to foot the bill from my bottomless pit of money. Hugs to you, well done for getting out

Yeah I find it quite condescending, as though retail workers are pitiful little slaves and their benevolent words will bring an ember of warmth to an otherwise bleak existence. I’ve worked in shops, cafes and TV news and working over Christmas has always been part of the job. I think what they mean to say is ‘I appreciate your work’ but it comes out as something that sounds like patronising guff.

Yanbu. I have never and will never step foot in a shop on boxing day i don't agree with it

Sounds like they’re expressing sympathy

We went to 4 shops today and the customer service in 2 of them was rubbish. One very good and the other passable. We don't usually go on Boxing day but needed to return/exchange an expensive item. Shop was also open, checked before we went in. It works both ways. Service is worse compared to 10 yrs ago. Some people really don't want to be there and it's written all over their face.

I doubt anyone wants to be in work on Boxing Day! Could your expensive item not have waited one more day to be returned? We didn't die from not being able to shop for 2 days years ago when the only shops open on Boxing Day were corner shops and DFS!

Well done byeretail on getting out wish you all the best.
When I worked in retail clothing I found the ones who came in on boxing day were the ones trying to escape their relatives.

All the best in your new job.
From an ex retail worker.

YANBU it's so annoying and condescending

I worked for a shop that was open on Easter Sunday one year and EVERY single customer said 'Ooh I'm so surprised you're open today, do you not get the day off for Easter?'

I wanted to scream! Customers create the demand for us to be open!

Alternatively, if you are open customers will come.
The managers choose to open. They could choose to be shut.

Our waitrose has been shut for 2 days. I miscalculated potatoes for big meal today, I will be there at 8am. If they had been open yesterday I might have asked DH to pop in.

Surely years ago all the big shops were open for the Boxing Day sales??

I used to hit the Next sale at about 7am before my kids were awake and buy enough clothes at half price to see them through the year. Last time I went (about 20 years ago) Liverpool city centre was heaving on Boxing Day

I remember reading once that back in the 1930s, the Boxing Day sales were such a event that some staff would be expected in on the evening of Christmas Day to get the shop ready

I feel all shops should be shut 25/26 - thu used to be. I’m only 52. But 35yrs ago I worked in my local coop while at school /college and we shut 6pm on the 24th and didn’t open to the 27th if not later due to weekends /sunday

no one needs food drink or homeware items that badly and any gifts can wait 2 days to be exchanged

@SpanThatWorld Years ago they were New Years sales. Boxing Day sales are relatively modern (90s?).

Hotel work is dire. (Especially at this time of year)
Cigarette and weed smell is vile and impossible to get out in time for the next guests. Despite being illegal, but unless there is physical evidence, there’s nothing that can be done, smell alone isn’t evidence!
Food smeared up walls and actual human shit all over a bathroom… false tan smeared into carpets, bedding and towels.. then the abusive drunks causing hell on earth.

Family rooms where families have stayed completely trashed, absolutely desecrated taking almost 3 times as long as it should to clean & clear.
Staff getting off their shifts late because of it. (Or leaving/ringing in sick)

People are animals, absolute pigs.

Maybe

But the thing about the 1930s was definitely true so maybe things have moved about over the years

I went to 2 shops yesterday and had much better and friendlier service from the staff than I usually do and I go in these shops very regularly! It was obviously much quieter than normal and I think they seemed happier as a result (less stressed).

Not a recent thing

I do feel a lot of people who work in retail really shouldn’t. It’s a consequence of retail being such a big employer of those with fewer qualifications, but it is a job that has a really specific skill set that so many people lack. A genuine enjoyment of working with the public, an ability to defuse situations, a desire to help others. I think lots just want to go in, scan some items and go home. I used to work in retail myself as a student and always loved it and enjoyed building a rapport with customers. I later went into journalism and communications and still use many of the same skills today. But so often I go into shops and the staff are miserable and unhelpful. If I was of the same mindset as a customer, I could see where conflict could arise. I recently went to Florida and shopping was such a different experience there…all the checkout staff smiled and chatted, I really liked it! And they don’t get tips, so it can’t be that. It made for such a nicer experience all round. I’m not sure if it’s better training, better recruitment or what but I do think overall, if the shops set a better tone, they’d get better behaviour from customers.

They're just being polite, making small talk 🙄It's the equivalent of asking a taxi driver if they've got long to go on their shift.

Alternatively, if you are open customers will come.
The managers choose to open. They could choose to be shut

yes and no, in the big stores its a head office decision made by people who have no intention of working on boxing day.

one year head office sent an email to everyone saying something along the lines of ‘ hope you all enjoy your Christmas break from work’

they also sent it to all the stores all of which were open on Christmas eve and boxing day, as well as new years day….staff were not happy 😀

one year my boss thought she was doing me a favour by getting me to work 6 hours on boxing day, the assistant manager said ‘rufus will lose her shit if you do that’ so they very kindly changed the hours 😀

I must admit that I've been I'm shops to exchange things on boxing day before but because it's a bank holiday and I work a lot of shifts and get little time elsewhere. I am not rude or condescending to people but the standard of customer service from even ten years ago in general has definitely slipped. I've been there too but was expected to do my job which I did.

People were just trying to be nice and show you some sympathy for having to work.

People who use an open shop on Boxing Day are doing noting wrong. Plenty of people don’t even celebrate Christmas. Why should they be made to feel guilty for getting on with life?

If they gave that much of a shit, they wouldn't be there. They're the ones perpetuating it.

I think this is a lot of it we are so chronically short staffed we genuinely can't give the level of service we would like to and could 10 years ago. The staff has been cut by a 1/3 and the workload increased. Its not unusual to be helping multiple customers at the exact same time. Also people have a lot less patience then they ever have. Everyone expects things instantly and its not always possible. Multiple times a day everyday customers will interrupt while I'm in the middle of helping another customer like mid sentence to ask for help its like they don't see other customers its really bizzare. The other day I had 2 seperate customers talk to me at the exact same time and I said one at a time as I can't understand them both at the exact same time and they both said well just quickly. Neither of them would let the other speak it was like some kind of sketch show. Its just so bizzare how people act. And people are completely time blind the amount of people who say ive been waiting 10 minutes, no you haven't its been 46 seconds

People on MN seem obsessed with whether shops should or shouldn't be open - yet there are no threads on pubs being open, cinemas being open, TV stations broadcasting, MNHQ being open, online shops fulfilling orders, Amazon and Evri drivers delivering stuff.

I’m sure retail workers do a thankless job and sometimes get annoyed at work. There are thankless and annoying things I have to do in my office job too but nobody feels the need to start a thread about poor office workers having to do thankless and annoying things.

That’s appalling. What kind of animals do that?? I feel guilty if I even have to leave a water bottle by a hotel bin as it won’t fit in. What a disgrace.