Any key workers getting fed up of the abuse?

[TrufflyPig]

I am doing essential work and have found that the increase in abuse from members of the public has increased massively over the past few weeks.

I’m trying to keep my chin up but it is relentless and getting me down.

Anyone else feel the same?

We have a sign, and our company put it on FB, it was met with so many abusive comments they had to remove it!

Your managers really need to strap some balls on then. They have a legal duty of care to their staff and they are failing miserably. I used to run a shop years ago and anyone being abusive to the staff got one warning (if they were lucky) and then put out the door. You are not there to be a punching bag for arseholes.

There is no excuse for the rudeness. Lots of people are worried and stressed and we don't all take it out on key workers.

I know someone who works in a shop and she said the abuse she has received has been awful. It's her fault if something is not in stock, her fault that some things are rationed etc. She has been sworn at, kicked, spat at. One person told her they were going to wait for her outside and kill her.

Having worked in retail I know only too well that shop workers get abuse year round but it is far worse now.

If shop staff were not working none of us could get food etc so a bit of consideration would not go amiss.

This has definitely show how selfish and awful far too many people are

@tufflypig

I also work in pharmacy and people are absolutely awful. Not really much i can add to that!

Hope things get better for you!

They are completely within their rights to put up signage warning that abusive customers will not be served and enforcing that approach.

These signs are very counterproductive. Management love them because it's 'doing something' but they aren't helpful. Nice people think that it means the place is probably crap with awful customer service and horrible people ignore them or get triggered.

A positive sign is better. That puts expectations on staff and customers and implies everyone will behave.

Who ARE these people who are taking their stress out on people trying their best to help?? It's simply vile.

Like a pp I am trying to be as friendly and kind to anyone and everyone who is working and allowing me to stay safe at home.
However I think I almost made the Sainsbury delivery driver cry the other day as he was apologising for some out of stock items and substitutions and I just started gushing how incredibly grateful I was for him bringing me any kind of food to my door and it was no big deal that I had jasmine rather than basmati rice and thank you so much for the important job you're doing etc etc
He looked slightly wobbly and said it was just so nice to have someone being so grateful as he'd encountered all sorts of complaints and abuse. Apparently someone had thrown some frozen fish back at him because it came from China and "that's where it all started". Poor guy.

I remember as a teenager being embarrassed when my mum used to be cheery and chatty with everyone she met - now I realise what a lovely, kind lady she was .

The comments were mostly from one family as I had to call the police last week to remove one of them. Just all saying we are rubbish at our jobs, the service is appalling etc

Yep - teacher here, the abuse ON THIS WEBSITE is quite the thing.

Rudeness and abuse is inexcusable.

It's frustrating waiting to go into our local pharmacy at the moment as they're only open from 10-4 and are closed for an hour for lunch between 1 and 2, where they're usually open from 8-6.
The queue is unbelievable, can be waiting outside for 40+ minutes; still wouldn't give grief to the staff though.

Everyone needs to take a bit of a breather to be honest, it's not as if they've got anywhere else to go.

A mob forms outside when people have to queue, they egg each other on sometimes.

I'm sorry this is the case, it's appalling.

Things have actually improved for me, people being a lot more chatty (as they're not seeing others I guess), acceptung products aren't available and even thank yous for working. Before there was lots of frustration, the worst I had was, "where are the f.....g wipes". When I apologised there weren't any "you're f......g useless you need to get f.....g sorted". The whole queue could hear him ranting on the approach, he pushed through the queue and a couple of customers were clearly shook up.

I have been super nice to people in the supermarket and delivery drivers, I feel they must get so much abuse too for no reason. I think people are forgetting that we are human and abuse is upsetting for anyone.

I know someone who works in a shop and she said the abuse she has received has been awful. It's her fault if something is not in stock, her fault that some things are rationed etc. She has been sworn at, kicked, spat at. One person told her they were going to wait for her outside and kill her

Bloody hell. All that for a bag of pasta?

One person told her they were going to wait for her outside and kill her

Oh my god that’s awful! How scary.

I’m always polite and friendly and last time I was in Sainsbury’s I had a really nice chat with the cashier.

I was in Co-Op a couple of weeks ago, it’s only a small shop. One of the assistants was shouting at people to stand behind the lines and said to her colleague “Christ, what a bunch of fucking morons.”

I’m pretty sure we were all standing behind the lines. In silence. When I got to the till, I politely asked how she was. “Awful, I’m putting myself at risk and people are idiots.” She carried on ranting whilst I nodded and make “mmmm noises.”

Funnily enough, I won’t be going to that store again!

Customer service expectations have gone through the roof at the moment, and with the history in most places of demanding absolute perfection and refusing to accept those serving them are human, poor behaviour and abuse of staff often met with apologies and free stuff, it's no wonder that some people think they're well within their rights to take out the stress of this situation on people serving.
We've 'schooled' the public into thinking that anything less than absolute perfection is a valid right not just to point out an error, but make demands, be abusive and then the trump card that always makes an appearance, accuse the staff of being rude as a get out clause.
The sad fact is most companies don't really care if staff are abused, as long as the money keeps coming in. If it were employee on employee abuse like here, it'd be dealt with and the trouble causer if not reprimanded, certainly not recieving an apology and some free stuff. If it were two people in the street it'd be either a punch up or a police matter, the trouble causer wouldn't be getting a sorry and a voucher for being a twat. Only in customer service does that happen.
Unfortunately there's no such comeback for many staff and people know it, and use that fact to their advantage. And the more they get away with it, the more they do it.
The customer is always right is a much repeated mantra, that may be so, but some people like to read it as the staff are always wrong.
Especially in these times people need to get over themselves and realise that the people serving them are also human, also might make a genuine mistake, also could be stressed and worried, knackered and under immense pressure to perform.
I can't see it changing though. Companies need to start standing up to individuals like this, passing on information and these people refused not only apologies etc but kicked out and refused entry again. Concequences for their behaviour that actually mean something. A few people banned and word will get round.

Terry “ I had not time to think, "I wonder how Bert is" after I'd effectively saved his life”

How did you do that?

Well obviously details aren't appropriate!

@Unworthie i could not agree more.

I'm grateful for all key workers and I tell them so! Thank you.

Terry fair enough. I just wondered if you’d taped off communal seating.

In a little reverse, DH was shouted by a parcel delivery driver for asking him if he would please ring the bell in future because there are doorstep thieves in the area, DH had just spotted him through the window running back to his van. Apparently the driver was risking his life for us twats. The parcel turned out to be for a different house, so I dropped it off for them and rang the bell, waiting the 4 seconds for them to open up (would have used gloves if I did it a lot, but hand-washing was fine instead for a one-off).

In general, I think a lot of people are more stressed and anxious than they would normally be. I'd like to see the people actually threatening OP given a formal police caution at a minimum, but general grumpiness I think we all need to try to shrug off as that person's own distress leaking out.

I'd like to see the people actually threatening OP given a formal police caution

To be fair the police did caution someone who was using threatening and abusive language towards us last week. It’s not really deterred others though sadly.

I am very lucky and it seems like everybody is very understanding and very appreciative of my coworkers and myself. None of us have experienced any abuse.
Yesterday, I was asked to please move back by a member of shop staff (which I did). She thanked me and as I paid, she said that staff were getting abused for asking people to social distance/move back/not crowd. That is just horrible.

Terry fair enough. I just wondered if you’d taped off communal seating.

Weird stalking between threads. Nice. Kind of supporting the premise of this thread.