Shouldn't we try to be understanding / nice?
By SomeCowgirl
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
United States
December 31, 2012 12:56am CST
I guess I should be listening to my own words (the title).
Everyone has their bad days, and everyone speaks differently. Some people may always sound mean, and some always sound sweet.
I had a customer today who for one put the milk on the scanner. I am sorry that's a pet peeve. If you don't see the shelf, that's fine, but I am standing there, hand me the milk don't put it on the scanner. It could scan, I could take it off and while doing that it scan again..
Let me just not get into that.
In any case, then she goes You need to carry such and such in such and such. I didn't say anything, the way she said it, it just didn't sound nice. I knew that I was irritated, if I was going to say something it wouldn't be nice. I told her her total and she gives me the money then says it again. I process the transaction and as I am I say "Yes Ma'am. Thank you have a good day." She says it again as I say "Yes Ma'am."
For one, I can't personally go order them for her, she may not know that. I understand not everyone knows the workings of a store. But two, you don't have to act as if you are holier then thou. As if you are the only customer we ever get.
If you were, oh I'd be down on my knees begging you to forgive us for not having what you wanted, but You're not.
You know, we are told we don't have to help a customer who is being rude to us. Someone else has to though, and it'd have to be soemthing like them outright bad mouthing us personally..
I guess I am very picky, things irritate me that people do...
I try to be nice, I know I have days bad days and I take it out on people. I know it's not right..
Ugh I guess I'm done venting
2 people like this
7 responses
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
1 Jan 13
You are allowed to vent. I do it often. Personally, I think that you handled the situation very well as she was so rude to put the milk on the scanner herself. That is outright rudeness to you in my opinion. Maybe she was having a bad day bit had no right to be rude. sometimes, I am in a fast food place and if any customer is rude to the young ladies who are doing their best to get their order quickly then I step in. I politely ask them to stop being rude to a young lady who obviousoy cannot answer back to your rudeness so I am speaking on her behalf. I do not take kindly when people are rude to women (especually young women) who cannot answer back to them as they may lose their job. I speak calmly and with great politeness but I do put them in their place. Happpy New Year!
1 person likes this
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
2 Jan 13
I do that too. Being a cashier, I can so relate to what it feels like when someone is just rude and nasty and talks as if you are beneath them. I once was in line behind this jerk guy. The cashier was trying to add up the lottery he purchased and subtract his winnings. Their lottery is like the one at where I work...no register just a cash drawer. Well some of his winnings were scratch tickets so they came out of the regular register and it can get confusing and requires a little brain time. Well this guy kept talking at her and trying to tell her what his change was etc. In the end, he got irritated and swore at her and said "this is not really rocket science!" I did tell him that it was uncalled for for him to talk to her like that. I waited around after she rung me up and we went outside and had a smoke so she could vent a bit. I will say that the customer is not always right no matter how much they want to think so.
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
2 Jan 13
I can semi understand her putting the milk on the scanner, she's not exactly the only person who does it. I do get irritated at people who do though. There is a shelf, now while many may not see it, it's there, and they could ask.
The way I see it, I guess because I know you shouldn't put things on the scanner, I get upset that they do.
So that I do feel guilty about getting upset at her for.
However she didn't have to talk to me like that. I wish I could have told her that I didn't reply to her because of her tone of voice, but then sometimes people who are like that will twist it around and say that I said it nastily etc.
If I see something like that out in public, I may not say anything to the person but I will try to brighten the cashier's mood a bit saying something like "don't you hate people who are like that?"
@LovingMyBabies (85127)
• Valdosta, Georgia
31 Dec 12
I love doing customer service work but I rather do it over the phone. In person, you can see their mean faces and attitude instead of just hearing it! Lol.
I had one really rude customer one time who told me I should not work in public with the messed up teeth I have because it makes it hard to take me serious. =( That comment really hurt since I am very self conscious about my teeth already. I went to the bathroom and cried...a lot.
Now looking back, I wish I would have punched him in the face!! 
I think most people would have felt the same way. I was very nice to him despite the hurt he had caused me.
So if I ever get another job I will choose some kind of customer service work over the phone instead of in public...
I think most people would have felt the same way. I was very nice to him despite the hurt he had caused me.
So if I ever get another job I will choose some kind of customer service work over the phone instead of in public...1 person likes this
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
3 Jan 13
The public can be harsh and I don't think they realize or care the hurt or damage they can cause. I have a niece with bad teeth. She is a sweetheart and she has had rude customers like you encountered. I know it hurts and especially so when you are self concsious of something but in reality...it is all superficial. To judge a person based on looks or defects is so shallow and says so much more about the person than it does you its rdiculous
I see your profile pic and you are beautiful dont worry or waste your time on a stupid loser
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
2 Jan 13
Last year on my birthday I worked and I had somebody, I forget what they said but it was kind of mean. I think they misunderstood me, got upset and though I said look I didn't mean it that way they didn't seem very sorry.
I'm known to make people feel pretty guilty about doing things like that but I want to keep my job or I would have said something. Perhaps even what I would have said wouldn't have gotten me fired but still.
I did ask to go to the restroom and stood in the stall to cry.
@chiyosan (30184)
• Philippines
2 Jan 13
Yeah, We all have bad days, no matter how long our patience is, sometimes some thing just gets the best of us. Even if we are having a good day, just one woman or man like that customer of yours talking too discorteous, i think that would really mean just a few more minutes and you could just lose you patience, righ?!
Sometimes just by the way someone looks at us, talks at us.. we can really really be irritated. haha :D
But Of course, i do agree with you, that we have to be understanding, try to extend our patience more, try to always see the good side of the people and be nice to everyone we meet, as much as possible because everyone else is fighting an even harder battle....
1 person likes this
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
2 Jan 13
Yes you are right, everyone is fighting a harder battle. We have to take things with a grain of salt and rose colored glasses because it could always be worse.
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
31 Dec 12
I work in a store too. I get the "you should carry this" thing a lot. I actually don't get bothered by it. I just say, "hmm, good idea. I'll run it by my boss and see if we can get it in." It makes the customer feel important and sometimes it really is a good idea. I do write the suggestions down. My boss has a pretty good sense of what will sell and also wants to please the customer. If it is a regular customer that wants an oddball product, we ask them how often they;d actually be buying it and sometimes we get it in just special for them. They aren;t the only customer for sure but all our customers are important. Without them, I would not have a paycheck. I could make a list of customer annoyances but personal requests is not even on the list. talking on cell phone while at counter, taking forever choosing scratch tickets, etc are up there on the list.
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
31 Dec 12
You have completely misunderstood.
A customer who talked nice to me could stand there for an hour and have me right down things to give to the manager to have special ordered for them. A customer like I had last night, whose tone just seemed very mean, could go walk into a wall repeatedly.
I just did not like the tone of the customer's voice, rather demanding instead of askance.
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
31 Dec 12
I wanted to go "creative" on her but just kept my tongue in cheek.
not 
@celticeagle (159008)
• Boise, Idaho
31 Dec 12
What you decide is one major reason I never wanted to work fact to face with people. I worked in customer service for nearly thirty years and I firmly believe that if I had to look some of the prize customers I had in the face I would have climbed across the desk and strangled them. In these type of jobs we are there to help the customer in any way we can.
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
31 Dec 12
The customer is always right is what we are told. Of course each and every one of us knows that that is not true.
If I could sit down with some of the customers I've had that has just been down right rude and talk to them, explain to them how things work and do so nicely I wonder if that would change the way they act.
I understand the lady is frustrated that we did not have the exact thing she wanted, and perhaps she'd gone in several times hoping we'd carry it, but we can't read her mind, and honestly the thing she was asking for, I mean, we don't specialize in carrying that type of item.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (159008)
• Boise, Idaho
2 Jan 13
Yes, that is the norm but there are certain things we can't do regardless. If you took more time and tried to explain the workings behind the scene it would probably help. I am sure alot of them are not aware. I usually call ahead if I am unsure. I guess what I am saying is that this woman could have found another way to find out if your store had what she wanted and saved herself alot of trouble. And you alot of frustration.
1 person likes this
@Otanetix (508)
• United States
3 Jan 13
Yes, I have worked in various retail positions. So I know how difficult it is to talk to customers who are rude. While I know people have their bad days, it surprises me how they unleash their anger for something towards retail employees. I have entered stores as a customer and heard many customers' loud complaints which echos through the store.
