Don't take it out on the check out girl/boy

Mrs_Ryan

I used to work in M&S and I think I heard it all! What really annoyed me once was when I had finished my shift, and had put my normal hoodie on over my uniform, so all you could see of it were my black trousers, which just looked like... well black trousers! I went back downstairs into my department to pick up a bit of shopping and I'd literally just picked up a basket when this snotty old woman (she was a regular so knew I worked there) grabbed my arm tightly and said 'You work here dont you? Well go and get me..' something or another I cant remember what.
I looked at her in astonishment and said 'Im not on shift, sorry!' and walked off! It was probably glaringly obvious I wasnt on shift but she was obviously trying her luck!!! Im always nice and polite to shop staff - have been at the thick end of things and know its not nice!

Dave101t

i hope there is someone on here who runs their own shop, who can tell us of stories of how they were p1ssed off by a customer and told them to get stuffed, and barred the from the premises.
that would be perfect karmic retribution!

ilnf

muffinmclean wrote: »

that sounds jobsworthy to me. You legally have to be 16 to smoke, but 18 to buy. You knew for sure that he was 17 so he was old enough to smoke them.

That doesn't make sense. You have to be 18 to purchase tobacco. Fact. He wanted to purchase tobacco from me. Therefore regardless of the age you have to be to smoke it you have to be 18 to buy it. He couldn't provide that evidence, he didn't get served.

And I knew for sure he was 17? That's based on the fact he is driving a car? Only true if he has a license.

Takoda

I don't get it - what is so special about shop workers that they should be immune from having to deal with people's rages?

Most workers who deal with the public have to cope with people's grumpiness at some point or other - the Fire Brigade/Police take a lot, ambulance workers/nurses all face a lot worse than just being spoken to sharply. Teachers/TAs in certain schools take a tremendous amount of abuse/being sworn at/physically assaulted sometimes.

So what's the difference? The salary? Is it OK to deal with angry people if you get a decent wage? Are shop folk not paid enough to deal with !!!! then?

I worked full time in a bookshop (huge branch of Dillons the Bookstore) for 2 years from 90-92. Hated it but only because I was bored. Never got abused/spoken to sharply/sworn at/ complained about. Not because I didn't have any difficult customers but rather because I had the skills to deal with the odd problem customers I had and solve the problem rather than allowing the problem to escalate.

If staff are trained properly then they can deal with situations. We weren't trained particularly well - Dillons staff were very disposable - but there were a couple of good managers around and I picked up a lot from watching them.

Unfortunately as a society we are getting more impatient, angry and short tempered. That isn't going to change it will just get worse.

Deal with it folks or get a job where you don't have to talk to customers at all.

No doubt a flaming will follow but you know I've not said anything untrue.

Tak

Flashdaisy

Takoda wrote: »

I don't get it - what is so special about shop workers that they should be immune from having to deal with people's rages?

Most workers who deal with the public have to cope with people's grumpiness at some point or other - the Fire Brigade/Police take a lot, ambulance workers/nurses all face a lot worse than just being spoken to sharply. Teachers/TAs in certain schools take a tremendous amount of abuse/being sworn at/physically assaulted sometimes.

So what's the difference? The salary? Is it OK to deal with angry people if you get a decent wage? Are shop folk not paid enough to deal with !!!! then?

I worked full time in a bookshop (huge branch of Dillons the Bookstore) for 2 years from 90-92. Hated it but only because I was bored. Never got abused/spoken to sharply/sworn at/ complained about. Not because I didn't have any difficult customers but rather because I had the skills to deal with the odd problem customers I had and solve the problem rather than allowing the problem to escalate.

If staff are trained properly then they can deal with situations. We weren't trained particularly well - Dillons staff were very disposable - but there were a couple of good managers around and I picked up a lot from watching them.

Unfortunately as a society we are getting more impatient, angry and short tempered. That isn't going to change it will just get worse.

Deal with it folks or get a job where you don't have to talk to customers at all.

No doubt a flaming will follow but you know I've not said anything untrue.

Tak

I don't think that anyone on here has said that it's only retail workers that don't deserve to be abused. I don't think anyone should be subject to abuse and rudeness in their job, regardless of what job they do and the salary they earn.

I'm sure if someone started a thread about Firefighters/Teachers/Nurses getting abuse then there would be plenty of people on here that would post in their defence, too.

Littlemiss27

Takoda wrote: »

I don't get it - what is so special about shop workers that they should be immune from having to deal with people's rages?

Most workers who deal with the public have to cope with people's grumpiness at some point or other - the Fire Brigade/Police take a lot, ambulance workers/nurses all face a lot worse than just being spoken to sharply. Teachers/TAs in certain schools take a tremendous amount of abuse/being sworn at/physically assaulted sometimes.

So what's the difference? The salary? Is it OK to deal with angry people if you get a decent wage? Are shop folk not paid enough to deal with !!!! then?

I worked full time in a bookshop (huge branch of Dillons the Bookstore) for 2 years from 90-92. Hated it but only because I was bored. Never got abused/spoken to sharply/sworn at/ complained about. Not because I didn't have any difficult customers but rather because I had the skills to deal with the odd problem customers I had and solve the problem rather than allowing the problem to escalate.

If staff are trained properly then they can deal with situations. We weren't trained particularly well - Dillons staff were very disposable - but there were a couple of good managers around and I picked up a lot from watching them.

Unfortunately as a society we are getting more impatient, angry and short tempered. That isn't going to change it will just get worse.

Deal with it folks or get a job where you don't have to talk to customers at all.

No doubt a flaming will follow but you know I've not said anything untrue.

Tak

Unfortunately you are wrong. With some members of the public it does not matter how well you have been trained or how well you can normally deal with these situations they are still going to be abusive. It is also not just about being spoken to sharply it is also about being physically and verbally abuse in your place of work. No one deserves that!

And I don't think anyone here was implying that people working in shops have it any worse than those who work in other occupations dealing with the pubilc, it just so happens that this forum deals mostly with customers and the stores from which they purchase not the police/fireservice/nhs etc.

emmas42

Littlemiss27 wrote: »

It is also not just about being spoken to sharply it is also about being physically and verbally abuse in your place of work. No one deserves that!

I have had a customer rip a box out of my hands and yell "I'm just going to f**king take this then" before stomping out. I was terrified, it was late night opening and the guy I was working with hid and left me to deal with it. I was shaking like a leaf on the phone to my area manager, who wouldn't let me report it to the police as the customer's boss "Spends a bit with us" I was just left to get over it. I was honestly scared that he would come back and cause more trouble. All because I wouldn't let him take a product to replace one that he HADN'T brought back with him!

I got into the job becaue I love meeting new people every day, I always knew there would be awkward people, but I always try to solve the problem before it becomes an inconvenience. Some people have no idea of how to treat others, no matter where or how they meet, be it in a social or business environment.

reehsetin

I've had one woman lunge at me, another screaming at me until i got my manager to say the same thing i'd been tell him, (who he was nice and polite to :mad:)

another time we had a customer come in, who was genuinely scary, didn't get physically but was very close, i think he had some issues, kept ranting, rambling on about random things
tame compared to other jobs but still not nice

Takoda

Littlemiss27 wrote: »

Unfortunately you are wrong. With some members of the public it does not matter how well you have been trained or how well you can normally deal with these situations they are still going to be abusive. It is also not just about being spoken to sharply it is also about being physically and verbally abuse in your place of work. No one deserves that!

And I don't think anyone here was implying that people working in shops have it any worse than those who work in other occupations dealing with the pubilc, it just so happens that this forum deals mostly with customers and the stores from which they purchase not the police/fireservice/nhs etc.

Nope sorry I don't agree. It matters a great deal the way the till assistant or whoever deals with the situation. Letting people have their say/then being sympathetic/then doing whatever you can to sort out their problem goes a long way to diffusing situations.

People get angrier because the poorly trained till person does not seem to care or shrugs or replies in an angry or upset way back. You have to look at WHY the person is so angry. Yes, a small percentage have mental heath issues (hooray for care in the community) but the vast majority or just poor saps who feel they have had a raw deal. So they complain and then the person doesn't seem to care so the situation escalates.

Physical abuse should be reported to the Police as an assault. Verbal abuse is unfortunately part of the job especially if you work for a company that deals with complaints poorly.

The thread title is "Don't take it out on the till monkey" or something like that. I'm just pointing out that shop assistants are not the only people who face verbal/physical abuse in their jobs.

Staff today do not have good enough interpersonal skills. Add that to society getting more impatient and more angry and the result is explosive.

Like I say - deal with it or get a different job.

Not ALL situations will escalate. But a lot will if the staff do not deal with them EFFECTIVELY.

Sorry you failed to convince me I'm wrong. It is probably your age and lack of experience.

Valli

sporedude wrote: »

Lol! Now that would be funny, The only thing I get is small grannies asking for stuff off the top shelf because I'm tall...

well I have to ask people to help me and I'm not THAT small (5' 3") and I'm not a granny - but I can't reach the cereals on the top shelf if they're not at the front...
we DO appreciate it though...