Customer accused my colleague swearing to him!

Gordon_Hose

Jimavfc82 wrote: »

Nothing to do with the personal stuff of either of them. Just if he was that rude in the first place then i can understand why she reacted, and also think the store have got to wonder if they really want that custom anyway.

However you look at it she shouldn't have called him an idiot.

Customer get het up, what anyone who works with customers should know is that you remain calm and, above all, polite.

There is no justification in calling a customer an idiot.

deddogblues

You or one of the other staff who were witness to this incident could have directed the idiot to an alternative checkout or even serve him.
However, I think the store should do more to protect workers, abuse from customers toward staff should not be tollerated, security or the manager should have have shown him the door.

Sambucus_Nigra

Gordon_Hose wrote: »

There is no justification in calling a customer an idiot.

To be fair; sometimes there really IS justification...however you have to be prepared for the consequences.

Gordon_Hose

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

To be fair; sometimes there really IS justification...however you have to be prepared for the consequences.

lol, VERY true. Do it internally though, so they don't hear.

:rotfl:

Middy

Yesterday, I went into work and was told by colleagues 3 other instances of customers being vile and arrogant to 2 other colleagues.

First one was a customer paying with a card. My colleague A had the 'please enter PIN' window open. Customer said that he put in the PIN in twice. When my colleague asked could she have a look at the CnP handset, to see what the screen says. Customer refused and said 'Do you think I'm stupid?' Anyone else would have let my colleague look at the CnP screen - because sometimes we get customers that put their PIN in but only pressed 3 numbers. My colleague said to the customer that he wasn't stupid, she wanted to help whats going on. She got complained at.


Second one was on the self scans. Customer scanned his shopping - picked up his shopping without paying. Colleague B ran towards him and said that shopping needs paying. He turned around and called her a P*ki b1tch and spat at her!

Third instance happened with colleague B again. Customer (who is a colleague from another store) picked up 3 bottles of wine - which are on offer for 3 for £10. One of them wasn't in the deal. She told colleage B to scan one of the bottles which is part of the 3 4 10 twice and not scan the other non offer bottle. Colleague B refused to do this and scanned the bottles as what the customer purchased them. The customer complained to the csd about the offer and about Colleague B not scanning the bottles as she wanted them. The supervisor spotted the staff discount on the receipt. This colleague will be disciplined at her work store.

Then, today the 'idiot' customer turned up and asked to speak to the duty manager, which was the same duty manager as last night. He did apologise for his behaviour and should have accepted the colleague's apologies which she said as soon she said 'idiot'. This colleague wasn't in work today.

Due to the events of yesterday, the case of my colleague calling a customer an idiot was dropped. I don't know the full extent of the reasons why. I think it's wrong to discipline colleagues when they were threatened by rude, inconsiderate customers. Its rude customers 1 colleagues 0.

Colleague A's husband said that the store needs to give colleagues more protection for customers that are aggressive towards colleagues.

Gordon_Hose

Your work place sounds lovely.

Even I would have trouble holding myself back at someone using disgusting racist abuse like that. But, that's what the Police are for.

Do you have security guards?

eamon

Its all ok saying call security. But that is after the fact. The abuse has happened, pressing a panic button doesn't turn back time. Just a pity it wasn't a pub. One of the few places left were a customer isn't right and that the police & magistrates take a dim view of abusive customers.

GothicStirling

Middy wrote: »

Due to the events of yesterday, the case of my colleague calling a customer an idiot was dropped. I don't know the full extent of the reasons why. I think it's wrong to discipline colleagues when they were threatened by rude, inconsiderate customers. Its rude customers 1 colleagues 0.

Colleague A's husband said that the store needs to give colleagues more protection for customers that are aggressive towards colleagues.

The problem is that you're friend lost the moral high ground by insulting the customer.

I imagine the complaint has been dropped because an apology has been made. Just because it was dropped, doesn't mean it has gone on her file. I worked in a hotel restaurant three years ago. I told a bratty kid to stop doing hand-stands in the area where waitresses were coming out of the kitchen with hot food. The mother complained. The matter was dropped. I have tried to get a job there again since I left, and they've ignored me every time despite being a model employee.

GothicStirling

Gordon_Hose wrote: »

lol, VERY true. Do it internally though, so they don't hear.

:rotfl:

My usual tactic is to retreat to the kitchen/dry store/KP room and turn the air blue.

lvm

Personally, I'd love to know where this place of work is so that I never shop there again.

I think the fact this colleague has been able to call a customer an idiot with absolutely no repurcussions is disgusting. It doesn't matter how much she was irritated by this customer - anyone who works in a customer service industry should know better.