Complaining in front of the customer

[Bunchkin]

This is one of my pet peeves. Really.

When I go to a store, restaurant, office, etc., I don't want to hear someone openly complaining to another coworker about their job, about another coworker, about their family or their boss. I don't want to hear about how you don't get enough hours or how so-and-so took an extra 2 minutes on their break. I don't want to see you verbally bite off your employee's head in front of me either. And I certainly don't want to hear you complain about the last customer you just 'helped'. Or for example, see you get an attitude because the customer you are helping wants you to slice one more type of cheese for them at the deli counter. Hey, guess what? That's your job!

I see this all the time in so many different settings.
And I'm not the type to let things like this just happen and not make a comment. Why do I have to make a tactful comment or give them 'the look' for them to realize that what they're doing is not acceptable?


What part of customer service is this applicable to??
Is there no such thing as tact? Customer service? Professionalism?
Or did someone change the rules and I missed the note on it?


Anyone else??

 

[Tinkerbell58]

ITA. I also don't want to hear an employee talk to a coworker about what happened last night, tonight's party, or any other "TMI". It's very unprofessional.

 

[OceanAnnie]

Yeah. That bugs me too. It especially bugs me when there is a conversation like that between employees that continues when I need help checking out.

 

[jenrose66]

I feel the same as you...I can't stand when workers do this...it's so unprofessional, they need to save it for the break room or happy hour.

I was at the Hallmark store a week before Christmas and I had a $5 off coupon. I got my total and handed the cashier the coupon. She grabs it from my hand and says to the cashier next to her "thank god these expire in a couple days I can't stand all these coupons" she then threw the coupon on the counter and stamped it really hard with her redeemed stamp or whatever it was. She then shoved my bag at me and said Merry Christmas. I don't get it

 

[OceanAnnie]

I feel the same as you...I can't stand when workers do this...it's so unprofessional, they need to save it for the break room or happy hour.

I was at the Hallmark store a week before Christmas and I had a $5 off coupon. I got my total and handed the cashier the coupon. She grabs it from my hand and says to the cashier next to her "thank god these expire in a couple days I can't stand all these coupons" she then threw the coupon on the counter and stamped it really hard with her redeemed stamp or whatever it was. She then shoved my bag at me and said Merry Christmas. I don't get it

OT- I was at a bookstore and was checking out. I had a coupon for a magazine. I think it was $2 off. The clerk told me they didn't take them. I said, "Excuse me? It's a manufacturer's coupon.". Again, she told me they don't take them. Sometimes, I go with the flow, but her attitude hit me wrong. I asked for the manager. The manager took the coupon and showed the girl how to enter it. She just didn't know how to do it! And lied about it. Ugh.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My pet peeve is when a business is trying to sell me something or we are interviewing for hiring someone to do a job (like sell our house), and they start in with making awful comments about their competitors. I guess it is the "negative sales pitch".

I hate it and it turns me off right away. I only want to hear what you can do for ME not about your competition.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I agree. I was at JC Penney's the other day buying some clothes. There were two checkers at the counter and I was next in line. A third checker comes running over, all hassled and harried and motions me over. She starts telling me about how a customer put something on hold and came back to get it but someone had moved it and the customer was blaming her for not being able to find it. She's frantically ringing up my clothes and telling me this long story that I could hardly follow and didn't care to anyway! I would gladly have waited for one of the other checkers to skip that little episode!

 

[MinnieMe87]

OT- I was at a bookstore and was checking out. I had a coupon for a magazine. I think it was $2 off. The clerk told me they didn't take them. I said, "Excuse me? It's a manufacturer's coupon.". Again, she told me they don't take them. Sometimes, I go with the flow, but her attitude hit me wrong. I asked for the manager. The manager took the coupon and showed the girl how to enter it. She just didn't know how to do it! And lied about it. Ugh.

I'm glad you asked the manager about that! Sheesh. That reminds me of something a friend and I went through not too long ago!

A friend and I were at JcPenney's a couple weekends ago, and at that time in the ad they had advertised if you spent $50, you got $10 off (with a coupon). At our local store, they usually have a few extra coupons behind the register that they will scan if you forget yours. Well, my friend had left hers at home so she asked the cashier if she had any extra coupons.

The girl said "We don't have any coupon specials going on right now. That was last weekend."

We both just assumed she was correct and didn't argue. Well she went on and on about how we needed to look at dates closely and such, and this lady comes right up behind her and says "Oh excuse me, are you guys asking about THESE coupons? We have a whole stack of extras right here, you are more than welcome to use one on your order today!" and walked away.

Well, it turns out it was the manager, and the girl of course got embarrassed and said "Well it looks like I was WRONG. I'm so GLAD she came and pointed that out to me." Her attitude was just awful. I realize that she was embarrassed because her manager had called her out on her mistake, but we weren't rude or snippy about the coupon deal. It wasn't our fault that she wasn't up on the specials of the week.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

That drives me nuts too. Really, any unprofessional actions. When I worked at Disney they told us that Disney would ruin us on custmoer service forever and it is very true. I think back to my Disney training and so much of what I see simply would not fly. I'm always comparing it in my mind.

I frankly don't care what drama you have going on in your life or at work. When you are on the floor, it is your job to provide a good customer service experience. Not ***** and moan about your wages or your boss, not play on your cell phone, etc.

I was at Hy Vee the other day at the food counter. I said hello to the young man ringing me up and asked him how his day was. He completely ignored me, glared at me, and shoved my food at me. Before I could even pick it up he was playing on his cell phone. I wasn't going to say anything, but I saw a manager and so I told them. I used to work in a Hy Vee kitchen and I know that is not their standard of service. It boggles my mind with the economy so tight just how many unprofessional people you see. You would think they would care more about their jobs, and employers would have higher standards given the number of people who are looking for jobs. The market is much more competitive and yet you still have places with substandard service.

 

[agnes!]

I feel the same as you...I can't stand when workers do this...it's so unprofessional, they need to save it for the break room or happy hour.

I was at the Hallmark store a week before Christmas and I had a $5 off coupon. I got my total and handed the cashier the coupon. She grabs it from my hand and says to the cashier next to her "thank god these expire in a couple days I can't stand all these coupons" she then threw the coupon on the counter and stamped it really hard with her redeemed stamp or whatever it was. She then shoved my bag at me and said Merry Christmas. I don't get it

I think that's one of the worst customer service stories I've heard recently.

I think I would have said "Thank God I don't HAVE to shop here, I can't stand rudeness" walked out without getting my merchandise and as I was leaving said something along the lines of "I'm sure I can get better merchandise and superior customer service at Costco anyway."

Yeah, Merry Christmas to her too ....in a "bad Santa" sort of way ,
agnes!

 

[paintnolish]

I hate when they have those conversations, or any conversations, really, when checking you out. This happened to us tonight at Claire's (dd was spending some Xmas money). The cashier only told us the amount, having a conversation with a coworker the whole time. She didn't even say anything, or even look at us, when she handed dd the receipt!

 

[chexie]

I'm a shift Manager for a deli in my hometown. and I've always told my fellow emlpoyees to leave their drama at the door cause its about the customers not the he said she said drama going on in your personal lives.

i forget who posted the story about the jcpenny employee who told the story about a customer blaming her for misplacing her hold items..but anyways i do feel some sympathy for the employee..believe me i've been on both ends. and sorry but there are some people out there that look for the slittest thing to complain about just to get something free. Both ive been on the customer end to where i have no desire to here about someone i dont knows personal life. i guess what im saying is that i understand both sides :]

 

[coolshannie]

Although I agree that employees should be professional and respectful of their customers while they are working, I have to say it would be nice if more customers showed some common courtesy as well! Maybe this is straying to far away from the topic, but I'm going to take a go at it anyways. In the last two days that I've worked alone I have seen so many things that make me wonder why people just can't be nice or do take the extra few minutes to be thoughtful.

I let children with mothers into dressing rooms, each time explaining the policy of only allowing 5 items into a room at a time, undoubtedly when I go to check the fitting room there is a mountain of ( I kid you not ) twenty to thirty clothing articles and hangers all over the dressing room floor. This happened yesterday and today several times. I just don't understand why, if you are going to bring more clothes in once you've been given a dressing room, you don't at least have the courtesy to bring them to someone when you are done or try and find the appropriate place to put them, rather then leaving them all over the floor for someone else to deal with later. They could have at least put them on hangers and hung them up neatly.

Other customers have been more then rude, picking up a shirt and dropping it on the floor when they found it did not satisfy their taste. Did they pick it up? No. They then proceeded to drop a few more shirts on the floor when they were not of their taste. The same customer spills their drink on the floor, sees it, and keeps walking. Never looks back, never informs anybody that they spilled anything, and never even considers cleaning it up.

I can't even tell you how many times I've gotten yelled at and told I was lying or victim to a rude comment when I told customers I could not leave the front room and that there were others working in the back that would assist them or that I had no control over the volume of the music. There were two other girls working in the back room today, both of them were ringing a long line of people up. A woman wanted a shirt that was on display and wanted to show me which one it was so I could help her find it. I told her I wasn't allowed to leave the front room and those in the back would be more then happy to assist her. She then gave me a dirty look and said, " They are at the cash register, they aren't on the floor!" I had no idea what she wanted me to do, we were extremely busy and someone is supposed to be up front at all times, she made me feel as though she thought I just didn't want to help her. The music is another story though... The music is loud, yes. Does it give me a headache? Yes. Do I have any control over it? No. Yesterday a man asked me how I could stand the music and I told him that yes it was loud, but I suppose I just got used to it after a while. He asked if I could turn it down. I proceeded to tell him that I had no control over it. He then very rudely said, " Since when?" and walked away and went to ask the next employee to turn it down. If you don't want to listen to the loud music, then don't shop in the store. That is what I really felt like saying... Well, perhaps I wanted to say it because he was only the fifth person that day to ask if we could turn it down.

It is also not fun being rudely talked too when asked to take something off a display or sell the display item on the rack. It's not my fault, it's not my rule, and it's not my policy, it's the stores policy, I am so sorry it doesn't sit well with you, but that doesn't mean you have to sit there and yell at me and tell me how unfair it is that you can't buy the shirt you wanted and how stupid it is that the company wouldn't want to sell the shirt or the jacket that you want to buy.

Yes this all happened in the last two days and it does happen all the time, but I feel as though it happened a lot in the last two days and just felt like sharing! Maybe Employees and Customers should make a compromise to be more helpful to one and other to create a good shopping experience for the customer and a good work environment for the employee. I can dream right?

 

[smidgy]

whether it is a restaurant or a retail store, the only person the customer comes in contact with is the only person they can complain to. this is the "customer contact" person.

we who are the "customer contact person" need to be polite, try our best to solve any problems, and not "pass the buck" or complain to the customer about the inner workings of the company, or why it is "not our fault"
ie. customer service.


on the other hand: customers need to treat employees like .. people.. realize they are doing their best, if they are not.,, report it.

I agree, it is very unnerving, as a customer, to be treated as "cattle" and have employees discussing things amongst themselves, as if you weren't there. cell phones??? If I EVER owned a business they would NOT be allowed!!! employees would have to leave their cell phones in their lockers, whatever. any emergencies... the family can call the business phone at the business and state it is and emergency... now, I only wish I could do the same for customers (like, you are busy and taking an order at a table, and the customers cell phone rings, and they had a discussion and expect you to stand there waiting till they are done with their conversation , then take your order)

OR... I am in line at JCPenny and the customer in line in front of me is holding up the line, while they have a cell phone conversation, and the poor clerk is waiting (as is every one else in line) while they finish up their "very" important conversation.

whew! glad I got THAT off my chest!

 

[bananda]

i've never heard employees complaining, but the thing i hate is when i walk into a store and get ignored. i once walked into an accessory store and the 2girls that work there were talking to each other, trying on headbands and ignoring me and the other 3 potential customers. i walked out after about a minute.

 

[Kteacher]

"OR... I am in line at JCPenny and the customer in line in front of me is holding up the line, while they have a cell phone conversation, and the poor clerk is waiting (as is every one else in line) while they finish up their "very" important conversation"

 

[bicker]

You couldn't pay me enough to put myself in front of mass-market consumers in today's society. It's always been a tough job, but these days, forget it. I'd sooner take a job cleaning sewers. The rats treat the workers more humanely than we consumer treat customer service workers these days. It is no wonder that they're all so surly and unhelpful.

 

[SDFgirl]

This is also one of my HUGE pet peeves.

I was at The Children's Place the other day, and all of the girls behind the counter were complaining about the people working at the *other* Children's Place in town. They were whining about how rude, unhelpful, and curt they were, and I was like..."Uh, yeah. You all wouldn't know ANYTHING about rudeness, right?"

Another thing that bugs me is when I'm checking out at the grocery store or Target or something, and they cashier tells me how many hours until they get off, how much their feet hurt, how much they want to go home. I know, I understand, I was a cashier too. But now I just feel guilty about coming through your lane!!

I hate hearing about people's drama when they're supposed to be doing their job.

 

[OceanAnnie]

Oh another thing is when I want to check out, and there is someone there on the phone. And they continue their personal conversation! I can understand finishing up, but to continue?! Ugh.

As far as treating cashiers nicely, I always do. Even if I get miffed, I keep it to myself. It has to be really, really bad for me to say something to a cashier or complain to a manager.

 

[agnes!]

Although I agree that employees should be professional and respectful of their customers while they are working, I have to say it would be nice if more customers showed some common courtesy as well! Maybe this is straying to far away from the topic, but I'm going to take a go at it anyways. In the last two days that I've worked alone I have seen so many things that make me wonder why people just can't be nice or do take the extra few minutes to be thoughtful. ...

... The music is another story though... The music is loud, yes. Does it give me a headache? Yes. Do I have any control over it? No. Yesterday a man asked me how I could stand the music and I told him that yes it was loud, but I suppose I just got used to it after a while. He asked if I could turn it down. I proceeded to tell him that I had no control over it. He then very rudely said, " Since when?" and walked away and went to ask the next employee to turn it down. If you don't want to listen to the loud music, then don't shop in the store. That is what I really felt like saying... Well, perhaps I wanted to say it because he was only the fifth person that day to ask if we could turn it down.

Actually, I do leave stores whose canned music is too loud...do it all the time. I think the corporate people who set the volume levels must think that THUMPING! THUMPING! THUMPING! music will make me buy at that store....*not*. If I have to speak up or shout to ask the salespeople/cashiers a question?....the music is too loud.

It is also not fun being rudely talked too when asked to take something off a display or sell the display item on the rack. It's not my fault, it's not my rule, and it's not my policy, it's the stores policy, I am so sorry it doesn't sit well with you, but that doesn't mean you have to sit there and yell at me and tell me how unfair it is that you can't buy the shirt you wanted and how stupid it is that the company wouldn't want to sell the shirt or the jacket that you want to buy.

Yes this all happened in the last two days and it does happen all the time, but I feel as though it happened a lot in the last two days and just felt like sharing! Maybe Employees and Customers should make a compromise to be more helpful to one and other to create a good shopping experience for the customer and a good work environment for the employee. I can dream right?

I always try to treat people the way that I want to be treated, I don't rant & rail to the cashier or the salesperson about the store's policies, if I'm trying on clothing I either hang it back up on the rack or give it to the person/s working at the dressing rooms. And whatever rules the cashiers/salepeople have to enforce, they didn't get to decide how the store would be run. The person who makes the policies probably hasn't worked on 'the floor' for ages (if ever)...they have NO idea how idiotic some of the policies are in the real world.

On the other hand, I will be forever grateful to the salesperson at the old teen store at DTD who took a pair of shorts off a display mannequin because it was pracically the *only* pair that would fit DD and we were *desperate*.

whether it is a restaurant or a retail store, the only person the customer comes in contact with is the only person they can complain to. this is the "customer contact" person.

we who are the "customer contact person" need to be polite, try our best to solve any problems, and not "pass the buck" or complain to the customer about the inner workings of the company, or why it is "not our fault"
ie. customer service.


on the other hand: customers need to treat employees like .. people.. realize they are doing their best, if they are not.,, report it.

I agree, it is very unnerving, as a customer, to be treated as "cattle" and have employees discussing things amongst themselves, as if you weren't there. ...

OR... I am in line at JCPenny and the customer in line in front of me is holding up the line, while they have a cell phone conversation, and the poor clerk is waiting (as is every one else in line) while they finish up their "very" important conversation.

whew! glad I got THAT off my chest!

Our mail-lady is always on her Bluetooth, I'm not sure who she's always talking to, but it is *constant*....hmmmm, maybe that's why my next-door neighbor gets some of my mail?

i've never heard employees complaining, but the thing i hate is when i walk into a store and get ignored. i once walked into an accessory store and the 2girls that work there were talking to each other, trying on headbands and ignoring me and the other 3 potential customers. i walked out after about a minute.

The Nordstrom's in Pentagon City will NEVER again get *any* of my business for that very reason.

You couldn't pay me enough to put myself in front of mass-market consumers in today's society. It's always been a tough job, but these days, forget it. I'd sooner take a job cleaning sewers. The rats treat the workers more humanely than we consumer treat customer service workers these days. It is no wonder that they're all so surly and unhelpful.

Brian - You're right about that, I don't think you would do well as a customer-service person.

agnes!