Off Topic,I need some advice/guidance...

[glenpreece]

Ok not sure I have mentioned this before but I work in a grocery store. I am a manger of of the Dairy Dept. aka the Dairy Queen!!! Now over the years (I've worked there 10) things have happened, people come and go etc etc. You get to know co-workers and customers, some even become friends.

Now there's this lady named Debbie and she seems to be the nicest lady you could ever meet. Really chatty and talks about anything and everything with you if you let her. She acts as if she has known us all for years and honestly I had no idea who she was until just recently about a couple monts ago I would say. She is always talking about her husband and how she loves to cook and this and that. Then she was saying she needs to fix the pics on her computer to get the them the right way (portrait instead of landscape). I explained how to do it and she was confused. she wanted me to come over some time and have dinner and help her with her pics. OK kinda odd but whatever one of those things that will never happen.

Moving along she tells me one day about how she is so depressed etc and been having a rough week etc and then starts crying and began to hug me. Now I can be a touchy feeley guy with my hag's but not with someone I barely know. So kinda weird again. A week or so later she tells me how her husband booked her a trip to Hawaii etc and she is going to bring me back something nice. Wow lucky her I was excited for her etc. So she goes (after a lengthy goodbye and several hugs) We have a week without her and then tonight she came back to the store.

She sees me and hugs me over and over saying how she missed me and has something special for me (a keychain) and how it is extra specail etc. and she picked it out just for me. Then she goes on and on about the place etc. No prob because I was generally interested having never been to Hawaii. Then she gives me these mints they have at the Hyatt she stayed at and this lotion they have that's amazing and she can't buy it anywhere it's only ther and not even at the other Hyatt's (umm it just mango cocoa butter) then she starts raving about the shampoo and conditioner and how she is going to bring me in some (ok cool I love me some good hair products lol) and hugs me over and over. Then she says about how she told her husband about her "Brandon" and then I think she realized she screwed up my name cause I i saw her look at my name tag. She says about how she wants me to come over for dinner cause I am like the son she never had and I can bring my "mate" (uhh don't have one but thanks) She wants to show me her pics from Hawaii and make me dinner etc. cause I am just so special to her. So finally I was able to get back to work etc and she moved on with her shopping and talking to everyone she sees

 

[DOPEYLUVER]

No advice, but it would just make me dread going into work everyday. UGH

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Ugh. I'd have problems with that sort of behavior from any gender, but must admit it would make me even more uncomfortable coming from someone from the opposite gender over time as this seems to be happening with you.

She sounds vaguely familiar (there are people like her in many places, I'm sure) and has a hint of instability? Not sure of course, just thinking "out loud."

Advice? Not sure. I guess I'd start doing the physically withdrawing from her when she reached for me for a hug. I'd do the "keep moving" general politeness walk when she started to talk...

I want to be sure, she works there yes? Isn't just a customer? The last bit about returning to shopping kind of threw me so that is why I'm asking.

She sounds lonely. Does she have a son? Like I said, not sure what is going on with her, but if it's making you uncomfortable, you need to extricate yourself from the situation. (Ooops! Was that inappropriate)?

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I understood her to be a customer.

My DH was in grocery for 17 years, but he is not that friendly so that never happened to him! Now he is a vendor rep.

I don't know what to tell you. She does sound kind of lonely. Maybe she just doesn't meet many people. I am not sure how long you can put off her advances. If you can keep coming up with excuses maybe that's all you need.

You might mention it to some of your co-workers and see if they have any advice. Or you might chat with the dairy managers at the stores where I shop because I NEVER, and I mean NEVER NEVER see them. Which wouldn't be an issue if their shelves were properly stocked with IN DATE product. Sorry, went off on a tangent there.

 

[OceanAnnie]

The first thing I thought about was that Stephen King movie with Kathy Bates.

 

[glenpreece]

I understood her to be a customer.

My DH was in grocery for 17 years, but he is not that friendly so that never happened to him! Now he is a vendor rep.

I don't know what to tell you. She does sound kind of lonely. Maybe she just doesn't meet many people. I am not sure how long you can put off her advances. If you can keep coming up with excuses maybe that's all you need.

You might mention it to some of your co-workers and see if they have any advice. Or you might chat with the dairy managers at the stores where I shop because I NEVER, and I mean NEVER NEVER see them. Which wouldn't be an issue if their shelves were properly stocked with IN DATE product. Sorry, went off on a tangent there.

LOL yes dates on products are quite the pain, if one of my kids/employees doesn't rotate stock it just throws the whole dept off. and yes she is a customer and yes I have spoken to other coworkers about her and they say the same thing, that she really chatty/nice with them too. And goes waaaaay beyond the dcustomer/worker chitt chat line. But seems to really like me. For some reason I only seem to have this affect on women.

 

[wallyb]

A container of expired Greek yogurt
would get her off your back for a while.

 

[TuckandStuiesMom]

A container of expired Greek yogurt
would get her off your back for a while.

(I was thinking some lumpy 2% personally; but yogurt would probably do the trick even better...) Seriously, I got nuttin to add but I kinda think if you ignore the invites, things will probably be OK)