Rude Customers

[drakethib]

Everyone should have to work in customer service, then maybe, just maybe they would understand. No, they still probably wouldn't get it!

Agree.

 

[MamaLema]

Picture it.

I'm 9 months pregnant. Standing on my feet for basically 10 hours in the video store. It's the end of my shift and I can barely feel my feet.

Some man, if you want to call him that, starts calling me every swear word in the book because he want to rent a video without a card or ANY I.D... yeah buddy, I'm just gonna take your word for it.

 

[bsmcneil]

Actually there are stores that will not force you to get both items and one item will be half price. They have it in their computer at half price and they advertise it at BOGO because it "sounds better"...kind of like 12.99 sounds better than 13.00. I know Fool Lion does this as well as others. I am glad they do this on some items because if a 10# bag of potatoes is on sale I sure don't have a need for two bags!!!! LOL!!!

I do understand though. I used to have people come in and only want the free one and never even buy the first one.

When places do this, I always feel as though it's a perk and not "how it should be."

 

[almacdonald]

I've also had people argue with me about sale prices. Once ice cream was buy one get one free, and a guy only got one, and it rang up at full price, $6. Well he was insisting it was $3, but I was saying, "no sir, it's buy one get one free." But he didn't want two, so he was being very rude, basically demanding that I only charge him half price since he only wanted one.

If you think people have a hard time figuring out the "buy 1, get 1 free" sale, imagine having to be a cashier where the deal is "buy 1, get 1 50% off"! People insist that they should get the second one free cause "the sign says so!" Then you trudge all the way to the back of the store to explain that the 4'x4' sign says "BUY 1, get 1 50% off" then translate, buy 1 a full price, get 1 at half price. Then you get told off cause the giant sign wasn't clear enough or something like that. Ugh.

 

[Dznypal]

I used to be a clerk in a small drug store--

people would come in with their small kids (3-4 yrs maybe)

the parents thought it was cute to have little Johnny give me the money

so she gives him the money (bills and some change) and says give the nice lady and he goes no and turns away with money in hand

so this power between parent and 4 year old goes on for a bit when little Johnny drops the whole handful of money on the floor--

by this time I have quite a line
so now parent is upset and scrambles to pick up the money Johnny goes off on his own!!!

Im sending people back to the RX register so they can get checked out

all of a sudden its not so cute to have little Johnny pay for things!!!

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Something happened at work yesterday, that I remember thinking I should post here. But now I can't remember what it was. Oh well, it's probably better forgotten about anyway.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I had a nasty customer today. Today was actually going pretty well, until this one customer I had about twenty minutes before the end of my shift. Anyway, this lady come through my line using food stamps. Her order was for $70 some dollars, and it when she first tried to use her food stamps it was declined due to limited funds, so she tried it again for $60, then $50, etc. Well, it finally took it when she put it in for $30. She said she had no idea what the balance was, but I said I could tell her what it was when her reciept printed, (me trying to be helpful.) So anyway, she paid for the rest of her order. Then when the reciept printed I told her that her balance was whatever amount. She then said, in a very loud voice, "Do you want to be more quiet, I don't want everyone to know how I pay for my groceries." Then she stormed off. 1) I didn't say food stamp balance, I said balance on her card - could of meant anything. 2) I didn't say it loudly at all, I said it at my regular voice level. And 3) no one was paying any attention before, but as soon as she raised her voice, the next two cashiers and baggers over, and several customers all wondered what was going on. As soon as she did storm off, the other cashier asked me what that was all about. Her being rude, caused people to find out what she didn't want people knowing. I actually felt that was kind of funny and ironic.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Was looking for a different thread, and came across this one again. Since I found it, I had two things happen at work yesterday that I'd thought I'd share with you guys.

1) A man had given me a check with no phone number on it. Usually I just ask for the number, and they just write it on, but this guy was being very stubbron. He said he'd shopped at the store for years, and had never needed a phone number before, and his is unlisted. I told him we've always needed phone numbers, so and that even though it's unlisted I still need it. So he tells me to get my manager, who luckily, backed me up. And I'd rather let him deal with the customer anyway. But this guy would not put his number on the check. But he, (the manager,) had to go through this whole spiel. If we don't have numbers on the checks our store gets charged a fee, how the whole check's processed. This went on for at least ten minutes. But the guy kept on saying that if he put his number on that I'd see it, (like I'm going to go home and call this guy, ) and whoever else saw it. Anyway, after all this was over, of course we still needed the number, so he finally put it on. I've had to argue with customers about phone numbers on checks before, and I've had to get both managers over to defend it before. What amazes me, is that there adress is on the check, but then they worry about the phone number. And the number prints out on the back anyway, so they just need it on the check to double-check it.

2) I was done my shift, and was doing shopping for myself. I was still in my uniform, minus my name tag and apron. (The uniform other then that is just a shirt.) So maybe it wasn't clear that I wasn't working, but you could still tell that I worked there. Now, I've been asked before, when shopping, where stuff is or whatever, and I have no problem telling them what aisle the item's in. And that's usually followed by an apology of them being sorry to bother me during my personal time. Well, anyway, this one lady came up to me with an item from the other side of the store, and asked me how much it was. I told her I didn't know, but if she took it to a register, (like ten feet away,) that they could check for her. She told me I was stupid, and that since I worked here, that I should know what the price is. Since I wasn't working, I didn't have to deal with it, I was so glad that I didn't have to deal with that one.

3) It amazes me how people act sometimes. Luckily the only complaints I get are usually from people the store knows as trouble makers. I mean, there's this one lady who comes in every couple days and argues with just about everyone in the store. And it's gotten to the point that when she goes through the check-out that the manager will go over to the register and stand by the cashier that's checking her out. And she always picks the newest cashier's line to go through. Except that did backfire on her once, since she's usually in at night and I used to always work during the days. Well, right around the holidays I had to work a few nights, and this lady, who before this, I hadn't had to deal with, came through my line, I guess she was assuming I was new. First she yelled at me because I turned the belt on, you know, the thing that moves your groceries up so that I can scan them. Well, she tried just about everything, like expired coupons I couldn't take. She also asked me when I had started working there, and I said 1999. Which she didn't believe, since she'd never seen me before, and this was over six years later. And then bagging for her was another story. She didn't want a bagger bagging, she wanted me to bag. (And that does nothing but hold up the line.) She also said she didn't want a lot of bags, but she had a huge order. So I started putting maybe twelve cans in a bag. But then she was saying I was making them to heavy. (Twelve cans isn't too heavy for most people, since most can lift a 24-pack of soda, which weighs double that.) So I took out half the cans, and put six in a bag, and then there was to many bags. She picked up another bag, and said it was to heavy, but there was only one item in the bag, a gallon of milk. If she has so much trouble lifting a gallon, why didn't she just buy two half-gallons? I swear, I'm usually one of the fastest checkers at my store, but this order took half-an-hour, and did nothing but annoy me. Thank God I don't have to work nighst anymore.

 

[RC Fan]

Currently, I am an insurance agent, but I used to be a cashier when I was in school. My work experience has shown me that some people really seem to get off on being rude. It is almost like it makes them feel like a better, bigger person. These people don't have to have any reason at all to go off on you.

 

[maxiesmom]

I had one yesterday that actually shocked me, this person was so mean! I came back from and break and walked out on to our selling floor. A lady came up to me and said how glad she was to see I worked there. That the person who was trying to help her was "stupid. And I don't know why you hire stupid people." I said "Ma'am, it is his second day." This person was looking for a certain pair of shoes. And she was mad that the guy who was waiting on her didn't know exactly what she was looking for by her description. And she kept going on about how we should not hire stupid people, and how she probably made him cry. Like she was proud! What is wrong with some people? Why do you go out in public and act like that?

 

[clh2]

Now, most of my complainers are the ones who get angry that I need to see an ID with their credit card.

I NEVER, NEVER, NEVER get upset when a store associate asks to see my ID. And now, my signature is really funky looking because my card has been swiped so many times.

As a matter of fact, I just prefer that they ask for it. Keep up the good work piglet.

 

[LuvN~Travel]

I can say that I only have about a handful who are problems, but they can be so annoying at times!
One of them came in recently, and she is the type who carries a major chip on her shoulder. She has complained before about me putting her card back on the counter when I'm through with it. The first time she was fiddling around in her purse and I wasn't holding it forever! However, we were trained to put everything back on the counter when I was trained. Even the money. Though after all of these years I definitely try to put the money in their hands since so many have 'butterfingers'!
Well she came in again the other day, and again she was taking her time about reaching for the card. After I put it on the counter, she told me I HAD to put it in her hand. Well I can't hold it forever. Not only am I trying to multitask when running the transaction (and reaching wide due to the width of the counter), but I have a major herniated disk in my upper back right now and can't handle holding something out for even short periods.
She was getting ugly with me, and was 'preaching' her ideas at me on how I should handle cards, and just kept on, and on. (In other words, I should be a mind reader about how ppl want their stuff back) Well after she left, the women behind her, who'd been rolling their eyes, were very sympathetic. One said she would never have been able to handle her.

Unfortunately, then the woman comes back a few minutes later! When she gave me the amount for the money order she bought, she'd given me the wrong amount. When I take those orders I repeat exactly what I hear back to them so as to make sure I heard the amount right. Too many people mumble around here. (I'm forever wanting to tell them - Spit the marbles out!) And, not only did I repeat it to her, she was looking right at the screen.
So now she is really yelling at me! I told her that I had repeated what she said, but all she wanted to do was yell at me.
Well she finally left and I had the funniest thing happen.
Another customer had been in the outer lobby with her young daughter (about 3yrs old). She came back in after wrapping her package, and told me that when the other woman came out there, her daughter piped up 'Look at the MEAN lady, Mommy!' Where she could hear it too! rofl
Well you know what? That little girl went out of there with chocolate that day!
Kim

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I had another one today. This lady came through with a raincheck, and had gotten the wrong item. The raincheck clearly said it was for the smaller container, and she had gotten the larger one. I knew it was the wrong one right away, since the sale had just been last week, and I had bought several of the item in question myself. Anyway, I ended up having to call the manager of the item's department over to convince this lady that she had the wrong item.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

On the flip side, I did have an extremely positive experience.

I had a lady come through my line, with a big order, around $200 worth of food. And it started by me checking several prices for her, which is easy to do, and I didn't have a problem with.

Well, she said she couldn't go above $160, so just to ring stuff up until I got to that much. Not a problem. So when I got to $150 some I stopped scanning stuff, and she started to pay, but she actually only had $150 on the card, instead of the $160 she thought was on it. So I had to take a few things off. Then, somehow she produced another card, which supposdly had $60 on it, so I was able to scan another $50 worth of stuff. Well, when she tried to use that card it was declined. So I had to spend the next few minutes voiding off stuff I had already rung up, voided off, couldn't be paid for, rung up again with what was thought to be a good, then declined card. So anway, by this point, the next customer in line had been waiting at least ten minutes while all of this was going on.

I thought she'd be annoyed at having to wait for so long. But instead, she complimented me on how patient I had been with the lady and was generally very sweet. So my day at work wasn't all bad, except for raincheck-lady (see previous post,) who was actually right after that order, so I had slow-confused lady, nice called-me patient lady, crazy-raincheck lady, and then two more nice ladies who commented I must be having one of those kind of days, since they'd been in line since slow-confused lady as well.

I also had a lady earlier in the day, who, and this is when I was in express, got mad at me, since apparently I went to fast.

Me - "How are you today?"
Lady - "Fine"
Me - "Do you have a savings card?" Which we ask, we have to ask, every customer.
Lady - "Well, I'll give it to you if you just wait a d*mn minute."

She already had her stuff up on the belt, and she wasn't doing anything that was acting like she had the card, so of course I asked her. She was also rude when I bagged her stuff as well.

 

[Tarheel Tink]

I'm so lucky that my boss pretty much gives me free rein on treating the rude ones any way I wish. If they make me mad he doesn't want them as a client and we tell them we will HAPPILY send their records elsewhere. He had a deputy sheriff go to an idiot's home that had been furious when he came by our animal hospital and our doctor wasn't there (Duh...lunchtime and not an emergency). He flipped us off and then made an obscene phone call to us....Well, I take down license tags and we have caller I.D.-- guy about wet his pants when the deputy showed up and said charges would be pressed unless he called us immediately while he was present and apologize. Gotta love a small southern town where you "know" the right people.

We are incredibly polite and friendly and go way above usual customer service (carry your packages to the car, escort you with an umbrella if it is raining, pull out coupons,refunds and freebies you didn't know existed, tell you about better prices on drug purchases, etc.) so when someone is rude or aggressive we do not put up with it at all. We do not wait for cell phones; Dr. leaves the exam room if someone is rude enough to answer and converse and we stop whatever we were doing with client and go on the next project or person if someone takes a call and holds up their finger to tell us to wait. It puts them to the end of the line once they finish their call.

Private practice can be great when the employees are allowed to reasonably respond to bad behavior. I will say rudeness is not the norm and we receive great treatment and gratitude (and food goodies!!!) from quite a few of our clients. One couple made me a video copy of Song of the South they had gotten in Europe! Many ask when my next trip to Disney is...

 

[PoohnPglet]

I am a WDW CM.

I'll see all your customer services stories and raise you...oh about a bajillion!

Seriously, I have so many I could tell it would take a book. Thankfully, I have all the super wonderful people that come as well to help balance it all out. It only takes one great guest to make a bad day full of rude guests all better!

 

[Linnie The Pooh]

Wow-I haven't worked in retail in a very long time and some of these stories reminded me of how challenging it can be!! I remember the lady who was mad because our store wouldn't let her return a bowl. It was plastic and she'd set it on her electric stove burner. She admitted she tried to cook with it that way. You could see the black rings where it melted it. She said it was junk and didn't want it anymore.

In WDW last year we were at Walgreen's getting our film developed at the one hour deal which actually turned out to be 24 hours. When we picked it up after 24 hours, the guy couldn't find one of our rolls so while he was looking DH was thumbing through our pictures he could find to see how they'd turned out. Anyway, this woman next to him started sighing really loudly and finally she jerks her head toward my husband and says, "While he finishes what he's doing with his pictures, could you please help me?" DH just looked at her and said, "I'm not DOING anything, he's looking for the rest of my film." She was so rude, then she starts nagging the clerk about "Can't this guy look at his pictures later? Can't you help me now?" She starts going off about how rude DH was being and getting pretty nasty. DH said, "Lady, he's looking for another roll of my film, I'm just looking at my pictures while I wait!" You would've thought she'd have been embarrassed, but she found another reason to yell at the clerk. We just rolled our eyes at the clerk when we left, wished him luck and said, it must be a full moon with the crazies out. I felt bad for him-what a witch.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

We just rolled our eyes at the clerk when we left, wished him luck and said, it must be a full moon with the crazies out. I felt bad for him-what a witch.

There!!! That's exactly what the two nice ladies said to me in the store yesterday. (See previous post.)

 

[agotta]

Wow, we seriously need to form a club...

I have worked retail for over 10 years and have dealt with everything... People amaze me. Right now I work as a part time manager at portrait studio. It's amazing what people want...

-No I can't give you that for free just because I printed it. We are running a business, not a charity

-Your passport photos aren't glamour shots. I swear I had this one woman stomp out of the store because I didn't make her look beautiful...lol. Her son said, Mom, she can't make you look any younger...get over (totally disrespectful, but true!!!). Passport photos are what they are, sorry!!!

-Yes mom, when your child is falling off of something, please reach out and grab them...don't just watch them fall and wait for me to jump out from behind my camera to do so!!

-Why yes, our photos can be expensive. If you would like to go to Walmart and pay $5 then go ahead...and you will get exactly what you pay for!!

 

[disneyfav4ever]

New one - I was shopping after work today, and since it's Saturday, the store was on the busy side.

Well, I had gotten the last of one of the sale items, and some lady started flipping out that she wanted it, (she had come over from the other side of the aisle.) Now, if she had asked nicely or something, I would have let her had it, since I'll be at the store tomorrow, and the next day, etc, and could easily pick it up then, and it wasn't something I needed right then.

But she was so rude! She was saying I shouldn't be allowed to get it since I work there, and the "paying customers" should get first dibs. I'm sorry, I'm not a paying customer? I think I remember standing in line after that and having to pay for the item.