Was I wrong to respond to rudeness with more rudeness?

[BSmithington]

You've just hit on my #1 peeve in customer/cashier interactions - not thanking the customer. Maybe 1 out of 10 cashiers actually do this - what are these people being taught? And while I instinctively thank them at the end of a transaction, for the love of God would somebody please start instructing employees that the proper response to a "thank you" is "you're welcome"? "Sure" or "no problem" just irks the h#%l out of me.

At a toll booth?! How hard is it to just pay and go? Why do you need a hello/thank you for a 30 second transaction. Pay the toll and go!

 

[Patch'sD]

At a toll booth?! How hard is it to just pay and go? Why do you need a hello/thank you for a 30 second transaction. Pay the toll and go!

When I pay at a toll booth, I always tell the collector to Have a nice day. As for the OP, I stand by him. Here you are getting ready to fork over $ 5.00 for ten cents of soda and a cup of ice and $ 5.00 for about five cents of corn, I would expect excellent Customer Service. The counter person now knows how to greet a customer and start a positive customer interaction.

 

[nkereina]

I thought about this thread as I waited in line at my Costco to get a frozen yogurt yesterday. Line had 3 or 4 people ahead of me. When I got to the counter, the woman behind the cash register simply looked up and said "hi." I said "Hi, I'll have a vanilla frozen yogurt."

She never said "how can I help you?" I guess I should have been offended?

That's an entirely different situation. The clerk said hi. That's a greeting to me.

 

[BSmithington]

When I pay at a toll booth, I always tell the collector to Have a nice day. As for the OP, I stand by him. Here you are getting ready to fork over $ 5.00 for ten cents of soda and a cup of ice and $ 5.00 for about five cents of corn, I would expect excellent Customer Service. The counter person now knows how to greet a customer and start a positive customer interaction.

I'm all for customer service...but let's stop pretending this is some high $ outing.

I mean did the OP dress the part for the cinema (summer resort casual)? Did he tip the usher? What about the coat check?

Put it into perspective, you are seeing The Rock (aka The People's Champ, the Brahma Bull) in a movie about a big earthquake. Pay the teenager and move on.

 

[gemini2727]

Let me rewrite your post and you can judge if you went overboard...

The other night I went to the movie theater in some random town. I purchased a ticket to see a movie about a giant earthquake starring a guy named "The Rock." I went to buy popcorn and the teenager behind the counter didn't greet me with a "good evening."

OP, this wasn't a symphony it was The Rock in an earthquake movie. Get your popcorn and soda and move on.

The OP has said it was the gesturing that really got to him, and it would have bothered me also. The "let's go, order" hand motion was uncalled for and disrespectful, IMO.

 

[TAX GUY]

I'm all for customer service...but let's stop pretending this is some high $ outing.

I mean did the OP dress the part for the cinema (summer resort casual)? Did he tip the usher? What about the coat check?

Put it into perspective, you are seeing The Rock (aka The People's Champ, the Brahma Bull) in a movie about a big earthquake. Pay the teenager and move on.

If that's how you would choose to handle it, that's great. For me (and obviously others), its not. I don't care if I'm in swim trunks and sandals or a custom made Italian three piece suit. If you are rude to me, be prepared to get it back. You don't have to give me a formal greeting but some sort of greeting would go a long way.

 

[hereyago]

I'm all for customer service...but let's stop pretending this is some high $ outing.

I mean did the OP dress the part for the cinema (summer resort casual)? Did he tip the usher? What about the coat check?

Put it into perspective, you are seeing The Rock (aka The People's Champ, the Brahma Bull) in a movie about a big earthquake. Pay the teenager and move on.

It is called Customer Service for a reason, not "hey why should we acknowledge you if you are just paying 20.00"

 

[BSmithington]

If that's how you would choose to handle it, that's great. For me (and obviously others), its not. I don't care if I'm in swim trunks and sandals or a custom made Italian three piece suit. If you are rude to me, be prepared to get it back. You don't have to give me a formal greeting but some sort of greeting would go a long way.

My point is did the OP respect the "cinema" as he calls it. Did he come appropriately dressed? Did he tip the usher? Did his wife remove her hat upon entry? Was his coat properly checked and the attendant tipped accordingly? If he cannot respect the proper etiquette of the cinema; how he can expect proper respect back?

 

[TAX GUY]

My point is did the OP respect the "cinema" as he calls it. Did he come appropriately dressed? Did he tip the usher? Did his wife remove her hat upon entry? Was his coat properly checked and the attendant tipped accordingly? If he cannot respect the proper etiquette of the cinema; how he can expect proper respect back?

Seriously? Is this you? --------->

 

[Patch'sD]

Nope. The OP came off like a DBag. You didn't go to the cinema. You went to see an earthquake movie starring The Rock. I'm very sorry the 17 year old hurt your feelings. I'm sorry you didn't get the proper "cinema" experience and you couldn't enjoy The Great One laying the smacketh down on Mother Nature.

Instead you run to the DIS to whine and complain? Seriously?

Bye Felicia.

Are you kidding me. This guy most likely did that kid the biggest favor of his life. He taught him how to interact with a customer or another human being for that fact. I don't if the guy spent 10 cents or $ 1000.00. Customer Service make sure you come back. I don't know about you, but if I don't get treated right, I am not coming back. Some other place will get my money. The only D bag here is you. The OP did not whine. He wanted opinions, Only to get attacked by you.

 

[BSmithington]

Are you kidding me. This guy most likely did that kid the biggest favor of his life. He taught him how to interact with a customer or another human being for that fact. I don't if the guy spent 10 cents or $ 1000.00. Customer Service make sure you come back. I don't know about you, but if I don't get treated right, I am not coming back. Some other place will get my money. The only D bag here is you. The OP did not whine. He wanted opinions, Only to get attacked by you.

How do you know the cashier didn't have an invisible disability? Perhaps he was on the spectrum and as such has limited social interactions. Maybe instead of attacking someone who may/may not have an invisible disability you act like an aduly, order your popcorn and watch the earthquake movie.

 

[meowser]

That is exactly why I didn't say anything; I gave him a moment to finish up his previous transaction. After 2 seconds or so of silence, he made the "spit it out" gesture.

Did he make eye contact with you? I also wait for the previous transaction to be complete and would consider eye contact to be an indication to begin placing my order. You were definitely snarky both in waiting and in your verbal response.

 

[TAX GUY]

Nope. The OP came off like a DBag. You didn't go to the cinema. You went to see an earthquake movie starring The Rock. I'm very sorry the 17 year old hurt your feelings. I'm sorry you didn't get the proper "cinema" experience and you couldn't enjoy The Great One laying the smacketh down on Mother Nature.

Instead you run to the DIS to whine and complain? Seriously?

Bye Felicia.

Again, I don't care if I'm dressed in a swim suit of three piece suit. I also don't care if I'm in the white house or the play house. If part of your job is to interact and provide customer service, then guess what? That's what you do. The far fetched theory of an invisible disability of limited social interactions? Then WHY apply for a job that involves..... customer service?

 

[TAX GUY]

Not sure why I'm arguing with others here as to how I would go about it and how they would. What I feel is and what I do is exactly that, what I would do. Clearly if everyone would do it the same way, then it would be addressed and would never happen again, because that's how everyone would view it. Some would let it go, others wouldn't. OK.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Are you kidding me. This guy most likely did that kid the biggest favor of his life. He taught him how to interact with a customer or another human being for that fact. I don't if the guy spent 10 cents or $ 1000.00. Customer Service make sure you come back. I don't know about you, but if I don't get treated right, I am not coming back. Some other place will get my money. The only D bag here is you. The OP did not whine. He wanted opinions, Only to get attacked by you.

I appreciate customer service and I'm not saying the employee was right, but the arrogance of your post is astounding. I hope for that kids sake that "the biggest favor of this kid's life" isn't some customer giving him some attitude back.

Do I think the gesture was good customer service? Nope, but reading this thread I am quite surprised by the number of people who overestimate their importance.

It's great if the folks at the toll booth say something, but they're not there for CS. They're there to enforce the government tolls. Being upset that they didn't thank you seems a bit wonky to me.

 

[TAX GUY]

I appreciate customer service and I'm not saying the employee was right, but the arrogance of your post is astounding. I hope for that kids sake that "the biggest favor of this kid's life" isn't some customer giving him some attitude back.

Do I think the gesture was good customer service? Nope, but reading this thread I am quite surprised by the number of people who overestimate their importance.

It's great if the folks at the toll booth say something, but they're not there for CS. They're there to enforce the government tolls. Being upset that they didn't thank you seems a bit wonky to me.

I'm not sure I relate "overestimate their importance" with wanting some level of communication from someone working in customer service?

 

[nkereina]

My point is did the OP respect the "cinema" as he calls it. Did he come appropriately dressed? Did he tip the usher? Did his wife remove her hat upon entry? Was his coat properly checked and the attendant tipped accordingly? If he cannot respect the proper etiquette of the cinema; how he can expect proper respect back?

Say what? Where do you live?

 

[hereyago]

Say what? Where do you live?

Or what time period? Sorry I have case of the sass today.

 

[BSmithington]

Again, I don't care if I'm dressed in a swim suit of three piece suit. I also don't care if I'm in the white house or the play house. If part of your job is to interact and provide customer service, then guess what? That's what you do. The far fetched theory of an invisible disability of limited social interactions? Then WHY apply for a job that involves..... customer service?

Are people with disabilities not supposed to work now? Should we just put them in a pen bc they didn't provide the right level of white glove service? I understand that watching The Rock call Mother Nature a jabroni requires 5 star service, but maybe screaming at a teenager is not the best way to achieve it?

 

[BSmithington]

Say what? Where do you live?

The OP is acting like he was attending opening night at the Met. He saw San Andreas at some random movie theater. So let's stop pretending that this was some 5 star experience. My expectations of a teenager at the movie theater is to take my order, give me order, take money.