So I have been working in retail for a few years now and it seems to be the same everywhere I have worked. one thing that really bothers me is the customers who think that yelling is going to get them somewhere. Sorry but if you yell at me I am not going to want to help you. Also, all companies have policies. I follow them because I work for said company. I can not change the policy for anyone so getting mad at me won’t change that. So no, I won’t return your computer that has a 14 day return policy on the 30th day. Its a policy that the company created. Flip out at our head office, just leave me alone. I just work there, I have no control over any of that. Lastly, if you call into the store and are looking for a specific department, I can’t physically make someone answer so yelling at me is going to make me want to hang up on you.
So … The customer is not always right. Grow up and treat people with respect because it is more likely I will try to help you if you are nice to me.
—annoyed retail worker
This article appears in Jul 2-8, 2009.
A-fucking-men!
OP wasn’t even supposed to be here today.
A bunch of people are gonna start bitching at you for how since your in retail you should deal with it, but I agree OP… 100%… People are idiots. The people who start knocking you are liklely the same people who would do this.
Worked at a major retailer for several years and i know exactly how you feel! Some customers are first class assholes!
YES!!!!
When i answer the phone and a cust has a tone I am like oh great and its true you get no where!! if your like i have an issue and calm or poliet iw ill help you the best i can!
Whatever happened to treating people with respect? A smile always gets one further than attitude!
Explosive reactions are usually indicative of an inability to handle one’s frustration in a polite and constructive manner and reflect poorly upon the person being explosive. An explosive person is out of control. How dignified!
Sympathy indeed, with the OP!
Another thing that will get you nowhere is the not my job attitude. Yup companies have policies and believe it or not when enough people complain, companies change policies.
Not condoning yelling at someone but I would think the not my job attitude is disrespectful to the customer. If another department is unable to pick up the phone, can you not take a message and offer to call them back?
fuck them too hahaha
I figure that chances are the rude/asshole customer is probably not going to come back to the store anyways. So, fuck ’em. Be rude back – but be ‘tasteful’ about it.
Retail workers forget that “being assertive” is a right on the job as well.
I wonder if someone killed the person who made that stupid statement. It wouldn’t be the first or last time I told a client off.
Now that doesn’t mean you don’t give friendly customer service until that time. But when the customer crosses the line, and yelling at you for something out of your control is one, then they stop being a customer and become a nuiscence.
it used to be written in gold plaques in mcdonalds restaurants when i was a teenager. ironically, they were always placed in the staff rooms but never in the dining area.
I must of been one of the few teens who didn’t work at a fast food franchise.
i wasn’t either. apparently i wasn’t qualified to work basic bum jobs as a teen and i was a distinction graduate. mind you, all the dumber students got mcjobs.
can’t remember how i got back into a staff room either. the manager wasn’t pleased but eh.
me neither i have in a resturant which was just as bad!
but i say the customer is never right..
You want bad customers try working for an airline!
I know exactly which retailer the OP works for and I used to be a manager there… It’s not pretty especially when people spend thousands of dollars and then want to return the item because the wife told them to (which usually leads either to irate husband or wife coming in alone with the item) or buyer’s remorse (this is when they come in and double team you). I find the most likely scenario is when people get their credit card bill, and they see how much it really cost, flip out and come back to return it; which invariably makes them go past the return policy.
i can imgain!
i have heard they are horrible
I had pretty good customer service at the place Dr F speaks about a few years back when I bought a Zen. It crapped out after a two months and I couldn’t find my receipt. Anyway I went in to see if there was anyway I could get a re print to run it through warranty (I didn’t get the store warranty) and they just replaced it for me with a new one. I didn’t even have to ask! That was one of the best customer service experiences I’ve had. The chick who offered the return still works there (4 years later) and she’s still quite pleasant to deal with.
Oh and I had a guy there go out of his way to do a price match on a laser toner cartridge without me even asking. I didn’t even know about the policy either. I got like 10% off of the price of another retailer.
Because of this I bought my macbook there instead of ordering it right from apple. And I’ll keep going back for that cartridge too. Thing *is* out of these two times I wasn’t snooty or anything and they were willing to go out of their way for me. I’d much rather go out of my way for someone who is decent than someone who’s not. A LOT of customers need to realise that your chances of getting satisfaction increase when you treat the person on the other side of the counter with a bit of respect. Why should someone be motivated to go above and beyond if you’re yelling and treating them like shit.
It should be mandatory for everyone to work in retail/grocery at least once in their lives. Sure opened my eyes.
I agree with PK if you work in retail or customer service it totaly does open your eyes! your neevr bitchy to anyone in that industry as you know its shitty. There just tryign to Pay their rent!
ALTHOUGH: it works both ways for me, Jane. I always gave good customer service and I always treat them with respect because I know how shitty their jobs are. That being said, I expect to be treated with respect as well, and make it a point to complain to management when I get bad customer service. I’m not talking about not getting the above-and-beyond either– I’m talking about not getting the basic decency towards a decent customer who is showing them respect.
I remember one time I was at another location of the large grocery store I worked for as a customer and someone who did the SAME job as me tried to give me some lame ass line (which wasn’t even true!) to save his ass when I called him out on his asshole-ness. The blood drained from his face when I whipped out my employee discount card and informed him that the bullshit he was attempting to feed me was, in fact, bullshit. Then I went to the CS counter and let them know about it. Might’ve been a bit bitchy to tattle on the guy, but I didn’t do anything to deserve being treated like shit by someone I’m giving my money to.
Thats awesome!
i bet it felt good 🙂