At my job at Walgreens, i used to be slow as hell, (thinking customers don't like to be rushed)..... Until a few customers complianed about my slowness.... One customer said, 'If you were any slower, you'd be a statue,", one cutomer said, 'there is no excuse for you to be that slow,", another customer said, 'it's ridiculous how slow you are with this line," and another customer said, "She's that slow on purpose."(rolling her eyes)... Notice how not one of those customers thought I was"cute"? After that, I got REALLY fast....If those cusotomers didn't speak to me in snappy tones, I would have STILL been slow.

Another situation I needed a customer to speak to me in a snappy tone was when I didn't know if I gave the previous his correct change. I asked the next customer, 'Did I give the last customer his change? She replied in a snappy tone, 'Look, I'm not here to watch your business for you. Just ring up my items so that I can leave." I just rang her up, and she left..... Turns out, i'm not supposed to ask customers questions like that.

Yet, another situation when I needed a customer to speak to me in a snappy tone was the other day. I asked a young woman(around my age) if the OLD gentleman(around his 70's) with her was her Grandpa, she coldy replied, 'That's none of your business." Even though I apogized, she complained to my manager about my question. My manager had a talk about my tactlessness about the question. I had just been trying to be conversational and friendly. My manager knew that, and warned me to not ask anymore personal questions. I'm lucky that the woman had complained to my assistant manager, and not my store manager, because my srtore manager would have most likely suspended me for a day for the complaint.....(Assistant managers are more lenient about mistakes and customer complaints than Store Managers). See? For trying to be "cute" I could have been suspended for a day...... After that, I just rang up customers, with no more personal questions......

it sounds like you need training in business ethics. getting yelled at by customers is a very poor way to learn how to do your job. you could easily be fired if you were to continue doing some of the stuff listed here.

it sounds like you need training in business ethics. getting yelled at by customers is a very poor way to learn how to do your job. you could easily be fired if you were to continue doing some of the stuff listed here.

I agree. I don't know why you would want to try so hard to be "cute" while doing your job. I also don't see how any of those things mentioned could be considered "cute."

it sounds like you need training in business ethics. getting yelled at by customers is a very poor way to learn how to do your job. you could easily be fired if you were to continue doing some of the stuff listed here.

I agree. It also sounds like she could use a little training in social skills.

it sounds like you need training in business ethics. getting yelled at by customers is a very poor way to learn how to do your job. you could easily be fired if you were to continue doing some of the stuff listed here.

Yeah. I don't know how long you have worked at Walgreens but I have worked at Old Navy for the last 8 years, in fact two of my male co workers have been there just as long as I have. And we three got hired there when the store first opened even...

Let me tell you a story.... I did work at Toys R Us for the Christmas in '99 then got hired at Old Navy in May of '00.

I had picked up the phone there to help a customer and he wanted to know a size on shoes, we used to sell them in '00. So I told him that there could be a pair in another store then he asked if I could call that other store...

I don't remember what I told him but I think I wasn't sure if I was allowed to do that, being new to this and stuff. I remember his comment.... He asks, are you an invalid or something?

I bit my tongue... I really wanted to say, No, but we got a Presidental candidate who might be one. :eek:

I did what he wanted then I mentioned this incident to a friend and she told me that when a customer asks for something, you have to do it. Even if they can call another store themselves since they are calling yours...

I remember his comment.... He asks, are you an invalid or something?

I bit my tongue... I really wanted to say, No, but we got a Presidental candidate who might be one. :eek:
That might have landed you in hot water. I had nurse rambling on about Bush to me. I told to to save the speeches and that not everyone in Massachusettes is a liberal. I reported her to her supervisor. Who knows if they did anything about it. I was there for a flu shot, not to listen to her insult the President.

That might have landed you in hot water. I had nurse rambling on about Bush to me. I told to to save the speeches and that not everyone in Massachusettes is a liberal. I reported her to her supervisor. Who knows if they did anything about it. I was there for a flu shot, not to listen to her insult the President.

Even if I was pretty new to being in retail and stuff?

But glad you reported that nurse, may have been rude of her to do that.

That might have landed you in hot water. I had nurse rambling on about Bush to me. I told to to save the speeches and that not everyone in Massachusettes is a liberal. I reported her to her supervisor. Who knows if they did anything about it. I was there for a flu shot, not to listen to her insult the President.

That was very inappropriate; I don't blame you for being miffed Janice.

I agree. Even if you think it's an "innocent" or cute question, don't ask it.

Who knows - that "grandpa" you thought could have well been her boyfriend. I'm sure my ex has been getting that himself. ;)

But it's true - that could have been quite insulting to them.

Have you ever been tested for autism at all?

I agree. I don't know why you would want to try so hard to be "cute" while doing your job. I also don't see how any of those things mentioned could be considered "cute."
exactly. if you're just beginning to learn about customer courtesy and doing business properly (ie. being productive instead of "cute") while already on the job, it's not likely you'll have it much longer.

I deal with rude customers all day, it's part of my job. The good thing about my job is that if somebody is being difficult, we have the right to refuse their order. Unfortunately I did not know this rule (I thought it was "the customers always right") and had a terrible experience where a man was verbally accosting me-calling me every name in book while I was proceeding to ring up his groceries. Luckily, my co-workers are really sweet and supportive towards each other so my supervisor came over and told him to stop it or he could leave. I then learned my favorite "rule" :lol:.

Ramona,

do you ever have any stories to tell of rude customers ala the way Al Bundy would talk about fat women in his shoe store?

a man was verbally accosting me-calling me every name in book while I was proceeding to ring up his groceries.

What was he angry about- you forgot to put the ice cream next to the whipped cream?

That reminds me, I'm about to go get some ice cream now.

That reminds me, I'm about to go get some ice cream now.

What does that have to do with this thread?

What does that have to do with this thread?

"What was he angry about- you forgot to put the ice cream next to the whipped cream?"

I was referring to Chris/FSU's post above but I was also joking. That's the joke, it doesn't have to do with anything here, except for the one post.

Ramona,

do you ever have any stories to tell of rude customers ala the way Al Bundy would talk about fat women in his shoe store?



I'm not familiar with Married w/ children :( Sorry.

What was he angry about- you forgot to put the ice cream next to the whipped cream?


Nope. I put his order on EBT- food and he wanted it on EBT- cash. It was a mistake, that was easily fixed but he decided it would be better to swear at me.

Ramona, what's EBT?

Ramona, what's EBT?


Food stamps.

I guess that question about her "grandpa" would have been cute if a child were asking that question, but as an adult, it can come off as annoying and immature. Plus, customers get enough "cute" from their children and younger siblings(provided those younger siblings are still children), they don't need it from cashiers............ :o

I think the safest things to talk about are the weather, or you could just say "good morning/afternoon/evening" and smile.

I think the safest things to talk about are the weather, or you could just say "good morning/afternoon/evening" and smile.

I don't know, I mean you can still get in trouble for saying Good Morning. :lol:

That might have landed you in hot water. I had nurse rambling on about Bush to me. I told to to save the speeches and that not everyone in Massachusettes is a liberal. I reported her to her supervisor. Who knows if they did anything about it. I was there for a flu shot, not to listen to her insult the President.
I can't count the number of times I heard complaints about the President when I was working in the movie theater and selling tickets to Fahrenheit 9/11. :eek:

while it's definitely not unethical to make small talk within boundaries, i prefer by all means that cashiers don't do it with me. i have social anxiety and i absolutely can't stand it when cashiers make comments to me that aren't relevant to the transaction. the other day at hot topic, the clerk asked in a light-hearted way why i didn't buy a certain pair of socks, and i was shaken up by it for the rest of the day. just an exchange of hello's is usually all i can handle. if i were a manager, i wouldn't get my employees in trouble or anything for making reasonable small talk, but i would at least warn them that sometimes even the nicest of customers are far from the social type. with that said, it's NEVER ok to ask customers questions about themselves or anything in their lives.

When I was being trained there was a whole section on what we were not suppose to discuss with customers- mostly stuff like politics, religion ect.

When I was being trained there was a whole section on what we were not suppose to discuss with customers- mostly stuff like politics, religion ect.
Same here - including sports. :lol:

Same here - including sports. :lol:


:lol: That's so true though. Sports= lots of cursing.

:lol: That's so true though. Sports= lots of cursing.
I know - that's why I never bring that up with customers. :lol:

Well, there was one incident where a customer spoke to me in a snappy tone, though I really don't think I was at fault.. I don't work in the camera department, and the camera technician went to her lunch break. While the technician was at lunch, a customer went up to the camera department. I was doing my own business to go home(i was putting away the stuff that customers didn't want anymore back on the shelves), and the manager noticed the customer at the camera counter.

She asked me to go help her out. I did, and the customer told me that she wanted to drop off an ink jet to refill. I told her the technician just went to her lunch break. I told her I was just covering her, that I didn't really work in the camera department. I got her an inkjet cartridge to put the inkjet in. I was really confused about how to handle the inkjet, so I asked someone who used to work in the camera department, and the person said all you have to do is write the person's name and phone number on it. When i came back to her, i must have hesitated, because i was getting nervous about the inkjet, she said, 'You're an idiot," and said, 'let me fill this in myself(saying both in a snappy tone). She complained to the other manager about me, and he said, 'She doesn't work in this area(hmm, doesn't that sound familiar?):rolleyes: And he took care of her. I wanted to curse her ass out!:mad: I wasn't working in that area(I wasn't even scheduled to cover the technician's break, because I was getting ready to go home, doing my own stuff) and I had come over to hlep her ass out(the customer's). Then, on top of that, she's gonna call me an idiot AFTER I told her that I didn't work in that area?!!!!!! BITCH!:mad:

^ In that case it wasn't your fault.

You're bound to get nasty customers - it's just part of the job. I had the same thing when I was waitressing. Some of the abuse I took was incredible. Once, the manager threw the guy out and banned him from the restaraunt (the guy not only verbally abused me, but was groping - and he wasn't drunk either).

Luckily, in your line of work, at least at the end of the day you go home and never have to worry about that customer again. You have to just let it roll off your back and develop a thick skin for it.

It's better than being in an office where you have conflicts, but still see and have to work with the person all the time.

Yes, mean customers are bound to cross your path - GUARANTEED to cross your path. The important thing is not to take it personally because they'd act the same to anyone else in your shoes.

Yes, mean customers are bound to cross your path - GUARANTEED to cross your path. The important thing is not to take it personally because they'd act the same to anyone else in your shoes.
indeed. that's why i'd rather not have a job that involves dealing with customers. i did work at a snow cone stand a few years ago and i never had any rude customers in the two months i worked there, but i'm sure i was just lucky. it would probably ruin my whole day if a customer scolded me, whether or not it was my fault.

P.S. I meant, 'Need" as in "derserve".;)