Rude customers

[Lace Neil Singer]

Not just the obvious rudeness, but all kinds. Feel free to add to my list.


1. Assuming that just cuz you work in retail, you're stupid.

2. Assuming you dropped out of school.

3. Talking to you as if you're five years old and/or mentally subnormal.

4. Passive agressiveness, ie saying loudly while you're on the phone, "It would be nice if cashiers could pay attention to customers instead of making personal calls!" This is especially annoying if you're making a delivery order, or talking to the manager.

5. Direct rudeness, ie name calling and/or aggression. This is the least irritating, as it's the one you can actually do something about.

[Boozy]

2. Assuming you dropped out of school.

6. Assuming you're still in school.

No, I'm not "looking forward to school starting again", and I'm not "enjoying my classes this fall". I'm 31 years-old, for fuck sake.

[Gravekeeper]

7. Assuming I care.

>.>

[fireheart17]

8. Those who crack random sexist/racist/othercist jokes to me and expect me to laugh. (no, I do not find it funny that you enjoy seeing a woman on her knees thank you very much...)

9. People who mumble and then yell that I'm deaf.

10. People who have a go at me for following store policy.

11. people who blantantly abuse store policies.

12. People who scream at me/supervisor/manager for store policies.

[DrFaroohk]

On # 9 - especially the ones with some kind of thick accent.

Real conversation:

"Hey man, where's the best place to get some ass around here?"

"Excuse me!?"

"You know, some ass. Me and my buddies, we want some ass."

"I....am I hearing you correctly sir?"

"ASS! What, are you stupid? ASS! Like you put in your drink to keep it cold! ASS!"

Or I had some guy in once from a foreign country, comes up to me and says "FUCKER!"

"Huh?"

"FUCKER?"

"What? I'm sorry, I don't understand."

"You! FUCKER!"

"I still don't understand."

Then he hauls out his cellphone. Phone card...lol....he was cool about it though.

[XCashier]

4. Passive agressiveness, ie saying loudly while you're on the phone, "It would be nice if cashiers could pay attention to customers instead of making personal calls!"

"Hi, I'm the Kettle! You must be the Pot!" I do find it rather amusingly hypocritical for them to complain about cashiers on the phone, when they themselves are on the phone!!!

[Peppergirl]

My list:

For reference. I work in an after-hours call center, three 12-hour shifts, on Fri, Sat and Sun. Our purpose is to handle travel emergencies when one's primary travel agency is closed.

1. Dramatic sighs of impatience or exasperation. Particularly after the most rudimentary of requests, like 'can you spell your name for me?'


2. Acting surprised and appalled to have reached after hours, when it's 10pm on a Sunday, and you've clearly had to dial '1' for emergency assistance after you've already dialed mom-and-pop agency.

2b. You've defined 'emergency' as deciding to book your Christmas travel
on a Sunday night in June. Bonus points if you get snippy if we point
out that Christmas travel is *not* an emergency. Double bonus points if
the queue light is flashing, signaling the likelihood that there are people
with *genuine* travel emergencies having to sit there, while I listen to
you whine about the Caribbean at Christmas.

3. The proverbial 'making a mountain out of a molehill'. You know, the little things that the rest of us just let roll off our backs. Yes, it may be uncomfortable if you have to sit in a window seat instead of an aisle for your 45 minute flight. But, I can assure you, the world will NOT cease to exist because of this.

4. Referring to me as 'rude'and yelling at me, simply because I've had to tell you some form of the word 'no'. The word 'No' does NOT equal RUDE. (I think we can all relate to this one).

5. Personal responsibility: If you booked your ticket back in May, and decided not to check the itinerary for accuracy until the day of your trip (in October), you should at least assume *part* of the responsibility if it is wrong. After all, it says right on the email that errors can be easily fixed, so long as they are caught and corrected within 24 hours of booking,. That one falls under that pesky 'SC's don't read' category that we all know and love, huh?


Might be more later. Wow - this was theraputic. Thanks for starting the thread. Hope I haven't bored anyone to sleep.

[fireheart17]

Got another one to add to the list.

-People who assume that because I look distinguished, that I am the supervisor/manager for the night, when said supervisor/manager is at the service desk serving someone.
-People who scream at either me or a supervisor because they can't wait their turn!

[Flyndaran]

I may not be a service industry worker, but I know some of the bad things I used to do not knowing they were rude.

- Asking you why are you so sad, just because you aren't smiling at that moment.

- Not having my debit card already out, eventhough I just went through a very long line and had the time.

[violetyoshi]

I may not be a service industry worker, but I know some of the bad things I used to do not knowing they were rude.

- Asking you why are you so sad, just because you aren't smiling at that moment.

I can understand that being touchy if the person in question has chronic depression, like I had. However, you would think they'd be extremely grateful someone was considering their feelings, rather than regarding them as an automoton just there to retrieve for them.

[Boozy]

I think that "Why so sad?" is an obnoxious question to ask someone you met all of 10 seconds ago, and who happened to not smile in that span of 10 seconds.

People who aren't used to working with the public are unaware that they go most of their day without smiling, but because they aren't on display, no one calls them on it. No one can spend the entirety of their 8 hour day grinning like some insane Stepford wife.

The worst part? The only professional way a cashier can respond to it is to smile at the customer on cue ("Dance, puppet! Dance!"). Even if the cashier is sad, they can hardly go into it with a customer. No one really wants to hear about your dying grandfather when they ask such a glib question. They're asking for a smile, and nothing more.

When I'm crabby, all I hear when someone says "Why so sad" is "Why are you not as overjoyed at work as I am while shopping? Isn't it a beautiful day out there that you're missing?"

[Lace Neil Singer]

No one can spend the entirety of their 8 hour day grinning like some insane Stepford wife.

*snicker* That's a good one. XD

I once had a customer complain about me to a supervisor cuz I was looking sad and not smiling. Said customer was shocked to hear from the supervisor that my granny had died and I'd gone to the funeral the previous day, and consequently withdrew the complaint. While I wouldn't expect a customer to know that, I think that unless a cashier is scowling at them, they should just assume that if a cashier isn't smiling, that they have had bad news or are having a bad day, and leave it at that. After all, I doubt they go around complaining to all and sundry if their workmates, family and friends aren't grinning like maniacs all the time. XD

I do find it rather amusingly hypocritical for them to complain about cashiers on the phone, when they themselves are on the phone!!!

Agreed. While there are some people who do have genuine emergencies, the vast majority of people are perfectly able to get off the fucking phone for just five or ten minutes while they're being served. It's just incredibly rude to be yapping on a mobile while at the till or buying food.

[DesignFox]

I find it extremely rude when a customer uses your name in a disrespectful manner.

Or when something happens beyond your control and the customer takes out their anger on you. (Sorry, yell at me, tell me I *am* going to do something or attack me personally and all bets are off- whether I made the mistake or not).

[Lace Neil Singer]

Or, better yet starting their tirade with, "I know this isn't your fault, but..." and then ranting insanely about some store policy that they disagree with. If you know it's not my fault, then please shut the fuck up and go whinge to corporate about their policy, rather than launching into a bitchfest towards a lowly peon.

[fireheart17]

Another one:

-Men who stare at my chest. Yes, I am female. Yes, I have breasts.
-Men who hit on me. EW!