Dealing with rude customers

[California Girl]

I'm thinking about not even asking customers if they're ready to check out anymore. This shit pissed me off so much.

Some people are rude. .

I didn't say I wasn't one of them, moron. Now **** off and make some more of that crap music you're so fond of.

 

[xotoxi]

They were probably talking on there cellphones with bluetooth.

America is getting ruder and cell phones contribute to that.

Which is why the Japanese Prime Minister thinks that Americans are monocellular.

 

[G.T.]

Some people are rude. .

I didn't say I wasn't one of them, moron. Now **** off and make some more of that crap music you're so fond of.

 

[xotoxi]

I suggest that you pack some heat, so the next time a ************ disses you, you can pop a cap in his ass.

 

[G.T.]

I suggest that you pack some heat, so the next time a ************ disses you, you can pop a cap in his ass.

Either that or run him for his chain, and then wear it in your next Video

 

[editec]

I work in retail, and I was asking some customers if they wanted to check out and they just ignored me and walked on. I don't know why this is getting to me so badly, but it is. If someone does not need your help, why can't they just say no instead of being rude and saying nothing? It pisses me off to no end. I've worked at the place for nearly 2 years, and this feels like the first time it has gotten to me to such an extent. I'm on anxiety medication as is, and I was doing well until this point. I've been told I fixate on the negative too much, and I feel I'm doing this right now but I can't seem to lift myself out of it. Any suggestions?

Your expectation for the general public is too high.

Most customers in a retail setting are more like cows than humans, man.

Stop seeing them as people unless they prove to your satisfaction that they actually are people.

You'll know they're thinking like human beings when they acknowlege your humanity.

Otherwise?

Expect them to act like animals..dumb animals, too, I might add.

 

[Jos]

Maybe they couldn't speak english or were deaf?

 

[Mr. H.]

I'm thinking about not even asking customers if they're ready to check out anymore. This shit pissed me off so much.

That's probably a good idea (unless you're required to do so by the boss). Customers will let you know when they're ready.

Also I bet you've had some good experiences with customers too. Focus on that and remember it next time you get snubbed.

 

[Middleman]

I work in retail, and I was asking some customers if they wanted to check out and they just ignored me and walked on. I don't know why this is getting to me so badly, but it is. If someone does not need your help, why can't they just say no instead of being rude and saying nothing? It pisses me off to no end. I've worked at the place for nearly 2 years, and this feels like the first time it has gotten to me to such an extent. I'm on anxiety medication as is, and I was doing well until this point. I've been told I fixate on the negative too much, and I feel I'm doing this right now but I can't seem to lift myself out of it. Any suggestions?

Maybe the customer is tired of all the hyper customer service you get in some stores. I don't know the policies of your store, but Safeway has a very aggressive customer service policy that drives me crazy. Since it's the only supermarket in town, I'm sometimes forced to shop there. They use scripting and have rules that if a customer comes within a certain amount of feet of you, they have to offer you help, which comes in the form of "Are you finding everything ok?"

Sometimes they lead in with a 'How are you doing today?'. If you answer with a 'fine thanks, how are you doing?', they then respond with "Are you finding everything okay?"

It really gets old when you are shopping and are asked the same exact question 5 or 6 times. You are preoccupied with your own thoughts and aren't interested in a canned interaction with a stockboy. So, yes, when I'm at Safeway I'll sometimes ignore the stockboys because I find scripting extremely annoying. Sorry. Fred Meyer is much better, love shopping there, they just wait for you to ask for help, then help you.

 

[Middleman]

They were probably talking on there cellphones with bluetooth.

America is getting ruder and cell phones contribute to that.

Ok, so one looked at me then kept walking. I'm not sure if she made an attempt to gesture no.
I don't know why I'm getting so worked up about it. This is really affecting me in a bad way.

Don't take it personally. She didn't come to the store to interact with the help there. For all you know her husband is in the hospital on life support.

 

[Baruch Menachem]

Dr Laura moment. You can't change anyone but you. There are lots of jerks out there (Hello, Ravi, Hi Dante) but they are not your problem. Your attitude about it is your problem. Your response is all you can control.

 

[Ozmar]

I work in retail, and I was asking some customers if they wanted to check out and they just ignored me and walked on. I don't know why this is getting to me so badly, but it is. If someone does not need your help, why can't they just say no instead of being rude and saying nothing? It pisses me off to no end. I've worked at the place for nearly 2 years, and this feels like the first time it has gotten to me to such an extent. I'm on anxiety medication as is, and I was doing well until this point. I've been told I fixate on the negative too much, and I feel I'm doing this right now but I can't seem to lift myself out of it. Any suggestions?

Maybe the customer is tired of all the hyper customer service you get in some stores. I don't know the policies of your store, but Safeway has a very aggressive customer service policy that drives me crazy. Since it's the only supermarket in town, I'm sometimes forced to shop there. They use scripting and have rules that if a customer comes within a certain amount of feet of you, they have to offer you help, which comes in the form of "Are you finding everything ok?"

Sometimes they lead in with a 'How are you doing today?'. If you answer with a 'fine thanks, how are you doing?', they then respond with "Are you finding everything okay?"

It really gets old when you are shopping and are asked the same exact question 5 or 6 times. You are preoccupied with your own thoughts and aren't interested in a canned interaction with a stockboy. So, yes, when I'm at Safeway I'll sometimes ignore the stockboys because I find scripting extremely annoying. Sorry. Fred Meyer is much better, love shopping there, they just wait for you to ask for help, then help you.

Yeah, we're supposed to greet customers within 30 seconds. Management tells us customers appreciate being constantly asked for help. They encourage us to be as pushy as possible.

You guys are so right that it's about how I handle it. I really do need to see them as animals until they prove otherwise. I don't mean that in the sense of treating them like crap, but keeping my guard up. It seems so silly now that I think of it. Doesn't make me feel much better though.

 

[Middleman]

There is a discussion site with software such as this one, I think it's called 'Customers Suck'. It consists mainly of people who work in retail griping about their jobs, and all the sucky customers. It's a pretty active site, I joined in at one time a few years back. You might enjoy it.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

I work in retail, and I was asking some customers if they wanted to check out and they just ignored me and walked on. I don't know why this is getting to me so badly, but it is. If someone does not need your help, why can't they just say no instead of being rude and saying nothing? It pisses me off to no end. I've worked at the place for nearly 2 years, and this feels like the first time it has gotten to me to such an extent. I'm on anxiety medication as is, and I was doing well until this point. I've been told I fixate on the negative too much, and I feel I'm doing this right now but I can't seem to lift myself out of it. Any suggestions?

You should find another line of work if people like this upset you. Come back and talk to me when people rant at you because they walk into a steak house and get upset that you do not serve tofu. Or when they try to bring back something that the dog ate two years and you won't give them a refund.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Dealing with the public can be a challenge. You need to be thick skinned at times. Don't take their rudeness as a personal attack. If you don't enjoy working with the public, maybe you should try a different career.

Yeah. I'm in school right now, so I don't have much choice but to work in retail at the moment.

Learn to laugh about things like this, and the people who are really rude. If you want to know what pisses me off, it is when I am in a store looking at something, and a staff member comes by and gets in front of me because he has to get at something else.

You might not have a lot of choice about where you work right now, but you do have a choice about how you do your job. Keep a positive attitude and always be nice to the customers, because without them you would not have a job. Make their lives better and yours will be better.

Another tip, don't repeatedly walk up and offer help. Try to catch people as they walk in, welcome them, and ask if they need help then. If they say no, just remind them that you are there when they need anything, and leave them alone. I know some stores prefer that staff keep asking customers, but I find that annoying, as do most people I know. If your manager insists that you ask people more than once, try to make it less of a hassle by letting them know you are only doing it because policy requires it.

 

[Ozmar]

Dealing with the public can be a challenge. You need to be thick skinned at times. Don't take their rudeness as a personal attack. If you don't enjoy working with the public, maybe you should try a different career.

Yeah. I'm in school right now, so I don't have much choice but to work in retail at the moment.

Learn to laugh about things like this, and the people who are really rude. If you want to know what pisses me off, it is when I am in a store looking at something, and a staff member comes by and gets in front of me because he has to get at something else.

You might not have a lot of choice about where you work right now, but you do have a choice about how you do your job. Keep a positive attitude and always be nice to the customers, because without them you would not have a job. Make their lives better and yours will be better.

Another tip, don't repeatedly walk up and offer help. Try to catch people as they walk in, welcome them, and ask if they need help then. If they say no, just remind them that you are there when they need anything, and leave them alone. I know some stores prefer that staff keep asking customers, but I find that annoying, as do most people I know. If your manager insists that you ask people more than once, try to make it less of a hassle by letting them know you are only doing it because policy requires it.

Thanks. That's some great advice.