An extreme case of bathroom rage from a guest

[animalcrossing]

I am still a Target baby since I have only been employed at my store for a solid two months, I have had some really bizarre experiences with guests (likely due to location) and this recent one may be the strangest yet.
It started with me and another TM pushing shipment (excuse my likely wrong terminology here, it was just product that hadn't been taken out of their shipping boxes) from a u-boat like normal. Then this guest walks past us saying "I need someone to unlock the restroom for me" which is fine and normal considering that my store only has a single user restroom that needs to be unlocked by a TM. For reference, me and the other TM are nowhere near the restroom so I do exactly what I'm supposed to: walkie for someone in the back to unlock it for him. Before I can even say that someone will be there shortly, he says something along the lines of "no mother****** you need to open it for me NOW. On queue." Absolutely stunned by what this guest just said to me, I basically just stood there frozen while the other TM was leading him to the restroom. Then the guest decides to walk back up to me and says "this *points to the u-boat* is not your job and neither is f***ing following people or riling up customers" to which I apologized for and also noted that nobody was following him. Unfortunately for this guest, he decided to do this all within a few feet of the AP office so I eventually see the AP TL and three other TSS basically run to me as this unruly bathroom rager of a guest was walking away to the bathroom again. I explained the situation to them and they told me to camp out in the backroom along with the other TM he decided to get hostile towards. When I was given the all clear from the AP TL, they told me that he immediately started screaming at them and he was told to never return which is nice, but here's where things get particularly weird.

I have never seen that guest before. Never interacted with them until that day and only ONE TSS recognized them and said he acted perfectly normal when he was in the store last.

So not only do I not understand why he thinks that TMs are apparently supposed to be bathroom servants, but also where he got the idea that people follow him? I originally assumed he must've been caught concealing product at another store, but a TL basically just told me he was "crazy."

Thankfully I was told that if he returns he will be immediately escorted out (AP and TSS at my store are always on top of their game it seems) so I'm not worried about being attacked, it was just such a strange experience that I have wanted to share ever since it happened.

 

[lrou98]

That is odd but what's stranger to me is that your store has only 1 bathroom and it's locked. ☺️

 

[buliSBI]

I have heard of instances where the Pharmacy bathroom is locked when it closes.

But the only time my stores ever locked down their restrooms were in events of loss of water but the store shipped in port o toilets.

Is this a metro small format Target?

 

[Captain Orca]

Too bad a couple of big strong young bucks in AP with cuffs couldn't throw a hammer lock on this prick and throw his ass out on the curb. It sounds like this nut was on PCP or something similar. Maybe loaded with alcohol. People suck.

 

[IWishIKnew]

I'm guessing that store is one with issues of drug use in restrooms and, quite frankly, from his behavior I would pretty much assume that guest is part of why your restrooms are locked.

Sucks.

I'm sorry that happened to you!

 

[animalcrossing]

That is odd but what's stranger to me is that your store has only 1 bathroom and it's locked. ☺️

Ah yeah, I should've mentioned in the beginning that my target is a small format store in a metro area. Oops!

 

[animalcrossing]

I have heard of instances where the Pharmacy bathroom is locked when it closes.

But the only time my stores ever locked down their restrooms were in events of loss of water but the store shipped in port o toilets.

Is this a metro small format Target?

You would be correct, it is a metro small format store. I would give more information as it's a unique store but of course that would go against the rules

 

[animalcrossing]

I'm guessing that store is one with issues of drug use in restrooms and, quite frankly, from his behavior I would pretty much assume that guest is part of why your restrooms are locked.

Sucks.

I'm sorry that happened to you!

Without giving away where this store is; drug use is a bad problem in the whole part of town the store is in so they made the bathroom single-user and locked for this very reason I'd imagine.

I'm hoping that nobody else screams at me for such a silly reason but I was prepared for something like that to happen when i got hired at this particular store. I appreciate the kind words though!

 

[animalcrossing]

Too bad a couple of big strong young bucks in AP with cuffs couldn't throw a hammer lock on this prick and throw his ass out on the curb. It sounds like this nut was on PCP or something similar. Maybe loaded with alcohol. People suck.

He didn't seem very obviously drunk; we have dealt with drunk guests on a few occasions but they just smell more than they cause problems tbh.
One of the TSS did actually say they lowkey wished the guy tried to swing on them so they could "throw down" but that would've made things a whole lot worse I think. If anything I just hope I don't see the guy in public (although I can't exactly remember what he looks like).

 

[commiecorvus]

He didn't seem very obviously drunk; we have dealt with drunk guests on a few occasions but they just smell more than they cause problems tbh.
One of the TSS did actually say they lowkey wished the guy tried to swing on them so they could "throw down" but that would've made things a whole lot worse I think. If anything I just hope I don't see the guy in public (although I can't exactly remember what he looks like).

You're right.
"Throwing down" just makes everything worse and if they had severely hurt the guy then the cops would have had to arrest both people.
And it could go the other way as well.
No matter how good you are at martial arts it is possible for the other guy to either be an damage sponge so you have to hit them harder than you feel comfortable with which gives them the chance to hurt you or they get a lucky shot that takes you down.
You can never discount luck.
That's why cops always call backup.

I've been trained in de-escalation.
You lower your voice, keep your words calm and reasonable.
Show empathy, "I know how it feels to need the bathroom right away."
Give them a solution.
If they don't like the solution, pivot to plan B but don't try to convince them that Plan A is the only way.
Always try to appear like you are there to help and not be just another person in the way.

Sometimes none of that works because they were going to yell at someone today and you won the bitchfest lottery.
At that point, don't take it personally.
Accept it for what it is, the ranting of an angry, frustrated possibly PD stranger who doesn't mean anything to your life.

 

[animalcrossing]

You're right.
"Throwing down" just makes everything worse and if they had severely hurt the guy then the cops would have had to arrest both people.
And it could go the other way as well.
No matter how good you are at martial arts it is possible for the other guy to either be an damage sponge so you have to hit them harder than you feel comfortable with which gives them the chance to hurt you or they get a lucky shot that takes you down.
You can never discount luck.
That's why cops always call backup.

I've been trained in de-escalation.
You lower your voice, keep your words calm and reasonable.
Show empathy, "I know how it feels to need the bathroom right away."
Give them a solution.
If they don't like the solution, pivot to plan B but don't try to convince them that Plan A is the only way.
Always try to appear like you are there to help and not be just another person in the way.

Sometimes none of that works because they were going to yell at someone today and you won the bitchfest lottery.
At that point, don't take it personally.
Accept it for what it is, the ranting of an angry, frustrated possibly PD stranger who doesn't mean anything to your life.

Yes you are absolutely right; normally I would've tried to show empathy (which I've had to do with other unruly guests that were not properly assisted by another TM) but by the time he was screaming at AP I was completely off the floor.

I won't take it personally though, you're also right in writing that letting this bother me would be silly. Besides, every other shift I've worked since has had good guest interactions so I'm not upset really.

 

[Tessa120]

Too bad a couple of big strong young bucks in AP with cuffs couldn't throw a hammer lock on this prick and throw his ass out on the curb. It sounds like this nut was on PCP or something similar. Maybe loaded with alcohol. People suck.

Few years back someone posted a link to a video where TPS was struggling to handcuff some crazy chick after she started throwing heavy cans at guests. Took him like 10 minutes to manage, but half of that was she was crazy or on something and fought hard, and half of that was him not wanting to use a level of force that would hurt her.

 

[Captain Orca]

Walking a fine line there. Diplomacy and a forceful voice in most instances will defuse most situations. I threw that hammer lock bullshit out because I'm prone to be rather opinionated and a big-mouth. Didn't come off as a surprise, did it?