Archived When were YOU rude?

[NPC]

There are a few topics already about annoying guests and team members that we all wish would go play in traffic. But nothing about when we ourselves make mistakes. Can you recall a time where you were probably out of line with a guest? Maybe a time you were actually the one being a complete asshat? Sometimes we forget that the guests are actually the main focus of our job. And even though about 40% of them kinda suck, sometimes innocent ones get caught in the line of fire. Heh.

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I can only think of one time. Since I can't run my mouth at work, I usually just clam up and resort to passive aggressive tactics. Example, not saying "have a good day." Or, placing their receipt on the counter rather than handing it to them. (lol so badass)

However, one time (I actually ranted about this in the "TTOG" thread) this lady pushed my last button. I could tell she was in a bad mood, as she was snapping at her kids, and being really snipe and bitchy with them. She wanted to exchange a Keurig she had bought a year ago, for a different color. Pretty simple, right?

After she went and grabbed the new item, and I asked for an ID to process her return, she got huffy and frustrated again when she realized she didn't have it. She kept asking me why I needed an ID, and couldn't just swap the items. I told her apologetically, "I'm sorry, they're different items, I still have to process something in the system that this item is leaving, and that this item is coming back. At the very least I need either an ID or Passport."

She snapped back at me, "Why the hell would I carry my passport with me?" I had her RedCard in my hand, because she insisted I check it. So after the last bitchy remark, I tossed her RedCard on the counter. Hard enough that it bounced and slid under her purse. It probably would have hit the floor had she not been in the way. After that, I turned around and started sorting items until she was ready. She said, "I don't appreciate you throwing my card." I ignored her.

In hindsight, I don't feel bad about my reaction, however I'm relieved she didn't lose her shit and go talk to a manager about me. Fortunately, I think she was aware enough to realize she was being rude or acting out of frustration, because she calmed down a lot when her husband texted her a picture of her ID....which I still used by the way, even though I had zero obligation to.

 

[redeye58]

When a guest is being a total jerk & they get a bit of that attitude tossed back at them, you almost have to hold your breath.
Most often it sets them off further because we should 'know our place' as service people.
But once in a while it may bring some folks up short & they see how rude they're behaving & they'll reset the attitude. Usually after they've gotten what they wanted without all the histrionics or realizing you were trying to help them all along & it's just as frustrating to you when you can't help them.
Being a jerk to guests when they HAVEN'T done anything to deserve it? There's no place for that.
Even when you're having a bad day, you're expected to suck it up & do your job.
You deal with your feelings later.
Which is why my freezer was SO damn organized.

 

[commiecorvus]

I developed a technique I like to call aggressive politeness.
No frelling passive about it, I'm polite to the extreme but also doing it very loudly and with broad gestures.
Some people know they are being insulted but really don't have anything to complain about because I'm doing what they want and I'm being polite.
Others are clueless and just assume they are getting their due but anybody watching gets a good laugh.

 

[redeye58]

Now THAT'S an art.
Tipping my hat to you, m'dear.

 

[Zone]

I've probably told this story before, but here it goes.

My store hires people in the community who have actual and documented mental disabilities. Sometimes they have sponsors who come in and help monitor these TMs, others are fairly autonomous and can do tasks like reshop with relative ease.

A few years ago we had one TM who kept to herself. Sometimes she would blow off a guest, but the situation was usually diffused once another TM explained and the guest was cool with it.

Then I got this guest. It's been a while so I'm paraphrasing here:

"Excuse me, you need to fire that girl immediately!" She points at her. TM sulks and tries to walk away. "How dare you walk away from a paying customer!" She turns back to me (My store gave me one night a week to 'manage' hardlines when specialists were a thing). "What are you going to do about it? Fire her, now! I demand it or I'm leaving this cart right here!" Her cart easily had a few hundred dollars worth of stuff.

Me: "Oh, yeah, she's actually a really hard worker! You see, we hire some folks from [place] to help them integrate into society. She's actually been really cool with everything she does, but she's a bit shy. Have you heard of [place] before? It's right here in [town]. We've had some really good people from there. Anyways, was there something you were looking for that I can find for you?"

The guest couldn't slink away from me fast enough. She wasn't even watching where she was going because she couldn't even look where she was going she was so embarrassed. Bumped into an endcap and kept going. I just shrugged it off, saw to the TM to see if she was ok, and went back to work.

Now, I absolutely suck at reading body language. For some reason it doesn't click in my brain. It wasn't until much later that I realized that I basically handed the guest her own ass back to her with great guest service.

 

[Jill of All Trades]

I had a guest the other day hand me a lamp and tell me it had no tag but was $19.99. I was looking for a DPCI on the lamp as she was talking to me and I said "$19.99... suuuuuuuuuuure...." totally not intending to sound skeptical, I was just focused on looking for the DPCI. I realized a second later that I sounded like a total asshole and quickly apologized, "oh no! sorry- I really meant 'sure!' I was just lost in thought for a second!"

 

[DoWork]

I frequently stare down guests who do shitty things, like pulling out way too many veggie bags or yanking a bagillion twist ties out of the holder or making a mess of my salads just because they want one that lasts a day longer. I would never verbally say anything to a guest, as it just elevates the situation. Epic stare downs, though, for the mother fucking win.

 

[NPC]

I developed a technique I like to call aggressive politeness.
No frelling passive about it, I'm polite to the extreme but also doing it very loudly and with broad gestures.
Some people know they are being insulted but really don't have anything to complain about because I'm doing what they want and I'm being polite.
Others are clueless and just assume they are getting their due but anybody watching gets a good laugh.

Yes! This! "Aggressive Politeness" is the perfect thing to call it. I've done this a few times. Though it doesn't come out until they start leaving. I'll say something like, "I hope you have a FanTASTIC day!!!" I've used the word "fantabulous" before too. I only do it though if I'm not scared of the guest blowing up.

 

[NPC]

I remember one time I accidentally told a joke about a guest's daughter working as a stripper. A mom and daughter were buying some stuff, and the daughter was paying for it all in ones. Probably about $20 worth. The mom made a joke first saying, "Don't worry, she's not a stripper." We all laugh, and I respond, "Hey, well you gotta do what you gotta do in these tough economic times." A moment passes where no one says anything, and then it dawns on me what I just said. So I turned to the guest, "I'm sorry, I think I just made a really inappropriate joke just now." The mom just laughed and said it's okay she started it. Lmao. The poor daughter though. She said nothing the whole time while her mom and I cracked jokes about her.

 

[Isitonlyme]

I got a hotline call from one of my new tms saying I hit them with the door to tsc

 

[redeye58]

Had a mom & her 20ish daughter ordering drinks.
The mom placed her order while daughter just mumbled looking at the menu then turned back to her mom.
I said "Sorry? What was that drink?"
She gave an exaggerated sigh & said "What?! Can't you READ my MIND?"
Without thinking, I said "I don't read short stories."
Her jaw dropped but her mom roared with laughter, telling her that she 'had that coming'.

 

[TargetMom]

I like to say "You're welcome" to people I help who don't bother to say "Thank you". What are they going to do, go complain that they didn't say thank you and I'm rude? Doubtful.

 

[judgemental]

never im perfect.

no but seriously, im probably the most crankiest in the mornings when i have to unlock all the carts and people start complaining to me how there are no small carts. it's like please, i just clocked in. i've used the aggressive politeness on multiple occasions and that's pretty much it. i've never thrown or made a joke about something to someone that i shouldn't have said. it's just more of "thank you" when they leave the carts just lying around or "have a good day" when they yell at me while im on the registers.

 

[Kartman]

Unlock carts?

 

[legend2828]

Wasn't to a guest but when you call the CSC and you get someone dumb I get pretty salty.

 

[NPC]

I like to say "You're welcome" to people I help who don't bother to say "Thank you". What are they going to do, go complain that they didn't say thank you and I'm rude? Doubtful.

Ooooh, yeah that's a good one! I do this to. I wait until they start to walk away, so I can say it extra loud. I usually only do this if they're on their phone the whole time I'm helping them, or some other thing occurred where I just want to make a point they're being a jackass.

 

[dannyy315]

I like to say "You're welcome" to people I help who don't bother to say "Thank you". What are they going to do, go complain that they didn't say thank you and I'm rude? Doubtful.

I do this accidentally. I have the "you're welcome" all cued up, and if the guest starts to walk away without saying "thank you" I accidentally say "you're welcome".

 

[LadyCynide]

I was so ashamed of my own behavior today. I immediately regretted the words coming out of my mouth, but it was far too late to take them back. A guest who kept bumping into me while I sorted my cosmetics tub ignored me numerous times when I asked her if she needed help, and then when my arms were full, she turns around, knocks what I was holding back to the tub and hands me a $0.94 eyeshadow. She asked how much it was, and then pointed to the label WITH THE PRICE ON IT and asked, ¨What does dot nine four mean? These signs are extremely confusing.¨

I knew I should have just smiled, nodded, and explained that it was under a dollar, but I couldn't. I blurted out that it wasn't a dot, it was a decimal point, and that it meant ninety-four cents. Doesn't seem like such a harsh thing to say, but my attitude was in full-force, and it was awful.

 

[redeye58]

If that's the worst you can do, dear heart, you live on a much kinder planet than I.
I can truly say that you handled it far better than I would have.
She would've been a body in the back of my walk-in.

 

[commiecorvus]

I was so ashamed of my own behavior today. I immediately regretted the words coming out of my mouth, but it was far too late to take them back. A guest who kept bumping into me while I sorted my cosmetics tub ignored me numerous times when I asked her if she needed help, and then when my arms were full, she turns around, knocks what I was holding back to the tub and hands me a $0.94 eyeshadow. She asked how much it was, and then pointed to the label WITH THE PRICE ON IT and asked, ¨What does dot nine four mean? These signs are extremely confusing.¨

I knew I should have just smiled, nodded, and explained that it was under a dollar, but I couldn't. I blurted out that it wasn't a dot, it was a decimal point, and that it meant ninety-four cents. Doesn't seem like such a harsh thing to say, but my attitude was in full-force, and it was awful.

Damn LadyC, you get some serious points for not driving the eye shadow into her ear.

 

[3LetterDevil]

I've probably told this story before, but here it goes.

My store hires people in the community who have actual and documented mental disabilities. Sometimes they have sponsors who come in and help monitor these TMs, others are fairly autonomous and can do tasks like reshop with relative ease.

A few years ago we had one TM who kept to herself. Sometimes she would blow off a guest, but the situation was usually diffused once another TM explained and the guest was cool with it.

Then I got this guest. It's been a while so I'm paraphrasing here:

"Excuse me, you need to fire that girl immediately!" She points at her. TM sulks and tries to walk away. "How dare you walk away from a paying customer!" She turns back to me (My store gave me one night a week to 'manage' hardlines when specialists were a thing). "What are you going to do about it? Fire her, now! I demand it or I'm leaving this cart right here!" Her cart easily had a few hundred dollars worth of stuff.

Me: "Oh, yeah, she's actually a really hard worker! You see, we hire some folks from [place] to help them integrate into society. She's actually been really cool with everything she does, but she's a bit shy. Have you heard of [place] before? It's right here in [town]. We've had some really good people from there. Anyways, was there something you were looking for that I can find for you?"

The guest couldn't slink away from me fast enough. She wasn't even watching where she was going because she couldn't even look where she was going she was so embarrassed. Bumped into an endcap and kept going. I just shrugged it off, saw to the TM to see if she was ok, and went back to work.

Now, I absolutely suck at reading body language. For some reason it doesn't click in my brain. It wasn't until much later that I realized that I basically handed the guest her own ass back to her with great guest service.

Kudos to your store for doing that, BTW...

What type of total bitch demands that someone is fired on the spot simply because they were ignored? A little entitled much?

 

[3LetterDevil]

Hell, I don't have time to list all the times I've been passive aggressively rude to people. He best part is most of them are too stupid to even realize it

 

[Flabbergasted]

I've occasionally gotten passive-aggressive with guests who are being unreasonably, absurdly nasty with me, and they usually don't notice it. I had one instance where my service desk TM requested my assistance with a guest who was being particularly rude and unreasonable. This lady shouted at me and said I was a moron before I even spoke to her. I wound up walking away from her while she was speaking to me mid-sentence. She complained to the LOD and made a big stink about how rude it was for me to walk away from her. My LOD of course sided with her, gave her 3 apology coupons and coached me about the importance of being Fast, Fun & Friendly!

I have issues with people who are behaving stupidly and sometimes I really allow it to get to me. I am continuing to work on it, though.

 

[TeamRed]

I have had a guests flat out tell me I was rude once ( reallly me??) I just nodded and said okay. I forget what it was about but it was probably coupon scamming lol

 

[Kartman]

Just smile.

You can get away with murder!