Are you hitting on me or what?

[Damianvargas]

Not really but why oh why do you have to stand practically inside my own pants? The way my store works is there are booths where we type up orders or check inventory that are free standing in the middle of the store. Customers always insist on standing right on top of me and look at what I'm doing AS IF THEY HAVE ANY CLUE as to what I'm looking at or doing.

The funny part about it is if I passively move a little away, they move right in closer again. As a result, I've had 5 colds in 7 months. I've asked management and their position is, "the customer is allowed to stand that close and we are not allowed to tell them to back off" Oy.

What gets me is if I try to put a modicum of space between myself and the customer, they accuse me of "acting like I don't want to help". I've had other CW get this same accusation as well. I always tell them the same thing...

It's not an act.

[MoonCat]

I'd probably tell the customer, please stand away a little bit, I have a bad cold and I don't want you to catch it.

Might work.

I hate people who don't respect personal boundaries. Ugh.

[TheSHAD0W]

I'd probably tell the customer, please stand away a little bit, I have a bad cold and I don't want you to catch it.

Just do a little fake sneeze and a sniffle, while backing away, and say "excuse me!" That ought to do the trick.

[Amina516]

I was also going to say fake a sneeze. If they get close to you after that, then...well nothing will help...short of possibly getting naked at work. But I wouldn't recommend that.

[Damianvargas]

I hate people who don't respect personal boundaries. Ugh.

I can't begin to imagine people doing this to other people in their real life. What makes us so "lucky" ?

[Damianvargas]

I've tried that. Without even faking it. I've worked where I had a terrible cough, and coughing fits don't phase these people at all.

[JustShootMe]

Oh Baby... you need to develop a SERIOUS coughing/sneezing/hacking fit. I mean...LAY IT ON. They'll move. God, I love my Mgr...he has balls. Takes no crap & is nice about it.

[XCashier]

The way my store works is there are booths where we type up orders or check inventory that are free standing in the middle of the store.

I do hope the registers are not located in those booths? That would not be safe at all. Actually, the whole setup you describe is not safe at all. What if some creep decides to get fresh? Or violent? Why are so many companies so lackadaisical about employee safety?!

Sometimes I am very, very glad there is usually a sizeable counter between me and the customers.

[emax4]

Just hold out your arm at length and say, "This is my personal space. If you go beyond this, I am refusing to help you".

[Pixilated]

Is it possible there's a conflict of cultures here? In some cultures it's perfectly normal to stand nose-to-nose with the other person. I think Roger Axtell, who wrote the hilarious book Gestures, called it "the dance of the diplomats": the one with the arm's-length personal space (usually the Westerner) keeps backing away; the one with the nose-to-nose concept of personal space keeps moving in. It continues until the Westerner is backed against the wall (at which point I guess he or she tries to become one with the drywall).

I like the idea of developing a cough that sounds as if you are in the final stages of TB. That should work regardless of the person's reasons for standing practically inside your pants (great description, by the way! )

Even better is your refusal to help them unless they back off, but would your management back you up on that?

[dakhur]

I found scritching furiously at my scalp, then giving an apologetic smile and muttering "time to take the dogs for a bath this weekend". The scratch again a few moments later.

The intruder person should take a subtle but large step away.

Works every time. Usually with some entertainment value.

[Jester]

It's posts like these that make me even happier to work behind a bar!!!

[emax4]

You could always down a snack-size bag of Doritos before punching in. I don't know why I didn't think of that earlier.

[EricKei]

Even better is your refusal to help them unless they back off, but would your management back you up on that?

If I read the OP correctly, not only would the management NOT back them up on this, but it might very well get them disciplined or maybe even fired.

To wit:

I've asked management and their position is, "the customer is allowed to stand that close and we are not allowed to tell them to back off" Oy.

[Damianvargas]

These are all great suggestions. I should clear up that they aren't booths where people are obscured from view (I saw the post about the safety concern) They are tall free standing desks, so no weird business going on over there...except that one time my CW had to deal with this 80 y/o customer and his viagra surprise...lol but that's another story.