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I'm probably gonna get fired...but it was worth it.

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  • I'm probably gonna get fired...but it was worth it.

    So...Straya day's coming up, and being a major public holiday around here, my work is frakkin' slammed. Especially on the weekends. So this Saturday, of course, every man and his dog have come through to buy barbeques and gas bottles (because why plan this party thing out in advance when you can last minute rush it?) as well as the usual weekend returners and shoppers.

    In the middle of our worst rush period, we've got like eight people waiting to do a return at the returns desk, and register lines out to way past where Jesus lost his sandals, and it's insanity in general. I'm running things fairly smoothly, and for the most part, people are understanding. I'm having a really shitty week and my nerves are frayed, but I'm holding out ok.

    Until broom dude. Broom dude is an ancient, crusty looking old man holding a broken broom at the returns desk. Broom dude has just arrived, is ninth in line, and is steadily looking more and more pissed, so I'm keeping an eye out. Sure enough, in about five minutes, broom dude goes apeshit.

    He walks out of line, directly up to the counter and SLAMS the damn broom down so hard that it snaps in two entirely, while screaming his lungs out at the young woman behind the counter. Like, serious ear piercing shrieking from an old man.

    "I'VE BEEN WAITING HERE FOR HALF AN HOUR! HALF AN HOUR THIS IS DISGRACEFUL! WHERE'S THE SERVICE THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE i CAN'T BELIEVE IT! I'M SEVENTY THREE YEARS OLD GOD DAMMIT I NEED A BROOM JUST GET ME A REPLACEMENT BROOM YOU'RE A DISGRACE!" - more blah blah blah, starts personally insulting coworker, accusing her of being a self centered whore, a prostitute. Never uses a curse word, but he's just being an incredibly shitty human being.

    It was probably the worst full on meltdown I've ever seen a full grown person get into. There was foot stamping, wild gestures, spittle, the works.
    The other customers say...nothing. They pretty much pretend not to hear him and continue to get their returns down. Coworker is getting pretty mad, but she's trying to calm him down and it's not working.
    I went over to get him to stop.
    I was polite. I was calm. He told me in shrieking though polite terms that I was no better than a gutter walking whore....and something just snapped.

    I went to the isle with the brooms. I got him a new broom. I handed him a new broom, with a big happy smile on my face and verbally lost my shit.
    My exact words were "take this broom, and fly away on it for all I care. Just get the fuck out of my store, and don't you dare come back here and talk to me or my team like that ever again.

    There was more shrieking, which I don't remember much of, but he took his broom and left.

    This story hasn't reached management. My coworkers don't want it to, because hell, they were happy someone stood up for them to what was clearly a raving loony, but I suspect a complaint will be coming in. I will most likely be fired.

    Thing is...I really don't give two shits right now. Maybe I will later. Maybe I wont. Even if I do, I'll probably feel awesome afterwards. This job feels like it's killing me anyway. The instant I pick up something else I'm out anyway. I'm done.

    Guess broom dude was the final fucking straw. Hah. Because straw brooms.
    What a shitty person.
    Patient has severely impacted cranial rectosis. There's probably no cure. - Overheard in ER

  • #2
    Everyone has a breaking point and mine is when a disgruntled customer starts on the personal insults. You want to bitch about long lines? Fine, bitch away..won't get you waited on faster, but if it makes you happy, fine. Wanna bitch about prices? Go for it, because we secretly are laughing at you thinking a cashier sets the prices. But you insult me or my co workers for no other reason than you are a rude, nasty piece of trash? At my last job a woman went off about everyfuckingthing after being waited on hand and foot because she had to wait in a line of 2 people in front of her. The usual rant started with the huff and puff, toe tapping, eye rolling but when she got to me (and I had been one who had waited on her on the sales floor..personalized service) she started on how HER time was so precious and didn't we know how SHE didn't have time to wait while us incompetent retail workers had to go look for what she wanted (that she didn't know what it was and we played the guessing game) and if the store actually hired people who knew their stuff (oh, don't go there bitch) instead of slackers just looking for a paycheck (all employees over 35, wearing dress clothes, and the shortest tenure at the time was 6 years) and she was sick, just sick of the prices she was being asked to pay (upscale store, well known for being more pricey). I took her stuff off the counter, put it behind me and said "I am so sorry you have had such a bad experience. Why don't you go to the Dollar store, I am sure they would have these items (no), and would not have incompetent people who waste your time waiting on you hand and foot" She huffed and puffed, called me ignorant, trash and demanded a manager..hahahahaha I introduced myself as the manager and said "Just leave" Didn't get fired..got applauded for standing up for my co workers and the owner, who this bitch called a cow in her tirade!

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    • #3
      I get really, really weird around screaming people. Bad old relationship experience, blah blah blah. Normally, I handle things fine. Yell at me all you want, you're gonna get bitchface like you wouldn't believe, but I'll stay professional.

      Saturday...I just lost my shit entirely. If one of my managers had called me out on it, I swear I would have walked out of the store.
      Patient has severely impacted cranial rectosis. There's probably no cure. - Overheard in ER

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      • #4
        What a horrible person! I hope you get praise for not putting that broom where it belonged!

        Comment


        • #5
          Quoth Latekin View Post
          This story hasn't reached management. My coworkers don't want it to, because hell, they were happy someone stood up for them to what was clearly a raving loony, but I suspect a complaint will be coming in.
          Consider advising management so your account will be on the record. Like HR, the first one to complain wins most of the time
          I'm trying to see things from your point of view, but I can't get my head that far up my keister!

          Who is John Galt?
          -Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

          Comment


          • #6
            I absolutely do not agree that you should get fired for this. You stood up to a customer who was abusing one of your colleagues. We do NOT have to put up with that. I think you did the right thing.

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            • #7
              I dunno. Maybe that asshole won't complain, and if he does it won't mention the F-bomb you dropped.

              But since you don't care if you keep this job, it's a moot point anyway.
              Knowledge is power. Power corrupts. Study hard. Be evil.

              "I never said I wasn't a horrible person."--Me, almost daily

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              • #8
                Personally, I wouldn't have bothered getting him the replacement broom, but sent him away with the broken one until he could behave like a civilised person.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Personally, I wouldn't have bothered getting him the replacement broom, but sent him away with the broken one until he could behave like a civilised person.
                  Yup. That's how my mom dealt with us when we threw a tantrum - in fact, those are almost her exact words!

                  Of course, we were very young at the time... i__i About 70 years younger than that [expletive]!
                  I don’t have enough middle fingers to show you how I feel about you.
                  - Twitter, via Boredpanda.com, via Youtube

                  Right. Well. When you manage to pull the concussed deer of your intellect away from the oncoming headlights of life let me know. - Grave keeper

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                  • #10
                    I just wanted him gone, and he was shaping up to be one of those stubborn old gits who won't move until the police show up and physically remove him from the premises.

                    So far, doesn't look like I'm in trouble yet. I don't go back to work till Thursday, but my boss is usually really happy to send me a bunch of passive aggressive text messages for the major transgression of calling in sick for a migraine; I doubt she'd miss out on sending me something deliciously evil for this.
                    Patient has severely impacted cranial rectosis. There's probably no cure. - Overheard in ER

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Quoth Latekin View Post
                      So far, doesn't look like I'm in trouble yet. I don't go back to work till Thursday, but my boss is usually really happy to send me a bunch of passive aggressive text messages for the major transgression of calling in sick for a migraine; I doubt she'd miss out on sending me something deliciously evil for this.
                      Ugh, migraines. Feel for you; when I worked at the garden centre, the manager didn't believe in the existance of migraines. He thought they were just headaches. So whenever I had one, I said I had the flu instead.
                      People who don't like cats were probably mice in an earlier life.
                      My DeviantArt.

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                      • #12
                        Quoth Latekin View Post
                        I just wanted him gone, and he was shaping up to be one of those stubborn old gits who won't move until the police show up and physically remove him from the premises.
                        While the wait would have been stressful, why not let this happen? He deserved a trip downtown!
                        This was one of those times where my mouth says "have a nice day" but my brain says "go step on a Lego". - RegisterAce
                        I can't make something magically appear to fulfill all your hopes and dreams. Believe me, if I could I'd be the first person I'd help. - Trixie

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Quoth Lace Neil Singer View Post
                          Ugh, migraines. Feel for you; when I worked at the garden centre, the manager didn't believe in the existance of migraines. He thought they were just headaches. So whenever I had one, I said I had the flu instead.
                          I bet you caught the flu a lot huh? Just headaches my glorious ass. More like the worst hangover you've ever had in your life minus the fun drinking before hand.

                          RealUnimportant
                          Quote:
                          Quoth Latekin
                          I just wanted him gone, and he was shaping up to be one of those stubborn old gits who won't move until the police show up and physically remove him from the premises.
                          While the wait would have been stressful, why not let this happen? He deserved a trip downtown!
                          The banshee like wailing was bed enough to almost be a health hazard. As with all workplace hazards, it should be removed before injury can occur.
                          Patient has severely impacted cranial rectosis. There's probably no cure. - Overheard in ER

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Quoth Latekin View Post
                            ... I'M SEVENTY THREE YEARS OLD GOD DAMMIT ...
                            OK, we've met your inner three-year-old. Where's your dignified septuagenarian? Left him to vegetate at the rest home, didn't you?

                            Protective Services? Elder abuse case here.
                            I am not an a**hole. I am a hemorrhoid. I irritate a**holes!
                            Procrastination: Forward planning to insure there is something to do tomorrow.
                            Derails threads faster than a pocket nuke.

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                            • #15
                              Document as much as you can. Get written verification from co-workers that might be willing to back you up. Contacting corporate can be a risk depending on how deep into the "customer is always right" side of the fence they are. They may have your back, or they may write you up on it despite the fact that the SC had his head so far up his rear end it was basically coming back out his mouth.

                              That being said, chances are he will probably leave well enough alone since he 'got what he wanted' and got a new broom (seriously? flipping his [censored] like that over a BROOM?) out of it.
                              Violets are blue,
                              Roses are red,
                              I bequeath to thee...
                              A boot to the head >_>

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