Does anyone automatically cringe at customers from working retail so long?

[draggar]

and most cars on the road to be piloted by terrible drivers.

Proof:

http://www.customerssuck.com/board/s...ad.php?t=14074

Also, it makes me kind of sadly amused when I go to fast food places (McD's, Taco Bell) and the workers seem shocked when I smile, and say please and thank you.

Don't forget cashiers at the local grocerey store and Target.

The sad part is that since I'm a cell phone tech, whenever someone wants to talk to me they almost always want to complain, yell at me, or tell me their life's story. I think I maybe get 1-2 "Thank you"s a month in this job no matter what I do. Sheesh, I can go out of my way, print out your phonebook from (competitor's phone), then copy it over to your new (company) phone, back up all the data on your PDA before I wipe it out (we're not supposed to do that) and yet I'll get yelled at because someone f-ed up their phone and I cannot fix it, or it will erase their data (*cough* JVM on BlackBerries *cough*).

The worst was working tech support for a company who sold their computers though HSN and QVC. Nothing against people who shop though HSN and QVC, but DAMN some freaks are out there and they're pretty much the worst customers I've ever dealt with.

[Dreamstalker]

I would imagine that the shopping channels bring out the superfreaks.

6 months of working in retail was enough to make me question the sanity of the local populace

I was questioning the sanity of the populace where I work even before I started there.

(also, being abandoned in the store near midnight by a guy who could have at least asked if I was okay with his leaving did wonders for taking my faith in humanity at large down a few notches...if the guy's working again tonight I'm gonna put a notch in him)

[KaeZoo]

For me, the main effect has been severe dread of the "holiday" season.

[theredbaron47]

Oh God, I cringe at the words "holiday season" more than any others! When I worked at the hardware store (more like convenience/DIY store), they brought out their holiday department around Christmas time, and had it up for several months, advertised as "the best Christmas department in <my city>".

OH.MY.GOD. What is it about Christmas shopping and holidays in general that brings out the extra suckiness in people? I've grown to despise the holiday seasons due to working behind the counter during said seasons.

[XCashier]

Same here. It's partly why I drag my heels on job-searching when I'm between jobs (as I am now, having recently moved back to my old state). I have no desire to have what remains of my soul sucked away into the abyss of another boring and useless enslavement.

I totally understand. It's been impossible to find employment out here. (Hubby found a good temp-to-perm job, but I haven't had any luck.) Perhaps they think I'm overqualified, or "too old".

I'm afraid I might have to go back to retail. If I absolutely must, I will work at Walmart. I sincerely hope and pray that I can find something better than that, though.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Yep, I blame retail for making me into a cynical and twisted person. Of course, I was a bit leaning towards that before, but the retail work put the lid on it.

And I've also gotten surprise and sometimes extras whenever I smile and say please and thank you to workers at Subway, McD's, KFC etc; it's sad in a way that suckiness is now the norm so that you are always surprised whenever someone treats you like a human being.

[Ackee]

Like Dr. Cox said: "People are bastards, bastard coated bastards with bastard filling."

This is so funny. It made me laugh and laugh.

Could I have it?

I used to cringe before. That was when I still cared. Now I expect some degree of nastiness at some point during the day . Oh dear does this make me cynical?

[Tigress]

There's a reason I try to do as much shopping as possible online. I hate watching customers throw a hissy fit in the store because the store won't take an item back six months out of the return/exchange period. I hate talking to incompetent sales clerks that know nothing about the product, but know that I want to by the service plan. I don't like crowds during the rush seasons. I don't like getting into near-accidents because people are jockeying to get the parking space five feet from the door or just don't look where they're going. I can usually find better deals online and with much less stress.

And I particularly loathe being stopped while I'm running errands by some mouth-breather that recognizes me as the cute geek chick at Big Box and proceeds to ask me 20 questions about the $400 POS they just bought from the store when all I'm trying to do is get my dinner and enjoy my day off. Am I wearing my shirt and tie? No. Are we standing in the Big Box store? No. Then why fsck are you asking me this stuff?! When I'm off the clock, I don't give a crap about you or that machine you refuse to educate yourself about.

[customersruinmylife]

I really expect the worst from people when they come up to the bar. I automatically think "Oh they're gonna yell at me because they have to wait to be served" or "They're gonna yell at me if I ask if they want ice in their drink"

The other day, a very generous customer came up to me as he left. He handed me a £20 note and said "Split that with your two co-workers. Thank you for the service tonight" I was stunned. People NEVER tip in my bar, its quite rare for people to tip in the UK. He asked why I was so stunned. My reply was "I was just grateful for a thank you! You didn't need to tip!"

[theredbaron47]

Taking it a step further, as customersruinmylife did, what exactly runs through your mind when you see customers approach you? For me, it's the following:

*They're going to huff and puff and bitch that there's a line of people at the register.
*They're going to whine about the fact that they owe a $3 co-pay for their medicine that actually cost $250.
*They're going to complain about prices, maybe try and haggle them down.
*They're going to find something wrong with the store, and pitch a fuss about it.
*They're going to reek of BO so much so that I can't get within 5 feet of them without gagging.
*They come up with a buggy piled to the top and insist on checking out at the pharmacy (keep in mind, we know ->nothing<- about items on the sales floor. Medicine is our specialty, and that's why there is a main register up front), and then scream when we don't have sale prices memorized.
*They approach us with the proverbial chip on their shoulder (i.e. they put us on the defensive right off the bat).
*They approach us period.

I hope that last one didn't sound too cynical.

[Andara Bledin]

We have a short low *beep* followed by the automated lady telling us what kind of call it is (the "whisper"). Most of mine go *beep* "Saves" or *beep* "Transfer to Saves." I hear it in my sleep sometimes.

One time, someone in the call center somehow managed to get that *beep* and make it the ringer for his phone.

Ok, the dude with the *beep* on his cell is evil.

But to be truly evil, he should set it up so that people in his phonebook get the *beep* then the "whisper" telling him who is calling.

^-.-^

[customersruinmylife]

*They come up with a buggy piled to the top and insist on checking out at the pharmacy (keep in mind, we know ->nothing<- about items on the sales floor. Medicine is our specialty, and that's why there is a main register up front), and then scream when we don't have sale prices memorized.

Gargh I hate that! This happened to me one day:

SC: OK, I'll have four pints of lager, vodka and coke, bottle of VK blue, bottle of bud and an ale. HOW MUCH WILL THAT BE??
Me: OK, I'll just find out. *goes to type in register*
SC: Oh for Gods sake can't you just tell me?

[wagegoth]

I haven't worked retail for years, but I still tense up when I see an SC preparing to go into overclock.

It saddens me to see the cashier automatically tense up when they see me coming back with my order due to a mistake, because they are expecting to get screamed at. After I politely show them what was wrong, they almost always toss in a bunch of free stuff, probably because I didn't scream, said, "Thank you," and was happy.

Really, really sad.

[Pezzle]

Retail has actually turned me into a slight racist. Why? Becuase my god, a few of the stereotypes are overwhelmingly true when it comes to retail (ie discounts, rebate hording, haggling). Do you know how bad that is !? I used to be a total peace and harmony sort of person. Now I get mad when people with social security cards can't speak a lick of English, or can and refuse to try, I automatically hide when I see certain races/cultures becuase they've pretty much proven without fail that they treat me like an unknowledgeable piece of crap becuase I'm a woman regardless of the fact that I am a technician. I only feel this in retail though... everywhere else I can get along as good as the next person, but in a store, i just tense up automatically even if I'm not in the actual transaction.

And I feel so guilty for it. I'm not gonna name races or anything.

Besides that slight rant, I automatically tense up when I see someone approach the counter because I know they are going to whine that I didn't drop everything I'm doing to serve them.
I automatically tense up when I see people walking back there with an open computer box and a nasty look.
I run into the back when I see a group of previous customers waiting outside the bathroom hall becuase they saw me go back there. I just pretend like I'm sick.

[ArenaBoy]

Retail has actually turned me into a slight racist. Why? Becuase my god, a few of the stereotypes are overwhelmingly true when it comes to retail (ie discounts, rebate hording, haggling). Do you know how bad that is !?

I thought I was the only person who thought that! I've seen every stereotype acted out especially during the basketball games. It sucks.

This is so funny. It made me laugh and laugh.

Could I have it?

Why yes, go ahead.