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Why do I still work here???

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  • Why do I still work here???

    I've posted so many incidents here over the years, and it's therepeutic. But there has come a time when the screaming instances, where I literally have been treated like a naughty, stupid 5-year-old, have built up and I am reaching my limit. I just can't take that anymore. Please indulge me a list, because I need to see on "paper" how ridiculous the complaints were, how out of left field. I oftentimes want to think there is something wrong with me; why else would people react this way? How many people can be this insane? But maybe they do have mental problems. I don't know. I just need to get it out. I have lots of stories, but here's the list of the things I did that got me yelled at, literally:

    --this incident: http://www.customerssuck.com/board/s...d.php?t=104661
    --scanning a heavy item with the handscanner (like we're trained to do) instead of sliding it across the in-bed scanner
    --running out of a food item, which I was apparently supposed to have cooked an hour earlier, when I was at home
    --asking the customer how much her payment on her card would be
    --asking if I needed to scan the water bottle she set down in front of me (didn't know if she had bought it already or just needed me to recycle it, as she said nothingto me about it, just stood there)
    --setting aside smaller items I had scanned so I could put the bigger ones in the bag first; I had to do so because she was handing me items one at a time at her discretion and didn't tell me why. Maybe she needed them scanned or bagged in a certain order, but she didn't tell me that. Not putting a bunch of little things in and then having the big things on top, falling out of the bag was some kind of sin.
    --setting a receipt down on the counter while she was digging in her purse because I needed a free hand to grab something at the moment
    --explaining that if I called the other store with a description of the item, instead of an item # we didn't have, it might not be right and waste the customer's gas/time, since we carried several brands of the same item in very slightly different styles with widely varying prices

    That's all I can think of right now, but the examples are ticking me off. They all involve a woman literally yelling or screaming at me for some "offense". Two involve me trying to get the customer the right item or charge her correctly. That's what I don't get. I try to help and they fly off the handle instantly. I am trying to figure out why women react that way to me. What am I doing wrong? But if I were doing something wrong, I think it'd be on my conscience.

    Does anyone else get this kind of bizarre behavior? Is it just me? Is it because I'm primarily a cashier? Only one of these incidents happened on the salesfloor; on the floor the customers love me.
    Last edited by Ree; 02-06-2014, 11:28 AM.
    "Is it hot in here to you? It's very warm, isn't it?"--Nero, probably

  • #2
    scanning a heavy item with the handscanner (like we're trained to do) instead of sliding it across the in-bed scanner
    My boyfriend's really strong and I have essentially zero upper body strength, so when I need cat littler (18kgs every two weeks - 4 cats!) and 24 packs of bottled water, he comes with me. And whenever he instinctively goes to lift them onto the belt, I pretty much have a spaz attack about him leaving it in the cart. That's what hand-scanners are for (and 90% of the time, I guarantee the poor cashier can't lift that shit either).
    "All god does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring." - Invisible Monsters

    "The only thing stronger than fear is hope." - Suzanne Collins

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    • #3
      I don't know you, of course, but I can't imagine that it's anything you are or are not doing. It might be that you're a female and they think other women will be easily intimidated by them ... or, since you say customers are totally different on the floor, it might be that by the time they get in line they are frazzled and just want to get out of there.

      Also keep in mind that you might have 1,000 'good' customers (e.g. quiet ones) come through your line in a day, but it's the screamers you will remember ... unfortunately.

      Have you thought about starting to put out feelers for another job? You do sound as though you've just about hit the end of your tether with these idiots.

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      • #4
        {{{HUGS}}}

        So sorry you have to put up with this! I just don't understand people like that; why do they think it's acceptable to scream at someone who's serving them?
        When you start at zero, everything's progress.

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        • #5
          I currently have 3 tailored resumes on file that I'm sending out. I'm not getting responses, except for 1 company, who liked me but had already hired someone. (It was a posting that was a bit old). I am really at the end of my rope. I believe in "turn the other cheek," but even Jesus, who said that, didn't allow himself to be a doormat, if you look at some of his responses to people. It's just ridiculous how to a lot of people behind a counter=punching bag. It's my fault for staying here.
          "Is it hot in here to you? It's very warm, isn't it?"--Nero, probably

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          • #6
            Quoth Pixilated View Post
            Also keep in mind that you might have 1,000 'good' customers (e.g. quiet ones) come through your line in a day, but it's the screamers you will remember ... unfortunately.
            100% this. I generally had pretty good customers, but there were days I felt utterly beat up because I had one or two nasty ones.

            Quoth Food Lady View Post
            Is it just me? Is it because I'm primarily a cashier? Only one of these incidents happened on the salesfloor; on the floor the customers love me.
            It's not just you, but the answer is more complex. We don't know you or how your customers perceive you. I know that at the end of my time at *big box retail*, I was exhausted and utterly miserable. Because I was miserable, my formerly decent workplace was tiresome and aggravating, and every minor customer annoyance made me want to lash out or hide. Although I was pretty good at hiding it, I noticed that when I was most miserable, customers would pick up on that vibe and they'd be more prone to getting upset or reacting, which of course made me even more upset.

            Or you may just have shitty customers. I can only suggest trying to take it in stride and wish you the best with your job hunt.
            A lion however, will only devour your corpse, whereas an SC is not sated until they have destroyed your soul. (Quote per infinitemonkies)

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            • #7
              Quoth vstorevigilante View Post
              My boyfriend's really strong and I have essentially zero upper body strength, so when I need cat littler (18kgs every two weeks - 4 cats!) and 24 packs of bottled water, he comes with me. And whenever he instinctively goes to lift them onto the belt, I pretty much have a spaz attack about him leaving it in the cart. That's what hand-scanners are for (and 90% of the time, I guarantee the poor cashier can't lift that shit either).
              Whenever I remind a customer that we have a hand-scanner and they don't need to lift their heavy items onto the belt next time (approximately fifty times a day), one of the most popular replies is, "Well, I need the exercise!" Um, maybe we DON'T. You might have to lift that item two or three times, we have to do it a HUNDRED TIMES EVERY DAY.

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              • #8
                When you have a person fly off the handle for what they perceive to be an offense, you need to (nicely) throw it back in their face.


                "WHY IS MY RECEIPT ON THE COUNTER!?!? argle blargle!!11!!"
                "Ma'am - why are you getting upset because I put your receipt down?"


                "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW MUCH TO CHARGE TO MY CARD!!??eleventy!!!"
                "Ma'am - why are you getting upset over a question? I have to ask everyone that."


                You could also laugh at them. When they flip out, just start laughing. They HATE that.

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                • #9
                  Quoth Food Lady View Post
                  It's my fault for staying here.
                  I wouldn't say that. In this less-than-stellar economy, it's understandable to want to stay with the job you have rather than look for something else ("the devil you know" and all that). Any income is better than no income. And, as so many of us have found out, a lot of job postings are either ancient and already filled, severely misleading, or false ads for creating spam and other problems.

                  While you should continue to seek something better, don't beat yourself up if you don't get it. It will take time, but things will get better.
                  I don't have an attitude problem. You have a perception problem.
                  My LiveJournal
                  A page we can all agree with!

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                  • #10
                    X, thank you, and everyone else, too. Y'all are my online family. It's encouraging to be supported. I will just keep looking because I need more than this job.
                    "Is it hot in here to you? It's very warm, isn't it?"--Nero, probably

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                    • #11
                      It's definitely not you. These people are either control freaks, or low on the totem pole in other areas of their lives, or just not paying attention. They can't deal with things not aligning with their plans, even if those plans make no sense, and/or bullying you is the only way they can feel good about themselves.

                      You're not doing anything wrong, but there's no right way to handle these situations. If they're happening too often and/or affecting you more than you can bear, then it's time to move on. Good luck with your impending applications!
                      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

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                      • #12
                        You're waiting on people from Wisconsin. If complaining was an Olympic sport, we'd have a lock on the gold medal every time.
                        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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                        • #13
                          Quoth Food Lady View Post
                          I am trying to figure out why women react that way to me. What am I doing wrong? But if I were doing something wrong, I think it'd be on my conscience.
                          Nobody else has mentioned this. It's because you're another woman. Just that. Some women, for some bizarre reason, see every other woman in the world as competition to them. So they need to be bitches to them and show just how much better they are than (generic) you.
                          It's floating wicker propelled by fire!

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                          • #14
                            ^ I didn't want to say it, but I think I've always had this problem, especially with coworkers who were in their 40s when I was in my 20s.

                            And Irv, YES. I have never seen anything like it! I wanna go back to California; ain't nobody got time for that there.
                            "Is it hot in here to you? It's very warm, isn't it?"--Nero, probably

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                            • #15
                              Quoth XCashier View Post
                              I wouldn't say that. In this less-than-stellar economy, it's understandable to want to stay with the job you have rather than look for something else ("the devil you know" and all that). Any income is better than no income. And, as so many of us have found out, a lot of job postings are either ancient and already filled, severely misleading, or false ads for creating spam and other problems.
                              This.

                              So much so, especially for me. Limited work experience (not that many jobs have I had since 1988 when I first hit the workforce) and I've been in this biz now almost 25 years and it just keeps getting worse.

                              But I hang in there b/c I have a family to take care of who can no longer fend for themselves (Mom has chronic health and mobility issues and my brother is mentally and developmentally challenged) and bills out the ying-yang to try to get paid.

                              We all gotta eat and pay bills and without a job, and right now any job is better than none at all. I would love to have a law requiring everybody to work at least a full year in retail or service industry but unfortunately we're not in a perfect world.

                              Don't beat yourself up, you're doing what you have to in order to survive. But if you can find something better, then you try to do that. Also, some folks lose patience as they get older - I know myself that I don't have the patience for the BS as much as I did when I was 25 (and it wasn't much back then either.)

                              Everything comes in time and things aren't always going to be this way. We may not be guaranteed the next day or much less what will happen but hang in there and vent away.
                              Human Resources - the adult version of "I'm telling Mom." - Agent Anthony "Tony" DiNozzo (NCIS)

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