This woman WAS one of my favorite customers that came into my store (every 2 weeks or so,) but she had her flaws. She is a politician, and a very bitter one at that. It seems from one of her 73268594739434793482834209875349 minute rants that another politician beat her out of a seat in some sort of government position, and she felt she was more qualified. She has political convos with everyone who comes into contact with her, and at first I didn't mind it but lately its just been boring to talk to her (it doesn't help that I don't understand a damn word she says half the time.) But that's not the main issue. Neither, however, is the fact that she has apparently memorized every law there has EVER been in CT, for she is always quoting laws and threatening to take people to court over minor things (like tonite, when I told her I couldn't change the price of one of two identical shirts to the lower one, but my manager eventually did.)
Enough of the backstory. The problem began when she was talking to my cw. In her statement, she used a word of profanity (f-bomb.) Now if it had just happened once, during a convo with him, I wouldn't be writing this. She then has conversations with several hapless customers, in which she is yelling profanity in the store. An older gentleman calls her out on it and she basically tells him off. I finish my customer and immediately go talk to the gentleman. I knew instantly that the woman was out of line, and wanted to do some damage control. I explained my take on it as a retail worker, which was essentially the same as his. He actually asked me to call the police on the woman, but I was reluctant to do so. A short time later, the woman comes to ring out her stuff. I very politely begin to talk to her about using profanity. I say something along the lines of "Try and not use profanity in a store where young children are around." She basically says "I can do whatever I want. I have freedom of speech." I repeat my position to her, but then my supervisor shows up and I shut my mouth. She also talks to the woman, and then starts to walk away. The woman unleashes at me again, and my sup calls the store manager. She comes out and the situation has calmed itself down to where I was just ringing her up. I forgot to mention that the older gentleman and his wife were observing this whole conversation as the next in line, and as soon as my sup showed up, I called my cw to ring out the couple. They leave, and the woman eventually is rung out. I say with no eye contact and no sincerity (unbeknownst to anyone) "Have a nice day." Then I immediately turn to my sup and say "I need to go to the back NOW" and she understood. As I was leaving, she apparently said to my cw those immortal words "I will not shop here again." I went to the back room where my manager and the sup and another manager were standing. I immediately explained the whole situation and was told that I handled it well, but that I should've kicked her the hell out. Hopefully she never comes back.
A couple of side notes: I am not sure how the freedom of speech works but I'm pretty sure using profanity in a store is not a part of that. Also, the woman said "Bulls---, there are no kids in the store." Which was BS bc not only had I just rung one out right before her, but one walked right behind her as she said that.
A final note, my manager calls me about an hour later, telling me that she was relaying a message to me from the nice couple who had to deal with that piece of trash's language. She told me that they had said I had handled the situation with class and professionalism. That is exactly what I had needed to hear.
I am sad that I didn't get a chance to respond to her ending tirade, but it might have cost me my job if I did. I would've said something along the lines of "I cannot force you to do anything. But as a retail worker, it is certainly better to lose the business of one customer than dozens who are offended by the behavior you just showed.
Eek that was long. Sorry
Enough of the backstory. The problem began when she was talking to my cw. In her statement, she used a word of profanity (f-bomb.) Now if it had just happened once, during a convo with him, I wouldn't be writing this. She then has conversations with several hapless customers, in which she is yelling profanity in the store. An older gentleman calls her out on it and she basically tells him off. I finish my customer and immediately go talk to the gentleman. I knew instantly that the woman was out of line, and wanted to do some damage control. I explained my take on it as a retail worker, which was essentially the same as his. He actually asked me to call the police on the woman, but I was reluctant to do so. A short time later, the woman comes to ring out her stuff. I very politely begin to talk to her about using profanity. I say something along the lines of "Try and not use profanity in a store where young children are around." She basically says "I can do whatever I want. I have freedom of speech." I repeat my position to her, but then my supervisor shows up and I shut my mouth. She also talks to the woman, and then starts to walk away. The woman unleashes at me again, and my sup calls the store manager. She comes out and the situation has calmed itself down to where I was just ringing her up. I forgot to mention that the older gentleman and his wife were observing this whole conversation as the next in line, and as soon as my sup showed up, I called my cw to ring out the couple. They leave, and the woman eventually is rung out. I say with no eye contact and no sincerity (unbeknownst to anyone) "Have a nice day." Then I immediately turn to my sup and say "I need to go to the back NOW" and she understood. As I was leaving, she apparently said to my cw those immortal words "I will not shop here again." I went to the back room where my manager and the sup and another manager were standing. I immediately explained the whole situation and was told that I handled it well, but that I should've kicked her the hell out. Hopefully she never comes back.
A couple of side notes: I am not sure how the freedom of speech works but I'm pretty sure using profanity in a store is not a part of that. Also, the woman said "Bulls---, there are no kids in the store." Which was BS bc not only had I just rung one out right before her, but one walked right behind her as she said that.
A final note, my manager calls me about an hour later, telling me that she was relaying a message to me from the nice couple who had to deal with that piece of trash's language. She told me that they had said I had handled the situation with class and professionalism. That is exactly what I had needed to hear.
I am sad that I didn't get a chance to respond to her ending tirade, but it might have cost me my job if I did. I would've said something along the lines of "I cannot force you to do anything. But as a retail worker, it is certainly better to lose the business of one customer than dozens who are offended by the behavior you just showed.
Eek that was long. Sorry
Comment