Customers Catching Your Attention

[Lace Neil Singer]

Now I wish I'd called the police and had proddy lady up for assault.

[Crazyredhead]

I have a bad habit of drumming my fingers on anything flat or tapping the card that I am holding card, especially when I am waiting. I don't mean anything by it. I sometimes catch it and stop. I sometimes get looks from the cashier but I do apoligize and tell them that it is habit.

I'm sorry, but even if my fingers were broke I would still tap the cast on the counter and not realise it.

[Pezzle]

The worst one is when they just stand very still and stare like a hungry animal. I'll do a millisecond glance and see it, and go back to what I was doing (fixing computers). Then I'll just feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up and stay there. They're still staring. Finally, I whip my head over and look and they just point to the ad angrily.

This always produces the "go back to what I was doing and not help you" response

[XCashier]

The worst one is when they just stand very still and stare like a hungry animal.

Ooh, I hated that! They stand behind you, silent as death, glaring at you like they're trying to get you to read their minds. Sometimes when I was stocking things, I'd be so absorbed in what I'm doing I didn't even know someone was there, until I stepped backward and bumped into them. Then I got yelled at because I didn't notice them standing behind me where I can't see them!

Haven't had my backside smacked, thankfully, though I think I would've been quite justified to hit them back. Hell, they started it by hitting me!

[Pagan]

When I was a waitress, I had men smack me on the ass to get my attention.

Anybody smacks my ass won't be doing it again seeing as they will be pulling back a bloody stump.

They stand behind you, silent as death, glaring at you like they're trying to get you to read their minds. Sometimes when I was stocking things, I'd be so absorbed in what I'm doing I didn't even know someone was there, until I stepped backward and bumped into them. Then I got yelled at because I didn't notice them standing behind me where I can't see them!

I hate that, too! Thing is though, as others have found out, it is virtually impossible to sneak up on me. I always know when someone's behind me. BUT, I don't let them know that I know they're there until they decide to be civilized and say something!

[mattm04]

I will ignore a customers who whistles as long as possible. I hate the ones who stand somewhere where you can't see them or act like they are looking at something. I was in my back room and you can not see the main counter area from the storage area. I am puttgn away supplies (we hand just got a huge load in) and it took me about 5-10 minutes. I didn't hear a hello, knock, anything. I walk over to the counter area to check on some pies i had in the oven. This is how it went:

Me: ...
DAB: dumb ass bitch
DAB: (screaming)Why did you not serve me
Me: I'm sorry I did nut hear you.
DAB: I never said anything. IT'S YOU JOB TO KNOW WHEN I WANT HELP!!!
what am i a mind reader, sheesh....
Me: How can i help you?
DAB: whitr on my cake. NOW!
Me: What do you want?
DAB: Happy Birthday
Me: Any color you would prefer?
DAB: Whatever.
I look at the cake it has red, green, and yellow balloons.
Me: Is Red OK?
DAB: yes.
I write on the cake and hand it back.
DAB: Just so you know, I will not purchase this cake. You did not serve me when I wanted to be served. I jut mad you write on it because I wanted YOU (i'm white) to know what it feels like to be discriminated against (she's black)
As she walks off she sees another customer, throws the cake on the ground. Container comes open and makes a huge mess. Yells "<company name> is racist against ni*****. " And walks out.

[Lehk]

I will ignore a customers who whistles as long as possible. I hate the ones who stand somewhere where you can't see them or act like they are looking at something. I was in my back room and you can not see the main counter area from the storage area. I am puttgn away supplies (we hand just got a huge load in) and it took me about 5-10 minutes. I didn't hear a hello, knock, anything. I walk over to the counter area to check on some pies i had in the oven. This is how it went:

Me: ...
DAB: dumb ass bitch
DAB: (screaming)Why did you not serve me
Me: I'm sorry I did nut hear you.
DAB: I never said anything. IT'S YOU JOB TO KNOW WHEN I WANT HELP!!!
what am i a mind reader, sheesh....
Me: How can i help you?
DAB: whitr on my cake. NOW!
Me: What do you want?
DAB: Happy Birthday
Me: Any color you would prefer?
DAB: Whatever.
I look at the cake it has red, green, and yellow balloons.
Me: Is Red OK?
DAB: yes.
I write on the cake and hand it back.
DAB: Just so you know, I will not purchase this cake. You did not serve me when I wanted to be served. I jut mad you write on it because I wanted YOU (i'm white) to know what it feels like to be discriminated against (she's black)
As she walks off she sees another customer, throws the cake on the ground. Container comes open and makes a huge mess. Yells "<company name> is racist against ni*****. " And walks out.

i would have followed her out, gotten her plates, and pressed charges for destruction of property / vandalism

[Iced Coffee Man]

Today I had some woman yell "EXCUSE ME!" from the other end of the aisle, that's the worst I've experienced. She was actually polite when I got up to her, I don't know why she had to be so rude at first.
I've never been whistled at or have someone snap their fingers or any of that crap.

[Becks]

I am not temperamentally suited to being around people anymore. My first thought reading this was "... So I can throw it back at them after setting it on fire."

And the problem with your first thought is...?

DAB: Just so you know, I will not purchase this cake. You did not serve me when I wanted to be served. I jut mad you write on it because I wanted YOU (i'm white) to know what it feels like to be discriminated against (she's black)
As she walks off she sees another customer, throws the cake on the ground. Container comes open and makes a huge mess. Yells "<company name> is racist against ni*****. " And walks out.

And a manager was called in when?

I hope she's banned now.

[jigshoes86]

Probably my most memoriable way a person has gotten my attention was this man, who it would turn out, barely spoke English, save for "Excuse Me" in the most annoyingly impatient tone ever.

The way the store is set up, there is a counter, and then a tiny little area our employees can step through to the back of house. There is an "office" on the other side of the wall between the counter -okay it's a desk and some phones and computers. I was in the office, at the desk, taking an order. I can't see through the wall obviously, though this guy thought I should.

I hear the door open, politely ask the person I'm helping on the phone (I'm alone at this point save a driver who was on a run) to hold, call back quite clearly and suffiecently loudly for him to hear "I'm with a customer I'll be there in a few moments" I thought is a fine way of handling him.

Apparently he was not pleased. He took to banging on the counter, I'm trying to finish this order (of course it was one of those orders- don't know what they want, change it a million times etc) then, when that doesn't work he proceeds to whistle and call back "Excuse Me". I finally finish the order I'm with, about the time he decides to step back into the little space and lean around the wall to get my attention.

I'm sure if Hell exists, it's reflection was in my eyes then. All sense of politeness was GONE...he'd crossed my rather thick line into plain old jack-ass.
"Sir, this area is for employees only. I was on the phone with another customer. Now, what can I get for you." All this through like clinched jaw, gritted teeth, with glint of doom in my eyes. He proceeds to order something rather small in comparession to his impatience....i think it was like a double order of hot wings. I think his entire vocabulary consited of "two orders" "hot wings" and of course, "Excuse me". Then he proceeds to sit and watch me do my job with this god-awful sickly smirk. Like he'd won something.


And I get drivers that I have to cash in that if I'm not right there right then they will whistle or snap their fingers. Or my favorite - Call "Driver In" with this tone like I'm expected to forget everything else I'm doing- be it cutting pizzas, making pizzas,bagging orders, or taking orders - and take their money. They can wait a minute or two...nothing is that big of a hurry.

I'm not a flippin' dog- cause if I was, I would have bitten them all at least once by now.

[delorean623]

Last night, at 'your entertainment superstore', someone was standing over at Customer Service... I was at register 4. CS is Reg 1, at this store. They were waiting to finish an application for a video rental membership.... I had no guests, and was reading a company training book for front counter managers (I was bored). They were tapping on the counter, making noises, trying to do anything to get me to come over there. Not happening. Someone in another line whistled at me to get my attention.... and in a move that pissed me off, I looked. (My dad does the same thing, so its a habit for me to perk up and see whats going on)

I've had a few say they're not coming back, and when they say that, I turn around and erase any record of them in our rental database.

[Tito]

I then withdrew from the cage, budgie in hand, and said to her, "Wait, can't you?! I'm helping someone else right now!" She then withdrew, mumbling an apology, and I went back to what I was doing.

She sounds like your typical bully.... acts all tough, but backs right off when confronted. I work with a lady like that. She'll give you a hard time, but she backs right off if you give it back to her.

[sms001]

What's the worst way a customer has ever done to get your attention.

Waving hand over head, then when I look in that direction, pointing at the ground at their feet.

[Lace Neil Singer]

She sounds like your typical bully.... acts all tough, but backs right off when confronted. I work with a lady like that. She'll give you a hard time, but she backs right off if you give it back to her.

Yeah, that sounds like her. When I did eventually help her, she was all meek and calm; very different from her annoying proddiness earlier.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I was once at work, late for my break, and finally had my chance to run. So I stopped at the customer service desk to tell the person there (who was helping a customer) that I was going on my break. As I walked away, the next person on line said, to my back, no excuse me, no preface or anything, "Where can I find ..." Stupid me, I turned around and ended up helping her. I should have just kept walking and "assumed" she was talking to the girl at the desk...