This story is from about a month ago. I work in the health and beauty care department of a large Super Target and Wal-Mart-esque store. I am basically a slave who "conditions" (straightens) everything from the shampoo to the condoms, vitamins to toothpaste and Tylenol. I was in the cosmetics aisle picking up all off the merchandise that people drop on the basedecks and leave (since it's apparently just sooo unbearably hard for people to hang things back up) when the lady browsing next to me initiates a conversation.
Lady (using this term loosely): "Do you know which waterproof eyeliner works the best and doesn't smudge all over?"
Me: (still on my knees): "Sorry, I'm really not sure." (in a very polite, apologetic tone)
Lady: "..You work in this department, right?"
Me: "Yeah."
Lady: "Well, imma talk to a manager."
Me: (getting to my feet) "Talk to a manager? Why?" (in a neutral tone)
(no response)
Me: "Ma'am, I work in everything from vitamins to hair care, I can't be an expert on everything."
Lady: "Oh yeah, I'm gonna tell the manager ALL about you."
Me: "I could ask a co-worker a couple aisles down if she knows anything about waterproof-"
(too late, she's already huffed off, ignoring me)
So a minute later I'm a couple of aisles down telling my co-worker about this crazy lady. In retrospect I know I should have waited until I knew for certain she had vacated the area before speaking about her, but I was just so flabbergasted I didn't think and had to tell someone about the situation.
As I'm talking, the lady walks by. "Are YOU the manager?" *to my co-worker*
Co-worker: "No, she can get you one, though."
Me: *pulling out my phone* "I can call a manager over here."
(Too late, she's not listening, already walking towards the checkout lanes)
I then see her over at the lanes, ranting to the cashier supervisor about me. Waving her arms, the whole nine yards. I approach just as the sup says, "I'll talk to her" and crazy bitch leaves.
Supervisor: "Come with me to the office."
Me: (thinking what??)
Sup: *closes door, turns around* "Number one. The customer is always right."
Me: *look of disgust, I turn to leave, getting pissed*
Sup: "Hey, hey, wait, come here!!"
Me: *turns back obligingly*
Sup: "Second...always look the customer in the eye when speaking to them . And three...NEVER talk about a customer on the sales floor. I would be pretty upset too if that were me!"
(SERIOUSLY? If you go around acting like a c**t, of course people are going to talk!
Okay. So apparently a big part of why this lady was so pissed, apart from me not being "knowledgeable" enough about cosmetics and talking about her was that I didn't meet her eyes when replying to her query. Maybe because I was on my knees still, and looking around at the various eyeliners while answering? Jesus, was I supposed to leap to my feet, salute her, and stare her in the eyes? Who in the hell gets this worked up over such trivial things???
It doesn't end there. That night I had a bad feeling about her so I went onto my chain's Facebook page. The most recent comment, right at the top of the page, is her ranting about me and my lack of customer service. I have all the luck, right? Out of 200 and some stores and all that goes down in them, some of them legitimate complaints, her comment has to be at the top of the page. Of course she twisted it around so that my response to her question about the eyeliner was, "Ummm....I dunno" and then, according to her, I turned away and left. She also said that instead of asking her why she wanted a manager, I said, "What's the manager gonna do?!" Also, that my co-worker answered her query as to whether or not she was a manager in a very snotty tone. Riiight.
I then proceeded to make a fake Facebook account. I then responded (very politely, mind you) to her post, explaining what REALLY occurred, as well as apologizing for any misunderstanding between us. That night I tossed and turned worrying that corporate would be calling the store asking about me and I'd be in huge trouble. In the morning I logged on only to find her post...gone. She had apparently deleted it. Perhaps she came to her senses? Realized how stupid she looked across from my voice of reason?
I never heard another word about the incident.
Lady (using this term loosely): "Do you know which waterproof eyeliner works the best and doesn't smudge all over?"
Me: (still on my knees): "Sorry, I'm really not sure." (in a very polite, apologetic tone)
Lady: "..You work in this department, right?"
Me: "Yeah."
Lady: "Well, imma talk to a manager."
Me: (getting to my feet) "Talk to a manager? Why?" (in a neutral tone)
(no response)
Me: "Ma'am, I work in everything from vitamins to hair care, I can't be an expert on everything."
Lady: "Oh yeah, I'm gonna tell the manager ALL about you."
Me: "I could ask a co-worker a couple aisles down if she knows anything about waterproof-"
(too late, she's already huffed off, ignoring me)
So a minute later I'm a couple of aisles down telling my co-worker about this crazy lady. In retrospect I know I should have waited until I knew for certain she had vacated the area before speaking about her, but I was just so flabbergasted I didn't think and had to tell someone about the situation.
As I'm talking, the lady walks by. "Are YOU the manager?" *to my co-worker*
Co-worker: "No, she can get you one, though."
Me: *pulling out my phone* "I can call a manager over here."
(Too late, she's not listening, already walking towards the checkout lanes)
I then see her over at the lanes, ranting to the cashier supervisor about me. Waving her arms, the whole nine yards. I approach just as the sup says, "I'll talk to her" and crazy bitch leaves.
Supervisor: "Come with me to the office."
Me: (thinking what??)
Sup: *closes door, turns around* "Number one. The customer is always right."
Me: *look of disgust, I turn to leave, getting pissed*
Sup: "Hey, hey, wait, come here!!"
Me: *turns back obligingly*
Sup: "Second...always look the customer in the eye when speaking to them . And three...NEVER talk about a customer on the sales floor. I would be pretty upset too if that were me!"
(SERIOUSLY? If you go around acting like a c**t, of course people are going to talk!
Okay. So apparently a big part of why this lady was so pissed, apart from me not being "knowledgeable" enough about cosmetics and talking about her was that I didn't meet her eyes when replying to her query. Maybe because I was on my knees still, and looking around at the various eyeliners while answering? Jesus, was I supposed to leap to my feet, salute her, and stare her in the eyes? Who in the hell gets this worked up over such trivial things???
It doesn't end there. That night I had a bad feeling about her so I went onto my chain's Facebook page. The most recent comment, right at the top of the page, is her ranting about me and my lack of customer service. I have all the luck, right? Out of 200 and some stores and all that goes down in them, some of them legitimate complaints, her comment has to be at the top of the page. Of course she twisted it around so that my response to her question about the eyeliner was, "Ummm....I dunno" and then, according to her, I turned away and left. She also said that instead of asking her why she wanted a manager, I said, "What's the manager gonna do?!" Also, that my co-worker answered her query as to whether or not she was a manager in a very snotty tone. Riiight.
I then proceeded to make a fake Facebook account. I then responded (very politely, mind you) to her post, explaining what REALLY occurred, as well as apologizing for any misunderstanding between us. That night I tossed and turned worrying that corporate would be calling the store asking about me and I'd be in huge trouble. In the morning I logged on only to find her post...gone. She had apparently deleted it. Perhaps she came to her senses? Realized how stupid she looked across from my voice of reason?
I never heard another word about the incident.
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