Do I LOOK like Lassie to you??!!

[EVILkitten]

Here is one of my tales from a few months ago, during the terrible holiday season...
I had not even clocked in for the day, I was watching TV in the break room and wanted to go out and have a cigarette before I came in. I was walking on the runway (or racetrack, as some retail companys call them) and I passed a guy in this ridiculous straw gardening hat. The conversation went as follows, almost word for word:

SC: "I need help with these phones right here."
Me: "Okay sir, our mobile representatives are right over here (pointing 3 feet to the right to a desk of 5 available employees)- and any of them would be happy to help you"
SC: "I. AM. THE. CUSTOMER. I don't go to you. You come to me. If you want my services then YOU approach ME!! It's not MY job. So you get your ass over there and FETCH me someone who can help me out, GOT IT??!!



Now I am so pissed at this point, and hardly ever talk to customers like this, but as soon as they start dropping cuss bombs, the gloves come off.

Me: (as sweetly as i can) "Well sir, I am off the clock right now, so I really can't help you with that. You are more than welcome to let one of our other representatives how you feel. And last I checked, I'm not a dog, I don't FETCH.
You have a great day now"

And as karma would have it, the jackass had to come to my register later to check out. He of course complained about every little thing he could. I gave him a pouty face and some fake tears.

--"Stupidity isn't punishable by death. If it was, there'd be a hell of a population drop."--Laurell K. Hamilton, The Anita Blake Series

[tropicsgoddess]

What an ass.....glad he got what came to him!

[Merriweather]

. I gave him a pouty face and some fake tears.

I prefer giving a bigger than normal smile, acting as if dealing with them has just made my day - cause I have a strong feeling that way too many SCs would actually take pleasure from thinking they brought someone to tears, and I'll be d*mned if I'll give them even the slightest pleasure in their day.

[Food Lady]

EK, you are full of win. Also, when I saw the title, I thought it was going to be a story about being whistled at.

[ihatestupidppl]

I don't understand this mentality that customer service associates in ANY retail environment are some kind of a subservient-sock-puppet-drone unworthy of the public-at-large's respect. True, good customer service meets and exceeds the needs of a customer, and in that, prompt "servicing" (lol) is a factor....but under NO CIRCUMSTANCES is it EVER okay to verbally or emotionally lacerate an associate because you, as a customer, are dissatisfied. I'm so happy you said what you said, but it frustrates me that complete strangers treat other complete strangers in this fashion. I've had crappy service by many crappy people, and I have returned less than polite regards as a result, but I was raised to respect every person on the planet, and taught that there is never an excuse to be rude & offensive like that to complete strangers.

[EVILkitten]

God help the customer that whistles at me. I'd open up a can of whoop ass!!!

[Mr Hero]

Does he look like a bitch?

(Sorry, this is the first quote that came to mind after reading the topic title.)

[Lace Neil Singer]

XD A friend of mine was also treated like Lassie back when she was a waitress; a customer whistled to get her attention. She snapped back "I am not Lassie!" then feared she'd get told off. Luckily, her manager had also been subjected to whistles by this particular SC.

SC: "I. AM. THE. CUSTOMER. I don't go to you. You come to me. If you want my services then YOU approach ME!! It's not MY job. So you get your ass over there and FETCH me someone who can help me out, GOT IT??!!

Ugh. I hate this attitude by customers that we exist only to fetch and carry for them. Like the (luckily small group of) people in the petrol station who think that self service is an insult and that it's our job to wait on them hand and foot. While I don't mind pumping petrol for someone who's disabled, it's very irritating when an able bodied person is demanding assistance and we can't refuse.

[Evandril]

Ahhh, would be sooo much fun to pull out your cell at that point, call the cops, and tell them you have someone who wants to be 'walked' Not feasable, but I can dream, can't I?

[PepperElf]

This is why i bring a coat to work now. I call it my "anti-customer shield". I've mentioned this before... military flight jacket. it completely covers my uniform shirt so i don't look like a computer tech to the customers.

ever since i started doing that i haven't been bugged a single time while off the clock.

[Jay 2K Winger]

I've shut down a customer who snapped his fingers at me once, though I did it politely and after helping him.

J2K: "In the future, don't snap your fingers at me."
SC: "Why not?"
J2K: "Because that's how you call a dog. I'm not a dog."
SC: "...well, you shouldn't use it to call a woman then, either!"
J2K: "No you shouldn't, sir."
SC: "Thanks." (he meant it for the assist, not for the correction)

[downforit2008]

What a jackass. I remember a customer about 2 years ago giving me a whistle in the parking lot, and saying, "Hey, you! Hey, kid! Come over here!"
What really pissed me off about the "kid" remark was that he was pretty much younger than me, still in college, as I've seen him come often with a friend talking about midterms and crap like that. I narrowed my eyes and said stiffly, "I'll be glad to help you out as soon as you stop whistling at me like I'm your pet dog, and I'm not a KID either. I'm 27 years old!"
He grumbled a little in return, but asked me in a much nicer tone if I could help him with a carryout. College kid finally learned some manners at a store! Could be that he might just earn a Masters in "Courtesy."

[Mytical]

Whistling, snapping of fingers, and the 'come here motion' (one finger crook it and motion toward yourself)..should be offenses that people get banned for. It is rude, condescending, and just plain wrong. We are not animals, personal servants, or such. I'm more then happy to help somebody, but I will flat out ignore this. If you stomp up to me and ask why I didn't respond..

"Oh I thought you had a service animal somewhere in the store. Since you could only be calling for such. Now I am more then happy to help you now that you are needing assistance from ME. What can I do for you??"