Cruelest Review Ever

[jjllbb]

Customers can take surveys online about their experience in our store.

There are the typical unhappy comments about long lines and clutter in the store, etc. But one woman went above and beyond B**CH in my opinion.

Among other things this was what she wrote about a co-worker of mine who had a cold that day:

"I had to endure your disgusting employee who was snortling throughout the entire thing. First she YELLED at us saying that another register was open. But I'd already waited all that time and I was next so I stayed and was forced to listen to her snorts. I hope in the future you will segregate sick employees to the back of the store where we will not have to see them."


HOLY MOTHER.

First of all, I worked that day. And i KNOW my co-worker wasn't dripping with snot or wiping her nose with her hands or anything of the sort. I didn't even realize she had a cold that day. I only found out when she asked for a decongestant.

I wish there was some way for me to let that woman know what i flaming witch she is.

Since the MOD has to review all bad cashier scores with associates, my co-worker got called in to discuss the survey and she left in TEARS.

So wrong.

[kibbles]

I agree that the customer's wording of the complaint was horrible; but, the point was still valid. If an employee is sick they shouldn't and shouldn't be expected to come into work that day. But I guess that goes back to the policies of the mangers, etc.

The woman's complaint should have ended with sick employees should not be expected to show up for work that day.

[jjllbb]

I guess that's where you and I disagree. I can see someone staying home because they're spewing vomit, fainting, what-have-you.

But do you honestly expect someone surviving on a RETAIL SALARY to miss out on an entire day's work due to a mild cold?

I don't.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I wish I would've called in sick for at least one of my last two shifts. I really do.

But I can't afford to take any unpaid days off, and I want to save my vacation for when I'm actually going to do pleasant things with it. If I had personal time left, it would be a no-brainer. But I don't. Bad economy and all that.

[Android Kaeli]

Unless it's deathbed sick or there's a family emergency, I'd be staying at work too. For me being sick isn't an excuse to call out of work, hell I've stayed when I've felt like I was about to faint.

While I understand that customers don't really want to have an employee help them when he/she is sick, most retail people just can't get out of work when they have a cold. A missed day of work could be the turning point for not getting rent paid.

[Anthony K. S.]

Not too long ago, I was suffering from a bit of a cold. It wasn't a really bad one, though, and I chose to go in to work rather than call out because :

1. I really need to conserve my paid time-off as much as possible, and taking unpaid time-off is, for me (like so many who are living on a retail employee's salary), something to be avoided if at all possible.

2. My store, like so many others, has had its staffing cut to the bare bones as it is. Just one employee calling out sick on a given day can result in a significant increase in the burden of work on the other employees in the store.

So I was at my cash register, working as usual. Many of my customers noticed that I wasn't feeling well, and several of them offered words of sympathy, saying "I hope you feel better," and such, which I appreciated.

And then there was this lady . . .

As I was ringing her up and giving her the usual "Do you have a discount card with us?" spiel . . . She looked at me and said, in a very critical tone of voice, "You sound like you have a cold, and you're flushed like you have a fever."

Despite the evidence to the contrary (her tone of voice, mainly), I foolishly assumed that she was, like my other customers, offering sympathy. (Yeah, right. Would I be telling you folks about her if she was?)

I gave her a weak smile and said, "It's not that bad."

And she said, in that same critical tone of voice, "Well, you know, you could be very contagious."

I decided to let that pass without comment, and the rest of the transaction was pretty routine.

To be fair, I should note that, as she was leaving my register, she said, "I hope you feel better." (I suppose that she might have realized how insensitive her remarks sounded, and was trying to back-pedal at the end.)

Later on, I told one of my co-workers about this incident. She looked appalled and said, "That is so rude!" Another of my co-workers commented, "It's not like you were making her food or anything." (I work in a bookstore.)


But . . . Despite my customer's insensitivity, I would be willing to acknowledge that she did have a legitimate concern about catching a cold from a sick employee waiting on her.

(Although . . . As has been pointed out, many retail workers often can't afford to just miss a day's work. And besides, in the winter, you're about as likely (if not more) to catch a cold just from being outside, from riding on a public bus or train . . . or, if you're in a retail store or any other public place, you're as likely to catch a cold from the customer standing next to you as you are from an employee.)

The customer in the OP, on the other hand, went way beyond what could be termed "insensitive."

Again, if she had expressed a concern about catching a cold from a sick employee, I might have been willing to concede that she had a point.

But it sounded to me like her only complaint was that she didn't want to look at or listen to a person who was sick. And that is incredibly petty, in my view, even by SC standards.

And my disdain for this customer's complaint is compounded by (1) the fact that the customer outright lied, saying that the employee was more visibly sick than she actually was, and (2) the horribly rude way she worded her comments.


"I had to endure your disgusting employee . . . forced to listen to her snorts . . . segregate sick employees to the back of the store where we will not have to see them."


The customer loses all credibility the moment she treats an employee like something that belongs in a petri dish.

[laundryhater]

I have to agree with the customer who filled out the comment card in the OP's post.

I wouldn't want to be checked out by someone who's sick either.

I agree with someone else here who said she should have worded it better. Maybe something along the lines of:

Does your company give employees paid sick leave?

If so, please make (name of sick employee) aware of that company policy as she served me on (date & time) while sick.

I'm not happy about having been served by a sick employee who may have been contagious.

If it is not your company's policy to give employees paid sick leave, please seriously consider doing so. Some people's immune systems are such that if they caught a simple cold it could be deadly for them. Your company's policy of not encouraging sick employees to stay home thru paid time off as incentive may be putting your customers' lives at risk. I'm sure the State Health Department would be interested in this information.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter. I look forward to a reply soon."

[Ironclad Alibi]

And she said, in that same critical tone of voice, "Well, you know, you could be very contagious."

"I know. I caught it from a customer."

[ArcticChicken]

And this is why I tell people it's allergies.

I always do my best to make sure I don't pass it on to others, but I cannot afford to take unpaid time off because I'm a little snerfily. If you don't want to deal with sick retail employees, then shop somewhere where they pay them a living wage.

[Anakah]

At my work we get pointed for call offs and too many=fired. My fiance only gets three times out of the year to call off.

I get that it sucks to be served by someone who has a cold but they don't really have a choice... As long as they use a tissue and not the back of their hand or the front... I've gone to work sick quite a few times.

[fireheart]

I have to agree with the customer who filled out the comment card in the OP's post.

I wouldn't want to be checked out by someone who's sick either.

I agree with someone else here who said she should have worded it better. Maybe something along the lines of:

Does your company give employees paid sick leave?

If so, please make (name of sick employee) aware of that company policy as she served me on (date & time) while sick.

I'm not happy about having been served by a sick employee who may have been contagious.

If it is not your company's policy to give employees paid sick leave, please seriously consider doing so. Some people's immune systems are such that if they caught a simple cold it could be deadly for them. Your company's policy of not encouraging sick employees to stay home thru paid time off as incentive may be putting your customers' lives at risk. I'm sure the State Health Department would be interested in this information.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter. I look forward to a reply soon."

There are other factors to consider as well...while snortling may be a sign of a cold or the flu, things like hayfever and that tend to crop up as well...try explaining THAT to your boss.

Having said that, I very rarely call in sick with the exception of three things...

1) I've got a cold/flu/virus that's contagious and I've usually had doctor's orders to take the day off.
2) Panic or stress attacks, or a depressive episode. Very rarely do these occur, I've only had to call in sick for one of them. My boss knows about mine and is fairly understanding.

Basically: as long as I get a sick note from the doctor, I'm covered, with general discretion.

If it's hayfever or a reaction to the chemicals at work, I buy a biiig box of tissues, leave it on my register and spritz my hands with the hand sanitizer CONSTANTLY!

As for going home during a shift...well, girly issues tend to occasionally leave me feeling very faint, very sore and very lethargic, but how do you explain THAT to your (very much male) boss? (I don't know why, but I feel uncomfortable explaining that Aunt Flo's visiting to him) I've only gone home a few times because of it.

"I know. I caught it from a customer."

I know it's wrong, but THAT made me laugh. It's true though, sometimes customers can pass on colds/flu what have you and unfortunately, not all companies provide flu shots.

[roguesqd]

yep most retail places don't care if you are sick or not, they want you at work, they also count all days missed(sick or not, doctors note or not) against you, and too many of those and it can lead to write ups or even termination.

These days it seems having sick time is useless unless you are in the hospital because they don't want you to take it

[candyshopgirl]

I just got "talked to"because I called off two weeks ago on a monday,and I called off yesterday(monday) so I could go to the doctor. My boss gave me a verbal warning about too many mondays. Even though I had proof about the doctor. I've been having a lot of allergies issues. So yeah the customers can screw off. I can't afford to call off all the time because of a little allergy problem.

[Talon]

yep most retail places don't care if you are sick or not, they want you at work, they also count all days missed(sick or not, doctors note or not) against you, and too many of those and it can lead to write ups or even termination.

These days it seems having sick time is useless unless you are in the hospital because they don't want you to take it

Therein lies the true source of suck.

These morons in management don't seem to realize that a sick employee showing up for work is a greater liability than if they called out. Sick employees are less productive, and could spread their sickness to other employees. And in this case, generate complaints from customers. But good luck convincing them.

[tigger222]

My job works on a point system for sick days if you get ten points you are fired and these points stay on your record for a year. I can't afford to call in every time I am sick not only do to lost pay but because if I called in every time that I was sick I would be without a job.