No, you didn't make your payment here.

[Andara Bledin]

We don't even run a store, and we've had random people just wander into our warehouse.

Sometimes they are customers or potential customers.

One group is a bunch of gypsies. It's a whole clan, they move around in several beat-up pickup trucks full of junk, and we once bought a box of product that we realized later had likely been stolen from our warehouse.

One time we had a teenager who was trying to unload candy wander into the warehouse.

Another time it was one of the roving sales guys for the closeout warehouse down the street. He didn't like that I told him management didn't allow soliciting, so he went outside and headed for the warehouse. I sicced the manager on him.

^-.-^

[MadMike]

I had one customer that walked into the back room to yell at someone because he was ringing for service in the Produce department, and no one was answering it.

What really sucked was that it happened just as I walked back there to clock in, and I was the one who got yelled at. I didn't even work in that department.

After that little exchange, I found the Produce person in the breakroom having a cigarette (remember, this was the late 80's, back before smoking had been banned from most places like it is today), and I went off on her. Everyone else was supposed to make sure they had someone else to cover the bell before they went on lunch or break, but I guess she thought she was special somehow.

[aurelemsrealm]

(what part of NO don't you understand, the N or the O?)

I've never heard it put that way before, but that's hilarious! I think I'm going to start using that one on disagreeable customers.

At my store, the coffee makers are behind the counter. We have pot warmers on the counters for customer access. The counter extends across most of the width of the store. The registers and safe are way inside the employees only area. A few of the regular customers will help themselves to the coffee makers if we get busy with customers. That really doesn't bother me so long as I know them and they stay near the coffee makers. If I don't know them, I will let them know that it's employees only.

[Dips]

Someone tried it once when I was a bank teller. In our nation's capital, on Sparks Street, which handles the accounts for government bigwigs and foreign diplomats. Major security at this branch. This nitwit decides she'll try to slip behind the tellers desk to grab a pen. She was almost tackled by two guards. She won't be doing that again any time soon.

I wish the bank I used to work at had that kind of security. A lot of our customers thought nothing of walking into the teller area or practically climbing through the window to grab things to try to "help" count money.

We even had one jerk who routinely waltzed into the vault unescorted.

Could we put up locked doors or at least stop them and speak to them? Of course not, that would make us look customer unfriendly. And we couldn't be hurting their pwecious wittle feelings.

[Sir Spaniard the 12th]

I've only had this happen once, that I can remember... Not sure exactly what happened, but I was making a sandwich for someone, and another customer, while my back was turned, walked around the counter to the food hotbox to get something, at which point I happened to turn around and see him doing so. Which lead to this exchange:

Me:"What the HELL do you think you're doing??"
Him: "I'm... ah.. getting some food."
M: "GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN."
H: " What? Why?"
M: "..Are you seriously that stupid? Get out!"
H: "I'm never gonna come here again! You---"
Me: (cutting him off) You're right. You're not. You're not welcome anymore.
*Storms out while cursing at me*

According to a customer, he actually went around the long way.. which lead past the cash registers. If I'd caught him up there, I would have used less words and more tackles.

I don't mind people slipping in to grab the sauce bottles/salt or whatnot, provided they're nice and polite.. and know that it's a staff area, so they do it quick. Which most people normally are.

[MinimaMagistra]

The kicker is that teen boy was like nearly 2 feet taller than me and I totally pwned him with a cookie jar.

I love that image. It's the motivation poster for how coustomer service should be. Serving with a marked lack of servility.

I have had dreams about coustomers coming behind the counter at my coffee place. It's nighttime and I'm the only one working there and I'm eating pine nuts for some reason and it's like one of those damned zombie flicks, the hopeless effort at stemming the tide. I'd go to stop those coming through the gap between the counters and then have to go intercept people crawling over the counter!

Haaaate dreams like that. I woke up and I was just .

[Shironu-Akaineko]

That reminds me of the time I DID smack a customer's hand.

I once smacked a teen's hand with the glass lid of my cookie jar, trapping it. He went "But they're free cookies!"

"Yes, but I'M giving them away. Get your paw out of there, it's NOT sanitary!"

I gave him his (with embarrassed dad's approval due to possible nut allergies) with a glove and a piece of paper to carry it with him, then threw the rest out. It was only like 3 cookies left, luckily.


I can't believe I can pull this off without getting fired. The kicker is that teen boy was like nearly 2 feet taller than me and I totally pwned him with a cookie jar.

[Shironu-Akaineko]

"I used to work in a bakery" is a reason they should be able to come behind the counter at your bakery? Just because I used to work at B&N doesn't mean I get to go behind the counter at Borders..!

They think so, but I reply with "Yeah, USED TO, not anymore, get out."

I'm the only one who gets physical with walk-in customers, but I always do it as calm ly and cheerfully as I can. Even if I am boiling in rage inside.

[BookstoreEscapee]

The only place I will reach behind the counter is the cafe at Store2, and only when I know the person working. Then I might grab a lid or a clean cup (sometimes they overflow the cup without realizing and it makes a mess; and I've been known to add sugar to my tea and accidentally knock the lid into the trash hole in the counter...more than once )

"I used to work in a bakery" is a reason they should be able to come behind the counter at your bakery? Just because I used to work at B&N doesn't mean I get to go behind the counter at Borders..!

[Boozy]

Customers going behind the registers for any reason is a big pet peeve of mine. At the cafe, they'd get behind there to grab their own take out coffee cups. I'd go rushing over there to stop them and they would inevitably say something like "No, no! Its okay! I'll just grab it myself!"

That would be like me fishing through their purse or wallets for the money when its time to pay.
"No, no! You don't need to dig out your own cash! I can just help myself, thanks!"


Someone tried it once when I was a bank teller. In our nation's capital, on Sparks Street, which handles the accounts for government bigwigs and foreign diplomats. Major security at this branch. This nitwit decides she'll try to slip behind the tellers desk to grab a pen. She was almost tackled by two guards. She won't be doing that again any time soon.

[Becks]

(what part of NO don't you understand, the N or the O?)

They don't understand the word "no" because you are OBVIOUSLY saying it in French and/or Spanish.

[coldcupofjoe]

That reminds me of the time I DID smack a customer's hand.

I've been smacked on the hand by a cashier before. She dropped some of my change and I darted for it at the same time as she did but I got there first. She started to freak out but I just laughed and she relaxed

[Broomjockey]

That reminds me of the time I DID smack a customer's hand. He was reaching to pull his ticket out of the printer, instead of waiting for me to do it. As I'd already had several people reef on the machine, and coming close to damaging it, I reacted on instinct and just smacked the back of his hand. Not hard, but just a flick of my fingers in a "bad boy!" kind of fashion. Neither of us said anything, but my eyes kind of widened when I realized what I did.

[Bloodsoul]

I wonder if it would be justifiable to smack their hands with a ruler? Bad customer! Go sit in the corner and think about what you've done!

[Shironu-Akaineko]

No concept of restricted area at all. I have customers walk in the bakery like they own the place. One woman wanted to pick cookies out of the leftover box. NO!

When they order stuff, they walk in to pick it up. That's not how it works, asshat!

I physically push them out. Not hard, but I tell them they're not supposed to be in here and push them out by the shoulders. So far, nobody got mad at me for it. Some will go "Bu I came in with the other guy!" or "I used to work in a bakery!"

I don't care, out you go.