Racist Customers

[Cosmic Cat]

The other day I saw a customer walking around and asked him, "Can I help you with anything?" because he looked lost and confused. He was hispanic, and got angry with me, saying he didn't want to talk to me because I was a "gringo," and asked to speak to a Mexican worker. Now this wasn't because he couldn't speak English. He spoke it well. He was just being a racist, so I told him that we don't have any Mexican employees, which was a lie.

Then there was this other incident in which a customer got one of the random customer survey thingies, and she gave the girl a zero because she was black. It's what she said in the comments section.

[batmoody]

Then there was this other incident in which a customer got one of the random customer survey thingies, and she gave the girl a zero because she was black. It's what she said in the comments section.

That biatch who wrote that will surely burn in hell! What an unbeleivable thing to write!

And to the mexican guy, I woulda said something like "Ok let me go see if I can find someone for you," and just never followed through. Ooops, guess I never found anyone....

[TonyDonuts]

I was working once and some random putz had left a surpise for us in the men's room.

A runny, sticky, smelly surprise.

While we were getting it cleaned up another random putz wandered up, and, upon findiong out what was going on shouted, "Well, I tell you WHAT! Weren't no WHITE FOLKS did that!" He looked at us with his chin jutted out defiantly, and wandered out.

I looked around, nobody here but us gringos, so white we glow.

[Cvstos]

My potential reply to the Mexican guy if he was in my store:

"I'm sorry sir, but there is no employee here that fits that description, and more importantly this is a family store and a loud, racist attitude is definitely not allowed. Either drop it, leave, or I'll have security escort you out of the mall. Your choice."

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

Let's see. I have the "Damn white mother [censored]er probably put the mother [censoerd]ing virus on my machine just so's he could take my hard earned money." that guy said to my Asian boss after he got pissed off that I quoted him our standard $80 virus removal fee for a computer that was showing all the symptoms of the Melissa virus.

Not that I'd even seen his computer before he brought it into me that very morning.

Then there's the "Can I talk to a different technician, I'm not confident in the one I'm talking to." Mind you that the tech under me was twice as skilled in the computer arts than I was. The reason the customer wanted me (or a different tech) was the fact that my tech was a woman.

I may be her manager, but all that means is that I have something she doesn't have...management skills in keeping all the techs in line. She is better at computers, I'm better at herding cats.

Then there's "Your [very offensive slang for african-american decendants] tech stole my video card!" who was complaining that the display wasn't working at the original setting of 1920x1080. Our tech is a bit farsighted and can't see much higher than 1024x768

If the video card was stolen they wouldn't have HAD a display at all.

I could go on, but the flashbacks are making my brain hurt

[protege]

I got called the N-word one night by a black "lady" while working at Hechinger's. As usual, I got stuck watering those damn plants outside the store and had my hose lying across the sidewalk. I didn't think much about it, since we weren't busy, and the few people that were shopping made sure to stay out of my way Anyway, as I'm finishing up watering the seedling trees, some idiot managed to get their wheelchair caught on the hose. Nevermind that I'd asked her to wait a minute or so while I moved the hose. She just *had* to enter the store. Right as I'm about to help her move, she said something along the lines of "you dumb N-word, you should have seen me coming"

That's when I lost it. I don't take kindly to racist remarks, especially from an idiot who can't even use the correct terms! I told her that if she *ever* called me that again, I'd push her ass out into traffic

At the time, I really didn't care if I got canned, since I was planning to quit soon anyway. Surprisingly, I never heard about it from management

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Well, if Mr. Hispanic Guy doesn't much care for dealing with anyone who's not Hispanic, maybe he could go to Mexico, or perhaps BACK to Mexico (depending on the situation), and stay there. I mean, he could DRIVE there, he wouldn't even need to fly. I dont' see the problem.

Really, he is welcome to go. He won't be missed. I don't mean because he's hispanic. I mean because he's clearly a racist asshole, and we sure don't need to add any more of those to the ones we allready have here.

[Kogarashi]

So sad. And I actually manage to joke with half the Hispanic employees at our store because I know maybe eleven words in Spanish (1-10 and "thank you"), so I tell them they've got the advantage on me: they can communicate with the Hispanic customers who can't speak English (or can't speak it well). I would almost pity any putz customer who told my husband they wanted to speak to a "Mexican employee" because he's a gringo. He speaks very fluent Spanish, despite being as white as they come (two years in Venezuela will do that to you, I hear). My husband could easily switch to Spanish and apologize for not being up to their elevated standards before excusing himself.

[trunks2k]

And to the mexican guy, I woulda said something like "Ok let me go see if I can find someone for you," and just never followed through. Ooops, guess I never found anyone....

No no no no no. What you do is wander off to the back room looking for a mexican employee. Then come back out wearing a poncho, giant sombrero, big mustache, (fake) revolver, (fake) belt of ammo slung around your shoulder, and a half empty of bottle of tequila. And go up to the guy going (pardon my bad spanish) "Hola amigo! Por que usted aqui? Es tiempo para una siesta!" and then pass out.

IF he wants to be a racist bastard, you can be one too

If I owned a store, I'd have a costume for the most common racial stereotypes to be used when the situation calls for it.

[KuzcoLlama]

Now that's ridiculous. We mexicans never leave a bottle of tequila THAT full!

[OfficeSlug]

Then come back out wearing a poncho, giant sombrero, big mustache, (fake) revolver, (fake) belt of ammo slung around your shoulder, and a half empty of bottle of tequila. And go up to the guy going (pardon my bad spanish) "Hola amigo! Por que usted aqui? Es tiempo para una siesta!" and then pass out..

Positively FALLS over laughing!

[Gurndigarn]

I had a black coworker who was called a n******. He looked at the lady, and said (truthfully) "Lady, your skin's darker than mine!"

[AFpheonix]

I had a middle eastern customer the other night that informed me that I was "allergic to foreigners" because I had called the ER doc where he'd gotten a script for his wife to see if I could get permission for him to get only the narcotic and not the antibiotic ear drops. (I already knew the answer was going to be no, I did it more for his benefit than mine).
Honestly, I totally understand not being able to afford your medications, I do. I wish that the ER would have supplies of some of these really common drugs to give to the uninsured or indigent. If you can only afford one, though, buy the one that's going to treat the problem, not just the pain.
However, calling me a racist for upholding policy (and going by the doctor's orders) makes me consider making you go elsewhere. I told him that I do this really frequently for white people too.

[Kitten in the box]

I heared one of my friends deal with a racist customer (she told me aobut it) Her bagger (another friend of mine) was bagging for this old couple and she asked if they needed help out. The woman's husband looked at my bagger friend and said "I don't want no n*gger helping us out!! You guys need to go back out into the cotton fields!!" My friend was in shock and the checker replied something nasty to him....REAL NASTY! Basically she told him he needs to leave and not come back (I said it nicely) the man's wife appologized. (real nice lady actually) and she said he was lucky the bagger didn't reply back. He said "If that n*gger even so much as SAYS something back I will MAKE SURE SHE IS FIRED!" he left.

Another time I was onl lunch and a friend of mine was bagging....this woman kept making racist remarks to my friend....calling her illeterate sand dwelling aisan. (my friend was not the best reader but she could read if given the time and peace). She asked my friend if she was "stupid" My friend was too shy and nervous to say anything back....Then she looked at me and said "You...you're white go and get me some milk." I looked at her and said "I'm on lunch....and I don't help racist people shop...they shop for themselves." "and my friend is not aisan she's tagalog" (I think she was; she spoke tagalog....either way she was cool.) Well this woman did NOT like this well and made it a point to threaten my AND my friend's job security by having us terminated.

The way I see it; we all bleed when cut, get angry or hurt when someone says things we do not like, all breathe the same air...so WTF is up with racisim?

[phillippbo]

In the various jobs I've held working with the public, I've run in to racists, sexists, every kind of "-ist" you can imagine. I've had people think that I'm Hispanic (I'm 1/16 Cherokee, which means when I tan, I tan) and deride me for that. I've had people mistake me for a woman over the phone (yes, that does happen - I've heard myself on recordings and I can understand why people would make that mistake) or realize that I'm gay and get all bent out of shape about it. When I was a manager, I had people refuse to do business with one of my employees because of race, sex, sexual orientation, creed, whether they like the muppets, what-have-you. Like I said, just about everything that can be done has been done around or to me (even had a black person - I know because he said so - ask me to "hook a brotha' up" because, and I quote, "us 'n-word's need to stick together").

When you run into someone like this, there is a big temptation to call them out on it, and for the most part everybody will back you up on most anything you say. The problem is that if you get into it with someone like this, you have done three things that they want you to do:

1. Stooped to their level;
2. Confirmed (in their mind if nowhere else) their stereotype is correct;
3. Given them the satisfaction of getting under your skin.

What I've always done with someone like this is to do the opposite of numbers 1-3 above, even if its only pretending. First, I will usually say something like "I'm sorry, but I don't see what that has to do with anything sir/ma'am." If they continue, I politely ask them to refrain from personal opinions and focus only on the subject at hand with something like "I'm sorry, sir/ma'am, but those comments are not helping me to help you..." (if it's someone I'm helping) or "I'm sorry, but I do not discuss my personal opinions with strangers/while I'm at work/in front of Muppets/etc." (if it's anywhere else). Finally, if they continue, I bid them a good day and walk away. Steadily, confidently, walk away ignoring all further banter from them (or, if they are in a store where I'm working, I ask them politely to leave because I can no longer serve them).

People like that get STEAMED when that happens. After they're out of earshot, I go scream into a pillow for twenty minutes.

Sorry if that was kind of long, I got on a roll...