Pet Peeves Revisited - Now with a Poll!

[theredbaron47]

And for the last time....the CARD WAS DECLINED. yes, DECLINED. No matter how many times I run it through my machine the outcome will be the same :
DECLINED! Now get out of my face and get your ass to work like the rest of us!

That rates high up there on my list of pet peeves. It's happened time and time again, and will continue to happen time and time again. I run the card through, a second and a half later the message box comes up saying "ERROR 301: DECLINED", I tell the customer this, and without missing a beat, it's "what?? you're kidding! try it again, I just put a whole bunch of money in that account this morning!" or "what?? that's impossible, I have a $5,000 credit line on that card!". A lot of people either don't know or don't care that they can only spend so much with a debit card in a single day, and it stops working after that for the rest of that day. But the fact remains, no matter what I do to my machine, I can NOT make it work. Pull out another card, pull out cash, hell with it, even pull out a check, but telling me to repeatedly slide the card through like a dumbass will NOT make it work. </rant>

[stickycoins]

Makes me glad(kinda) that we are cash only....Behind the times for sure, but less hassle. But I still get SCs that whip out a card when there are numerous "Cash Only" signs posted. They don't see them.

[Gas Station Girl]

And let's not forget the customers who are too drunk and/or stupid to use their own debit card. I swipe the card through, and then when it's time for them to enter their information they'll just stare off into space or they'll take so long figuring out which buttons to press that the machine times out and I have to restart the transaction.

Oh and then there are the ones who borrow their friend or significant other's debit card, and they have to call them six times during the transaction to confirm the PIN and the account.

And a few more pet peeves that I had almost forgotten:

Customers who want to talk about the weather. I don't need to hear that it's hot/cold/windy/raining/snowing or whatever 99 times per shift. I can tell just by looking out the window.

Customers who stay at the counter once the transaction is over. This isn't too bad if there aren't any other customers in the store, but if there's a line up it really slows things down. Find another place to reorganize your purse or wallet.

Customers who think that I memorized the price of every single item in the store. It's especially bad when they stand at the very back of the store while I'm at the counter, and they hold up a small item that I can barely even see and ask, "How much is this?" It's even more frustrating when I come over to see the item and it actually had a price tag on it.

Drunk customers. Enough said.

Customers who complain to me because the prices are too high or because we don't have the products they want. Those are things that I cannot control. Go talk to the manager.

[werewolffan98]

i choose other: because i work at a renaissance faire and i get very dumb questions from patrons like "are you people like the Amish" no we are all actors madam,or people who ask where the privies are when there is a big sign saying "privies" right in front of them,and people who talk on the cell and wave a cigarette around in their other hand,because one almost burned my templar knight tunic i sewed together.

[Lace Neil Singer]

1. "Are you open?" This is my one biggest hate; I do try to be patient if I look like I'm closed, like if I'm tidying my till area while it's quiet, but if a customer is just leaving or if I've just taken the lock off and putting the cash in my till, then being asked if I'm open makes me want to shout "Use your f***ing eyes!!" back at the idiot. Of course, those customers are more than likely the same morons who just plonk their shopping down on your till when you're cashing up or just cleaning tills and then get pissy when you tell them you're closed.

2. Leaving trolleys with kids in or pushchairs next to my till. I'm not a babysitter and it's not my job to look after your child while you run and get something else. People who do this don't even ask me if it's OK (to which the answer would be a resounding "no") they just wander off, leaving the kid.

3. Dumping their basket on the end of the till or leaving their full trolley next to it. Then they come back and get mad cuz I've let other customers on. Why shouldn't I? Why should they wait for you to come back when they've organised themselves better than you have? We're not in primary school any more; you can't "bagsy" a till in the supermarket by leaving your trolley beside it. Either ask me to get a supervisor to get what you've forgotten or at least unload the damn thing so I can pack your shopping while I'm waiting for you.

4. Yack yack yack. Either on a mobile phone or to your husband/wife/friend/kid; it's extremely annoying to be ignored while you blab to someone else. Finish the transaction, then you can yack to your heart's content.

5. Whining to me about anything wrong with the store. It may come as a surprise to you, but as far as the empty shelves/long queues/lack of the specific thing you came to buy/toilets out of bog roll/dirty floors go, I am completely powerless to do anything about it. If you want something done or want information about something, go to customer services. Unless you're whinging about having to pay for parking. There are signs all over the carpark informing you that the carpark belongs to the local council, so go and whine to them.

(Will probably be back to add to this later)

[blas]

I'm not even in retail anymore, but it's scarred me so bad that I have more to add:

People who find fault with any little thing at a store, yet come back, nearly every single day, and whine and whine and whine some more. Exact phrases could be:
"Every time I come here, this doesn't ring up...."
"Every time I come here, you card me.."
"Every time I come here, you're out of..."
"Every time I come here...."

People who swear they'll never shop at your store again, but to your utter dismay, they are back the very next day.

People with entitlement issues. This happens in very small stores with a very low key type of customer service, and this is the result of being way too nice of a manager to low life scumbags:
"Ye manager only charges me $.xx for this!"
"Ye better tell ye manager to order ME some more..."
"Why doesn't ye manager listen to me and order this?"
"Ye manager NEVER makes me show ID for checks!"

People who pitch a fit over not being able to write checks at stores. Get over it. If so many people weren't so irresponsible with their bank accounts, we wouldn't have this problem.

People who mumble.

People who talk wayyyyyy too fast.

People who buy something small, and whip out a $50 or $100, but you can see a $10 or $20 in their wallet. Jerks.

People who abandon their cart in the middle of the store.

People who open stuff like underwear packages or socks, etc etc......then proceed to throw that package aside and take a closed one of the same kind.

People with the ungodly talent of spritzing poo all over bathroom walls.

Women who leave used tampons on the floor..

[fizzgig]

I agree, with the screaming kids, i have 2 girls ages 6 and 9, but they are well behaved in stores.
they know that if they aren't, they will be in trouble. have threatened to swat my 9 yr. olds butt in the middle of w-m to get her to calm down and she did. never have had to yet.

fizzy

[xshaq]

You have overlooked the best one of all: The parent who shops elsewhere and send their 'darlings' in to your store for the free childcare service. I have no problem calling Child Welfare on parents like that.

[fizzgig]

You have overlooked the best one of all: The parent who shops elsewhere and send their 'darlings' in to your store for the free childcare service. I have no problem calling Child Welfare on parents like that.

parents like that make me sick! that's something i would never do
i don't let my kids get away from me, eldest must keep atleast one hand on cart at all times and little one rides in cart.

fizzy

[dragonflygrrl]

First of all, I second everything that has already been said. Also:

Parents who park the car and send their ten year old in with a handful of cash to buy a prepaid refill for mommy's phone. Maybe if mommy wasn't drunk, she could come in and buy minutes herself.

People who say, "Gee it's nice out! Too bad you're stuck in here!" It would still be too bad if it were hurricaning, but thanks for rubbing it in. At least I have a job. Jerk.

People who say, "Wow, it's hot out! You're lucky to be in here where it's cool." Yes, I am so lucky to have the chance to serve you.

People who come in and ask, "Do you sell [wireless carrier we don't sell}?" and then when I say, "No, we sell [wireless carrier we do sell]," want to argue with me. You are so right. I completely forgot what we do here for a second. How can I help you with your [wireless carrier we don't sell] service?

[toolbert]

I think my tope 5 pet peeves for our store are like this:

#5. The "What do these things do?" question: I have gotten pretty good at knowing when someone is going to buy something and this question always means that they are not. It is always starts out the same way; "I've always heard about these and never knew what they do, so can you tell me what they do?". I'm not spending an hour going over each and every product that I have so you can keep me from other customers...get over yourself.

#4. Where's the directory?: I am right next to, and I mean directly next to, the directory. I am not one, don't ask me where what store is cause I'm not going to tell you.

#3. Can I pay with Cash, Credit and a check?: Why must some people break sales into multiple payments? It annoys the hell out of me when someone wants to pay for $600 worth of stuff with 3 different credit cards because they can't learn not to max them all out . Pay with one or don't buy at all ><;.

#2. I'm not making change for you...: The cheapest thing in my store comes to $10.84 after tax. Why, for the love of God are you paying with a $100 bill? GO GET CHANGE OR GET A 20 FROM AN ATM! I will not give you all my small change because you don't want to pay with those two fives and a one that I can see in your wallet. The next person who pays for something that small with a hundred is going to get nothing but one dollar bills from me as change. HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES????

#1. Where is the bathroom...: I know this is similar to the 4th one, but it is my biggest pet peeve. There are signs, there are directories...there is even a bloody concierge for freak's sakes...but no, I feel I'm the only person on this floor that gets that damn question. I have to answer it at least 60 times a day. I'm not kidding, we even made a sign to tell people where it was and THE MALL TOOK IT AWAY FROM US . One of these days people will read in the paper "Palm Store employee kills customer with a spoon." And why a spoon you ask? Cause it'll hurt more!

[WonTon]

I chose "OTHER."

I hate when people act like a baby about everything, period.

[thegiraffe]

Oooooh....my pet peeve has to be the PARENTS of the screaming, unruly children. Most of these kids are under 5 and have never had a role model other than their parents as far as how to act. Kid screams, the parent give them candy. Next time they come to the store, kid knows that if he/she screams, they'll get candy. So they scream, and they get candy. The parents do it I'm sure for instant gratification (quiet kid), but what they'll wind up with in a few years is a very unruly, rebellious pre-teen and teenager, etc. I know it seems small, but if the parent will cave over candy, imagine what else they may cave over.

I've mentioned before that at school (halfway across the state), I'm a substitute teacher at a child development center. We have children 6 weeks through 10 years, and as young as a year, you can tell whose parents cave and whose teach them the value of "no". We have parents who think it's so cute when Johnny incessantly taunts Sarah because "awww..he must like her!", when in fact, Sarah may be socially behind, and it causes her unnecessary distress.

Back to the OT though ... It sounds stupid, but it bothers me when customers try to bag their own groceries. Why? Because invariably, the bloody piece of meat will wind up keeping the broccoli company. My name is on the reciept. I'm the ONLY Melissa in the store. If (when) they get food poisoning as a result of cross-contamination, they'll come to me. Management and everyone knows that if I don't have a bagger (more often than not), I bag my own groceries. I don't need them coming back to me if a customer gets food poisoning. I'll also admit to being a bit of a perfectionist. The customer whines and complains when we separate their groceries - cold/frozen/wet, dry, hot, chemicals, and raw meat (which sometimes lands them several bags, but it's easier to put things away) - yet they put like 2 things per bag. Ugh. I know they're trying to help, but...it bothers me.

I also don't like it when they come around MY side of the register, especially when my drawer's open (they sometimes do this when they forgot to sign their credit slip, so they'll come around THAT way to sign it. I have to close my drawer indiscreetly enough so they don't feel like I thought they were going to steal or whatnot.

Hmm...I also don't like it when they ignore the light. We have lights at each register. On = open, off = closed/closing. I can't always get around to the other side to pull my closed sign (sometimes I'll ask the last customer in line to do it). Please please PLEASE pay attention to the light! Just because someone is standing there doesn't mean the register is open.

The express lane. Oooooh...the express lane. 10 items or fewer. 11 or 12 is ok...I can deal with that. 43, however, is a different story. No, I won't break it up into "4 orders of 10". That takes more time than just doing 1 order. And I don't care if you don't feel like waiting. Next time, don't come shopping at 3pm on a Saturday. I also don't care if "it's slow". Someone will invariably come in behind you and bitch at me because you had a big order. I don't like getting dirty looks - I tend to give them back. And no checks means no checks. If your card is declined or something, then I'll go ahead and take a check just to get you out of the line, but don't come in the line intending TO pay with a check. It just pisses the people behind you off.

I'm sure I'll think of something else.

[KayEm]

You know...it occurred to me while reading this thread that about 99.99% of these pet peeves would be eliminated altogether if the laws in the "laws" thread were put into place lol

Anyone for lobbying our congressmen ? lol

Seriously though, I'm sick of a general public that knows it can go out and act any way it wants, basically, and it will get it's collective ass kissed.

Um....someone needs to teach management a few basic psychology 101.

You reward the bratty behaviour = SCs get worse and worse

Yeh..I know..they don't care.


I voted Screaming children. I wish these parents would for one moment think of how we (the hapless workers) are a captive audience to their shrieking spawn. Do they even give it the barest consideration at all, I have to wonder. We are there all day, there is no escape. "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK !!!!!!!!!!!!!" in the highest bloodcurdling tones you can imagine literally hurts my ears and gives me a headache.

I'm sorry, but I can't control my facial expressions when I'm in pain. If some parent is offending because I block my ears when their kid screams, that's just too bad.

[Imogene]

Customers who think that I memorized the price of every single item in the store. It's especially bad when they stand at the very back of the store while I'm at the counter, and they hold up a small item that I can barely even see and ask, "How much is this?" It's even more frustrating when I come over to see the item and it actually had a price tag on it.

Pssh, when you get those people, yell at them to turn the damn box over. I swear, I stopped giving prices to people verbally if they brought something up to ask me how much is this? If it didn't have one of our sale stickers on it, I would flip it over a few times, then show them the price tag I just found.
However, then you run the chance of hearing "If it had been a snake..." which is remarkably similar to "If it weren't for my horse..." about forty times every day.

Kay: Start screaming right back at them, when they get near you. If nothing else, it confuses them.