Attacked by customer who didn't listen properly

[Lace Neil Singer]

Today, I was about to serve this guy, and as I was supposed to, asked him if he'd like help packing. He immediately started swearing and shouting at me, accusing me of having called him a nasty name. I was extremely upset, and I had to leave the till to go and calm down after. My supervisors took my side, and I went back to my till about 10 minutes after.

I have no idea what he thought I said; just how does "Would you like some help packing?" translate into something rude?

[BusBus]

Jeebus! I can't imagine what he could have thought you said...maybe he was insulted by being offered assistance?

[Lehk]

was he pakistani and maybe he thought you called him 'paki' ?

that's the only thing i can think of, aside from him being just nuts

[cheese]

, just made my housemates give me some very strange looks as i said the phrases in different stages of mumbles to see what he could have taken it as, and all we can come up with is - was he Indian? Maybe he heard packing as uh, paki? As in "Are you alright, paki?" Heh.

Edit: Oops, didn't type quicklly enough!

[Lace Neil Singer]

Nope; he was a white skinhead type. In any case, he scared me a little with his swearing and cursing.

[kerrisan]

Maybe he thought you said "Paki?"

[cheese]

How about "spacker"?

[Posture Moll]

How about "spacker"?

Or "whacking" or "fudge-packing"?

Maybe he was just high, the maniac.

[Hicksey]

Or "whacking" or "fudge-packing"?

Maybe he was just high, the maniac.

Any money says your boy was a homophobe.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Any money says your boy was a homophobe.

That and being racist is a rather bad combination . . . the kind that's just begging for a dose of WhoopAss.

Which in that kind of scenario, the less said the better for all concerned.

[Imogene]

Maybe he thought you said "Paki?"

I can kinda sorta hear 'f*g' if I say it quiet enough... but still... there's an entire extra syllable.

[Becks]

Maybe he just wanted an excuse to go on a rampage against a poor sales associate...

[Special Patrol Group]

I had a situation just like that about 8 years ago. To this day I don't know what he thought I said to make him so mad.

I was in the [I]Express Lane[I] (you can feel the drama already!) and this man came through with a trolley, which is annoying because people always seem to manage to block the way for other customers with the trolley. There is actually just enough room for another person to get by (as long as they don't have a trolley too) but for some stupid reason people who take trolleys into the express lane always manage to put them on such an angle that people can't get past. Even more annoying is that the people trying to get past never think to say "excuse me" so the other person will straighten up and let them past.

Anyway, the guy is blocking the way and another person is trying to squeeze past while SC is being completely oblivious. I say "excuse me sir would you mind moving a little so the man can get past you?" As I say this the idiot who can't say "excuse me" himself manages to slip through and walks off.

SC is enraged, apparently I'm rude and impatient. I don't get why I'm impatient, I couldn't give a stuff if idiot who can't say excuse me is stuck there all day but I'm trying to be a nice cashier. SC wants my name and a manager to complain to. THE NAME IS ON MY FREAKIN BADGE DUMBO (no I didn't say that but I did say blah blah and point to my badge). He then wants my last name which I refuse and call out to a passing supervisor to get the manager as SC want to complain about me.

By now everyone is staring at this nut because everyone knows I did not say something rude. I tell him his total because I want to get rid of him. Of course he wants to not pay and hold everyone up so I say the total again (I am not having this nut stand in front of me harassing me because he is insane). He pays and I tell him to wait in front of the customer service desk for the manager.

I went off to the bathroom to cry because I was so shocked. As I leave I see him meet up with his wife and he starts making angry hand gestures at me. I was perfectly polite, I have no idea if he missheard me or wth.

Of course the manager comes up to the bathroom where I was crying and tells me to come out (which I think was totally mean, I needed some time alone after been verbally abused) and does this whole I know you probably didn't do anything wrong speech. So I am not in trouble, everyone around knew I didn't say anything wrong but till this day I don't know what that guys problem was and I am still mad that the manager didn't tell the SC for abusing me when she knew I didn't do anything wrong.

What the hell makes middle aged men think it's okay to pick on 16 year olds. It's bloody sick.

[Lace Neil Singer]

This guy reminded me of a football hooligan; as he left the till, he was angrily berating me to his shrimp of a girlf. I pitied her, since she has to put up with Mr Arsehole all the time. I know that violence against customers isn't encouraged on here, but after I'd sorted myself out I found myself thinking that if this guy can't hear properly so that he thinks an offer to pack is an insult, maybe he could do with having his ears cleaned out... with sulfuric acid.

[iradney]

nah, a jackhammer might be more effective.

That said, if someone is only half listening, even the most innocent of comments like "May I know the time please?" could be turned into an insult of mammoth proportions like "You're ugly, smelly and your mother dresses you funny"

Or something...