Why are people so RUDE?!

[AZangel]

I work in a department of a 24 hour store and well you can only imagine how that works. SC's believe that since the store is open all hours of the day, so should the departments.

[ForestDragon]

Why are people so rude?

As for why people are so rude - I think that Robert E. Howard put it best in one of his Conan the Barbarian stories:

"Civilized men tend to be ruder than savages because they know they can be impolite without getting their skulls split, as a rule."

Hmm. I think I'll sig that.

[Jazz]

I remember working at retail store and people would come in five minutes before closing and just shop till 10 pm. It would drive me insane. We want to go home...we can't just close the shop and go home, we have to count the tills, clean the store....it seems like they don't have any consideration at all.

Knowing this, I barely go before closing time and if I do, it's only because I know what I have to pick up and do it quickly!

[Jester]

I do occasionally swing through Walgreens when they're close to closing, but never to browse, always to pick up one specific item and move along. I never would go to a store in the mall that requires time to shop that close to closing. It's obnoxious.

I recently went to a local kitchen supply store to look at some stuff, and got there at 10 minutes to closing. I walked in, and the lady, recognizing me, said "We're only open for ten more minutes." I said I knew that, and I just had some simple quick questions and would be out of there in a few minutes.

I asked said questions, and we were out the door in under five minutes, with still five more minutes before closing. Just as I promised. (Otherwise, I would not have bothered going in there that late.)

What dimwit drags their kids around town after 10 pm?

These are the same idiots that drag their kids around downtown Key West at 11 pm, midnight, sometimes even later. Key West, especially downtown, especially at night, is an adult playground, with much drinking and carousing and other things of all hues going on. I barely understand why anyone would bring their kids to Key West* in the first place, but why oh why would you bring your children to downtown Key West at night with all the drunks and the freaks?

*I have often said that there are only three things you can do with kids in Key West: conceive them, sell them, and cook them.

[mintjam]

after[/I] close, but I have twice the work to do. I was scheduled til 10 or 10:30...I didn't leave until after 11...and the store was still trashed. I love my manager so I offered to come two hours before my shift tomorrow just to help her clean up...it was THAT bad. GRRR...

Way back in the day when I worked at the grocery, we would tell these types of SCs that "the registers shut down at (whatever closing time was for that day) and that we wouldn't be able to process their orders". The store manager didn't like it... but he "supposed" it was better than paying us overtime to be there!

[AFpheonix]

1) What dimwit decides to buy a freakin' computer at 10 pm?
2) What dimwit drags their kids around town after 10 pm?


Geez, GO HOME, PEOPLE!

The same dimwits who are cruising my aisles at 11pm or later, with a squalling child in the basket of their cart, and somehow, they don't seem to notice or care. Hello, there's not really a whole lot in this store that you need to buy right away, with the exception of some OTC meds, why are you here? Take your baby home and let them rest away from all the stimulation you're subjecting him to!
Egads, and we wonder why we have so many people on Ambien. They place their orders for it at 10:30, then say they're gonna go down to the Starbucks or the 24 hour Fitness for awhile and then pick it up then. HELLO! Better living habits create better sleep! Stop using pills to make up for your silliness!

Ok, off rant now...

[Hobgoblin]

The cellular phone is irritating for sure. A while back I was in the bank and this woman in front of me was on her cell phone the whole time. When her turn came, the teller would not wave her over, and it finally got to where she said "Well, aren't you going to help me?" The teller simply pointed to the sign above her head that said PLEASE END ALL CELLULAR PHONE CONVERSATIONS BEFORE APPROACHING THE TELLER. Immediately, this woman ended her call and was redder than a strawberry when she approached the teller's counter.

I got in trouble for addressing a customer's cell phone conversation once. Mostly cause he was just jabbering away and I felt bad for just asking him if I could help him (small store, the usual "How can I help you" greeting). He never got off the phone, approached the counter and threw several games on the counter. I was a bit taken aback, so I broke out my cell and called an old friend from college. When he saw that, he was surprised, but it isn't like I cared. So I managed to piss him off and then when I told my manager about it (we were at the bar dammit) he got pissed. I bought him a beer and he calmed down, but still. Yeah, I haven't done that again.

[csdrone]

20 minutes after closing. THE COMPUTERS ARE OFF and we are walking out the door of the darkened building. Inevitably some SC shows up. They then try to argue the time (we know it is 15-20 minutes after closing), their transaction "will only take a minute" and that we are "rude" for not helping them. And this happens way too often.

Then there are the SC's who will NOT stop yapping on their cellphones. I want a sign saying PLEASE END ALL CELLULAR PHONE CONVERSATIONS BEFORE APPROACHING THE REGISTER/DESK/TELLER

[DesignFox]

I notice that too, ditchdj. The women who come in with the genuine prada and gucci bags, expensive clothes from department stores- always the ones flashing coupons and wanting to know the cheapest this or that. Unbelievable. But I will watch families who are obviously not that well off take their time and buy what they want and not pitch a fit about the cost- mostly, they won't have a single coupon with them.

Also, I would note that when I did photography, the less well off kids were much better behaved than these snooty bitches' kids were. And the less wealthy family would buy all the pictures they could- you could tell they saved their hard earned money, and did precisely what they wanted with it. Whereas some of these well-off women would come in every month just to get a freebie. I somehow think saving up and getting lots of nice pictures once a year would ultimately cost you less than wasting the gas, time and money to get 1 free picture, 12 or more times a year. Oh, wait...logic.

(mind you, this wasn't always the case, just a lot of times. I did have a few well-off customers who quite frequently spent hundreds of dollars on photos of their babies- who were quite well behaved, I might add )

[ditchdj]

I notice that most yuppie turds tend to be really stingy with their money. I remember when I went to a mechanic to see this yuppie turd and his "elegant" woman crying about having to pay 40 bucks to get a tire fixed. My sympathy went out the door with him when I saw him climb into a brand new Cadillac Escalade and drive off. I said to the cashier, "He's whining about paying 40 bucks for a tire but he's got a brand-new Escalade" and she goes "Yeah I know" and I'm like "He can afford a brand-new SUV that costs more than the house that I'm buying and he's pitching a fit about 40 bucks!" and we kinda got a laugh out of it.

[Tigress]

I had one family come into our store after closing. We already had one shutter closed and were just waiting for the stragglers to leave so all the departments could finish up and go home. Then the family waltzed right in around 10:05 wanting to buy a computer.

1) What dimwit decides to buy a freakin' computer at 10 pm?
2) What dimwit drags their kids around town after 10 pm?

And these yuppie winners bought the cheapest display model we had and refused all the tech services and the service plan. Then they used the gift card they got as a courtesy to buy one of those cheap self-contained video game things for the kids.

We've also had people stay in our store up to thirty minutes after closing to play on the video game kiosks.

Geez, GO HOME, PEOPLE!

[myswtghst]

I'd say, Greensinestro, that we here at CS count as experts in stupid people. We deal with them daily.

And to me, rudeness is pretty much inexcusable. I thank God and anyone else concerned that my parents raised me well, with manners. I see people pull this crap and it takes everything in me not to tell them off.

I do occasionally swing through Walgreens when they're close to closing, but never to browse, always to pick up one specific item and move along. I never would go to a store in the mall that requires time to shop that close to closing. It's obnoxious.

And even though I work for a company that makes cell phones, they drive me insane. People talk on them all the time, in public places, share their conversations with people who don't want to hear them, and act like they're somehow important for having a phone, even though I now know 11 year olds with cell phones. People drive while on their cell phones and usually end up driving badly because of it, even causing accidents. Is it really so important that you can't put the phone on vibe while you're in the store, and just listen to your voice mail if you're in the middle of something when it rings?

[greensinestro]

Great thread. Kind of like the one I posted with the woman who came into Publix at 955pm when the store closed at 10pm. No matter how politely you tell a customer that the store is about to close, you always have one of those who could really care less.

I love the ones as well who will bop right in front of you in a store with "I need to ask you a question" to the cashier, right in the middle of the cashier checking you out (and never mind when you're in the middle of a conversation already).

When I worked for Publix, I always had that problem. Almost all the time, when I would go on my lunch or break, I always had that customer who had to stop you for a quick question that would turn into a thousand. This usually happened after I took off my green apron and was literally in the backdoor to the break room. Stores have tons and tons of other employees these asshole customers could pester, yet they always find the one who's not working on company time.

The cellular phone is irritating for sure. A while back I was in the bank and this woman in front of me was on her cell phone the whole time. When her turn came, the teller would not wave her over, and it finally got to where she said "Well, aren't you going to help me?" The teller simply pointed to the sign above her head that said PLEASE END ALL CELLULAR PHONE CONVERSATIONS BEFORE APPROACHING THE TELLER. Immediately, this woman ended her call and was redder than a strawberry when she approached the teller's counter.

Why are people so rude? Let's get a panel of experts to answer that one!

[Lace Neil Singer]

I know some stores that just switch off the lights.

The garden centre did that. XD We used to switch off the lights as each section closed, to herd the customers to the front of the store.

[staticradio]

_Warning_ Kind of long and ranty...some language...

Is there something in the water lately? People are so effing rude it is unbelievable! Today, I had four separate instances of total suckiness, and I think that is a record at this place.

Sucky Customer #1: You know that thread about allowing someone to finish their sentence? YEA. This lady comes up to my till. I was still with another guest, and she just comes over before she is even called, plops her stuff on the counter. THEN, as I say hello, immediately picks up her cellphone.... Grrrr.... makes me wait until she is done with her OH SO IMPORTANT phone call...She finally hangs up and I ask for her card...she doesn't have one, and before I can tell her what it is, she declines one. OF course, I start ringing, and she asks what it is and decides she wants it. So, now I have to start allover. Fine. Next, she interrupts me as I'm signing her info, so that she can get X item. I tell her, "Yes, I will get you X, but we need to finish this first." I start re-ringing. I get her X. Mid asking her for something else, she interrupts me for Y (which had nothing to do with what I was asking her). I get her Y, and finish my first question, then finish ringing her finally. JESUS. Let me talk! I'll get everything for you if you stop pestering me! And she was RUDE. No Excuse me, nothing. Just started talking over me, mid sentence each time... GAH.

(edit)

I usually give people the finger (the index finger, mind you ) when they get ahead of me, and usually make a mental note that I'm not finished with what I'm doing (i.e. interrupted by second in line person before first in line's transaction is completed, getting questions by passing customers while in a transaction, et al.)