"Simplicity" At Its Not So Finest.

[ralerin]

Quick quiz!

If you are with a customer, and she has a companion behind her who is holding a bunch of things, looking as if she will pay for her stuff seperately, is it proper decorum to ask customer you are with if companion is paying seperately?

If you answered yes, you fail.

The companion in question was a woman in a wheelchair, and she threw a FIT complete with "crocodile tears" that I made her feel "simple" because I asked customer I was with that question. Add in sob story about her various disabilities and you have what it takes to piss me off. Lady, it's a common question. Even if you were not in a wheelchair I would still ask that wuestion because it's a common question such as "how's the weather?" Either put your stuff on the counter or tell me your goddamn self.

Blood Blood Everywhere

In front of the last register, someone had dripped a small pool of blood and tracked it all over the front of the store. And it had dried. Which means I was wandering about with bleach wipes and gloves cleaning it up. Why didn't anyone else see it? Oh, that's right, because they didn't WANT to.

[bainsidhe]

On the first one, I know you didn't mean any harm, but it sounds like her fit was because you deferred to the first lady, even though the question involved the second woman's purchase. From the second woman's point of view, it must be frustrating and demoralizing when others either ignore her or refuse to ask her questions about things which directly affect her, but they're more than willing to ask her non-disabled companions to answer on her behalf.

Again, I know that isn't how you meant it, but it's something to consider. The second woman expected you to ask her if she was paying separately, not ask the first woman whether she was.

[Moosenogger]

When I have two customers standing close at the register and I assume they might be paying together, I always ask, "Are you together?" then make a point to look at each of them in turn. That way no one has a chance to feel like I "ignored" them.

Sorry you had to clean up blood. Dx Blood, puke, and other bodily fluids are the absolute worst to clean up.

[LillFilly]

I'm not sure you could have won on that first one; had you spoken to the 2nd customer, the 1st would probably have gotten annoyed.

That reminded me of an incident I'll have to post about later...

[Syriilord]

When I have two customers standing close at the register and I assume they might be paying together, I always ask, "Are you together?" then make a point to look at each of them in turn. That way no one has a chance to feel like I "ignored" them.

^This. This was always my preferred method of avoiding angry-customer poop storms while manning a till.

[Nemesis44UK]

I don't think you could have won that.

Whilst the 2nd lady may well have been genuinely distressed, some people (disabled or not) are looking for excuses to cause drama.

I am quite people-phobic and I don't like eye contact too much, so I wouldn't have pleased either person.

[Sapphire Silk]

On the first one, I know you didn't mean any harm, but it sounds like her fit was because you deferred to the first lady, even though the question involved the second woman's purchase. From the second woman's point of view, it must be frustrating and demoralizing when others either ignore her or refuse to ask her questions about things which directly affect her, but they're more than willing to ask her non-disabled companions to answer on her behalf.

Again, I know that isn't how you meant it, but it's something to consider. The second woman expected you to ask her if she was paying separately, not ask the first woman whether she was.

It wouldn't have made any difference. Wheelchair lady was looking for an excuse.

[ralerin]

On the first one, I know you didn't mean any harm, but it sounds like her fit was because you deferred to the first lady, even though the question involved the second woman's purchase. From the second woman's point of view, it must be frustrating and demoralizing when others either ignore her or refuse to ask her questions about things which directly affect her, but they're more than willing to ask her non-disabled companions to answer on her behalf.

Again, I know that isn't how you meant it, but it's something to consider. The second woman expected you to ask her if she was paying separately, not ask the first woman whether she was.

Possibly. But her fit still pissed me off. The moment I mentioned my boyfriend was disabled, her tears magically stopped and she brightened up.

[bainsidhe]

Oh goodness, I really really hope her tears were real, some people can just be emotional. I really don't want to consider she was intentionally guilt-tripping you.

[Kheldarson]

I usually ask, "Is that everything?" That way if they're paying separately they can, if not, that reminds them to put the rest of their stuff on my counter.

But methinks she was being a bit too sensitive...

[Seshat]

To be fair, visibly disabled people are sometimes treated as intellectually disabled regardless of their actual disability. People have a tendancy to address their companion/carer rather than them, or to talk to them using 'small words' and simple sentence structures.

However, her reaction was no different from an <insert race/religion here> person assuming that the machine denied their card because they are <race/religion>; or in some other way assuming that a neutral event was caused because of their political/social disadvantage.

In other words, I can understand an overreaction on her part. But it was overreaction nonetheless.

[Andara Bledin]

I am quite people-phobic and I don't like eye contact too much, so I wouldn't have pleased either person.

Don't make eye contact, then. Look at the tip of the nose, the middle of the forehead (if you stare there, it makes people uncomfortable), top of the ear, etc. Unless you're standing very, very close, most people won't even notice.

I'm not sure I've ever looked someone "in the eye" as it were. Unless I was specifically trying to see what color they were or looking for a stray lash or similar.

^-.-^