Excuse me? You think I'm being rude?

[greensinestro]

Must be a friday a thing. I took two calls earlier for assistance with internet set up (we don't use CD's). Each of these people called for assistance, yet the calls lasted four times the norm due to being put on hold to answer on another call, answering a loud, ringing phone and just allowing me to hear the conversation. Plus, these people were calling from their work, so I also had to be in the middle of them doing their work and talking to their employees around them. One of them, after five times of being placed on hold and hearing other conversations, I advised her she could call us later on at a better time. I was almost read the riot act for that, being told how rude it was for me to rush a customer off like that.

Well, isn't rude to hold four and five conversations at the same time, let alone keep putting someone on hold? Isn't being put on hold several times a pet peeve of most customers out there? So, why am I being rude to you when I politely advise that it may be better for you to call us when you are not occupied with thirty-seven other things?

[Imogene]

Sounds vaguely familiar.

Some Friday afternoon, I was at Chesterfield, just gotten back from my lunch break, was nibbling on a cookie, when a customer came up to me at the register, while I had a bite in my mouth. I held out a finger to give me time to finish chewing, ringing her order at the same time. Once I finished the bite, I started to go through my spiel.
C: "That's disgusting! Don't you get a lunch break?"
RJ: "Yes... I just got back from it, but it was only just long enough to have a sandwich, so I grabbed the cookie on the way back..."
C: "That's disgusting!" (repeat ad nauseam)
After she left, I looked at TK, and said "Um?"
TK: "Nothing to worry about. It's Friday, you just got paid, you're relaxing a bit..."
It's not like I was chewing with my mouth open, and I really didn't want to start spraying crumbs at her.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Eating is disgusting? Waiting to finish chewing and swallowing before opening your mouth to speak is disgusting?

What a weirdo.

[Becks]

Maybe the customer found it disgusting to find out that retail employees are, in fact, human, and DO need to eat once in a while.

[Imogene]

She just happened to walk up after I'd taken a bite. Mmm, snickerdoodle...
I think she also mentioned it was unhygienic.

Sure, if I were also handling your food. What have we here? Oh, it's a plastic-wrapped DVD! I'd personally be more worried about the possibility of caked on baby slobber, myself. I've seen parents give their kids DVDs to gnaw on while in the store. Not to mention all the dirt and crud on the packing. I could alphabetize a section, and my hands (at least the fingertips) would've turned black.

[greensinestro]

I've seen parents give their kids DVDs to gnaw on while in the store. Not to mention all the dirt and crud on the packing.

Does this help with teething issues? Yuck! Earlier, I started a thread dealing with parents that would give their child a stuffed animal to drool and slobber all over, then the parents would put the animal back on the shelves when they were ready to check out.

[Imogene]

Does this help with teething issues?

That, or it kept children quiet while mommy and daddy picked out something horribly gory/action filled. Whatever happened to the days of kids being given candy of some sort to gnaw on while mommy and daddy wander?

[ShortTemperHatesStupidity]

It's not like I was chewing with my mouth open, and I really didn't want to start spraying crumbs at her.

Perhaps you should do so the next time, that way the "disgusting" comment is at least warranted...

[ArenaBoy]

I always think that those who say that we're being rude are the ones who happen to be rude themselves. Pot meet kettle.

[greensinestro]

I always think that those who say that we're being rude are the ones who happen to be rude themselves. Pot meet kettle.

Exactly my point. While I was working at Adelphia, one lady, who began the conversation yelling and carrying on, accused me of "attacking" her because I simply advised her the new address she provided me was not coming up in our records. I spoke to her in a normal, calm voice despite her having to talk to me like I was in need of a hearing aid, yet she thought I was being disrespectful and rude to her.