Rude Bitch

[MelindaJoy77]

Sorry, I just can't think of a clever title and that's what it boils down to. This happened a few days ago but it has been stewing in my mind this morning so I need to get it out. So I'm a cashier at HellMart, been there almost two years now. I've been going through a rough time with some personal issues so it's been a bit difficult lately to go to work and greet customers and be all cheerful and sweet.

Had a customer come through my line with a few WIC checks and some other stuff. So I get started and when I hand her the first check to sign she asks if I want her to sign the others. I said no, that it's easier if I just have her do them one by one. That was my first mistake. So then she asks me with a smirk if I think she's going to leave and switch out with another person. A lame attempt at a joke apparently, because I just sort of stared at her. So she says something to the effect of "It's just a joke, geez I guess that's what I should expect from a HellMart employee" I kind of stuttered and said "What?" and started to protest and she says "No smile, no 'hi how are you' you're just rude." So I looked her straight in the face and said "My friend just died last week." (A lie, but I'm very rarely able to lie well and be so clever and convincing). Her response? "So! I don't know that, you don't have to be rude!" I managed to get out the response of "Well just because I'm not smiling doesn't mean I'm trying to be rude to you." And then basically she shut up and I went through the rest of her stuff without another word.

I guess I've been thinking about it this morning because of some of the crap I'm going through; financially struggling a bit, missing a friend who doesn't talk to me anymore, and looking for a new job now for a couple of months with still no success.

I wanted to tell her to come in and try doing my job for 8 hours and then let me know how she feels about it. I wanted to tell her how exhausting it is to deal with people all day long, especially RUDE ones like her. I wanted to tell her I had an AA and other kinds of job experience making more money and doing things that aren't as "easy" as being a HellMart cashier. I wanted to tell her that I was unemployed for a year and a half before I even got this job, after searching for other things to no avail, and that I'm thankful to even have a paycheck at all. I wanted to tell her that most of the people in the store I work for are some of the hardest working people I know and many of them also had better jobs once upon a time. I wanted to tell her to look in the mirror and see how rude she was being, and I wanted to judge her for using food stamps and WIC. But I didn't. I did my damn job. And I'm sick of it.

[Sapphire Silk]

This bitch was looking for a fight. While she's right in that she's not a mind reader and doesn't know what kind of a day you're having or why, the truth is is does not matter.

Let's suppose for the sake of argument you were rude by not smiling or saying hello. So what? She's not there to socialize with you. As long as you are doing your job, and getting her through the line as quickly as possible, that's all that matters. She should just STFU and let you do your job.

I will say this, though. As soon as you started justifying yourself in the face of her "complaint", you lost. She won. And she knew it; that's what she wanted to happen.

Don't let suckstomers like this bait you. Grit your teeth, smile, and kill them with kindness. They can't do anything to you if you kill them with kindness.

Think of it as malicious niceness.

[Sleepwalker]

When did being unfriendly become rude. Christ, people are entitled.

[MoonCat]

Oh, woe is me! The cashier didn't ask me how my day was going!! Oh what shall I do, however shall I live, Rhett...!!!

We know what answer Rhett Butler gave. Frankly I think people like this customer should get the same.

[downforit2008]

I'm always very kind to the cashiers. A lot of this has to do with having 5 years experience at HellMart myself.
I just came back from the store 10 minutes ago, for example. I'm currently having a cough and some chest congestion, so I had loaded up with about $15 or $17 of medicine for it, and for any future ailments. The guy cashier begins ringing up my stuff and he asks with a smile, "Hello, how are you?"

Being a bit under the weather, I wasn't much in a mood for conversation, but I smiled back politely and said, "I'm just keepin on, keepin on."
Cashier: I think we're all like that these days. *his eyes turn to the cough medicine he's ringing up
Me: I would have said that "I'm fine" but with all this medicine here, I think you'd consider me completely full of it. *I grin at the cashier*
Cashier: (laughs) Oh, it's the time of the season, man! I hope you're feeling all right.
Me: I'll live. Especially with this stuff here. I've used it for years and no complaints.

We both chuckle at that. I swipe my card and he hurries to bag my groceries, double-bagging them to make it convenient for me. I thank him for his great service. He cheerfully wishes for me to get better soon and says, "Come back in again soon. And have a great Memorial Day weekend!"

I really hope I do, but my courtesy to this cashier even in my condition shows that he's going to have a good evening while thinking back on that, I hope. I even caught the stunned and delighted look of a young lady employee pushing in carts as I headed out and told her to keep up the good work and that it's highly appreciated!

Retail employees love me these days.

[smalltownclerk]

She was on a power trip. She knew that you had to be nice. She is far below pond scum. Don't bare that weight in your life. Karma will work. Be patient. :-)

[bainsidhe]

she asks if I want her to sign the others. I said no, that it's easier if I just have her do them one by one.

*sigh* I hated WIC checks. Very specific rules and requirements. If, for example, a WIC customer was buying the wrong kind of cereal for WIC, they'd either need to get the correct cereal type, or they could just save their check to use on another day. However one of the WIC rules is that I had to see you sign the check. If you signed everything in one swoop and then didn't use that check? We weren't supposed to accept it later because we didn't see you sign it.

[blas]

Not to mention that the first SC's "Joke" wasn't even funny.

I may be one of the hardest to offend people out there, and generally make fun of people with sticks up their asses, but nothing is truly funny about joking about scamming something that benefits people. Truly. And that woman was basically joking about scamming WIC. That's just so super funny. Not.

[RealUnimportant]

Why are rude SCs the first ones to say "you're supposed to be nice to me"? If you want me to be anything but neutral, act nice in the first place! Otherwise I'm keeping it business-like, just like you should.

[MoonCat]

Not to mention that the first SC's "Joke" wasn't even funny.

I may be one of the hardest to offend people out there, and generally make fun of people with sticks up their asses, but nothing is truly funny about joking about scamming something that benefits people. Truly. And that woman was basically joking about scamming WIC. That's just so super funny. Not.

Too true. Some things are not funny. Had a customer recently pay with his credit card and then said, "It's always the stolen ones that work!" Yeah, real funny, dude.