Tweet
(BG: It's been an unspoken 'rule' for at least two years that especially heavy items do not go on the register conveyor belts. Cases of water, huge bags of dog food, most cat litter, etc. It breaks the machinery and ergonomically is a horrible idea for both us and the customers. I used to have small printed signs at each register, but every so often T takes them down because apparently we're not allowed to have any 'handwritten' signs anywhere?)
So I'm ringing, and see the next customer with a case of water on the bottom of her cart. I say loudly "Ma'am, please leave that water in the cart and I will scan it. Don't lift it." She looks at me and proceeds to heave the water onto the belt, which I can see caused her some discomfort to do. My plan is to ring up everything else, and then wrangle the water in a way that is safer for me.
What I had no way of knowing at the time is that she was using the case of water as a separator between the bulk of her purchase and two other items. My register had three divider sticks, so there was no real reason not to use one. The customer behind SC had put a divider down, so it was a fair assumption that the water was just "there". I reach for one of the items (reaching around the water) and SC reaches around the plexiglass and slaps my hand, yelling "No! Stop!"
I immediately pull back "Ow!" Her fingernails made contact with the back of my hand; luckily it didn't break the skin or even leave a mark, but it stung. (legally and per company policy, customers cannot touch an employee, ever) "Don't touch me, that hurt. Did you want these two items separate?"
SC explodes and instantly pulls out the race card: "What, you racist don't want me touching you? There something wrong with you!" She turns to the rest of the customers--who saw exactly what she did--and continues in that vein. The next customer in line (who is the same race as SC) says "Lady, she told you not to put that thing on the belt, and you smacked her."
I call for a supervisor to take over that transaction--I want to remove myself from this mess before she gets me to say something she can weaponize. I retreat to my desk where SC can't actually see me and continue doing what I'm supposed to. SC keeps flapping her mouth about "something wrong with her, mmhm, she racist *****." (why S didn't throw her out after that I have no idea) In that exchange, I overhear SC say that she has some sort of 'feeding tube' and can't lift anything heavy (then why the hell did you lift it on the belt to begin with?)
When I take over from S after SC has flounced out, everything is normal (S and my bagger don't react and just act as if I had an order to take care of). If SC had just said "can you not ring that up please" when I reached for one of the two items past the water--like anyone else does--there'd have been no problem.
So I'm ringing, and see the next customer with a case of water on the bottom of her cart. I say loudly "Ma'am, please leave that water in the cart and I will scan it. Don't lift it." She looks at me and proceeds to heave the water onto the belt, which I can see caused her some discomfort to do. My plan is to ring up everything else, and then wrangle the water in a way that is safer for me.
What I had no way of knowing at the time is that she was using the case of water as a separator between the bulk of her purchase and two other items. My register had three divider sticks, so there was no real reason not to use one. The customer behind SC had put a divider down, so it was a fair assumption that the water was just "there". I reach for one of the items (reaching around the water) and SC reaches around the plexiglass and slaps my hand, yelling "No! Stop!"
I immediately pull back "Ow!" Her fingernails made contact with the back of my hand; luckily it didn't break the skin or even leave a mark, but it stung. (legally and per company policy, customers cannot touch an employee, ever) "Don't touch me, that hurt. Did you want these two items separate?"
SC explodes and instantly pulls out the race card: "What, you racist don't want me touching you? There something wrong with you!" She turns to the rest of the customers--who saw exactly what she did--and continues in that vein. The next customer in line (who is the same race as SC) says "Lady, she told you not to put that thing on the belt, and you smacked her."
I call for a supervisor to take over that transaction--I want to remove myself from this mess before she gets me to say something she can weaponize. I retreat to my desk where SC can't actually see me and continue doing what I'm supposed to. SC keeps flapping her mouth about "something wrong with her, mmhm, she racist *****." (why S didn't throw her out after that I have no idea) In that exchange, I overhear SC say that she has some sort of 'feeding tube' and can't lift anything heavy (then why the hell did you lift it on the belt to begin with?)
When I take over from S after SC has flounced out, everything is normal (S and my bagger don't react and just act as if I had an order to take care of). If SC had just said "can you not ring that up please" when I reached for one of the two items past the water--like anyone else does--there'd have been no problem.
Comment