Holy crap! Christmas is in full swing now!

[Imogene]

Okay, I worked today. And I admit it, I went in a bit sick. So I wasn't at my peak efficiency.

Had a few customers just outright explode at/about my FES today.

I'm wasting $75 an hour to stand in line
This lady was a piece of work.
I have to back up a few customers, though. I had a lady in line, looking for Cricut cartridges, which are under strict lock and key. This lady wanted three particular cartridges, so, off I wandered in the middle of her transaction to see if we even had those. We had two of the three. So, I ask FES M to grab them for me, along with the third if she happened to find it. Then I did the rest of the lady's transaction, as best I could. It took M a little bit to get free enough to go check the cage for the cartridges. As M goes, the lady follows, so, I get to stand there at my register, looking like a dweeb, and trying not to faint right there.
Meanwhile, Lady/Bitch starts angry mutterings in her place in the line, three positions back.
L/B: "Why the hell aren't there more lines open? Why should it take her that long to get those cartridges? I'm wasting $75 an hour to stand here!"
Meanwhile, M is sidetracked by another customer.
L/B: "Why the hell is she going off over there? And look! There are workers who are in uniform, but aren't on the register! He's not doing anything!"
RJ: *boil reached* "Ma'am!" *in the tone that sounds more like, 'Bitch!'* "NOT all our workers are trained on the registers. Besides, how do you know that particular worker isn't busy with another customer?"
L/B moved into M's line, as she had returned, and started ranting at her to 'hire more workers' or something.


We have to get her out of the store!
M is busy shutting down my drawer, which is NOT a quick task, but I was already 20 minutes late leaving.
A customer, at random, decided to wait at M's register, while M was shutting me down. As M reaches about the halfway point in that, the customer suddenly says, loudly, "Should I move to another line or something?"
M: "No, I just have to finish logging her out and then I can help you."
C: *snottily* "I'm a customer, and she works here."
M: "Corporate is adamant about getting workers out on time."
C: "That's not my fault."
M: "It's not something I can control either. She HAS to leave."

We can get in more trouble for not getting out on time than from losing a single customer, as far as I know, BTW. It was at this point I walked away with my drawer to count it down. Next time I heard M was on the intercom, and it sounded like she'd calmed down, luckily.

[simplyanother]

Customers do get nasty when we get off our registers, don't they? God forbid we go home to our families and children and lives...after all, we should be HAPPY to stay for hours past the time we were scheduled to, because the customer needs to buy shit.

I'm sure one of those lovely folks will call...and there will be an edict handed down from corporate regarding staying later and later.

Gah.

(I don't mind staying a few extra minutes to help get the lines down, but as soon as there is a lull, I need to be taken off my register...so I can get the hell out of there. And as SOON as the FES comes to take me off, --the lines always pick up again. Customers have a sixth sense about that)

[GingerBiscuit]

In no other job do people treat you like you just murdered their puppy just for going home on time. When I worked part time, I once got a woman tutting at me for leaving at my home time.

[Gabrielle Proctor]

I believe that Christmas shoppers are the worst kind of customers. Of course I could just be bitter as a result of our extended hours...and my extended shifts. Anyone who thinks Christmas is the best time of year has never worked retail.

[greensinestro]

I've seen this happen myself. Cashiers also have to go home at some point, and you always get that rude, nasty customer who is a good distance away from the register, sees the cashier closing up and shutting off her light, and yet that customer gets upset because you won't let him check out with you. It's as if you're committing a crime going to eat, going home to your private life, etc. Is as if you're supposed to live at your register.

I've also seen it where a customer will get all huffy when it's their turn, and the cashier is being relieved by someone else. Mind you, they are not closing down the register, they are simply changing cashiers. "Why is it taking so long to do this?" or "Why can't you just walk away and let her step in?" Never mind cashiers have log ins to keep track of money, they have their own tills, etc. It's better to these people to not waste a minute or two of their time while cashiers at all places of business have to do this.