Why do customers become dicks when new people are around?

[Plaidman]

So we got a new girl in. She's not from here, matter of fact she's from the other side of the planet, from a country I've never heard of.

However, she can speak and understand a fair amount of english.

Naturally the SC rip into her as much as possible. But back off completly when they realized that I'm there still, and can call any of their BS.

Example:
Guy comes in staggering, talking loopy, and is so drunk off his ass it aint funny. I tell her that its illegal to sell to him at this stage. I also tell her I'll deal with him. He comes slopping up, slamming a six pack of beer, and lets out a loud belch. I put the beer on the counter and tell him no beer. He growls, but leaves. Moments later he comes back, and claims he bought a pack of smokes from her earlier, and she forgot to give it to him. (Bunch of BS, but ask for the recipt to humor him).
He hands me a recipt. From Winco. Last Week. Much laughter on my half. He still demands his smokes. He finally leaves when he realized that Plaidman is too average in brains to fall for his stupid tricks.

Example 2:
Man buys lottery, smokes. Pays with twenty. (I'm right there, helping her pack). She gives him .40 cents. (Which is correct BTW). He demands loudly that sweettoots needs to give him the rest of his change. I tell him she did. He screams loudly he give her a twenty. I hold up his lottery. "12 dollars for lottery". I hold up his two packs of smokes. "7.60 for smokes. Thats 19.60".
He growls and mumbers, and rips his bag out of my hand and storms out.
(This is the same guy who demanded that I never let <race> cut in front of him again, even though he was the one that left the line, and never said a word as I rang up the dude up that was behind him. Til he left. Then he said those choice words).

Example 3:
Guy demands restroom. I tell her that restrooms are for police and us only. Guy gets mad. Leaves. Comes back later, knocks on our window, and smears it with ... well you know.

Those were the worst ones. I still had the ususal cries of I'm always here, never card me again bitch, learn to speak english, go back home, blah blah scumbags of the universe.

Then I had a few ones that were surprisenly nice and patient, even though normally they're cranky and jerkasses. Made me think of them somewhat differently.

[ditchdj]

Yeah but, in all fairness, I know that we Americans get dumped on too anywhere else we go in the world as well. It goes both ways.

[blas]

Let's set nationality and grasp of the native language aside.

Newbies are always "fresh meat" for regular SCs or even out of the blue SCs.

Everytime we got a new girl at the gas station, every dickhead regular SC would give her the hardest time imagineable unless the manager or I were there to intervene. I mean, I got it myself when I was brand new.

Notorious SCs are always going to push their weight around with newbies. It's up to good management and good coworkers to stand up for them and put the SCs in their place.

It's kind of like the new kid at school thing. Everyone's gotta dump on them and prove their "point".

[Gravekeeper]

Yeah but, in all fairness, I know that we Americans get dumped on too anywhere else we go in the world as well. It goes both ways.

I hardly think that justifies it in any way shape or form. Plus, to be bluntly honest, there's reasons Americans get dumped on anywhere else they go in the world. Reasons far more complicated then the above examples which amount to little more then ignorance.

You do not welcome someone to your country by going "Hey, you're not from around here so I'm going to treat you like shit because someone in x country which probably isn't where you're from or even remotely close to where your from was rude to me once when I was on vacation so that gives me the right to piss on all immigrants."

[rerant]

Yeah but, in all fairness, I know that we Americans get dumped on too anywhere else we go in the world as well. It goes both ways.

That's not fair at all. I'm not American so my opinion could be considered less valid, but to suggest that because Americans get dumped on by people in other countries that it's okay for them to do it to people who come to their country is preposterous.
That argument is such playground logic of, "Well he started it!"

[gbm85]

Let's stick to the topic and save the rest for Fratching, please.

[Sylvia727]

I started the American/foreigner bashing thread over on Fratching, so let's take it there.

Your new co-worker is probably seeing some high school "I'm cooler than you so I can push you around" mentality, but I wonder if it isn't also just the gimme mentality. As in, "I know the regular cashier won't give me beer, but I bet I can scare the new girl into doing it." If so, then she's got a long road ahead of her.

[Enjis]

When I worked at a nice department store, I often mentored new employees. I always told them that they were free to tell the customers that 'I'm new here' so the customers would cut them some slack.
It almost always worked, and most of the customers treated the newbies very well, and were very patient.

Newbies often needed help with the difficult customers or transations tho, and that's when I stepped in.

[tropicsgoddess]

I think the reason why SC's always give a hard time to the newbies is because they think that they could get their way with somebody who is at such a vulnerable state compared to the more experienced employees who are more familiar with the company and the "system" and could call an SC out on their game(s).

[bainsidhe]

Wow. I'm surprised your newbie employee wasn't scared away by such antics. I hope it is more the exception than the norm, because I feel that some of your customers are kinda creepy. The smearing of, ahem, THAT on the window is what did me in.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I think the reason why SC's always give a hard time to the newbies is because they think that they could get their way with somebody who is at such a vulnerable state compared to the more experienced employees who are more familiar with the company and the "system" and could call an SC out on their game(s).

I think that's exactly it. Newbies are more impressionable and want to do a good job and make everybody happy and thus aren't very likely to tell an SC off even if they deserve it.

That, and they're in their probationary periods and don't want to give their bosses an excuse to kick them to the curb.

[TonyDonuts]

Way back in the day, when I was still in high school, I worked nights at a local restaurant.

One day I filled in for the day cashier. It was my first day shift.

Guy walks in and orders. "I'll have my usual."


I look at him and ask, "And your usual is...?"

He looks at me like the crap you'd scrape off your shoe, and says, very slowly, "My usual. I get it every day. Are you stupid or ..."

At that moment a hamburger bun flew past my head and struck the guy in the face, not hard, it was just a bun after all, but enough to startle him.

"George! (my boss) What the hell'd you do that for?"

And George said, "Frank, don't talk to my people like that. And, how is this kid supposed to know what your 'usual' is, if he's never seen you before?"

And Frank replied, very hurt-like, "But It's my usual! I get it every day! Why doesn't he know that?" And I swear to you all, it was the first, but definitely not the last, time that I ever saw a fifty-year old man pout, puffy bottom lip and all.

George asked, very gently and carefully, "Frank, have you ever seen this kid before in your entire life? Hmmm?"

"Well, I guess not. but. . "

"Then how, specifically, is he supposed to know what, exactly your 'usual' is, if he's never seen you before? Hmmm?"

Almost frantic now, "But I get it every day! It's my usual!"

Very calm and gentle, almost like he's talking somebody down from a ledge, "We've established that Frank, and now we're trying to figure out how somebody who's never seen you before in his life, somebody you've never seen in your life, is supposed to know, with having never spoken to you before, what you like to have for lunch every day. How's he gonna know that? Hmmmm?"

Frank shuffled a bit, and then told me he wanted a cheeseburger, fries and a small pepsi, he started telling me I should already know that, but thought better of it.

I swear, all that over (at the time, it was twenty years ago) less than three bucks worth of food.

[garth1]

When I was training new people on cash at the convenience store, I would always tell them that they are in charge of every transaction, and not to get in a rush, or let the customer intimidate them. If they felt that they were being hustled or short changed, then put a stop to the transaction, and call a more experienced co-worker to help.

[marasbaras]

Yeah but, in all fairness, I know that we Americans get dumped on too anywhere else we go in the world as well. It goes both ways.

Come to where I live (Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines) next October 20th. They celebrte Leyte Landing Day ... they have 20 foot high statues at the large memorial park of MacArthur and his command staff.

Last October 20th, I was at the memorial and a Filipino WW2 vet shook my hand and said "thanks Joe!" I'm 41 ... far too young (my grandfather had served on the USS Colorado then, but that's him, not me). I thanked HIM for had it not been for him and others, my wife would've never been born.

Many folks like Americans. We just hear about and remember the bad things. Human nature.

Kind of like SCs. It's far easier to remember them than the good customers that we see.

[marasbaras]

I swear, all that over (at the time, it was twenty years ago) less than three bucks worth of food.

Good for George!