Customers who use their personal problems to excuse their behavior

[JLRodgers]

Just out of curiosity, Would you be as understanding if, say, you went to a movie and the person in concession freaked out on you because they had a passing in their family?

There's a difference in a movie theater and a phone call. In one the person is doing something they want -- the other they're doing something they have to do and might be on a deadline for doing. People shouldn't be yelling at reps and all for doing their job, just sometimes I can see why it can happen. Sadly sometimes it takes being in the situation to know what the person's potentially going through. So simple answer in a theater I'd be like "I don't care who died -- don't be acting like a jerk" (because, well, they didn't have to be there, and should be nice since it's optional).



Just as an example, when my great-grandmother died, my mom had to provide (some of the items certified copies):
g-grandmother's: death certificate, power of attorney, estate papers, marriage certificates, updated power of attorney as my mom's mom had died (as my great-grandma and grandmother and mother all had different last names).
grandmother's: death certificate, power of attorney, estate papers, birth certificate, marriage certificate (so she could prove she was next in line to carryout things)
mom's: driver's license, and something else (can't remember -- so she could prove she was who she said she was).

-- just to cancel teacher retirement pay.


I know I'm going to go through hell whenever my parents die to get things taken care of -- I'm prepared for that now. But had I not of known what my mother went though? I'd of been completely shocked let me tell you!

[Mordecai]

There's a difference in a movie theater and a phone call. In one the person is doing something they want -- the other they're doing something they have to do and might be on a deadline for doing. People shouldn't be yelling at reps and all for doing their job, just sometimes I can see why it can happen. Sadly sometimes it takes being in the situation to know what the person's potentially going through. So simple answer in a theater I'd be like "I don't care who died -- don't be acting like a jerk" (because, well, they didn't have to be there, and should be nice since it's optional).

Sorry, I should have been more specific. when I said "person", I was referring to the concessionist, not the customer.

[JLRodgers]

Sorry, I should have been more specific. when I said "person", I was referring to the concessionist, not the customer.

To make it short: as long as they do their job, don't cuss, don't ignore me while doing something that seems obviously not part of the job, and don't do something to the food (which I would report to management and to the health department), I'd not say anything other than "must be having a bad day" once I was out of earshot or just in my head.

I give employees on the clock a lot more leeway than customers. They'd have to be really bad before I'd even consider reporting them. I didn't even report a worker that treated me like a child, cussed me out (when she thought I was out of earshot) because I had the nerve to stop her cell-phone-photo-shoot (she was posing with exaggerated faces) in front of the 2-liter pop bottles with a question for where drink things were that weren't there.

[GingerBiscuit]

When my godmother- who I adored- died when I was younger, I was a wreck. I had already been developing depression and I just spiralled. Started cutting, developed an eating disorder- the works. I was functionally insane- I could just about function in the real world enough to seem like me, but I wasn't doing very well at all.

As a result, I was probably extremely unpleasant to a number of people in retail positions without being aware of it. I was barely aware of waking up and leaving the house in the morning, and quite often not getting something I thought I should have- either due to the fact it was out of stock or there were strings attached- would be the target of my misdirected rage.

I would, of course, depsite how hellish this year has been for me- never behave like that now. But sometimes a personal tragedy can completely change you and you are existing in this whirwind of pain where- wuite simply- no-one else matters to you. SO you behave badly because you feel bad and you are too hurt and confused to do anything else.

[Mordecai]

To make it short: as long as they do their job, don't cuss, don't ignore me while doing something that seems obviously not part of the job, and don't do something to the food (which I would report to management and to the health department), I'd not say anything other than "must be having a bad day" once I was out of earshot or just in my head.I give employees on the clock a lot more leeway than customers. They'd have to be really bad before I'd even consider reporting them.

Yeah, that's pretty much how I feel, too. Thank's for clearing that up.

I didn't even report a worker that treated me like a child, cussed me out (when she thought I was out of earshot) because I had the nerve to stop her cell-phone-photo-shoot (she was posing with exaggerated faces) in front of the 2-liter pop bottles with a question for where drink things were that weren't there.

Unfortunately, I know a lot of employees at a certain theatre that shall go unnamed who do similiar crap like the ones you just mentioned. I loathe them so much....