You will NOT go on lunch until I am served!

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

I work in a wireless store. Usually I get my lunch between 1:30 and 2:45. Today I was planning to go around 2. Unfortunately we ended up getting pretty busy and since it's only myself and the manager working, I stayed on to help out with the customers.

Finally at about 3:15, we slowed down a bit and I was ready to take my lunch. I was starving by this time. My manager was in the middle of helping a customer and another came in just as I had clocked out to go on lunch. So I walk out from the counter and head to the back of the store. Just as I do this...

SC: HEY YOU!

(I turn back around)

SC: I need some help with my phone, my text messaging is not workin properly.

Me: I am actually about to go on lunch, Mary -- (he cuts me off)

SC: Oh no you're not!

Me: Excuse me?

SC: You're not going to lunch until you fix this problem for me!

Me: Sir, Mary (the manager) will be happy to assist you in a moment, now if you'll excuse me--

SC: But she's busy, you're not. I need help with this.

Me: I understand that sir but I am on lunch now.

SC: Well then put your lunch on hold and help me with this! I don't have a lot of time here. (oh ok, I see how this works: YOUR time is important, but mine doesn't mean jack)

Me: I understand you don't have a lot of time, but as I said I am ON LUNCH and OFF the clock so you'll have to wait for Mary.

SC: Not if you clocked back in and helped me. Look, this will probably only take a few minutes. Come on man! (side note: Tech issues are RARELY a few minutes, the average is 10-15, with the high end being over an hour)

Me: LOOK, what part of I am ON LUNCH and cannot help you at the moment do you not understand?

SC: You are STANDING in front of me, you ain't in the back on lunch yet, I DEMAND you stay and help me with this. I'm the customer, *I* come first. (not when I haven't eaten in nearly 6 hours you don't, and not if I am off the clock either)

Me: You can demand all you want sir but I don't have to serve you against my will, now if you'll excuse me, I am going ON LUNCH.

SC: I won't take this rude treatment from you, get me your manager!

(of course Mary was right there the whole time but the SC didn't know she was the boss)

M: I'm right here sir, there's no "Getting" required.

SC: Did you see the way this man treated me?

M: Yes I saw and heard everything.

SC: So what do you plan to do about this?

M: Absolutely nothing. Crazedclerk has done nothing wrong, he was just trying to leave for a break. You treated HIM rudely and made unfair demands.

SC:

M: So I will help you with your text messaging problem but if you disrespect anyone in here again, you will never be allowed back.

SC: Screw this man! I'm done with this fucking company. I ain't never dealing with you people again!

(as SC storms out the door)
M: Can I get that in writing?

I will note that while Mary and I don't always see eye to eye on stuff she doesn't take ANY flack from SCs. That's one of the things I like about her.

[Birdie]

Ouch, I get that quite a bit myself at work. Sometimes I get it as I'm coming back in from going to another store to get my lunch too ("I need some help, I know you're on lunch but everyone else is busy) which I find rather rude.

Also maybe you weren't aware but anyone who works retail sales is automatically required to drop everything to help out a customer, even their lunch break. Yes, because we never get hungry at work, oh no of course not.

Well handled I say, customers like that don't see retail assistants as people, they must believe we have nothing better to do during the only hour in a work day we can actually go and relax. XD

[otakuneko]

to the manager!

[rts]

to the manager!

Way to go Mary, GIVE EM HELL!!!!!

[Talon]

M: Absolutely nothing. Crazedclerk has done nothing wrong, he was just trying to leave for a break. You treated HIM rudely and made unfair demands.

SC:

M: So I will help you with your text messaging problem but if you disrespect anyone in here again, you will never be allowed back.

SC: Screw this man! I'm done with this fucking company. I ain't never dealing with you people again!

(as SC storms out the door)
M: Can I get that in writing?

Sweet comebacks!

Mary deserves a free lunch for that one. Managers like her are worth their weight in gold.

[fireheart]

Mary the manager!

I tend to get asked the odd question while I'm on break. Thankfully it's usually a case of "where can I find this?" and I'll point them in the right direction. Usually though, I'll just cover up or make it obvious that I'm on break. But seriously, all retail establishments need a sign that says "Retail Staff Are Not Robots!"

[NateTheChops]

Oy, I wish my manager had the stones to stand up to customers like that. Unfortunately he's the reason why our sucky regulars just keep getting worse.

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

Mary the manager!

I tend to get asked the odd question while I'm on break. Thankfully it's usually a case of "where can I find this?" and I'll point them in the right direction. Usually though, I'll just cover up or make it obvious that I'm on break. But seriously, all retail establishments need a sign that says "Retail Staff Are Not Robots!"

A quick question I would have been fine with, but this guy had a tech problem that would have required a fair bit more effort to solve than answering a question.

[smileyeagle1021]

my personal favorite is the people who insist on stopping me in the parking lot to ask for directions... because giving directions is part of my job... it's like hmm, what part of me running across the parking lot towards the bus stop staring at my watch looking desperately up the road hoping the bus doesn't come out of nowhere before I can get to the stop gives you the impression that I'm going to have the time to give your directions

[BowserKoopa1]

I would've ignored the customer and walked out the door and gone to lunch. They get pissed, sure, but since when do customers give a crap that we get hungry just like evereyone else?
I also would've told the customer that technically it is illegal in most jobs to work while you are off the clock, which it is.
I worked at a merry go round in the mall, by myself on weekdays. I would have to wait until there are no customers, lock up the ticket booth, and go get something to eat. Doesn't seem like a big problem because the place is located right in the center of the food court, right? Wrong!
I've had 2 or 3 situations where I had everything locked up, and then somebody would come along with their kid wanting to get a ride. Do you think they care that I haven't had a chance to eat, that I work by myself, or that maybe they could just be patient and wait a half hour? Of course not!
Some of you might ask, "Why not take your food into the booth and eat there?" Ok, how many of you out there want to sit in a cramped booth, eating your meal and not being able to enjoy an "uninterrupted meal break"? And since you would still be serving customers, you wouldn't be able to eat your food without getting interrupted all the time, and then your food gets cold.
Point is, I expect, as should most everyone else, to get a meal break and not have to deal with customers during that time. Any manager gives you flack about this, you can report it to higher-ups. Any customers, just say sorry and leave before the situation can escalate.

[DevilBoy]

I would've ignored the customer and walked out the door and gone to lunch.

Exactly.

I would have employed the often used SC tactics of "Selective Sight" and "Selective Hearing"...

...in other words, I would have never "seen" the SC at the door and I certainly would not have "heard" anyone demanding that I attend to them.

[Mordecai]

SC: HEY YOU!

(I turn back around)

SC: I need some help with my phone, my text messaging is not workin properly.

Me: I am actually about to go on lunch, Mary -- (he cuts me off)

SC: Oh no you're not!

Me: Excuse me?

SC: You're not going to lunch until you fix this problem for me!

Me: Sir, Mary (the manager) will be happy to assist you in a moment, now if you'll excuse me--

SC: But she's busy, you're not. I need help with this.

Me: I understand that sir but I am on lunch now.

SC: Well then put your lunch on hold and help me with this! I don't have a lot of time here.

I wonder how this turd burglar would react if someone wanted him to put his lunch "on hold" so that he could help them with something as trivial as text messaging.

Oh, and if he addressed me as "HEY YOU!" I probably would have ignored him and kept on walking.

[tropicsgoddess]

CrazedClerk, your manager rocks! If an SC did that, I would've ignored them flat out, because if I'm starving and they're bitching, they can fuck off because I don't work off the clock for anyone, I don't care who they are or what they want. Besides that it's downright illegal.

[Becks]

Mary rocks.

I hope your lunch was yummy.

[ArcticChicken]

"I know you're on break, but..." is the single worst sentence ever. I swear the next person who says that to me is getting a bottle of coke shoved up their butt.

Also to the people who try to stop me after I've clocked out. Ma'am, I'm walking out of the store, taking off my uniform (don't look at me like that, I was wearing another shirt), and talking on my cell phone, what make you think I'm going to go collect carts, that's not even my job description when I'm on the clock. If it didn't cost so much to replace, my cell phone would be joining that coke.