You've seen this before, but...(longish)

[BreadZombie]

Even though I've been out of retail and well, customer service for four years now, there are stories that still make me go "aaauugh!". But this is the one I want to post for now:

I was working in a jewelry store back in 2002 in Monterey, CA. Lots of tourists, and we needed every sale we could get as it was a famous street and rent was high. So, one day I'm doing my job as usual, trying to part people from their money in any decent way I could think of (I recieved 2% commission on top of my just-above min. wage) when I notice a child in front of one of our mirrors pretending to punch himself and spitting on said mirror. No parent was watching him.

Okay, I want to tell to stop but it's not that big of a deal. A couple minutes later, he's wrestling his brother on the floor and knocks into a woman holding a baby. I rush over and tell them they need to stop. The woman turns around and yells at me for even daring to tell her children what to do, she is leaving and not coming back!

Of course, my boss is a bit peeved at me but

1) how was I supposed to know those were her children to never be corrected

2) lady, if some harm had come to your baby, how would you have reacted?

3) for Bob's sake, police your offspring!

Seriously, the nerve of me for trying to protect the customers.

[Dips]

There was just no way to win that one, was there?

If they hadn't been her children, she'd have complained or mechandise would have been broken and then your boss would still be mad at you.

Your boss was going to be mad anyway. At least, by choosing the path you did, you got to say something to the kids; so some good came of it.

[aurelemsrealm]

My wife is expecting our first child, so I have yet to really practice my parenting skills. I do have a little experience dealing with children because I have a work-study job as a tour guide at a natural history museum operated by the university where I attend school. So, I've learned a few tricks to get unruly children to behave without really getting on them. My other job is the conveniece store. I have had to tell a few parents to make their children mind or they would be asked to leave, but it usually doesn't seem to be a big issue for me. It seems if I can get the parents' attention first, and point it out to them, they will usually correct their children. For the few who are too dense or lazy to get a clue, I follow through with asking them to leave while making it clear they are being asked to leave because they refuse to make their children mind. A lot of times it seems more that the parents are not aware of their childrens' bad behavior until it's pointed out to them.