New to board - probably get flamed

[BookstoreEscapee]

These types are the ones who get real snotty and haughty when dealing with you, because all IT people are just there to take up space and cause problems in their eyes. I can't tell you how many times someone blames a PC problem on yours truly, when the real fault lies with them. "I can't see anything on my terminal session!" "What's that? Colors? Why, it's blue on blue, of course." "Well, you should make it so we can't change it if it's that much of a problem!" Yes, I've had that conversation.

What I wonder is, if they think they're so smart, why the hell are they calling you? There are a few programs that I am quite proficient in, and I can do a mean web surf, but if something goes wrong with the computer itself, I am more than happy to defer to your superior knowledge....that, or I yell, "DAAAD!!"

A bit is the thing that goes in the horse's mouth, and a byte is what my cat gives me when I rub his belly too long. Right?

[lordlundar]

Not trying to flame or anything, but there a couple of points I's like to make out on this.

1. Not all customers are SCs, but as said before, the SCs stick out and can, on occasion ruin a good day.

2. A number of the "hooks" that you consider employee intolerance, are pretty much an insult to common courtesy. You don't yell at someone on the street when asking for directions, why would you yell at them if their in uniform? You don't yak on a cell phone when having an idle chat with someone, why would you do so during a business transaction?

3. The ones of a customer not understanding something but being polite about it aren't SCs by definition, but the stories can still be amusing, and are just as useful for stress relief as venting about SCs.

4. SCs are by the basics an attitude issue. Someone not understanding something but being polite about it aren't SCs. When the refuse to belive what you're saying, become ignorant, rude, hostile or even violent, then they are promoted to that unholiest of positions.

I have had numerous people who haven't clued into what I tell them about something, but are polite as I explain it for the fifth time. These are frustrating, but not SCs. Stories like that are posted for the laugh factor if nothing else.

5. Sometimes being an SC is a good thing. One person was banned because he wanted to start an anti-customers grassroots movement and thought it was an "us versus them" situation. It revolved around a polite person and a rude employee. There are stories in here about staff being positively ***holes and being an SC is simply self-defense.

The stories that are SC level are usually a case of a misunderstanding amplified by a customers attitude. Not every story is an SC level story, but was posted because it's funny, or just to vent some frustration. That's what the site is primarily here for; to vent and to laugh to relive some stress. In my case, between this site and my (few) First Person Shooters, I have a very calm life outside of work.

[IT Grunt]

What I wonder is, if they think they're so smart, why the hell are they calling you? There are a few programs that I am quite proficient in, and I can do a mean web surf, but if something goes wrong with the computer itself, I am more than happy to defer to your superior knowledge....that, or I yell, "DAAAD!!"

The only reason I can think of, and this was the case with the guy I talked about, is that they want to get their kicks by causing you grief and once again re-assert their superiority, although in reality it only makes them look like total morons. Unfortunately, they're too engrossed in their own self-image to realize it. This particular example was loathed by everyone here, his name was a curse word. That's how bad he was.

A bit is the thing that goes in the horse's mouth, and a byte is what my cat gives me when I rub his belly too long. Right?

Yes indeedy, and a megabyte is what happens when the horse gets startled by a car alarm.

[BookstoreEscapee]

The only reason I can think of, and this was the case with the guy I talked about, is that they want to get their kicks by causing you grief and once again re-assert their superiority, although in reality it only makes them look like total morons. Unfortunately, they're too engrossed in their own self-image to realize it. This particular example was loathed by everyone here, his name was a curse word. That's how bad he was.



Yes indeedy, and a megabyte is what happens when the horse gets startled by a car alarm.

I thought that was a Jaguar with hoof marks on the hood.

(If you don't get it, search for the Assateague Pony story by... I forget who)

[IT Grunt]

I thought that was a Jaguar with hoof marks on the hood.

(If you don't get it, search for the Assateague Pony story by... I forget who)

That's what I was referring to, but I couldn't quite apply 'megabyte' to it directly. Sometimes my sense of humor can get a little dry...

[DesignFox]

I caught the reference...I thought the bit, byte, megabyte exchange was funny...

To bullets- No worries- we don't flame here! That's why it's a nice place to vent. This is the first forum I have ever participated in, and I've stayed because the other members are respectful of one another. Also, our Mods do a wonderful job of keeping things in line if a discussion does get out of hand.

Anyway- Welcome to the board!

[SuperB]

Yes, small children will bang on the produce scale on the grocery store. It has happened for as long as I can remember and will continue to happen. If that pisses you off then you probably shouldn't work at a grocery store.

I disagree with this. If a child is banging on anything that doesn't belong to them it's the job of the parent to stop them. When they see it and ignore it they perpetuate the problem. A child raised with the parents paying attention and teaching respect will not be the problems that those who take the stance of "kids being kids" are.

[BookstoreEscapee]

That's what I was referring to, but I couldn't quite apply 'megabyte' to it directly. Sometimes my sense of humor can get a little dry...

I figured that's what you were referring to. The "you" was more of a general you to those who may have missed that thread.

[chainedbarista]

i agree with super B on this; there's nothing adorable about a misbehaving child who's damaging things in a store because mom or dad aren't making them behave.

even less appealing is the parent who encourages this behavior to keep junior/juniorette occupied while they shop/talk/do whatever; merchandise gets damaged and the store ends up taking a loss because the 'parent' won't accept responsibility for their child's actions and their failure to actually do the unthinkable-be a REAL parent.

[AFpheonix]

Welcome!
I know I've said this on many an occasion, but only about 5% of my total customers really qualify as SCs. I don't mind answering silly questions, there's a lot about my job in the pharmacy that can be confusing to a lay person, and I understand that. It's only when a customer either tries to get me to do something illegal even after I've explained why I can't do what I want them to do, refuses to take personal responsibility for their medications and insurance, or is just generally rude and unkind that they get promoted to SC status.

However, I will complain here about just the general things that I come across day in and day out. I HAVE to let it out here (or blow stuff up really well in a video game), so that I can keep my happy, smiling, joking face out for customers at work.

Phe: 3 years homicide free in the pharmacy

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

I thought that was a Jaguar with hoof marks on the hood.

(If you don't get it, search for the Assateague Pony story by... I forget who)

That was one of mine and can be found here.

M

[Lace Neil Singer]

I disagree with this. If a child is banging on anything that doesn't belong to them it's the job of the parent to stop them. When they see it and ignore it they perpetuate the problem. A child raised with the parents paying attention and teaching respect will not be the problems that those who take the stance of "kids being kids" are.

Agreed. As far as I'm concerned, the difference is thusly:

A baby crying = kids will be kids.
A school age kid screeching loudly cuz he/she likes the sound of his/her own voice = a badly behaved kid with even worse parents.

See the difference? Both sounds are annoying, but the first can be understood, whereas the second is inexcusable. I have nothing against children laughing, talking, asking me questions, playing with my reduced stickers (and I have even given them 1 if they've asked me nicely! It seems to amuse their parents, too) or even singing or humming; I'm not a kid person, but that kind of behaviour isn't sucky kid behavior.

What is, is when kids screech loudly, pull things off shelves, throw dividers on the floor and break them, run around manically, shove the chairs over. That is bad behaviour and it's up to their parents to tell them off and stop them doing it. However, a sad amount of customers seem to prefer to ignore their kids acting like demon spawn rather than teaching them to act like human beings.

For every story we post here, there are thousands of transactions that take place that we don't remember since they were quick, easy, polite, and non-sucky. We as humans tend to remember the cases that were unique. We remember the butt-smears who yell at us, or make us cry, or destroy the store, or try to return used underwear with racing stripes claiming they've never been worn.

This is exactly it. However, speaking personally, I can remember loads of great, cool customers with whom I had nice chats with, or who made me laugh, or who had lovely well behaved kids, or did sweet things (like the girl who gave me the end of her cheese french stick cuz I'd been talking about how hungry I was); however, the people I post about here are the rude, offensive, nasty people who make my retail life hell. I've had customers make me cry, and ones who've screamed abuse at me, or called me names, for no real reason.

Just cuz we wear uniforms and sit behind a till/on the end of a phone line is no reason to treat us like subhumans. We still have feelings and can get hurt and upset. And having this place to vent when someone tramples all over us and is sucky makes all the difference; having gotten the venom out of our systems, we can return to work as better employees. At least, that's how it is with me.

[Jester]

I apologize on behalf of all stupid floridians by the way.

The correct phrase is "Floridiots." (Yes, I invented that one.) This applies to stupid people from Florida. I deal with them daily, living literally at land's end in Florida.

This is not to say I hate people from Florida, or think they are all Floridiots. They aren't. Floridians are lovely people who are from or who live in Florida consider it home. They are warm, friendly, giving, caring people, and I adore them. Sadly, they are saddled with their neighbors, the Floridiots mentioned above.

ME: sir if you strike me again I will deactivate your keys and make you vacate the premesis.
SC: ID LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY.
ME: (checks the SC out and tosses him the reciept) Get out before I call the police.

Rule of thumb: when someone who has the authority to throw you out of an establishment threatens to do so, challenging them is not the wise maneuver.

As another IT professional, I'd like to toss in my $0.02 on this one. The majority of people who are truly un-educated when it comes to computers are by and large quite polite about it. They acknowledge it, and they accept your help and knowledge to get their problem fixed and go on their merry way.

That would be me. Now, my friends know that if they need to find something on the web, there is no one better at it than me. I am truly a Master at finding stuff. But technical stuff with my computer? Um, no. Which is why usually, when I need to ask a technical question of an IT professional (like my roommates), I start off with "Hi. I'm an idiot. Can you help me?" Having seen that I admit my complete cluelessness, accept it, and have a sense of humor about it, they are always more than willing to help me. And hey, it gives them a laugh.

I disagree with this. If a child is banging on anything that doesn't belong to them it's the job of the parent to stop them. When they see it and ignore it they perpetuate the problem. A child raised with the parents paying attention and teaching respect will not be the problems that those who take the stance of "kids being kids" are.

And I have to disagree with your disagreement, in this sense: there are many good parents whose kids on occasion just get completely unruly. No kid is a saint or an angel, and I have seen the politest, best behaved kids in the world just completely lose it in public for no (outwardly apparent) reason. Even the best parents in the world have kids that sometimes just DO stupid obnoxious annoying shit. Like, say, banging on the produce scale.

This is NOT to excuse the lacksadaisical lameass absentee parents of the kids that are ALWAYS doing this. Just saying that sometimes, it really is beyond the control of the parents. So sayeth Uncle Jester.

[Gawdzillers]

I never thought of an employee's "standards" before. Nice point.
But some actions that the employee considers sucky may also be considered so by other customers or bystanders in the store. For example, someone yelling that they want their seed feed. ( )

Nice story, by the way.

[Spiffy McMoron]

The only Flames allowed on this board are in my signature!

Anyway, glad to be registered on the board.

And we're glad to have you here. It seems that you aready know what a sucky customer is, judging on your story. Don't forget, we also are here to talk about sucky bosses, sucky co-workers, and whatever else comes to mind. We have no problem with dissent or opposing viewpoints, but we do ask that you remain civil. If you have a problem with a post, there's a nice little red button that reports the post. We'd rather have a reported post than a flame war.