First Customer Ever to Make Me Cry

[Phantasmagoria]

sadly not the last though

I thought I'd pick this for my first proper post as he was the first customer to make me cry. Since then I have dealt with worse, but your first always sticks in your mind!

B/G: A few years ago I worked in a pub close to my house, and opposite the gates of a tourist attraction which runs events in its grounds all summer. This particular event was a show for people who owned steam-driven vehicles which lasted about three days, I think (you can imagine the traffic as several hundred of these things headed for the same junction to get into the place, some on trucks, some under their own steam (HA!).... uphill, but that's by the by). Anyway, after the event closed for the day, the owners, families, and various visitors would pile into the pub. This is a fairly small country pub, so it has a small bar, ONE till, which will only take one transaction at a time, and there was only room for two of us behind the bar.

So...

By the time I finished waitressing and went to help on the bar the crowd (it wasn't a queue!) was about 5 or 6 deep, and I had no idea who had been waiting longest. I was working as fast as I could, trying to keep track of people I'd seen waiting, and calling out "who's next?" so that people who had been waiting a while could let me know if I had missed them.

I spotted a regular who I knew had been waiting a while and turned to serve him, when from nowhere an old man yelled his order in my ear. The regular told me to serve this guy and that he could wait. So I got the guy his order and asked for the money as usual, when he leaned across the bar and yelled at me:

OM: Old Man
Me:

OM: Next time I'll thank you not to treat my son as if he were invisible!
Me: I'm sorry?
OM: He's been waiting here for twenty minutes and you have been completely ignoring him, your customer service is disgusting!
Me: I'm sorry, I have a lot of customers and I wasn't aware he'd been waiting
Note: His son was 6ft+ in a BRIGHT red shirt, and I hadn't seen him til the old guy started yelling at me, and even then he was loitering at the back of the crowd
OM: You saw him, you just don't want to serve him! *storms off with son*

I was a bit shellshocked by this, I was exhausted from working a split shift, with cleaning in the morning, then waitressing in the afternoon, and straight onto the bar in the evening, but I was still trying my best to be smiley and welcoming and quick, and I genuinely hadn't seen the son waiting. I could have probably coped if it wasn't for my regular slipping a pound coin into my hand as I got him his lager and saying:

"Don't worry love, you're doing your best. It wasn't your fault, he's just a pr*ck"

Sometimes people being nice makes the nasty worse! And then I felt terrible for abandoning my coworker as I had to run into the kitchen passage before my mascara turned me into the forgotten member of Kiss!

I hope this isn't too long for a first post. I've read about much worse SCs on here, so mine doesn't seem so bad any more, but it feels good to get it out!

[BeenThereDoneThat]

to !! Not too long a post at all. I'm sorry that guy got to you, and yeah, sometimes you just stay numb until someone else tried to comfort you, then it just comes pouring out. Well, there is a reason this forum is here and Old Man and his son just go to show why we need it

[downforit2008]

I think people in jobs like ours have all had our crying moments. But customers like that are just completely idiotic.
The best customers I've ever had are the ones who work in Retail themselves, so they at least understand how to treat the employees.

[Pixilated]

Welcome to the site! Wow, I guess it just goes to show that "mommies" aren't the only ones who coddle their pwecious widdle darlings. If the son had been standing there waiting (and given your description of his shirt, I doubt it), why didn't he just speak up?

[Android Kaeli]

Welcome. *sends lots of pickles and iced tea*

I've had my share of crying moments at work, a few of them, and everyone at one point WILL have at least one of them. The people who make retail employees cry are well beyond rude.

[XCashier]

I've had my share of crying moments at work, a few of them, and everyone at one point WILL have at least one of them.

Either crying or punching a hole in the nearest box / wall / other. And some SCs get their jollies off of it. Sick bastards.

I'm sorry you had to deal with that jerk. It was nice of the good customer to try to comfort you, but yeah, sometimes that makes the tears worse.

[PepperElf]

Sometimes people being nice makes the nasty worse!

I'm sure he didn't mean to make you cry - the reg that is.

But I know how that feels too... I still remember having a bad day in boot camp with other recruits harping at me about something stupid or other. I was furious but doing ok... until someone said, "Hey leave Pepper alone for a while".

Slings and arrows bounce off the shields sometimes ... and a kind word finds it's way in.

[ackmeow]

I wish there were more people like that regular. It's nice to see there's someone who can sympathize with you instead of just seeing you as a pair of legs and arms or not bothering if it isn't their business.