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  • "I AM THE CUSTOMER!!!"

    Yesterday I had a young couple come through my line, and they certainly seemed like friendly people. As I was in the middle of their transaction, an employee comes up to me and asks what my schedule is. I continue to work as I think about my schedule, being careful as usual with their stuff. Suddenly they push their cart out of the way and just leave, and I am standing there doumbfounded, wondering why they left so suddenly. The other cashier said she heard the lady say, "I am the customer" and then leave. Oddly enough, I did not hear them say anything, hence why I was confused as to why they just left like that.
    Ok, so you assholes think you actually have the right to tell me that I cannot talk to someone else and work at the same time? I admit there are a few customers who would actually think it is rude to do so, but the cashier was only at my register for less than 30 seconds before the couple just up and left.
    We got pulled into the office later (we were not in trouble, they just wanted to get our stories), and it was then that I told the sups in there with me that these people were making a big deal out of nothing, and that no one was gonna tell me I can't work and talk at the same time. They said according to those 2 customers, their perception was that I didn't provide good customer service, to which I replied these people are obviously idiots, but I could still understand how some people might take it the wrong way, and that I do not wish for a customer to walk away unhappy. Like I said, these people are fucked in the head. There's really nothing I could've gotten into trouble for. I stayed at my register and was doing my job, and providing good customer service, just like I do to every customer who comes through my line. I found out that the other cashier was actually the one to walk away from her register to ask me a question. When they told her that she was in the wrong for doing that, she began to break down and cry, claiming that other cashiers have a tendency to walk away from their registers with the light left on. If these idiots hadn't pitched a fit over something so fucking stupid, she never would've had this conversation with the sups and would not have started crying.
    Long story short folks, you don't tell me what I can and cannot do while I am working at my register, so long as I'm doing my job and not doing anything illegal. Do not worry, I will pay attention to you since some of you obviously need me to and feel so insecure about yourself that you feel the need to get mad if I dare to talk to anyone else but you at my register. Again I know this might be considered unprofessional and I always talk to customers who come through my line (I'm known to actually chew someone's ear off sometimes ) but if I talk to someone else for a few seconds, don't be so fucking demanding that I pay attention to you only. You're not 3 years old, people. No I take that back.... There are customers who behave worse than 3 year olds! Btw, I know "you are the customer", I can recognize you by your whiny little stuck up attitude bitch.
    Last edited by BowserKoopa1; 01-03-2012, 06:36 PM.

  • #2
    On one hand, the customer was an ass. I give my full attention to the customer in front of me, but if my boss walks in, or the phone rings, I have to deal with those, too. I'm not purposely trying to ignore the customer. I'm just busy. It's not like you were on your cell chatting with friends and just not giving a crap.

    On the other hand, your CW should have seen you were with a customer and waited for you to finish up with them. I've ripped into CWs in the past who interrupted me when I was trying to check in a guest.

    Last night, the phone rang while I checked in a guest. I answered it. The guy glared at me, and just threw his ID at me. Worse still, it was Hubs calling to talk about his truck (which was broke down and he was calling to give me an update on getting it towed), and I could not get a word in to tell him I was busy. And I couldn't just say "Can I call you back?", because letting the guest in on that it was a personal call would have probably just made him more angry. So I could only be "Mmm-hmm..mmm-hmmm...yes..." I finally got Hubs off the phone though and was all smiles with the guest, and I think I appeased him in the end.
    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

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    • #3
      The customer should have understood it was a work question and not a personal question (from it being schedule related). It's normal to have work questions while at, omg, work.

      As a customer, I hate hate hate when employees carry on a conversation as if I'm not even there. Especially when it's about stuff I really shouldn't be hearing (yay, you puked cuz you drank so much, wow, you're so cool and important cuz you partied and puked. Not.)

      As an employee, I hate when a coworker interrupts me. If it's important, fine, I'll answer and apologize to the customer. Otherwise, wait two minutes. Same for answering the phone except I put them on hold.

      Per previous poster, I do have family members or friends that call when I happen to be with a customer but they know by now that if I say "one moment, please" it's code for "I'm with a customer and can't talk right now" lol. They either wait or hang up and I call them when it's quiet.
      Last edited by Slayer; 01-03-2012, 08:09 PM.

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      • #4
        Quoth Slayer View Post
        Per previous poster, I do have family members or friends that call when I happen to be with a customer but they know by now that if I say "one moment, please" it's code for "I'm with a customer and can't talk right now" lol. They either wait or hang up and I call them when it's quiet.
        Hubs normally knows that, but because he was so stressed out about his truck breaking down, I don't think he was hearing me.
        Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

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        • #5
          Quoth Slayer View Post
          Per previous poster, I do have family members or friends that call when I happen to be with a customer but they know by now that if I say "one moment, please" it's code for "I'm with a customer and can't talk right now" lol. They either wait or hang up and I call them when it's quiet.
          Aren't codes wonderful? When i worked in an office (pre-cell phone days), personal calls weren't banned, they quite realized working 8 - 5 M-F there was no other time to make calls to schedule doctor & dentist appointments, call the bank over an issue, etc. But of course, truely personal calls weren't considered very professional. So friends & family all knew that "thanks for getting back to me on that" meant a boss or client or someone was with me

          The exception was when my daughter reached an age where she no longer required a baby sitter after school - she called me the minute she got home to let me know she was home safely and would not leave the house til I got home. Everyone from boss on down knew and didn't mind, and as she was very prompt, took it for granted. I was once in a meeting with team members & boss when the phone rang, I looked at my watch and siad "that'll be "daughter", boss answered, said "she's right here" & handed the phone to me without a word, watched me answer it with "hi sweetie", then lauged his a** off as I turned beet red when a strange male voice answered I could have killed him for that one.

          Madness takes it's toll....
          Please have exact change ready.

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          • #6
            When I worked at BoutiqueGrocery half a lifetime ago, they made it abundantly clear that we were not permitted to talk to one another, even cashier to bagger or cashier to adjoining cashier....even if the store was all but empty and no custy's were up front. Apparently, it's bad customer service to talk while customers are not present >_< And, the classic: "If you have time to talk, you have time to clean your register/get baskets/fill bags"....Which we all just did....ten minutes ago...because it's DEAD in here >_>
            "For a musician, the SNES sound engine is like using Crayola Crayons. Nobuo Uematsu used Crayola Crayons to paint the Sistine Chapel." - Jeremy Jahns (re: "Dancing Mad")
            "The difference between an amateur and a master is that the master has failed way more times." - JoCat
            "Thinking is difficult, therefore let the herd pronounce judgment!" ~ Carl Jung
            "There's burning bridges, and then there's the lake just to fill it with gasoline." - Wiccy, reddit
            "Retail is a cruel master, and could very well be the most educational time of many people's lives, in its own twisted way." - me
            "Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down...tell you she's hurtin' 'fore she keens...makes her a home." - Capt. Malcolm Reynolds, "Serenity" (2005)
            Acts of Gord – Read it, Learn it, Love it!
            "Our psychic powers only work if the customer has a mind to read." - me

            Comment


            • #7
              Apparently, it's bad customer service to talk while customers are not present
              Grrr, my work does this too. I work in fast food and while we obviously won't have personal conversations when the customers are right there, there is ALWAYS someone in the lobby eating. I have heard "they don't want to hear your personal conversations" SO many times. I can understand no one wanting to hear anything way personal or inappropriate, but to make us stand in silence is stupid. But then again, we have had TWO customer complaints about having to listen to us having our work meeting, which we do in the lobby and is all work related. And one time my DM got a complaint, because she was talking to an employee about promoting her in the lobby. (The lobby is the only place in the store big enough for two people to sit and talk.) The lady walked up to her and said "I don't want to hear that! Take it someplace else!"

              Seriously, WTF? I don't want to hear half the conversations my customers have about baby daddys and child support and drugs and custody etc etc etc, but I have to.


              ETA: Oh, I almost forgot - one of the times that someone complained about us having our work meeting in the lobby she called the office number RIGHT in front of us, complained, and then walked up and asked us for an application.

              Comment


              • #8
                Why is a conversation about a promotion offensive? Maybe the sucktomer was jealous because no one ever wanted to promote her. Also, lengthy conversations in front of customers we're supposed to be waiting on are rude, but there's very little downtime, so if a supervisor needs to quickly ask me a schedule question, or any other business-related question, I'm going to answer. Some people get mad, but meh. The sucktomers in the OP totally overreacted.
                "Is it hot in here to you? It's very warm, isn't it?"--Nero, probably

                Comment


                • #9
                  where i work we thankfully have areas where people can have meetings. there's an office in the back, two side offices, and for big meetings we conduct them right in the store but before we open. i don't know if customers get mad about that last one but... we're not going to be open yet anyway so pffft.

                  for phone conversations I try to smile at customers if they approach me during a call. and if the phone rings while they are with me i ask if they mind me taking it an putting the caller on hold. so far it hasn't backfired, save for one caller who wanted to scream at us. as soon as she was done bitching i gave her to a manager. (cos someone who starts off saying "fuck" isn't someone im paid to deal with)

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                  • #10
                    Please tell me you laughted

                    Quoth notlovinit View Post
                    ETA: Oh, I almost forgot - one of the times that someone complained about us having our work meeting in the lobby she called the office number RIGHT in front of us, complained, and then walked up and asked us for an application.
                    And she thinks you will want to work with such a person?

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Hold on, I just thought of something! Let's switch roles and see what happens when they do the exact thing to us. I'm talking about customers who come up and are talking on their cell phones and all but ignore us. Ok, so its ok for you to talk on your cell phone and ignore us like that? But if we dare to even talk to someone else not in your group for even a few seconds you get upset? One word- Hypocrits!
                      Some might reason that they are the customers and they are allowed to do that. Ok fair enough, but it still seems very hypocritical to me. Basically its ok for them to ignore us but if we don't give them our fully undivided attention they get mad. Shitheads.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        We had one incident where cahsier1 ran into some problem with a transaction. The cashier2 in the next lane had been around longer so naturally cashier1 asked them what the error message meant. It was totally professional, cashier1 explained they had problem, said excuse me to cashier2, and quickly asked the question. Cashier2 quickly explained wht to do and 45 seconds later cashier1 was back to the transaction.

                        Later the SC called and demanded they be fired for being lazy and incompetent.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Quoth mattm04 View Post
                          Later the SC called and demanded they be fired for being lazy and incompetent.
                          Maybe it's just me, but I would have complimented Cashier1 on their initiative. Better to look silly for a moment and ask, then NOT to ask and remain ignorant...
                          "For a musician, the SNES sound engine is like using Crayola Crayons. Nobuo Uematsu used Crayola Crayons to paint the Sistine Chapel." - Jeremy Jahns (re: "Dancing Mad")
                          "The difference between an amateur and a master is that the master has failed way more times." - JoCat
                          "Thinking is difficult, therefore let the herd pronounce judgment!" ~ Carl Jung
                          "There's burning bridges, and then there's the lake just to fill it with gasoline." - Wiccy, reddit
                          "Retail is a cruel master, and could very well be the most educational time of many people's lives, in its own twisted way." - me
                          "Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down...tell you she's hurtin' 'fore she keens...makes her a home." - Capt. Malcolm Reynolds, "Serenity" (2005)
                          Acts of Gord – Read it, Learn it, Love it!
                          "Our psychic powers only work if the customer has a mind to read." - me

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