Yesterday I had one moment of customer rage in a normal quite happy day. Not my rage but theirs. It resulted in my going in to our warehouse and telling a manager what happened, and then shouting '...…...and I don't actually give a shit!' (swearing is not my normal language by any means). He was startled, I was angry and then I promptly went in to the staff toilets and had a ten second weep.
Its really amazing how one naff incident in a day stays with you for a long time, rather than the lovely interaction you usually get. In fact I had got so worked up with indignation at how I had been talked to, that I even had a shouty jokey conversation with the DM before I went and had the little sobbing session. He caught sight of me at the other end of the corridor as I was about to go through a door, and teasingly called out did I want any tulips? I knew straight away that he had been told about the episode from my work colleague, who had also been involved. I shouted back, down the corridor naturally.....'you better not have given her discount'.....and he called back …...'no I gave them free'...….and I called back ….'you better not have'......all in a humorous manner. Suffice to say the episode had involved some tulips from the shop floor.
I don't normally blog about work. It's a very private part of my life, and our customers are generally very cordial and lovely. It's just that the odd one or two can really knock your confidence with their demands, even if you are polite and provide an explanation. The difficulty is that the retail market is very fragile now. Customers know that, and some can be demanding in a way you could have on line in an email for example, but not face to face. There is no excuse for the shouting and abuse of a person trying to provide a service, and this sort of manner is escalating. You read about it all the time, where people are rude and sometimes physically violent. I have had flowers hurled at me, and even once a bottle of wine. Some of the staff have had customers shouting at them when they have been too slow, or not provided them with an answer thy want. Our security guard has had violence directed at him a number of times. Very often you will get the retort that they will just have to go somewhere else if you won't give them what they want. Well yes, maybe you should if you are going to be rude for no reason.
I've been on many a customer service course over the couple of jobs I have held. I work front of house. I deal with complaints and enquiries all day. I have learnt Americanisms such as 'double bagging' and all about 'smiling' and 'body language'. I know my job well, and I also know I am good at it. That's why I work I the area I am in. But it is quite honestly intense and exhausting and a lot of people cant, and wont, do it. I do actually enjoy my job most of the time, and especially the variety and general interaction.
So why is it just that just one customer can rock you and upset your day? Why can't I focus on all the nice episodes that happen in my work instead? Both myself and my colleague were very polite to that customer. In my line of work you cannot be otherwise. It was only afterwards, back of the house if you like, that all my emotions came to the fore. The funny shouty conversation with my DM just reiterated to me that someone had just been nasty to two of us. That's a shocking thing to have to cope with. My release was to weep for a short time to get rid of the hurt. Even though you are taught not to, it is still hard not to take it personally when someone is being nasty to you. I've learnt all the possible reasons why they may be like that. They may have had a bad day themselves. They may be in pain. They may have just had a row with their partner/colleague/traffic warden/etc. It all roller balls on to the next person. But I still think there is no excuse for being nasty to someone if they are just trying to do their job correctly, and are not rude in the slightest to you. May I make a plea to any customer of any place please have a think about the actual human beings in front of you next time you have a complaint or are angry. Shouting doesn't work. All it does is upset the other person, and if that is your intention then you are not a nice person and I would honestly rather not have to deal with you.
This is a blog from the heart. Working in retail isn't 'the easy low paid job because you cant get anything else' you think it is. It is hard work, often very intense and very mentally demanding, as well as frequently physically demanding. Not everyone can do a customer facing job precisely because of those reasons.Most people in retail do the job because they like the interaction they have with customers, and mostly they enjoy it. It's certainly not because of the pay. So please, if you are unhappy, still be nice. That person standing in front of you will always have a reason for the answer they will give you, even if it isn't the one you want. No amount of shouting or raging at that person is acceptable in any way. They are as human as anyone and so deserve to be treated with respect.
By the way my DM proceeded to hum 'tiptoe through the tulips' every time he went by me for the rest of my working day. It did make me laugh, and I suspect that's what he intended. He's a good DM.
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