[TheJenners]

I worked a grand total of three months (maybe less) at a grocery store. Hooooooly crap.

I had a lady buy a potted plant with the decorated foil stuff around the pot. I scan it and slide it down to the bagger and that woman's cheese slid straight off her cracker. She started screaming in the middle of the store, went to the manager, claimed that I had "thrown" the plant at the bagger and we were maliciously laughing at her while doing it, intentionally damaging things she wanted to buy, and left. I was just standing there like "what the heck??" Cleared out the sale and put everything back on the shelves, including the "damaged" potted plant. Poor little plant.

Or the mother whose precious angel reached up and started slamming his hand down on my keypad, threw all my pens to the heavens and beyond and froze my computer. I reached up and snagged his hand and pushed it away from the keypad while trying to fix the issue, and he threw himself to the floor and started screaming, and mom went to find my manager for laying a hand on her precious. Oy.

[AffirmedHope]

I honestly think everyone should be required to work retail for at least one year, so they can learn some damn respect and gain an understanding of how a lot of things are out of the peon workers control!

Also screaming at me because we are sold out of chicken wings TWO HOURS before the Superbowl is supposed to start, will not make more appear. It's not my fault you are an idiot that waited to buy your wings till the day of.

Also screaming at me because your check keeps getting rejected, will not make more money appear in your bank account. Maybe you should learn to balance your check book and be a little more careful with your finances.

[Barnfairy]

Over the last decade and a half, I've worked PT on-and-off for a family owned farm & garden store. Two years ago I left all my other jobs and started working exclusively for the family. I was hesitant to go back into retail this much...but I can honestly say it is the BEST job I have ever had. The family I work for is amazing, and the vast majority of our customers are regulars and wonderful.

Okay, that said... FWIW, of the most irritating encounters I have had, most have been with horse people.

'People who wait until they are out of grain and until the last minute of store hours to come buy more...and then go ballistic when they are told we are temporarily out of stock of that grain as well.

'People who *don't know* the name of the grain they want to buy. Yet somehow they know that the feeds I start naming are NOT what they want. Seriously people, do you know how many types of feed come in "a white bag"? Is it *that hard* to know the name of what you feed?

'People who will spend twenty minutes picking your brain about a certain product just to end up completely ignoring everything you've said.

'And my absolute favorite: People who complain about the rising cost of feed. Yes, everyone, it is *MY* fault that prices have gone up. I've done it just to spite you while personally pocketing all the profit. Do you know that the margin on feed is so low, we often only make about .50 cents to a $1.00 per bag? My employee discount -I pay 10% above cost- saves me exactly .10 cents per bag on Triple Crown Senior.

I love my job though. I really do.

[skydy]

The only retail I have worked has been at Wine Shops/Liquor stores and though I have seen much wierdness, I have suffered very little nastiness from customers.

Having read this thread I see that I am lucky.

I have seen many instances of kindness between customers, (helping another customer out if the were a little short of the total etc..).

One instance that I will always remember was when I was waiting on a customer, and an elderly woman, on oxygen, came in and stood at the front of the store.

When I was finshed with the first customer I saw a youngish man , ball cap on sideways, pants hanging off , you know the look. He was carrying a twelve pack of beer and said to the elderly woman, " is this the right one mam?" He didn't know her from Adam. It was so sweet.

I paid for the six pack of Bud he brought to the counter for himself after she had left, and learned not to make assumptions about people with their hats on sideways..

[JanM]

Skydy-I know what you mean about judging people. Where I used to live there was a high school near the grocery store. During school you knew better than to run to the store about school lunch time, because the kids could go off campus for lunch, and big groups would come in the store. It really clogged the checkout lines. One day I went in about lunch time, and I was on the frozen food aisle. A group of high school boys were cutting through the aisle, and there was a man in a wheelchair. The boys stopped to ask him if he needed help getting anything out of the cases. I thought that was so sweet.

When I worked at a department store (many years ago, during college, when dinosaurs roamed the earth). Some people would come in a buy a ton of stuff. Then in the next day or so return all of it. I guess it was their recreation, because they did it constantly.

[randomequine]

Try working at a bank, it's brutal. No, i don't get to keep a percentage of the high service fees you pay. It's not my fault you went bankrupt and now I can't give you a credit card. Don't scream at me because the borrowing rates are too high and the investment rates are too low. Don't talk to me like I'm a piece of crap you wiped off your shoe because you stormed in and no one was available to see you on such short notice. I could go on and on, people and their money, I tell you

My husband works for a bank and there's a certain customer who keeps over-drafting her account. When she comes in to pay it up, she tells him she's here to pay her 'blood money' and what a horrible place to 'steal' from their customers just because they 'made a mistake'. Um, lady? This happens at least three times a month....it's not a mistake anymore! We'd be living high on the hog if he got to collect the $36 + $8 a day each time she does it!

I used to manage a movie theatre and there was nothing more annoying than customers who would eat an entire large popcorn, then expect their money back because it was too salty. Sorry folks, you would have known it was too salty in the first couple bites.

[kisstherain]

I honestly think everyone should be required to work retail for at least one year, so they can learn some damn respect and gain an understanding of how a lot of things are out of the peon workers control!

100% agree! I think that working some sort of customer service should be a requirement to graduate high school or college.

That said, I worked at JoAnn Fabrics in college. It was amazing how many people expected us to figure out their whole project for them based on very vague descriptions. The math on their non-existent measurements, how many yards of fabric, etc.

I worked the closing shift at a restaurant every Saturday night for around 2 years. There were these two women who came in late every Saturday night to eat. Without fail, they complained about the meal every.single.time and got free food every single time. I'm not sure why the restaurant didn't refuse to seat them, and I also wonder how many other restaurants they did this to.

[soloudinhere]

Many stories from life in retail during college.

I worked at an apple store for a couple years. The best part was that folks felt that just because they spent a lot of money on a computer, that somehow the folks who invented that computer were able to see so far into the future, that 6-8 years later the computer would still be current, capable, and valuable. We had a few insane customers-- one of whom insisted on checking her email on the store computers to evade the KGB.

A number of customers also felt that just because they purchased an iPhone, that we were running a service that would update their software, teach them how to use it, find them apps, help them set up itunes accounts, etc. Customers didn't realize that using our systems to update their software, backed up their phones and all their personal data to our systems. I saw more sex apps, etc than I care to repeat.

I sometimes said that I should write a book about it.

[JLMet]

I go food shopping at 1 in the morning at Giant because I cannot stand shopping with other people around. The aisles are understandably cluttered with boxes but I leave my cart at the end so the employees don't have to move anything. They always offer to clear me a path but I tell them not too worry. They are also super friendly at this time and I always have a nice back and forth with each employee. I do the self checkout because the registers aren't open but sometimes an employee who is caught up will help me which is always nice. I absolutely adore the employees there because they are so much fun at night and without fail they always walk me to my car even though I never ask just because of how late it is. So I thank you hard workers that put up with lord only know how many people that probably deserve a good back hand! I also take the time to fill out the kudos cards for them because I really do appreciate how nice they are at that time of night!

[Cabaret SK]

I remember a fun one from the grocery store...

It was the day of our staff Christmas party (city wide party for all staff at all locations), and we closed early. Signs had been up for weeks.

Once we were closed, I would lock the "in" door, but leave the "out" one turned off, but unlocked so that the courtesy guys could get back in after collecting carts.

I had finished all my paperwork (supervisor), locked up all the tills, locked the safe, etc, and was just walking to check if the carts were in when an older gentleman comes strolling down the front of the store like he owned it.

I mentioned he was closed, and he tried the "but how am I going to eat?" guilt trip...I told him I didn't know, but we were closed!

Found out after the cart guys stood in the parking lot and watched him pry open the doors to sneak in. And did nothing. I was less than impressed!

[skydy]

I remember a fun one from the grocery store...

It was the day of our staff Christmas party (city wide party for all staff at all locations), and we closed early. Signs had been up for weeks.

Once we were closed, I would lock the "in" door, but leave the "out" one turned off, but unlocked so that the courtesy guys could get back in after collecting carts.

I had finished all my paperwork (supervisor), locked up all the tills, locked the safe, etc, and was just walking to check if the carts were in when an older gentleman comes strolling down the front of the store like he owned it.

I mentioned he was closed, and he tried the "but how am I going to eat?" guilt trip...I told him I didn't know, but we were closed!

Found out after the cart guys stood in the parking lot and watched him pry open the doors to sneak in. And did nothing. I was less than impressed!

Perhaps he was OLDER? and not up on the store hours? and hungry?

Really?? The "how am I going to eat guilt trip"? Do you really think that old folks pry their way into grocery stores to give you a "guilt trip"?

I hope I never become as jaded as you seem. Old folks do some strange things.
Look out , one day you will be old and hopefully, for your sake, when that happens to you, people will be more tolerant of you, than you are of others, at this point of time in your life..

[TBRedHead]

I have worked at a locally owned pet store for 4 years. Pet people are the craziest E V E R!

~One woman came in, I'd never seen her and at this point I'd been there over 2 years, mainly working counter. She came in *empty handed* and claimed all her meal worms were bad, and she bought them that way. I told her we needed the tub + mealworms, and she said she threw them out. (??) So I grabbed not one but TWO managers because I was at the end of my know-how rope, and she proceeded to yell at them and make a scene for 20 minutes over wanting money back. She finally left, for TWO WEEKS AFTER, continually called and complained about our "customer service". We started just hanging up.

~the customers that complain on prices and, after picking my brain for 10/15 minutes, say they are going to buy it cheaper online. Here's a weird concept, I DON'T WORK FOR FREE. I come in every morning, and either scrub bird cages and get bird doo doo in my hair, or clean rabbits/small animals and get scratched, or get bit by feeder mice. Then all day I'm assisting customers, solving tough issues, on the phone with companies tracking down information/products/etc., cleaning up dog poo/pee, and human pee too, or little child lollipop drool, and then after 9 hours, I get to scrub the whole floor, night check animals, and scrub sinks down.

...yes, buy it $10 cheaper online, I dare you to find the same customer service!

~people who get furious at *me* because a COMPANY has been out of stock or not sending me items. The best is the cricket crisis, yes please go attempt to buy crickets elsewhere, THEY'RE ALL DEAD! I'm the first place in town that gets crickets, I happen to know this because *company reps have said they are afraid to zero my boss and send it elsewhere, because she's a scary person*

But I really do have good days, great customers, and I love all the knowledge I've gained. We have a huge emphasis on animals, and treat ailments ourselves which means I have gained HUGE amounts of vet-tech like knowledge. Often when we "grow up" and get big girl jobs, we go on to be vet techs or vet assistants.

[saitou_amaya]

What is it about retail/restaurant situations that make customers just lose their minds and all semblance of manners?? I've worked fast food for the last 5 years on and off during high school and college and have enough stories to write a book. People treat us employees like scum and expect us all to be idiots. I've been yelled at and cursed at for running out of gravy. Had people yell at me because corporate decided to discontinue certain products. Had the same damn woman call up every week complaining about food not being made properly and expecting free food for the hundredth time. My favorite is when a customer blurts out a $30 order in the drive-thru and I miss one item and ask them to repeat it and they feel the need to say the whole damn order as.slowly.as.possible. because missing one item suddenly means I am mentally challenged.
Something about pulling into a fast food drive-thru and suddenly all manners and common sense goes flying out the dang window.

[TBRedHead]

Oh and, because I work customer service, I expect the same level from other people who service me. Seriously. If I can have a bad day, and still kiss butt, you can too.

My coworker recently called up a feed store for a customer to ask about bulk nesting material, for canaries. Now, we announce we're from XX, which would tip you off that this is a small pet person, we don't do fowl or livestock, domesticated cage birds. So she politely asks the lady on the other end if they have bulk nesting material, not knowing to specify it for small, caged birds, and the lady at the feed store cops an attitude with her and ends up cussing her out. How is that necessary? Proper response would have been "what kind of nesting material for what kind of animal? I have aspen, pellets and hay" "oh, caged birds? No, other then what I just said, I don't think I have anything appropriate."

...is that difficult?

[MyGiantPony]

TurboTax tech support

I only had to use them once and they were excellent.

[MyGiantPony]

I was at the grocery store about 2 weeks ago, later in the evening, so there weren't too many registers open, but it wasn't too crowded, maybe 3 people in each of the 3 lanes that were open.

Well, one couple apparently thought they were too important to wait. I regularly get the check out girl whose line they were in, and she is a delight. Always pleasant, fast and accurate. The man was screaming and cursing at her - all the other customers were getting very upset.

I happen to have a friend who is a State Trooper, and he gave me a trooper watch cap this winter. I happened to have it on, turned to him and said "SIR YOU NEED TO SETTLE DOWN". His eyes got huge, he got very quiet and left the store. His wife wouldn't make eye contact with anyone and quietly waited her turn.

The hat gets respect.

[DownYonder]

Mr DY has a college age niece who applied for jobs at every retail store at the mall. She ended up getting hired by Victoria's Secret and has been there for over a year now.

The tales she tells us -
- the men who come in with teenage or barely 20-something "daughters" wanting to deck them out in lacy, racy bras and panties
- the men who come in alone and pick out lacy, racy bras and panties and want the sales girls to model them for them
- the women who toss an entire table of panties that is carefully laid out by size, etc., looking for an exact color
- the women who come in wanting a 42DD when it is clear they need a 36B (and yes, they are buying for themselves)
- the women who come in asking for a 36B when it is clear they haven't worn that size since junior high school
- the women who stuff 4-5 bras into their big purses, then come up to the counter to pay for ONE bra
- the women who disappear into the dressing room as a 36B, loaded down with bras to try on, and emerge as a 44DDD, obviously wearing multiple layers of bras under their shirts that are sitting rather awkwardly on top of each other


The big kicker - the women who shoplift bras using one of the methods above (stuffing them into their purse, layering them underneath a big sloppy shirt, etc.), then come back a few days later to try to return them for cash. Often times, the security tag has been detached by being CUT OUT - there are holes in the fabric - and customer professes to not realize the bra was "defective", so now she REALLY wants her money back - and of course, pitches a fit when told they can't help her because she doesn't have the receipt. Even worse is when she then starts screaming about "discrimination"

[lawndart]

This thread has me down on my knees thanking God that I only have to wait on horses, not humans.

[GoForAGallop]

I worked in a government call center. You all don't even know.

That's in addition to a two year stint at your favorite name brand outlet, which people refused to recognize as an outlet. ("Do you have more of these in the back? Why don't you!?!?!"....."Uhh...'cause we're an outlet.")

And my family owns a garden center. The number of people who try to return clearly dead-from-lack-of-watering plants MONTHS after they were purchased is baffling.

[dangerbunny]

Mr DY has a college age niece who applied for jobs at every retail store at the mall. She ended up getting hired by Victoria's Secret and has been there for over a year now.

- the women who come in wanting a 42DD when it is clear they need a 36B (and yes, they are buying for themselves)
- the women who come in asking for a 36B when it is clear they haven't worn that size since junior high school

The rest of your post was amusing but this made me sad. There is so much misinformation about bra sizes, Victoria Secret is famous for putting people in the wrong sizes anyway. There are other options! go to a good bra fitter at a specialty store or good department store, or go online and find bras that fit. Don't rely on snarky college ages kids that are going to gossip later about you boobs.