I was at work yesterday, still slightly stunned/bummed over the demise of Joey Ramone, dreaming and hoping like hell at least two magazine’s next month grace us with a cover for him, a la Dala Earnhart. I was hardly in a mood to be cocky or sarcastic with Rock And Roll High School playing in my head. I’m sorry you had to wait 2 minutes for the people in line ahead of you to get their bread they so desperately needed. Hell, I even offered to MOVE your groceries, to the next lane over, so you wouldn’t have to do it yourself. But, you just cracked a joke and waited. When you were paying, I was making an attempt to be pleasant, pretending like I could hear your mumblings. When you handed me your damned credit card to pay for your purchase, and I asked to see you ID because it wasn’t signed, I wasn’t trying to be rude. You still had to inform me I was a “god-damned fruitcake” and god-damned nuts" while you handed over your license. Listen you cantankerous old fuck, if you don’t want me to ask for your ID, SIGN YOUR FUCKING CREDIT CARD! I was not “abusing my authority”. I’m a grocery checker, for crying out loud! How much authority could I possible have, fuck-stick? I still held my tongue, and wished you a good evening, through your torrent of boring abuse, holding back the urge to to shout,
/cartman voice/ “RE-spect ma authoriah!”/end cartman voice/
Oh, and by the way, thanks for calling my boss to complain. I hate this job anyway and can use all the complaints I can get. Next time, please make sure he knows what the fuck you’re talking about first, instead of just telling him i was “flaunting my position of authority over you”, mmmm’kay?
My condolences for the crap you had to put up with. Some people don’t think the rules apply to them. He could have said that he was bothered by the policy rather than taking it personally and taking it out on you.
Jerks like him make service jobs hell.
Thanks Hastur. Actually, I don’t know if it’s the store’s policy or not, it’s something I always done. Hell, I’d rather someone do it for me. It’s why I have “ask for ID” on my card. I did tell my boss, point blank, I will not stop asking for ID’s with unsigned credit cards. I have gotten over 20 people who’ve complimented me for doing it in the past 2 months, and only this one complaint.
I just thought this crusty old fartmonger could have dealt with it a whole lot better. He had his fucking ID on him, in the same wallet as his credit card. Why was pulling out another bit o’ plastic so much different? Fuck it, I’ll just card him again next time he comes through my line, then call the manager over.
When I worked as a courtesy clerk, I had to bear the brunt of these old fucks’ frustrations when helping them take their cart with one paper bag with their Viagra and denture cleanser in it. It was never pleasant, and was usually very disturbed by the odor these particular mean old people tend to have.
I also noticed that these stupid old people acted this way no matter how courteous the checkers and clerks were to them. It seems they just want to bitch at the younger people who’s lives actually have a future.
Maybe I’m being too cynical. Oh well.
I feel for you. I despise service work. I hate customers. I admire you for still being courteous. I cannot believe he called the manager! Better watch that asserting of authority, missy! It’ll get you in a world of trouble!
Look on the bright side, though, several people have already gotten empathetic posts in this thread before someone shows up telling you how good you have it to even have a job or how you shouldn’t be upset because they had it worse when they worked in the service industry or that an authority-asserting clerk like you asking for ID caused their brother’s girlfriend’s sister-in-law to have a seizure in K-Mart once. 
My credit card isn’t signed. It has “see I.D.” written on the back. I had my credit card stolen and used about a year ago and I don’t want that to happen again.
About 80% of the businesses I make purchases at don’t bother to ask…
I drink to you, Tequila.
Thea, that’s all well and good. But it doesn’t keep someone from using your “See ID” credit card online or over the phone. Even if it were signed, you’d still be screwed. So, I guess if you get your credit card stolen, “See ID” won’t help you much.
I worked in a retirement facility for about two years. Yeah, I do think older people tend to be crankier. Or maybe for various reasons they are just more likely to express it.
But after dealing politely with 150 elderly folks personally every day, some things become normal.
It’s not the crabby ones who catch my eye. It’s the people with shining spirits who, whether or not they’ve been through hell and pain, manage to be loving inspirations to everyone around.
I wanna be one of those old ladies!
-Mothra
TM…you’re giving me flashbacks to my days in retail. I worked at a grocery store for 11 fucking years. Went from bagger to front end supervisor and I feel your pain.
{{Tequila Mockingbird}}
BTW I now work for the fraud department of a major credit card issuer and according to Visa/Mastercard regulations as well as the cardmember agreement,You HAVE to sign the back of the card to use it.
Now if the damn merchants would take the two seconds to verify signatures-like they are supposed to-my job would be a lot easier.
Tequila,
I, for one, would have written a letter telling the store that I appreciate the fact that you checked my card and made me show ID. I mean, hello?? You are trying to protect this asshole from somebody grabbing his card and using it all over town in the event of it being stolen.
That reminds me of the assholes who complain when the bank teller asks for ID. There are signs everywhere saying that they have to- pull it out and show it for the love of God!
Zette
Don’t let the assclowns get you down. You did a good job and the right thing.
Solution simple:
Channel the spirit of Joey, crank up “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School” on the p.a., and blow up the grocery store!!! (with no one inside, of course)
The sit in the parking lot eating pizza and wheat germ…
Above message should read Then sit in the parking lot…
:o
Normally, I’d reccomend Customer’s Suck, but some little punk bastard hacked the server and destroyed several YEARS worth of hard work. Everything gone. So we’re hoping to rebuild.
[hijack]
Guin, CS is gone?! George put so much hard work into that site and it’s GONE?! That little punk shit bastard hacker kid will get his due someday…
[/hijack]
Tequila Mockingbird said…
Unbelieveable. And the stupid bastard then called your fricking manager to complain? Who the hell has that kind of time? Even if I get bad service somewhere – which is obviously not the case here – I’m trying to get the hell out of the place as soon as possible and get on with my life. You would think that this sad, wrinkly choad would be trying to maximize the amount of quality time he has left on the planet and not engage in this kind of rampant assjackery. Unreal. Getting made because he had to produce some ID. Why not just get pissed at having to pay for the stuff at all?
People are just unbelieveably fucking stupid!
I knew one of these assholes once - the typce that bitch when a clerk or teller asks for ID - who actually did have their wallet lifted. For six months they run around trying to clean up the mess left by a thief on a shopping spree. Everywhere they go, they whine “Didn’t you ask this person for ID when they paid???” No, of course not, because retail folks get tired of dumbfuks like you giving them hell for doing their jobs. Probably thought the asshole got what he deserved.
I hate it when a bank teller apoligizes for asking me for ID. I want them to ask! It reassures me that they’ll only give my money to me. I love it when the store checker actually looks at the plastic I hand them. It gives me the comforting illusion that the store actually gives a damn about the customer and preventing theft and fraud.
PLEASE DO MORE OF THIS!!!
At the first mention of “God-damned fruitcake”, his monkey ass would have been dealing with my manager. I don’t know how much you’re paid, but if it was 100$ an hour, it would STILL not be enough to put up with some asshole cussing you out.
One customer I had to deal with gave me shit for not taking her check without ID: It was signed by her so called brother-in-law (Not present, natch). Stupid bitch actually thought I’d let her buy something with someone else’s check. The sad thing is, nowadays most clerks don’t ask me for any ID whatsoever when I purchase something.
My condolences, Tequila. Since you hate your job, I sincerily hope that a much better one comes your way very, very soon.
P.S. You currently have the coolest name on the boards, FWIW.
Not quite, Tiggeril. It’s back up, but George is trying to raise money for a new server-he’s hoping they catch the little bastard soon, so he can be paid back.
sigh
Yeah, several years worth of blood, sweat and tears, gone. All our hard work-I’m a mod. It truly sucks.
I remember asking people for ID when I worked as a teller. These were people who hadn’t opened their accounts at my branch so we had nothing on file and had to ask for ID. For some reason the old people were usually angered by it like it was some kind of insult!
Me: Could I see some ID please?
Old guy: I’ve been coming to this bank for 20 years! I don’t need to show you ID!
Me: Sir, do you know me?
Old guy: No!
Me: I don’t know you either. Can I have that ID now?
Old guy: Grumble grumble…