Today, I was in Target returning a purchase that I had made last week. In front of me was an angry older woman who was giving the poor cashier a hard time and generally being very rude. Nothing the cashier did pleased the old bag. The customer even made a rude remark along the lines of “I want to speak to the manager, you’re JUST a minimum wage earner who obviously doesn’t know anything”. The cashier was on the verge of tears and looked at me as if to say, “help”. The customer obviously had some deeper issues.
As someone who works in customer service, I knew exactly how the cashier felt and I decided to confront the customer. I don’t remember the exact words I used, but I politely told this old hag how she should be ashamed of herself for her behavior. I told her that store manager should ban her from the store for her behavior. Well, the lady looked at me in horror and grabbed the merchandise she was returning and stormed away, muttering something under her breath. The cashier must’ve thanked me 5 times for saying what she wanted to say.
There have been countless other times that I’ve done similar things. I understand how some people can be frustrated, but that doesn’t excuse rudeness.
I wish someone would have the couple of times I have been harassed badly by customers. I haven’t confronted any rudeness, but I do generally end up trying to help confused looking people when there aren’t any employees around. So at least I’m saving the employees some grief.
I probably would have said something in the situation you described, though. I don’t encounter alot of verbal abuse like that when I’m out shopping.
In an instance like the one you describe, I probably would have said something, if only to turn the old lady’s attention away from the employee (so she’d have a few minutes to collect herself). When confronted with rudeness from an employee, or, as has happened in the past, a customer, I turn into MISS POLITENESS! I am so damned polite that there is no way anyone could complain about my behavior! After several minutes of this, it usually occurs to the rude person that they are behaving unacceptably, AND I don’t have to lower myself to their standards!
I confront rudness every day, but on the receiving end. I too work at a service counter, at Ace Hardware, and get many complaints a day. Sometimes they are correct, that a product was out of date (say seeds) and shouldn’t have been sold to them, and that they don’t want a lowly clerk to deal with it, but must see the manager. Then I send them to talk to a clerk, who will in tern inform them that they have already spoken to the manager, me.
I’ve had people threaten to get me fired. One guy was going to get me fired because I wouldn’t unlock the doors to the store 5 minutes early. He wanted to talk to my manager. Fine. Give him to the manager. Manager says, “He’s right, we’re not opening, just stay out here.” Guy fumes on the sidewalk, comes in and screams at everybody once we open, and heads to his section of the bookstore…
Maybe he wanted to learn how to act like one? [quizical look]
I have confronted rudeness or tried to defuse it, and I’ll continue to do so. I spent a lot of time working in customer service and tourism to know it’s a rough job. In your case, rostfrei, I probably would have said something like “Excuse me, madam, she’s doing the best she could,” in a voice which indicated my disapproval and taken it from there. Better she fights with me who can choose to walk out of the fight than someone who’s in a position where they must try to please someone who obviously doesn’t want to be pleased.
norinew, I’m with you in getting very, very polite when angry. I also go a bit British. If I start saying “Madam” instead of “Ma’am”, your best bet might be to start running or apologizing.
I have started to say ‘let then out first’ loudly when people try to get into the subway (train) before everone is out. Also when I’m getting out and someone is trying to rush in.
I remember on one of my previous jobs, a customer called in and complained. This went on for ten minutes and she wasn’t pleased with my attitude apparently, so she demanded to speak to my manager.
To which I replied, “I am the manager.” Then there’s this errie silence at the other end
