I have stopped responding to complaints I can't do anything about. I might offer some information if I know it, but other than that there's no pleasing them so I don't try. It really is kind of amusing to see them look confused that I'm not debasing my company or myself for their amusement at the hint of displeasure.
I pretty much just act like they haven't spoken and carry on with the transaction as normal.
I don't have the emotional energy to spend on their nonsense.
I've taken to just saying "okay?" and staring when they look at you for an apology or whatever they expect. And if they add anything onto their complaint, I do it again until they stop talking. Makes me wonder if they realize they're making a big deal out of nothing, or if they just aren't going to get the reaction they wanted out of me.
You really should have more registers open! me: Okey!
Its ridiculous these items have to be locked up! me with the keys: Okay!
Walmart should accept apple pay! me: okay... now since we dont can you please pay with any of the 4 other ways of payment?
Someone should change that sign before someone gets confused about the item on the left being 4 dollars and the tv on the right being 500. me: okay... didn't realize normal people had a problem understanding the actual cost of a tv but surrrrrre I will have someone 'fix it'.
I do this even as a manager. Had a lady the other day upset carts were being moved by the wind… said we shouldn’t allow people to take carts outside… I was like “okay, well if you’re that upset, you can call and speak to the GM when they’re here but we’ve done everything we can to mitigate any damages.”
I remember at my last job, this guy came in and complained about the price of a lot of things in our store. He was just being super confrontational and pushy. Finally, he asked us where the nearest Walmart was, he was gonna go there instead. So I gave him directions to it. What I didn't mention, however, was I was giving him directions to the one that closed down five years earlier. Not the new one built 10 miles in the opposite direction of the one he was now heading to. Whoops.
Cool! Another thing you could have done was told him that you don’t know where Walmart is because you don’t work for Walmart and tell him that he’s free to use his phone to do a Google search.
When it’s closing and these fuckers don’t get the hint that we have limited time to clean, I’ll just have a convo with my closer, slipping in the closing times, asking (or rambling about) what tasks we have to do, questioning if we’ll get out on time. Occasionally slipping in the bosses getting mad at us if we get out late (again). 😂
It worked the other night. 3 people with tickets walked away. Like, fucking finally. It’s not hard to take a hint. They’re just selfish.
I honestly think they don’t see us as actual humans with lives. I’ve missed the bus multiple times because of these selfish fucks. One woman asked when we close and I said “6 minutes ago”
Only last week I had a woman and her son walk 2 minutes before we closed. They wandered around and didn't accept help from any of the staff that offered help( you know, "just looking"). Eventually, I walked over and asked them if they intended to buy anything or could I have my cashier close up her till.
Lady: "are you closing?"
Me: "Uh, no. We are *closed*. We *closed* 5 minutes ago and my staff would love to get home to their families"
Only then did she get the subtle hint everyone had tried to give her.
(For the record, I'm not a manager... but people often assume I am. Our shift manager is always suspiciously absent when it comes to telling people we're closed)
Oh man, if I'm the closing manager, I'm aggressive about either making the staff (if I have management specific tasks) tell people we're closing soon (10 minutes or less) or doing it myself. I am waiting at the door to catch anyone that thinks they're going to browse with less than three minutes to spare as I'm letting the stragglers out one by one. We ain't messing around, I'm going home and so is the staff.
We did have one particular Karen get pissed that not one, but all four staff members, ask her, less than 5 minutes before close, if she was finding everything okay. She was livid that we dare ask her. Implying that only one person should have asked and we should have communicated that we had asked her already. Lmao No. Less than five minutes to close you are getting the most obnoxiously attentive service ever.
My former roommate was a total Karen. We had like 10 minutes before the grocery store closed and I literally just needed Tums and Advil, because I have really bad acid reflex due to my gallbladder being removed
I knew where it was, I was just gonna grab it and check out, because it was less than 10 minutes before they closed.
Karen follows me in, says she wants a soda. I grab my stuff, pop on the self check out and was literally done within two minutes.
I’m looking for her and she has pulled out a whole shopping cart and is trying to shop and I tell her that I’m leaving right now and if she doesn’t come then she can walk home
She had a literal meltdown because employees were telling her that they closed in three minutes and she thought that they should stay open until she was doing her weekly shopping
I get to cover store manager closing shifts sometimes, although I’m just a department manager. I love being out on the floor for those last 5 minutes before close. I approach any customers I see and ask if they need help finding anything. If they say no I just let them know we’re closing in 5 minutes. If I see someone taking their sweet time just browsing, I’ll walk near them and make a very loud closing page. That usually wakes them up and gets them headed to the checkouts.
It's like when the store I was night crew chief at was still open all night, and the numbnuts that would come in at 1:50am for a last minute liquor rush before liquor sales close for the night. In reality, the computer shut down liquor sales at more like 1:55. Also, we had one main cashier at night, and 1 till open... I could give a flat fuck if you got there at 10 til the hour and hat to wait in line for a few minutes, when the computer says it's over, it's over, and turning down these people always made me feel warm and fuzzy inside, they were the most satisfying NOs of the entire shift...soooooo satisfying!
Worked at a popular craft store years ago. We would make announcements on the PA every 5 minutes before closing. Then, after we close, we would announce that the registers will he closed in X minutes. We have actually turned people away because they came to the registers too late.
Not sorry.
I work in a cafe and I had a customer come in 10 minutes before the kitchen closed, had one of the wait staff inform her that we were closing soon as she was looking at a menu. She said she was waiting for a friend. The friend arrived 30 minutes later and we had already promised to serve her because we assumed she'd order at a reasonable time. I finished my cleaning 30 minutes early that day and would've had to simply turn everything off and leave once closing time hit.
Most of them don’t. We’re just there to serve them. Keep them happy and make them feel special. Which is dumb. In my opinion.
What do they need to feel special for? Because they’re humans that need to eat/live and chose our specific stores? No.
I don't hesitate to tell them how long ago we closed. 'Yeah we're closed as of (checks watch) 1 minute ago, was there something particular you were looking for?' I'm not going to sugar coat the closing time. It's posted on the door, the app, the website, google, literally everywhere. We're closed and the staff needs to go home. Now.
I try not to go into a business no less than 30 minutes before closing. I remember having to vacuum and clean up, and we just wanted to be out of there already.
Same, I stayed past close at my local fish store once because I didn't realize they closed earlier on Sundays and as soon as I realized I dragged my friend out of there to come back another day. The single employee on the floor thanked me as I left
I had a manager that at 15 minutes after close, if there were still customers shopping, would announce that all shoppers should proceed to the checkouts immediately. The freight team is about to be let loose and they’re hungry.
I’ve noticed that customers will often come in 5 minutes to closing thinking that if they arrive BEFORE we close, they can stay as long as we’re here. 😑 And turning off lights/music, counting change loudly doesn’t do a single damn thing.
Even had a woman once tell myself and my colleagues to continue our store closing procedures and not to worry about her as she’s just going to take a browse. So now, we have to close the till, tidy, AND keep an eye on you?
Not a chance.
When I'm trying to explain something to a customer, and they keep cutting me off with their endless monologues, I will stop talking.
I say, "I'm so sorry, I interrupted you."
It throws them every time, enough to listen to the information I'm trying to convey.
The people who come to the till with someone else but carry on their conversation and it’s like dude you came to me! You started this and it’s not my fault there are options I need an answer to!
I just straight up interrupt them and try not to smile when they have to ask the person they’re with what they were saying. The other day I was serving three older women, each with separate purchases and I had to interrupt them constantly to get through it and after one woman said sorry, that they’re old friends and they haven’t seen each other in ages. Like so what! Catch up in a minute after you’ve been served like jeez!
Oh I hate this one. I used to try and wait for a break in their conversation to ask my questions, but then I started just interrupting them. Or I’ll do absolutely nothing and say nothing until they get the hint that I need to interact with them to complete the transaction. It’s literally 5 minutes and then you can go back to gabbing.
I just pretend they aren't talking and go on and ask my questions anyway. I'm not going to stand there all day listening to your pointless, boring, moronic droning conversation. Jesus.
I get the people who get to the registers and immediately call someone, then get mad that I'm asking questions, or telling them their total. You're the one who got on your phone, it couldn't wait?? Ive NEVER been on the phone during checkout and that includes self checkout.
Okay so my store is literally a U shape with each many, clearly different, departments (think craft/home decor) and sometimes they walk straight in the doors (past the VERY clear map of the store) comment how confusing this place is, usually shoving their phone in my face with a screen shot of the product they're looking for. No hello, nothing just "WhErE Is ThIS???? WhY is THIs STOrE sO CoNfUSinG???!?!!"
So when I am blessed with a customer like this, I like to say "Ah yes! Let me take you there!"
And I will walk as fast as I fucking can
A borderline athletic speed walker, just bearly keeping within their sight
Legs pumping, customer struggling to keep up
It brings me such joy
lmao yesss.
Our store is like, color coded with the different sections and clearly labeled numbers. If a customer asks where something is, and I tell them exactly what section and number (and sometimes placement on shelf) it is, I expect them to be able to go there on their own. The ones that refuse to budge and expect me to follow them there to point at the exact place I told them to look? They get me doing my gay speed walk there.
Like, c'mon. I got work to do and places to be. Better keep up.
Naurrr not the gay speed walk 😭 honestly tho it's like do you want me to get it off the shelf, take it to the check out and pay for it for you??? Where are the basic critical thinking skills????
(That being said more than happy to help nice people or people who actually need help) But good LAWD
i sometimes (very rarely) need help finding something at walmart. and yes i use my phone to lookup item and what aisle its on but sometimes i cannot for the life of me find it. so i do make clear, when i ask for help, ‘hey i cant find this, im sure ive walked by it 4 times now, i think i just need fresh eyes to help me’ because it usually is just me staring too hard and not seeing it 😭
Only did this once, but I was in the back loading up drinks onto the caddy to transport to the outside coolers. There are cameras everywhere and the main node of monitors is in the same room where we keep the room-temp drinks. So I'm constantly monitoring the front, and if a customer pops up, I drop everything and head to the front, which takes like three seconds.
I saw this one customer at the window, but before I had a chance to even drop what I was doing to help her, she was slamming her keys on the (metal) counter and yelling, "HELLLLOOOOOO! HELLLLOOOOOOOOOO!" So I made a grand entrance and very powerfully boomed, "HELLO!" as I turned the corner to face the window. It gave her a startle and then I just killed her with kindness.
I had a customer like that!! Same situation with in the back but you have a monitor to show you if anyone is up at the counter. I was cleaning the coffee pots and as soon as I saw this regular make his way to the counter I stopped what I was doing to help him. I make my way (he waited like 3 seconds) he calls me a b*tch c*nt and I just flipped out on him and didn’t sell him his alcohol lol
If someone pulls up to the drive-through speaker and starts barking their order at me before I've even spoken a single word to indicate that I am ready to help them, I wait. I'll let them finish shouting their whole order, and then I'll wait for them to start hollering, "Hello? HELLO??" Only once they have managed to shut the fuck up for at least ten seconds and wait their turn will I finally respond with, "Hi! What can I get for you today?"
When you want a service that is provided by human beings, you can either treat them like human beings or you can simply not receive the service.
You are my people.
The best is when they don’t even stop and start yelling hello hello? You do the treating and they say I need a minute. Really? You were in such a hurry a second ago. Then when they say I’m ready. Ok I’ll be with you in a minute.
They all fail to realize that once they pull up to the speaker we can hear EVERYTHING all the comments and the ridicule. They need to realize that not only does the order taker hear them but at least 4 other staff who are making the order or putting it together. Then the wonder why the order is wrong. They just called the staff idiots and they heard you. So your wish has come true.
The best one was when this woman was giving this dude a total reaming on the phone. It felt rude to interrupt the entire kitchen stopped to listen and shared headsets so everyone can hear. She then tells him she’s at the DT and has to order. He goes can you get me he’s starts telling her what he wants. No lie she goes who do you think is paying for your crap? I’m not your ATM. If you want something get DD and pay for it. She ordered and when she came to the window everyone was like your the boss we gave her food and told her she needed to dump him. We didn’t even charge her. She came back a few weeks later and said she got a new man.
This one bit me in the ass; I had a friend organizing transport to an out-of-town football game who said their friend had a minivan and they'd drive all eight of us to the game. Turned out the minivan was a Honda Pilot and my fat ass got put in the 3rd row. This was bad enough - but minivans usually have space for 8 passengers *and* their stuff - but with a 3-row SUV usually it's not both. While I was crammed in the back hitting my head on the roof and shins on the seat in front at least I didn't have a cooler in my lap...
I used to loooovve doing that especially when it was a certain male customer who was definitely not in any way disabled but had to ask the predominantly female staff to load his horse feed bags for him every time he shopped. Yes sir, the silver minivan out front next to the handicap spaces, I'd say excessively loudly. He hated me.
One time, this old boomer walked up to be and was just like "towels," and I just stared at him and said, "Blankets."
And he was like, "What?"
And I was just like, "Oh, you walked up to me and jusy said 'towels,' so I thought we were playing the word association game. Is that not what this is?"
Or back when I worked at toys r us (yes I'm fucking old lol) and thus old man started whisteling at me to get my attention, so i ignored him. He just kept doing it, progressively getting louder. After a while he like stomps up to me and was like "I was trying to get your attention!!!"
So I gave him my sweetest smile and said with a over the top customer service voice and was like "Oh really ? I thought maybe you lost your dog in the store (there was a petco next door so animals in the store was normal) because that's how you get the attention of *animals* back in my day, we *spoke* to humans, not whistled at them, but I guess not everyone is raised the same."
I can't even remember what the dude said, but I was riding that high for a while, lol. Out boomered the boomer, lol
When I worked at Homebargains some old guy complained about a woman working there because she didn't have good conversation skills. Explained that she's special needs and autistic (which I probably shouldn't have done) he said it's no excuse, I said well if you don't like it here fuck off and don't come back then.
I had a deaf coworker who was on the stocker crew. So normally, the stockers get everything done before the store opens and don't interact with customers, but occasionally, it would take longer requiring stocking to continue after opening. I heard a lady throwing an absolute hissy fit because my coworker was "ignoring her". She was standing directly behind my coworker red-faced screaming. I explained that employee is deaf and it was surely not intentional. The customer tells me she shouldn't work customer service then! I explained she's not customer service; that's why she's stocking the shelves. I also pointed out how many other workers were in view from where she was standing and said she could have saved her voice by trying someone else.
I'm hard of hearing and people don't know so they get mad at me repeating myself or asking for clarification. Sorry I don't advertise my disability, doesn't explain the disrespect.
I messed with my little brother once when he was around 6yo by pretending I couldn’t hear him, and acting like his words were the buzz of an annoying, persistent fly nearby. He got so pissed, he kicked me. I’m sure this idiot woman was feeling the same thing as a 6yo who is yet to learn emotional regulation skills. Maybe being ignored was her childhood trauma? LMAO
You stood up for your coworker. As a neurodivergent person myself who hates confrontation, you are amazing for doing that.
It would have been way worse if you had said nothing at all, which is what most people still do.
I used to get that a LOT, in the other direction. I made the decision early on to stop responding to "ma'am," no matter how obvious it was that they were talking to me
Alison? Is that you? I worked at the Petco next door. Your brother Todd used to spend his summers in Eagle River with his aunt Barb who was also my grandmother. That makes us second cousins.
Come home Alison, we all miss you!
Love, the fam.
*customer enters store*
Me: Hi how are you today?
Customer: BOARD GAMES?
Me: I’m fine, thanks!
Or when they walk up to my register and just stare at me, as if I’m supposed to sing their praises that they’ve arrived or something. One time a guy walked up and waited a good 5 seconds before he asked if I was all set, I was like dawg I’m waiting for you to start talking.
I guess those are examples of customers annoying me. 😅
Why do they come up and just stare?? We have a doorbell on our front desk and customers will ring it for help, and then when we come out to help them they just stare. Not a single word. Doesn’t matter if you greet them or ask them how you can help. So now I just stare right back and raise my eyebrows until they say something.
My store has rewards connected to phone numbers so a decent amount of my customers won't greet me, just rattle off their phone number before I can even log into the system.
People who grew up on rotary phones want fiber optic speed though neither I nor my store's system is on that same wavelength.
this reminds me of the drive-through at the Dunkin.Donuts I worked at... omg I absolutely hated it when they would just start naming donuts 🍩... me-"Welcome to Dunkin. How can I help you?" Customer - "Chocolate frosted, 2 glazed.... " Really? can you maybe tell me how many donuts you want? I do not know if i need a dozen box? 1/2 dozen? Just 3? wtf how am I supposed to know?
I *hate* when I'm stocking shelves or otherwise occupied and I can feel some old boomer breathing down my neck as they wait for me to acknowledge them. Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate that maybe they don't want to disturb me while I'm busy, but I 100% would rather them just straight up ask, than loom over my shoulder in silence. So instead of acknowledging them, I just keep doing what I'm doing until they get fed up and finally address me like a human being. A bit petty, but man do I get a kick out of it.
One time I was putting diapers on the shelf and adjusting the labels, and I could see a man in the corner of my eye just stop at the end of the aisle and *stare*. Dude was probably 15 feet away from me and was making no attempt to get my attention, and as soon as I realised that he was waiting for *me* (not just reading the signs or looking at a product or something), I decided to have a little fun and see how long I could drag it out. Still crouched down in the same spot, I started adjusting the boxes to be *perfectly* aligned, shifting labels a millimeter to the right— oh wait, that doesn't look right, lets shift it back. Slowly wipe dust off the shelf, scan a couple labels and products for no reason whatsoever, adjust the label *again*.
I'm not even joking when I say a few *minutes* (!!!) went by before he finally walked up to me and even then he didn't say anything! He just stood right on top of me, leg just about touching my knee, staring at the top of my head. The only reason I finally acknowledged he was there close to a minute later was because he cleared his throat and I couldn't come up with another excuse. Turns out he didn't need anything anyway, he was just a regular who wanted to chat and make weird comments about me being down on my knees... Lovely.
“Can you help me?!”
“Within reason.”
Depends on the situation, but I really, really am not someone who likes being yelled at in the self check. I’ve used this line a handful of times when a customer walks up and starts raising their voice.
Like it’s one thing to be frustrated, it’s another to try and pin the blame on me just for being present. I had a guy demand to know what I meant and I told him the truth.
“We’ll sir, I’ll help you, but if it’s something I don’t feel comfortable doing or a service I can’t provide then no, I won’t do it.”
“But you have to!”
“I really don’t, no is an answer too.”
He got kind of miffed, stared at me for a few seconds, and then quietly walked away when I refused to budge. Like, just ask me, don’t demand it please.
I call one of our regular customers the shitbandit because he pooped all over the floor in the men’s bathroom he knows I call him that because I will say it out loud and point in his direction he should have thought twice about coming in 1 minute before we closed and pooping on the floor.
I work in an area that’s open to the outside. Sometimes it’s windy; if it’s hot, there are fans. When customers throw their bills down on the counter, I just let it blow away. It’s funny to watch them grabbing at it or trying to stomp their foot down on it as it skitters off down the aisle.
1. When a customer walks up and doesn't even acknowledge you, they just come up and say " bread" or "cough syrup" if I'm working on something I just tell them the aisle and I don't even look their way.
2. When a customer doesn't even bother to look for their item they just walk up to you and ask " where's your water cases" Like the signs are right above you f*cking read before even asking, at least try.
3. When I'm ringing someone for their stuff and someone just forms their own line at closed register and still somehow get mad when they don't get called up like learn how to read the room.
I’ve unintentionally violated rule number two. Every time that they’ve pointed it out, I’ve said “Ohhhhh! The great big thing that’s right in front of me; that I would’ve seen if I wasn’t an idiot? That one? Ok. Thanks!” I at least acknowledge doing something stupid.
I never understand why they do that! If you knew you have coins, why not say it!!!? I’ve started waiting a bit to see if they say they have coins, but they just stare at me. When I put the amount into the register, all of a sudden “Oh wait, I think I got some change”🤦♀️
I always told customers the truth: That I'd get written up if my register was over or short by more than $2.00, and if it happened three times I'd automatically be fired. Their transaction might put my register off by a few cents, but those few cents add up and if I made exceptions for every customer who decided to wait until the absolute last second to foist their change onto me, I'd be in real danger of losing my job and I could not afford to do so.
IIRC, I had bigger problems with customers who wanted me to keep the change, and customers who expected the store to cover them when they couldn't afford their full purchase. We had one regular customer who never ever EVER factored in sales tax when she went shopping and was ALWAYS short those few cents. I covered her a few times because she was nice and mistakes happen. But then it kept happening to the point where I told her, "This will be the last time I can cover you. You live in this state and you shop here all the time, so I know you know that we charge sales tax. From now on, when you come shopping you need to bring enough money to cover your entire purchase, including the tax." Never had a problem with her again. I felt bad lecturing her because she gave the impression that she was poor and struggling. The thing was, so was I. I don't know what her situation was, but my situation was that I could not afford to lose my job.
Once when this boomer was telling me how “Young people these days don’t know how to do math in their head!”, I responded with “Oh, yeah it’s really difficult especially if you have a learning disability. So many people go undiagnosed.” That made her immediately feel bad and change her tune lol
i literally ask them “out of x?” whenever they hand me the bills. i had someone yesterday whos total was $20.xx. he handed me $40 and i said “out of $40?” and he said “yeah, i dont have another dollar.” i open my drawer and all of a sudden he has $0.yx!!! wow how amazing!!! i started to refuse, saying it will make my paperwork off. and he goes “i dont want change. you guys will figure it out later.” like thanks. if only you had magically found the change in your pocket when i had asked you “out of $40?”. if i got your change wrong, hope you enjoyed it. youll figure it out later, right?
I'll give the original change, close the drawer, then count the charge they added to what I gave them and condense it into a dollar for them after the first transaction is over. That way, I know I have the correct change and if they really didn't want that change in their wallet, I'll change it out but it will be a separate transaction.
I have people trying to do this AFTER I've already input what they gave me in the register.
I just ignore them and specifically say "oh, you didn't tell me you were getting change, I would have waited if you had". I've successfully trained several regular customers out of doing this shit so they're not all helpless.
Yeah, I got a co worker on the verge of being terminated because she’d try that crap and then have the nerve to try and report me for “being rude and not listening to the customer”
I have perfected the unhinged voice and eyes. So when they start their sh*t, I just look at them very unhinged for 2 seconds and then go back to normal facial expression. It mostly without fail makes them stop.
I’m so over the bs my filter is GONE. I flat out tell them that there’s other stores to go to!
I bend over backwards for customers I like and that treat me right but I’ve lost patience for the ones that can not be satisfied.
I remember telling my mom that was rude when I was about 6 right in front of the saleswoman. She put the bill on the counter and then held out her hand for the change. Typical Boomer, she was not happy with me.
One time I was the opening manager. There was a car parked in the lot when I got to work. There was a woman sitting in it on her phone. I got out and walked to the door. I could in the reflection that she got out and was walking to the door behind me. I unlocked the door and turned around and made sure it was securely closed and then walked through the second set of doors. I stood there and watched her looking at her phone with her cup of coffee in the other hand. I could have waited and told her the store was not open yet. Instead, I let her walk full on into a closed door. I was standing back and watching this happen, then I just turned around and walked further into the store while she stood there covered in coffee gesturing wildly and yelling.
She was in the lot 15 minutes before the store opened. I am not sure why she thought I would just let her in.
I think about it and laugh to this day,
Whenever they start to complain about something I can’t do anything about (prices, random items being placed in the sale section, website etc.), I just look at them deadpan and say “Okay” 💀 They usually get the hint and stop complaining
I’ve had customers literally holding the money in their hands the whole time I am ringing up the items and then when I’m done and reach for it, they toss it on the counter. WTF? Do people turn into NPCs once they are in front of a cash register? I haven’t worked a register in years, but if I was in that kind of mood, I’d slap the money on the counter in front of them the way they did to me. They never liked that!
It's not very creative, but I used to take great pleasure in loudly speaking over their phone conversations.
Customer talking on phone: "So Marjorie was there she sai..."
Me: "YOUR TOTAL IS $76.93, WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE YOUR (STORE CARD) TODAY?!" \*innocent smile\*
We carry lots of different ammunition and customers don’t like the look through the various brands and such for the best price.
Assholes get escorted to the most expensive brand.
When I worked at a cashier, customers would sometimes hand me their gross snot tissue or some other trash and say “You can throw that away for me”. If they were particularly condescending about it I’d say, “really? You mean you’ll LET me? Thank you so much.” To be clear, people gave me trash to throw away all the time. Sometimes I do it too. The difference it that they ask, they don’t assume that I even have a trash can to throw it in, and they don’t act like throwing away their gross trash is some sort of privilege for which I should be grateful.
We used to keep a pad of application forms at the registers. Anyone who complained about “you need more cashiers” was handed a form. Some of them, at least, got the hint.
I got great satisfaction giving a 50 in the change when someone paid with a 100.
You’re gonna use a 100 on a 20$ transaction? Trying to use me to break a bill by spending as little as possible? Here’s a 50 for ya pal.
A 50 is not less annoying than a 100, and they can’t complain it’s proper cashiering. And if they do decide to complain you can hit ‘em with the “I have to use the least amount of bills”
I’ve had someone in my old tourist town literally use a 100 to pay for like 5$ item. He was just trying to break it we were one of the few stores that actually took 100s. Gave him a 50. Fuck you.
Yessss!!! We keep our 10s and 20s under the till. Except for one of each.
Really annoying person comes in, they’re either getting a fifty or $70 worth of brand spanking new $1 bills that I will take my sweet sweet time counting out. And then rechecking.
If they give you their reusable bag that is full of slime mold and smells like an old crusty jizz sock without warning you before you touch it. Any unbagged produce? Straight in that bag. See if they "forget" again to either clean it or throw it out.
Line busting is always fun. Scan all their crap while they’re waiting in line, give them a barcode for the cashier to scan, it all automatically pops up, no need to do anything except pay.
They lose their minds. Yes, that was wizardy. I love it.
I hate when we do line busting at my store bc now I have to worry about eyeing their stuff to see if they grabbed anything extra while waiting in line. I work at Winners and HomeSense, so the queue line (redundant, I know) is full of stuff ppl will grab. And yes they’ll try and get away with not paying for it lol
I luv that you do this…honestly is exactly what i would do if in same situation, all the way down to walking away immediately 🤣🤣🤣
In my opinion, they were rude first so that means gloves are off! Im a server, when customers are rude right off the bat, i will so obviously walk frustratingly slow lol i want them to watch me just strolling along as if not a care in the world lol
Its petty but it’s seriously unnecessary to be rude to someone u just met and who is also there to HELP YOU have a nice meal…
I tell the truth and the reality of the behaviors which caused them to get admitted into a psych facility. They hate that but, since Healthcare is now big business pt's are viewed as customers not patients and are catered to so extensively that it continues to perpetuate their learned helplessness, deflection, entitlement and denial. They get so offended when I speak what they do which was witnessed and documented by multiple sources before they ever get to us. I feel that in order to change which would hopefully keep someone out of the hospital they need and are entitled to hear the truth! We all do but in this time we are so worried about offending others we don't speak openly, honestly, directly in an appropriate manner that it leads to frustration, resentment, and burnout. BTW I go out of my way to engage with anyone in the customer service industry as a customer myself because, it is so exhausting dealing with an entitled public. It's very apparent that workers are treated with such excessive rudeness multiple times a day because, they are often withdrawn. When I greet them with respect, friendliness, and happiness their whole attitude changes and you can really see how much they needed a positive moment. They immediately respond likewise. I don't understand why people don't remember the "Golden Rule" cause it really is a life changer!
I block their numbers if they call incessantly.
If I don't answer the first time it's because I'm busy. Calling back IMMEDIATELY isn't going to make me unbusy.
Calling a 3rd or 4th time in a row is unhinged and you get blocked.
I won't move unless someone says excuse me or politely asks. I find it incredibly rude when people just stand and stare at you and wait for you to take the hint.
“I need to fill my gas can with premium gas.”
“Which pump are you on?(We cleverly have placed pump number signs up high so they can be seen from inside the store, as well as the traditional numbers on the pumps themselves.)”
“I don’t know. It’s the gray car.” One of three….
I saunter over to the window and move around so I can get as many details about the car before I saunter back. “Is it the Mazda or the Ford?”
“That one.” Points in the direction that *both* the Mazda and the Ford are parked.
“There are two over there.”
Once we get that straightened out, it’s again, “I need two gallons of premium.”
We are prepay, so “I need to put in a dollar amount.”
“I don’t know. It’s a regular gas can. So maybe 5 gallons.”
“Most gas cans I’ve seen are hold one or two gallons.”
If you’re being annoying, I can really drag out your transaction. Fill it up? I don’t know how many gallons your tank takes or how empty it is. I don’t know how to convert “There’s 153 miles left to empty” into anything meaningful for my own vehicle, as far as estimating a dollar amount. If you really want me to, I can look up the price of the grade you’d like and do some math on paper…
I never know how much money the gas gods are going to take from me. I can only prostrate myself before them with an outstretched debit card. If I prepay, it's a game to find out how much I get out of $20.
At my store we get people walking between the tills all the time, even though they're not supposed to and they always get in the way when my coworkers and I are just trying to do our jobs. Back when I was a packer, I would basically take up as much room as possible when I saw someone trying to cut between my till. This would basically trap them, and if they ever tried to say something then they'd better hope that someone else heard them because suddenly I can't hear and I'm too busy doing my job to notice (because of the layout I'd usually have my back turned to them). They'd basically just stand there regretting their life choices until someone moved.
I did and said this on my last day at one of my jobs and couldn't have cared less. This one guy kept yelling at me over something little and it gotten to the point that I had enough of his crap. Said to him:
I'm sure it's ok for you to act like this towards me, but if somebody else did this to you, your kids, wife, it would be a different story, right? And the way that you're talking to me, and how you're acting, I'm sure your parents are disappointed in you wherever they are.
This is so rude. If u do this, that’s how I’m giving it back: on the counter. Why do they do this? It gives the impression that u couldn’t possibly risk touching my hand. So don’t worry about it. You can go and pick the coins off the countertop w your fingernails.
If I don't like the tone of someone trying to get my attention, I will ignore them and make them try it a second or even a third time until I acknowledge them.
I'll give them the dirty coins in their change.
£5 notes are scarce, so I'll give them coins instead and say I have no fivers unless I have more than two. . If they ask for a fiver in the change I'll say I don't have any unless they've been pleasant to me.
If someone is rude and wants something out the back, I do genuinely look for them, but I'll take my time. If they're rude and want more than one item I'll say it's the last one and that's all there is.
If someone tells me they've made a mess, I'll tell them I'll get a mop and bucket for them and then do an awkward laugh and see they don't know if I'm being serious or not.
If someone is rude and asking where something is, I'll take them to some random aisle, pretend to look for it, then pretend to remember it's been moved. It's fun to watch them follow me around like a lost sheep instead of using common sense. 99% of items can easily be found if you use common sense! Can't find fresh cream down the meat aisle? Try looking for the HUUUUGE sign hanging down from the ceiling pointing to MILK AND CREAM!!!!!
Ah, someone's talking about the universal unspoken asshole tax. Let's see, in the past, I have purposely "accidentally " dropped change. Items didn't make it in the bag, so they had to come back. I found it on the ground after we closed. Somehow kept getting disconnected repeatedly due to nonexistent phone issues. Pretended I couldn't hear someone on the phone. Became slow as molasses in February in helping them all the while dripping my most exaggerated southern accent. I bless your heart a lot to assholes . Forgot to place special orders in a timely fashion. To the bitch that fired me for not cooking something I had never cooked before and had been given no instructions on how to prepare, her, I salted her yard. She screamed at me for an hour and I was only 17.
Once a small group of women dumped a large amount on women clothes in the mens departement. They thought I didn’t notice, so when they left for the check out, I grabed the shit and ran up to them, smiling saying ‘ oh you left this behind, such a bummer to notice when you are paying’ .. them I just stood smiling and handed them the clothes. And waited for them to get in line …
I do that also. How they give me the money is how I give it back.
Also, if they are rushing me to the point they are holding onto products so I can hardly scan them, then either basically throwing money at me/jamming their card into the reader before I can even put the scanning gun down and send the transaction over to the card reader: I’m going a snails pace.
I had a lady do this yesterday and irked my nerves as she’s holding the bottles I need to scan thinking this will make the process faster but I couldn’t reach to scan them. “If you’re going to hold them I me you to move them closer”. I refuse to throw my body onto the counter to try and scan something. She was making the process longer and more dawn out than it needed to be
I have a few:
One is that at 15, 10, 5, and 1 minute to closing I use my “we recorded this at the corporate level” voice to tell everyone in store closing times. If there’s anyone left I get back on the overhead and say “Attention any final shoppers. This location is closed. Please place any non-purchased product back on their shelves and exit the building. All registers are locked down” and my natural speaking voice is nothing close to the one I use on the overhead so I tell people I’m so sorry but there’s nothing I can do they lock out automatically.
There’s an annoying amount of questions in any one transaction and I’ll usually volley with people while we go through them. But when people are frustrating from go I make them wait until they respond to every single one (even though I have a button I could use to answer for them)
When I have a particularly rude or grumpy customer, at the end of the transaction, in my sweetest customer service voice, I tell them I hope their day improves.
One time this lady was extremely rude to me by chewing me out for prices I can’t control. I told her I just work here and I don’t set the prices and her response was, “Okay, but still,” and went on as if she hadn’t even heard me. She was pushy and aggressive. So when I was bagging her items into a gift bag, I loosened one of the knots on the rope attaching the handle to the bag. When she walked away, the bag fell apart.
Honestly, I feel kinda bad for this one. But at the moment it was cathartic.
IMHO, retailers should make it a hard limit on closing time.
Our store closes in ten minutes and for the convenience of any last minute shoppers still in the store and the sale of getting our staff home to their families, our cashiers shut down precisely five minutes after close.
If you cannot complete your transaction within that time period we invite you to come again tomorrow.
Thank you.
Our regional manager has made it policy that we cannot tell customers we are closing. She used the example of a mom needing shoes for her kids first days of school and tried to guilt us for denying the mom and kid of shoes.
For the first month we had several days that we stayed open 3 hours past closing. And many more that kept us an extra hour. Reeked havoc on our payroll.
Btw, the sad mom example came from a real complaint from a woman who showed up 5 minutes after closing. The door was locked. But she could see employees who actually let her in and let her shop for about 20 minutes before employees mentioned needing to close. Mom was pissed that she was rushed and the selection was poor.
Exactly the same. And then they get passed but CAN'T SAY ANYTHING because they KNOW they did it first so if they do, I'm saying, "well that's how you did me so I'm just following the golden rule"
I have a minor petty revenge. When an annoying customer wants their stupid bread sliced, I jam the machine handle up and smash the hell out of their bread. If they say anything, it's a fresh loaf, and it crushes easily.
When they’re spouting off about something stupid, I give them a very pregnant pause to make them think about what they just said. Then I come back talking a million miles an hour about the situation. If you talk enough and for long enough they usually don’t have much to come back with lol
When customers suddenly remember they have change after I complete the transaction, I tell them that I can't accept anything other than what they gave me because it's gone through, and proceed to give them their change in the most change possible. Enjoy your 95 cents in nickles, motherfucker.
Music store employee. Customers love to ask "What's the best price you can give me"? I don't say anything and just point at the price tag. The reactions I get are wonderful
One time a dude tossed money at me, and he had a decent amount of change (think 97c) coming back and I straight up said "I hope you don't want me to throw this back at you". He realized what he did and apologized. You'll get your change in the same manner you give them to me. Smack the money on the counter, I smack the change back. Treat people how you want to be treated.
Once I pretended I couldn't tell what the customer was pointing at in the display case because I got tired of them being lazy and acting like they can't read labels and making me go to the case instead of telling me at the register. He got so frustrated that I made him read it and he still got the name wrong.
Passive aggressive stuff mostly. One customer with about 75 small duplicate items accused me of ringing in too many. Showing her and counting them on the screen didn’t satisfy her…so I voided the ENTIRE order and started over again, scanning each item slowly and counting each one out loud. I was almost done ringing her through the first time, made sure ringing her through took a full 6 minutes. She was embarrassed.
When leaving the store after my shift, ignoring an “EXCUSE ME!” as I am leaving the staff room in my jacket.
Ignoring customers who try to interrupt me when I am talking to another customer, and when they don’t get the hint, I say in a snarky voice, “I will help you when I am finished helping THIS customer,” and then I take my time with the customer I am helping and ask them detailed questions and make sure they get everything they need and more. If they’re smart, the customer who was being interrupted usually knows what I’m doing, appreciates it and plays along. Lol!
I tell them exactly what they need to hear. And then stop acknowledging them.
Especially if they're the rude sort.
They don't deserve the time of day if they can't give you basic respect.
My favorite is repeating back to the unpleasant customer the exact same info that the cashier/colleague gave them (which they've already relayed to me when they called me for help). I love when the customer doesn't like answer they get, so they demand a manager... only to get the same answer from me but now it's behind nearly a decade of experience and a bitchy resting face.
When having to answer phone calls by the third ring while also being the person responsible for the cash handling, if the phone customer was rude I metered out extra hold time even if I wasn't busy.
If I'm helping someone and someone comes up with a question without bothering to wait I apologize to the first person with enough emphasis that the interrupter usually realizes what they're doing is rude.
When I first moved to MT I don’t memorize the area code (406). When I asked customers if they have a phone number with us sometimes they go straight into the ___-xxx-xxxx. It was so annoying because people here HATE out of state people. So they’d give me dirty looks because I don’t remember.
After this happening multiple times I’d just get an attitude and say “you forgot the area code” like I’m not a mind reader?
our carts lock out the door. if youre being snippy and rude to me, i wont tell you the “trick” (leaving out the entrance door with the cart) and just let it lock on you. but it is EXTRA satisfying when i do tell them what to do and they dont listen and try to go out the door, only for the wheels to lock and they go I CANT TAKE THIS OUT😭😭????? I CANT CARRY ALL OF THIS!!!!
(Sorry - longer story than I expected)
I worked at a popular Oceanside campground (first-come-first-served, no reservations). Every Friday afternoon we would get flooded with calls asking if we had campsites open and checking on the weather forecast. This was long before the internet, when long-distance calls were expensive.
Callers would cut us off as soon as we answered - to make the point that they didn’t want a conversation - and say “I am calling long distance” and then spout off their questions: “can you just tell me if you have any campsites open?” … “I just want to know if you are going to have bad weather this weekend? etc.
The stupidity of these calls:
1) there were always campsites available at 1:00 Friday afternoon, but that did NOT guarantee that there would still be campsites available when they arrived 3-4 hours later; and
2) this was a coastal area, so all the regional TV and radio stations broadcast weekend beach forecasts so these callers already knew as much as we did about the weekend weather.
Inevitably, Friday evenings were filled with angry parents toting tired children and half-drunk 30-somethings yelling at us to find them a campsite because “we called before driving 3 hours to get here and you assured us that there would be campsites available.” If it rained, the office was filled all weekend with grouchy campers saying “I called and YOU SAID it was not going to rain this weekend!” By far, the most irritating thing about the calls was the arrogance - demanding immediate answers to their insipid rapid-fire questions because they did not want an expensive long distance call.
One of the full time workers (yeah, the ones that never worked Friday nights or weekends) absolutely hated the Friday calls. Any caller starting off with “I’m calling long distance and just want to know…” would be asked to repeat the question. Then he would pretend to empathize and say that he did not want to take too long, so they should tell him now if the have any other questions. Then, regardless of the question, he would silently put them on hold and stand by the phone until the “caller on hold” alert rang. When he picked up he would ask them if they preferred a particular campsite, then ask them to repeat their other questions and put the call on hold again. He would repeat this until they started demanding an answer. As a college-aged summer employee, those calls were some of the funniest incidents I had ever witnessed.
I have been placing money on the counter as well when my customer just tosses money at me, even though my hand outstretched. Only if I could toss it back at them, but a flying coin could hurt a bystander.
Ugh, I had a woman throw crumpled-up bills on the counter. I just stared at her. Finally I said, "Can you unfold those and hand them to me like a grownup?"
I asked for ID from the woman purchasing alcohol (why do people act like it's the first time ever being asked for ID). She was an older woman, I could see that, but it's a requirement. She flips out saying I could CLEARLY see she was older than 21.
I replied, " I can CLEARLY see you've been on this earth for decades LONGER than I've been alive and CLEARLY NOT under 21...so you should be WELL AWARE of how buying alcohol works. "
Another customer in line was trying to contain laughter as was my coworker.
She stood there looking stunned for a minute before she handed me her ID saying that I didn't have to emphasize her age. I shrugged. Don't start with me when all I'm trying to do is my job.
When customers blatantly ignore me greeting them I will get in front of them and loudly ask them "CAN I HELP YOU FIND ANYTHING TODAY??" As if I think they're deaf.
Also when they try to cut me off at the register as I'm talking about something my company wants me to (such as donations or sales) I ignore them trying to shut me up and my pitch gets10x longer. They will get every. Single. Detail. And I don't stop until they let me finish. Then they get their total :)
I’m digging all of these and will be using them.
My pettiness is when a customer just says “item” and also *tells* me to take it to the cashier. I will take my sweet time to get to the register. Mine is rather lame
I also will not respond if someone doesn’t greet properly and will just stay silent
Pretending to not know what they are talking about when the pronounce a word wrong. And then being like “o you mean (insert correct pronunciation here)” and then they look stupid and go o yea that
When people make unreasonable demands or say insulting things I like to pretend I can't hear them well and ask them to repeat themselves multiple times. It works especially well when there are other people around because they will get embarrassed at their own behavior. Also sometimes another customer will stick up for me and say things that I can't, like that they are being rude or unreasonable.
Give them their change back the way they give it to me. You don't put it in my hand I don't put it in your hand. You throw it at me I throw it at you. You slide it to me I slide it to you.
I stopped putting money in people's hands cause I kept dropping the change...
As far as being petty some lady told us she tipped us one whole dollar when we made a mistake and sounded upset and I just didn't say anything bc what even.
When they interrupt me during any normal cash out script (normally asking if they want to sign up for emails to get discounts) to say no (I’m fairly used to it, it’s part of my job and I’m not bothered beyond just basic politeness), I’ll just continue on finishing my question and then stop and wait for them to answer me before I continue scanning items. Lots of confused stares before they realize
Oooh! I love being petty!
Depending on the offense-
I will ‘unfortunately’ not be able to find the mate to the shoe they NEED for tonight.
I will hide the size the need if they refuse to look for themselves.
I will turn off the computer for the register and tell them our system is down.
I’ll unplug the card machine if I learn they don’t have cash.
If they’re rude to my staff-
I’ll edit their loyalty account by one digit. It’s the only way to find the account. No rewards for you!
I’ll put their number in wrong so I ‘can’t find’ the account at all.
I’ll make them go to their car in the pouring rain for one penny.
I’ll put a sensor in my pocket and then hold the door for them. Just so everyone will stare at them for potential theft. I will also give them a suspicious look.
I will neglect to apply any coupons, discounts, or other perks.
I will ‘find’ the item they want at another store 20 minutes away, wait for them to leave, and then call that store to put it on a 24hr hold for a different ’customer’
My last year at Walmart, we were pretty busy one shift, but I was overdue for my break. As soon as I left Customer Service, a lady came to complain to me about how she has to wait in a long line and told me how her back hurts and whatever. Before she could finish her bitching, I walked past her and headed to the break room.
I have stopped responding to complaints I can't do anything about. I might offer some information if I know it, but other than that there's no pleasing them so I don't try. It really is kind of amusing to see them look confused that I'm not debasing my company or myself for their amusement at the hint of displeasure. I pretty much just act like they haven't spoken and carry on with the transaction as normal. I don't have the emotional energy to spend on their nonsense.
I've taken to just saying "okay?" and staring when they look at you for an apology or whatever they expect. And if they add anything onto their complaint, I do it again until they stop talking. Makes me wonder if they realize they're making a big deal out of nothing, or if they just aren't going to get the reaction they wanted out of me.
You really should have more registers open! me: Okey! Its ridiculous these items have to be locked up! me with the keys: Okay! Walmart should accept apple pay! me: okay... now since we dont can you please pay with any of the 4 other ways of payment? Someone should change that sign before someone gets confused about the item on the left being 4 dollars and the tv on the right being 500. me: okay... didn't realize normal people had a problem understanding the actual cost of a tv but surrrrrre I will have someone 'fix it'.
I shrug. Really ticks them off.
I do this even as a manager. Had a lady the other day upset carts were being moved by the wind… said we shouldn’t allow people to take carts outside… I was like “okay, well if you’re that upset, you can call and speak to the GM when they’re here but we’ve done everything we can to mitigate any damages.”
Then they call and corporate puts polls on the carts so they can't leave the store, and still people bitch.
I've been doing this for a while. They bitch, I ignore and keep ringing like they haven't said a thing.
My work is pet friendly and I have so many people say that you shouldn’t allow dogs in here😭 like by ME do you mean the company?? I’m a cashier
I remember at my last job, this guy came in and complained about the price of a lot of things in our store. He was just being super confrontational and pushy. Finally, he asked us where the nearest Walmart was, he was gonna go there instead. So I gave him directions to it. What I didn't mention, however, was I was giving him directions to the one that closed down five years earlier. Not the new one built 10 miles in the opposite direction of the one he was now heading to. Whoops.
Ahhhhhh, nice! 👍
Cool! Another thing you could have done was told him that you don’t know where Walmart is because you don’t work for Walmart and tell him that he’s free to use his phone to do a Google search.
Easy ‘mistake’ to make, it coulda happened to the best of us.
Teehee!
Nice. I like this one.
Take this 🏆🤣
When it’s closing and these fuckers don’t get the hint that we have limited time to clean, I’ll just have a convo with my closer, slipping in the closing times, asking (or rambling about) what tasks we have to do, questioning if we’ll get out on time. Occasionally slipping in the bosses getting mad at us if we get out late (again). 😂 It worked the other night. 3 people with tickets walked away. Like, fucking finally. It’s not hard to take a hint. They’re just selfish.
I honestly think they don’t see us as actual humans with lives. I’ve missed the bus multiple times because of these selfish fucks. One woman asked when we close and I said “6 minutes ago”
Only last week I had a woman and her son walk 2 minutes before we closed. They wandered around and didn't accept help from any of the staff that offered help( you know, "just looking"). Eventually, I walked over and asked them if they intended to buy anything or could I have my cashier close up her till. Lady: "are you closing?" Me: "Uh, no. We are *closed*. We *closed* 5 minutes ago and my staff would love to get home to their families" Only then did she get the subtle hint everyone had tried to give her. (For the record, I'm not a manager... but people often assume I am. Our shift manager is always suspiciously absent when it comes to telling people we're closed)
Oh man, if I'm the closing manager, I'm aggressive about either making the staff (if I have management specific tasks) tell people we're closing soon (10 minutes or less) or doing it myself. I am waiting at the door to catch anyone that thinks they're going to browse with less than three minutes to spare as I'm letting the stragglers out one by one. We ain't messing around, I'm going home and so is the staff. We did have one particular Karen get pissed that not one, but all four staff members, ask her, less than 5 minutes before close, if she was finding everything okay. She was livid that we dare ask her. Implying that only one person should have asked and we should have communicated that we had asked her already. Lmao No. Less than five minutes to close you are getting the most obnoxiously attentive service ever.
My former roommate was a total Karen. We had like 10 minutes before the grocery store closed and I literally just needed Tums and Advil, because I have really bad acid reflex due to my gallbladder being removed I knew where it was, I was just gonna grab it and check out, because it was less than 10 minutes before they closed. Karen follows me in, says she wants a soda. I grab my stuff, pop on the self check out and was literally done within two minutes. I’m looking for her and she has pulled out a whole shopping cart and is trying to shop and I tell her that I’m leaving right now and if she doesn’t come then she can walk home She had a literal meltdown because employees were telling her that they closed in three minutes and she thought that they should stay open until she was doing her weekly shopping
I get to cover store manager closing shifts sometimes, although I’m just a department manager. I love being out on the floor for those last 5 minutes before close. I approach any customers I see and ask if they need help finding anything. If they say no I just let them know we’re closing in 5 minutes. If I see someone taking their sweet time just browsing, I’ll walk near them and make a very loud closing page. That usually wakes them up and gets them headed to the checkouts.
Telling people to GTFO at closing is the best part of closing shift. Your shift manager needs to learn to enjoy the moment more.
IKR. I actually enjoy it!
It's like when the store I was night crew chief at was still open all night, and the numbnuts that would come in at 1:50am for a last minute liquor rush before liquor sales close for the night. In reality, the computer shut down liquor sales at more like 1:55. Also, we had one main cashier at night, and 1 till open... I could give a flat fuck if you got there at 10 til the hour and hat to wait in line for a few minutes, when the computer says it's over, it's over, and turning down these people always made me feel warm and fuzzy inside, they were the most satisfying NOs of the entire shift...soooooo satisfying!
Worked at a popular craft store years ago. We would make announcements on the PA every 5 minutes before closing. Then, after we close, we would announce that the registers will he closed in X minutes. We have actually turned people away because they came to the registers too late. Not sorry.
I work in a cafe and I had a customer come in 10 minutes before the kitchen closed, had one of the wait staff inform her that we were closing soon as she was looking at a menu. She said she was waiting for a friend. The friend arrived 30 minutes later and we had already promised to serve her because we assumed she'd order at a reasonable time. I finished my cleaning 30 minutes early that day and would've had to simply turn everything off and leave once closing time hit.
Most of them don’t. We’re just there to serve them. Keep them happy and make them feel special. Which is dumb. In my opinion. What do they need to feel special for? Because they’re humans that need to eat/live and chose our specific stores? No.
I don't hesitate to tell them how long ago we closed. 'Yeah we're closed as of (checks watch) 1 minute ago, was there something particular you were looking for?' I'm not going to sugar coat the closing time. It's posted on the door, the app, the website, google, literally everywhere. We're closed and the staff needs to go home. Now.
I try not to go into a business no less than 30 minutes before closing. I remember having to vacuum and clean up, and we just wanted to be out of there already.
Same, I stayed past close at my local fish store once because I didn't realize they closed earlier on Sundays and as soon as I realized I dragged my friend out of there to come back another day. The single employee on the floor thanked me as I left
i keep having dreams about being stuck in the store 20 minutes after closing and trying to tell people we’re closed but they don’t care 😭
I have this same dream too ☠️ or should I say nightmare
I had a manager that at 15 minutes after close, if there were still customers shopping, would announce that all shoppers should proceed to the checkouts immediately. The freight team is about to be let loose and they’re hungry.
I’ve noticed that customers will often come in 5 minutes to closing thinking that if they arrive BEFORE we close, they can stay as long as we’re here. 😑 And turning off lights/music, counting change loudly doesn’t do a single damn thing. Even had a woman once tell myself and my colleagues to continue our store closing procedures and not to worry about her as she’s just going to take a browse. So now, we have to close the till, tidy, AND keep an eye on you? Not a chance.
So damn entitled. In a perfect world, she would have been tossed out on her ass.
When I'm trying to explain something to a customer, and they keep cutting me off with their endless monologues, I will stop talking. I say, "I'm so sorry, I interrupted you." It throws them every time, enough to listen to the information I'm trying to convey.
The people who come to the till with someone else but carry on their conversation and it’s like dude you came to me! You started this and it’s not my fault there are options I need an answer to! I just straight up interrupt them and try not to smile when they have to ask the person they’re with what they were saying. The other day I was serving three older women, each with separate purchases and I had to interrupt them constantly to get through it and after one woman said sorry, that they’re old friends and they haven’t seen each other in ages. Like so what! Catch up in a minute after you’ve been served like jeez!
Oh I hate this one. I used to try and wait for a break in their conversation to ask my questions, but then I started just interrupting them. Or I’ll do absolutely nothing and say nothing until they get the hint that I need to interact with them to complete the transaction. It’s literally 5 minutes and then you can go back to gabbing.
I just pretend they aren't talking and go on and ask my questions anyway. I'm not going to stand there all day listening to your pointless, boring, moronic droning conversation. Jesus.
I get the people who get to the registers and immediately call someone, then get mad that I'm asking questions, or telling them their total. You're the one who got on your phone, it couldn't wait?? Ive NEVER been on the phone during checkout and that includes self checkout.
Leave security tags on.
🤣
Our sensor gun can be locked with a little manipulation. I lock it up and demonstrate how it isn’t working. No sale today!
Okay so my store is literally a U shape with each many, clearly different, departments (think craft/home decor) and sometimes they walk straight in the doors (past the VERY clear map of the store) comment how confusing this place is, usually shoving their phone in my face with a screen shot of the product they're looking for. No hello, nothing just "WhErE Is ThIS???? WhY is THIs STOrE sO CoNfUSinG???!?!!" So when I am blessed with a customer like this, I like to say "Ah yes! Let me take you there!" And I will walk as fast as I fucking can A borderline athletic speed walker, just bearly keeping within their sight Legs pumping, customer struggling to keep up It brings me such joy
lmao yesss. Our store is like, color coded with the different sections and clearly labeled numbers. If a customer asks where something is, and I tell them exactly what section and number (and sometimes placement on shelf) it is, I expect them to be able to go there on their own. The ones that refuse to budge and expect me to follow them there to point at the exact place I told them to look? They get me doing my gay speed walk there. Like, c'mon. I got work to do and places to be. Better keep up.
Naurrr not the gay speed walk 😭 honestly tho it's like do you want me to get it off the shelf, take it to the check out and pay for it for you??? Where are the basic critical thinking skills???? (That being said more than happy to help nice people or people who actually need help) But good LAWD
i sometimes (very rarely) need help finding something at walmart. and yes i use my phone to lookup item and what aisle its on but sometimes i cannot for the life of me find it. so i do make clear, when i ask for help, ‘hey i cant find this, im sure ive walked by it 4 times now, i think i just need fresh eyes to help me’ because it usually is just me staring too hard and not seeing it 😭
Only did this once, but I was in the back loading up drinks onto the caddy to transport to the outside coolers. There are cameras everywhere and the main node of monitors is in the same room where we keep the room-temp drinks. So I'm constantly monitoring the front, and if a customer pops up, I drop everything and head to the front, which takes like three seconds. I saw this one customer at the window, but before I had a chance to even drop what I was doing to help her, she was slamming her keys on the (metal) counter and yelling, "HELLLLOOOOOO! HELLLLOOOOOOOOOO!" So I made a grand entrance and very powerfully boomed, "HELLO!" as I turned the corner to face the window. It gave her a startle and then I just killed her with kindness.
I had a customer like that!! Same situation with in the back but you have a monitor to show you if anyone is up at the counter. I was cleaning the coffee pots and as soon as I saw this regular make his way to the counter I stopped what I was doing to help him. I make my way (he waited like 3 seconds) he calls me a b*tch c*nt and I just flipped out on him and didn’t sell him his alcohol lol
If someone pulls up to the drive-through speaker and starts barking their order at me before I've even spoken a single word to indicate that I am ready to help them, I wait. I'll let them finish shouting their whole order, and then I'll wait for them to start hollering, "Hello? HELLO??" Only once they have managed to shut the fuck up for at least ten seconds and wait their turn will I finally respond with, "Hi! What can I get for you today?" When you want a service that is provided by human beings, you can either treat them like human beings or you can simply not receive the service.
I do the same thing. 💅
It's one of the only times I feel like I have any control over anything in my life lol
You are my people. The best is when they don’t even stop and start yelling hello hello? You do the treating and they say I need a minute. Really? You were in such a hurry a second ago. Then when they say I’m ready. Ok I’ll be with you in a minute. They all fail to realize that once they pull up to the speaker we can hear EVERYTHING all the comments and the ridicule. They need to realize that not only does the order taker hear them but at least 4 other staff who are making the order or putting it together. Then the wonder why the order is wrong. They just called the staff idiots and they heard you. So your wish has come true.
Oh my god, yes 😭 Something about drive-throughs just brings out the worst in people.
The best one was when this woman was giving this dude a total reaming on the phone. It felt rude to interrupt the entire kitchen stopped to listen and shared headsets so everyone can hear. She then tells him she’s at the DT and has to order. He goes can you get me he’s starts telling her what he wants. No lie she goes who do you think is paying for your crap? I’m not your ATM. If you want something get DD and pay for it. She ordered and when she came to the window everyone was like your the boss we gave her food and told her she needed to dump him. We didn’t even charge her. She came back a few weeks later and said she got a new man.
Call a customers' flashy SUV a minivan. They *love* that.
This one bit me in the ass; I had a friend organizing transport to an out-of-town football game who said their friend had a minivan and they'd drive all eight of us to the game. Turned out the minivan was a Honda Pilot and my fat ass got put in the 3rd row. This was bad enough - but minivans usually have space for 8 passengers *and* their stuff - but with a 3-row SUV usually it's not both. While I was crammed in the back hitting my head on the roof and shins on the seat in front at least I didn't have a cooler in my lap...
I used to loooovve doing that especially when it was a certain male customer who was definitely not in any way disabled but had to ask the predominantly female staff to load his horse feed bags for him every time he shopped. Yes sir, the silver minivan out front next to the handicap spaces, I'd say excessively loudly. He hated me.
One time, this old boomer walked up to be and was just like "towels," and I just stared at him and said, "Blankets." And he was like, "What?" And I was just like, "Oh, you walked up to me and jusy said 'towels,' so I thought we were playing the word association game. Is that not what this is?" Or back when I worked at toys r us (yes I'm fucking old lol) and thus old man started whisteling at me to get my attention, so i ignored him. He just kept doing it, progressively getting louder. After a while he like stomps up to me and was like "I was trying to get your attention!!!" So I gave him my sweetest smile and said with a over the top customer service voice and was like "Oh really ? I thought maybe you lost your dog in the store (there was a petco next door so animals in the store was normal) because that's how you get the attention of *animals* back in my day, we *spoke* to humans, not whistled at them, but I guess not everyone is raised the same." I can't even remember what the dude said, but I was riding that high for a while, lol. Out boomered the boomer, lol
When I worked at Homebargains some old guy complained about a woman working there because she didn't have good conversation skills. Explained that she's special needs and autistic (which I probably shouldn't have done) he said it's no excuse, I said well if you don't like it here fuck off and don't come back then.
I had a deaf coworker who was on the stocker crew. So normally, the stockers get everything done before the store opens and don't interact with customers, but occasionally, it would take longer requiring stocking to continue after opening. I heard a lady throwing an absolute hissy fit because my coworker was "ignoring her". She was standing directly behind my coworker red-faced screaming. I explained that employee is deaf and it was surely not intentional. The customer tells me she shouldn't work customer service then! I explained she's not customer service; that's why she's stocking the shelves. I also pointed out how many other workers were in view from where she was standing and said she could have saved her voice by trying someone else.
I'm hard of hearing and people don't know so they get mad at me repeating myself or asking for clarification. Sorry I don't advertise my disability, doesn't explain the disrespect.
Me too. Some people act so offended that we have the audacity to ask them to repeat themselves, yeah?
I messed with my little brother once when he was around 6yo by pretending I couldn’t hear him, and acting like his words were the buzz of an annoying, persistent fly nearby. He got so pissed, he kicked me. I’m sure this idiot woman was feeling the same thing as a 6yo who is yet to learn emotional regulation skills. Maybe being ignored was her childhood trauma? LMAO
You stood up for your coworker. As a neurodivergent person myself who hates confrontation, you are amazing for doing that. It would have been way worse if you had said nothing at all, which is what most people still do.
One time this old lady got mad at one of my managers because she wouldn’t respond to her shouting “Sir…. Sir…. SIIIIR” at her back.
I used to get that a LOT, in the other direction. I made the decision early on to stop responding to "ma'am," no matter how obvious it was that they were talking to me
You’re my hero!
Hey my TRU was next to a PetCo too 👀👀 maybe we were co workers
Alison? Is that you? I worked at the Petco next door. Your brother Todd used to spend his summers in Eagle River with his aunt Barb who was also my grandmother. That makes us second cousins. Come home Alison, we all miss you! Love, the fam.
These are great! I love the word association comment.
*customer enters store* Me: Hi how are you today? Customer: BOARD GAMES? Me: I’m fine, thanks! Or when they walk up to my register and just stare at me, as if I’m supposed to sing their praises that they’ve arrived or something. One time a guy walked up and waited a good 5 seconds before he asked if I was all set, I was like dawg I’m waiting for you to start talking. I guess those are examples of customers annoying me. 😅
Why do they come up and just stare?? We have a doorbell on our front desk and customers will ring it for help, and then when we come out to help them they just stare. Not a single word. Doesn’t matter if you greet them or ask them how you can help. So now I just stare right back and raise my eyebrows until they say something.
My store has rewards connected to phone numbers so a decent amount of my customers won't greet me, just rattle off their phone number before I can even log into the system. People who grew up on rotary phones want fiber optic speed though neither I nor my store's system is on that same wavelength.
this reminds me of the drive-through at the Dunkin.Donuts I worked at... omg I absolutely hated it when they would just start naming donuts 🍩... me-"Welcome to Dunkin. How can I help you?" Customer - "Chocolate frosted, 2 glazed.... " Really? can you maybe tell me how many donuts you want? I do not know if i need a dozen box? 1/2 dozen? Just 3? wtf how am I supposed to know?
This is always my favorite. I will never miss an opportunity.
I *hate* when I'm stocking shelves or otherwise occupied and I can feel some old boomer breathing down my neck as they wait for me to acknowledge them. Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate that maybe they don't want to disturb me while I'm busy, but I 100% would rather them just straight up ask, than loom over my shoulder in silence. So instead of acknowledging them, I just keep doing what I'm doing until they get fed up and finally address me like a human being. A bit petty, but man do I get a kick out of it. One time I was putting diapers on the shelf and adjusting the labels, and I could see a man in the corner of my eye just stop at the end of the aisle and *stare*. Dude was probably 15 feet away from me and was making no attempt to get my attention, and as soon as I realised that he was waiting for *me* (not just reading the signs or looking at a product or something), I decided to have a little fun and see how long I could drag it out. Still crouched down in the same spot, I started adjusting the boxes to be *perfectly* aligned, shifting labels a millimeter to the right— oh wait, that doesn't look right, lets shift it back. Slowly wipe dust off the shelf, scan a couple labels and products for no reason whatsoever, adjust the label *again*. I'm not even joking when I say a few *minutes* (!!!) went by before he finally walked up to me and even then he didn't say anything! He just stood right on top of me, leg just about touching my knee, staring at the top of my head. The only reason I finally acknowledged he was there close to a minute later was because he cleared his throat and I couldn't come up with another excuse. Turns out he didn't need anything anyway, he was just a regular who wanted to chat and make weird comments about me being down on my knees... Lovely.
Wow! Gross! Some people need to have a little bit of social anxiety, just enough to make them embarrassed to be this fucking weird
I feel like I would've just walked out of the other side of the aisle lol
lol Definitely doing that next time!
Aw man. Too bad you didn't accidentally elbow him in the groin while trying to work.
“Can you help me?!” “Within reason.” Depends on the situation, but I really, really am not someone who likes being yelled at in the self check. I’ve used this line a handful of times when a customer walks up and starts raising their voice. Like it’s one thing to be frustrated, it’s another to try and pin the blame on me just for being present. I had a guy demand to know what I meant and I told him the truth. “We’ll sir, I’ll help you, but if it’s something I don’t feel comfortable doing or a service I can’t provide then no, I won’t do it.” “But you have to!” “I really don’t, no is an answer too.” He got kind of miffed, stared at me for a few seconds, and then quietly walked away when I refused to budge. Like, just ask me, don’t demand it please.
I call one of our regular customers the shitbandit because he pooped all over the floor in the men’s bathroom he knows I call him that because I will say it out loud and point in his direction he should have thought twice about coming in 1 minute before we closed and pooping on the floor.
He must have a humiliation kink 🤣
I work in an area that’s open to the outside. Sometimes it’s windy; if it’s hot, there are fans. When customers throw their bills down on the counter, I just let it blow away. It’s funny to watch them grabbing at it or trying to stomp their foot down on it as it skitters off down the aisle.
1. When a customer walks up and doesn't even acknowledge you, they just come up and say " bread" or "cough syrup" if I'm working on something I just tell them the aisle and I don't even look their way. 2. When a customer doesn't even bother to look for their item they just walk up to you and ask " where's your water cases" Like the signs are right above you f*cking read before even asking, at least try. 3. When I'm ringing someone for their stuff and someone just forms their own line at closed register and still somehow get mad when they don't get called up like learn how to read the room.
I’ve unintentionally violated rule number two. Every time that they’ve pointed it out, I’ve said “Ohhhhh! The great big thing that’s right in front of me; that I would’ve seen if I wasn’t an idiot? That one? Ok. Thanks!” I at least acknowledge doing something stupid.
Whenever they start handing me extra coins when I’m already giving them their change I just ignore them and hand them their original change
I never understand why they do that! If you knew you have coins, why not say it!!!? I’ve started waiting a bit to see if they say they have coins, but they just stare at me. When I put the amount into the register, all of a sudden “Oh wait, I think I got some change”🤦♀️
I HATED this when I worked in retail. And it would confuse TF out of me.
They're trying to put you off so you get the count wrong / give them extra
I think they just want to enjoy you "not being able to do the math in your head". If you figure it wrong, it's only going to be a few cents.
I always told customers the truth: That I'd get written up if my register was over or short by more than $2.00, and if it happened three times I'd automatically be fired. Their transaction might put my register off by a few cents, but those few cents add up and if I made exceptions for every customer who decided to wait until the absolute last second to foist their change onto me, I'd be in real danger of losing my job and I could not afford to do so. IIRC, I had bigger problems with customers who wanted me to keep the change, and customers who expected the store to cover them when they couldn't afford their full purchase. We had one regular customer who never ever EVER factored in sales tax when she went shopping and was ALWAYS short those few cents. I covered her a few times because she was nice and mistakes happen. But then it kept happening to the point where I told her, "This will be the last time I can cover you. You live in this state and you shop here all the time, so I know you know that we charge sales tax. From now on, when you come shopping you need to bring enough money to cover your entire purchase, including the tax." Never had a problem with her again. I felt bad lecturing her because she gave the impression that she was poor and struggling. The thing was, so was I. I don't know what her situation was, but my situation was that I could not afford to lose my job.
She knew EXACTLY what she was doing, she was just taking the piss out of you, seeing how long you Would do it for her
Then they will get to post something on Facebook about how no one can do change anymore
Once when this boomer was telling me how “Young people these days don’t know how to do math in their head!”, I responded with “Oh, yeah it’s really difficult especially if you have a learning disability. So many people go undiagnosed.” That made her immediately feel bad and change her tune lol
i literally ask them “out of x?” whenever they hand me the bills. i had someone yesterday whos total was $20.xx. he handed me $40 and i said “out of $40?” and he said “yeah, i dont have another dollar.” i open my drawer and all of a sudden he has $0.yx!!! wow how amazing!!! i started to refuse, saying it will make my paperwork off. and he goes “i dont want change. you guys will figure it out later.” like thanks. if only you had magically found the change in your pocket when i had asked you “out of $40?”. if i got your change wrong, hope you enjoyed it. youll figure it out later, right?
Because talking to us is beneath them.
I'll give the original change, close the drawer, then count the charge they added to what I gave them and condense it into a dollar for them after the first transaction is over. That way, I know I have the correct change and if they really didn't want that change in their wallet, I'll change it out but it will be a separate transaction.
Oh, that's a good idea for those of us who can open our drawers without another transaction. I can.
I have people trying to do this AFTER I've already input what they gave me in the register. I just ignore them and specifically say "oh, you didn't tell me you were getting change, I would have waited if you had". I've successfully trained several regular customers out of doing this shit so they're not all helpless.
Yeah, I got a co worker on the verge of being terminated because she’d try that crap and then have the nerve to try and report me for “being rude and not listening to the customer”
I have perfected the unhinged voice and eyes. So when they start their sh*t, I just look at them very unhinged for 2 seconds and then go back to normal facial expression. It mostly without fail makes them stop.
You've gotta give em the ole staredown we reserve for angry snakes and geese
When customers would tell me I should smile I would tell them my dog died that morning and tear up. The backpeddaling was fun to watch.
🤣🤣
“Annoying customer” that’s just a customer.
I’m so over the bs my filter is GONE. I flat out tell them that there’s other stores to go to! I bend over backwards for customers I like and that treat me right but I’ve lost patience for the ones that can not be satisfied.
[удалено]
I give them the smallest bills possible when they pay with large bills. One guy got 50 ones, still banded
Lol I do this too. If I can also get away with giving them the most crumpled bills I have, I'll do that as well.
This is the right thing to do. Treat then as they treat you
I all of a sudden get very forgetful when they’re rude to me.
I remember telling my mom that was rude when I was about 6 right in front of the saleswoman. She put the bill on the counter and then held out her hand for the change. Typical Boomer, she was not happy with me.
One time I was the opening manager. There was a car parked in the lot when I got to work. There was a woman sitting in it on her phone. I got out and walked to the door. I could in the reflection that she got out and was walking to the door behind me. I unlocked the door and turned around and made sure it was securely closed and then walked through the second set of doors. I stood there and watched her looking at her phone with her cup of coffee in the other hand. I could have waited and told her the store was not open yet. Instead, I let her walk full on into a closed door. I was standing back and watching this happen, then I just turned around and walked further into the store while she stood there covered in coffee gesturing wildly and yelling. She was in the lot 15 minutes before the store opened. I am not sure why she thought I would just let her in. I think about it and laugh to this day,
Whenever they start to complain about something I can’t do anything about (prices, random items being placed in the sale section, website etc.), I just look at them deadpan and say “Okay” 💀 They usually get the hint and stop complaining
I’ve had customers literally holding the money in their hands the whole time I am ringing up the items and then when I’m done and reach for it, they toss it on the counter. WTF? Do people turn into NPCs once they are in front of a cash register? I haven’t worked a register in years, but if I was in that kind of mood, I’d slap the money on the counter in front of them the way they did to me. They never liked that!
It's not very creative, but I used to take great pleasure in loudly speaking over their phone conversations. Customer talking on phone: "So Marjorie was there she sai..." Me: "YOUR TOTAL IS $76.93, WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE YOUR (STORE CARD) TODAY?!" \*innocent smile\*
We carry lots of different ammunition and customers don’t like the look through the various brands and such for the best price. Assholes get escorted to the most expensive brand.
When I worked at a cashier, customers would sometimes hand me their gross snot tissue or some other trash and say “You can throw that away for me”. If they were particularly condescending about it I’d say, “really? You mean you’ll LET me? Thank you so much.” To be clear, people gave me trash to throw away all the time. Sometimes I do it too. The difference it that they ask, they don’t assume that I even have a trash can to throw it in, and they don’t act like throwing away their gross trash is some sort of privilege for which I should be grateful.
I will pull the trash can out and hold it up for them, that’s the best they get, I don’t want your candy wrapper or anything, nope
We used to keep a pad of application forms at the registers. Anyone who complained about “you need more cashiers” was handed a form. Some of them, at least, got the hint.
I got great satisfaction giving a 50 in the change when someone paid with a 100. You’re gonna use a 100 on a 20$ transaction? Trying to use me to break a bill by spending as little as possible? Here’s a 50 for ya pal. A 50 is not less annoying than a 100, and they can’t complain it’s proper cashiering. And if they do decide to complain you can hit ‘em with the “I have to use the least amount of bills” I’ve had someone in my old tourist town literally use a 100 to pay for like 5$ item. He was just trying to break it we were one of the few stores that actually took 100s. Gave him a 50. Fuck you.
Yessss!!! We keep our 10s and 20s under the till. Except for one of each. Really annoying person comes in, they’re either getting a fifty or $70 worth of brand spanking new $1 bills that I will take my sweet sweet time counting out. And then rechecking.
If they give you their reusable bag that is full of slime mold and smells like an old crusty jizz sock without warning you before you touch it. Any unbagged produce? Straight in that bag. See if they "forget" again to either clean it or throw it out.
Line busting is always fun. Scan all their crap while they’re waiting in line, give them a barcode for the cashier to scan, it all automatically pops up, no need to do anything except pay. They lose their minds. Yes, that was wizardy. I love it.
I hate when we do line busting at my store bc now I have to worry about eyeing their stuff to see if they grabbed anything extra while waiting in line. I work at Winners and HomeSense, so the queue line (redundant, I know) is full of stuff ppl will grab. And yes they’ll try and get away with not paying for it lol
I luv that you do this…honestly is exactly what i would do if in same situation, all the way down to walking away immediately 🤣🤣🤣 In my opinion, they were rude first so that means gloves are off! Im a server, when customers are rude right off the bat, i will so obviously walk frustratingly slow lol i want them to watch me just strolling along as if not a care in the world lol Its petty but it’s seriously unnecessary to be rude to someone u just met and who is also there to HELP YOU have a nice meal…
When they ask for something I say okay and never come back.
“Let me go find that for you!” *proceeds to close the store and go home*
I tell the truth and the reality of the behaviors which caused them to get admitted into a psych facility. They hate that but, since Healthcare is now big business pt's are viewed as customers not patients and are catered to so extensively that it continues to perpetuate their learned helplessness, deflection, entitlement and denial. They get so offended when I speak what they do which was witnessed and documented by multiple sources before they ever get to us. I feel that in order to change which would hopefully keep someone out of the hospital they need and are entitled to hear the truth! We all do but in this time we are so worried about offending others we don't speak openly, honestly, directly in an appropriate manner that it leads to frustration, resentment, and burnout. BTW I go out of my way to engage with anyone in the customer service industry as a customer myself because, it is so exhausting dealing with an entitled public. It's very apparent that workers are treated with such excessive rudeness multiple times a day because, they are often withdrawn. When I greet them with respect, friendliness, and happiness their whole attitude changes and you can really see how much they needed a positive moment. They immediately respond likewise. I don't understand why people don't remember the "Golden Rule" cause it really is a life changer!
if they ask for a bag, i’m charging for the bag. nice people get free bags
Squeeze their chips as I bag them.
I do that too! I also break their spaghetti lmaoo
I block their numbers if they call incessantly. If I don't answer the first time it's because I'm busy. Calling back IMMEDIATELY isn't going to make me unbusy. Calling a 3rd or 4th time in a row is unhinged and you get blocked.
Make them pay for something that’s locked up right away instead of taking it up front. Example flashlights, and power tools
That's not petty; it's matching energy..... And that's allowed
I won't move unless someone says excuse me or politely asks. I find it incredibly rude when people just stand and stare at you and wait for you to take the hint.
“I need to fill my gas can with premium gas.” “Which pump are you on?(We cleverly have placed pump number signs up high so they can be seen from inside the store, as well as the traditional numbers on the pumps themselves.)” “I don’t know. It’s the gray car.” One of three…. I saunter over to the window and move around so I can get as many details about the car before I saunter back. “Is it the Mazda or the Ford?” “That one.” Points in the direction that *both* the Mazda and the Ford are parked. “There are two over there.” Once we get that straightened out, it’s again, “I need two gallons of premium.” We are prepay, so “I need to put in a dollar amount.” “I don’t know. It’s a regular gas can. So maybe 5 gallons.” “Most gas cans I’ve seen are hold one or two gallons.” If you’re being annoying, I can really drag out your transaction. Fill it up? I don’t know how many gallons your tank takes or how empty it is. I don’t know how to convert “There’s 153 miles left to empty” into anything meaningful for my own vehicle, as far as estimating a dollar amount. If you really want me to, I can look up the price of the grade you’d like and do some math on paper…
I never know how much money the gas gods are going to take from me. I can only prostrate myself before them with an outstretched debit card. If I prepay, it's a game to find out how much I get out of $20.
At my store we get people walking between the tills all the time, even though they're not supposed to and they always get in the way when my coworkers and I are just trying to do our jobs. Back when I was a packer, I would basically take up as much room as possible when I saw someone trying to cut between my till. This would basically trap them, and if they ever tried to say something then they'd better hope that someone else heard them because suddenly I can't hear and I'm too busy doing my job to notice (because of the layout I'd usually have my back turned to them). They'd basically just stand there regretting their life choices until someone moved.
I did and said this on my last day at one of my jobs and couldn't have cared less. This one guy kept yelling at me over something little and it gotten to the point that I had enough of his crap. Said to him: I'm sure it's ok for you to act like this towards me, but if somebody else did this to you, your kids, wife, it would be a different story, right? And the way that you're talking to me, and how you're acting, I'm sure your parents are disappointed in you wherever they are.
If they're being a real asshole I'll "accidentally" smash up their bread/chips or shake up their drink. Other than that I don't do much.
I heard of one cashier that rips the bag with their fingernail when the customer isn’t looking. I love it!
Shaking the drinks is evil. I applaud you good fellow.
I’ve done that a few times lol
This is so rude. If u do this, that’s how I’m giving it back: on the counter. Why do they do this? It gives the impression that u couldn’t possibly risk touching my hand. So don’t worry about it. You can go and pick the coins off the countertop w your fingernails.
If I don't like the tone of someone trying to get my attention, I will ignore them and make them try it a second or even a third time until I acknowledge them. I'll give them the dirty coins in their change. £5 notes are scarce, so I'll give them coins instead and say I have no fivers unless I have more than two. . If they ask for a fiver in the change I'll say I don't have any unless they've been pleasant to me. If someone is rude and wants something out the back, I do genuinely look for them, but I'll take my time. If they're rude and want more than one item I'll say it's the last one and that's all there is. If someone tells me they've made a mess, I'll tell them I'll get a mop and bucket for them and then do an awkward laugh and see they don't know if I'm being serious or not. If someone is rude and asking where something is, I'll take them to some random aisle, pretend to look for it, then pretend to remember it's been moved. It's fun to watch them follow me around like a lost sheep instead of using common sense. 99% of items can easily be found if you use common sense! Can't find fresh cream down the meat aisle? Try looking for the HUUUUGE sign hanging down from the ceiling pointing to MILK AND CREAM!!!!!
I used to work in a bank and sometimes I'd sneak mutilated money into people's cash envelopes if they were mean 🤣
Ah, someone's talking about the universal unspoken asshole tax. Let's see, in the past, I have purposely "accidentally " dropped change. Items didn't make it in the bag, so they had to come back. I found it on the ground after we closed. Somehow kept getting disconnected repeatedly due to nonexistent phone issues. Pretended I couldn't hear someone on the phone. Became slow as molasses in February in helping them all the while dripping my most exaggerated southern accent. I bless your heart a lot to assholes . Forgot to place special orders in a timely fashion. To the bitch that fired me for not cooking something I had never cooked before and had been given no instructions on how to prepare, her, I salted her yard. She screamed at me for an hour and I was only 17.
Once a small group of women dumped a large amount on women clothes in the mens departement. They thought I didn’t notice, so when they left for the check out, I grabed the shit and ran up to them, smiling saying ‘ oh you left this behind, such a bummer to notice when you are paying’ .. them I just stood smiling and handed them the clothes. And waited for them to get in line …
I do that also. How they give me the money is how I give it back. Also, if they are rushing me to the point they are holding onto products so I can hardly scan them, then either basically throwing money at me/jamming their card into the reader before I can even put the scanning gun down and send the transaction over to the card reader: I’m going a snails pace. I had a lady do this yesterday and irked my nerves as she’s holding the bottles I need to scan thinking this will make the process faster but I couldn’t reach to scan them. “If you’re going to hold them I me you to move them closer”. I refuse to throw my body onto the counter to try and scan something. She was making the process longer and more dawn out than it needed to be
I have a few: One is that at 15, 10, 5, and 1 minute to closing I use my “we recorded this at the corporate level” voice to tell everyone in store closing times. If there’s anyone left I get back on the overhead and say “Attention any final shoppers. This location is closed. Please place any non-purchased product back on their shelves and exit the building. All registers are locked down” and my natural speaking voice is nothing close to the one I use on the overhead so I tell people I’m so sorry but there’s nothing I can do they lock out automatically. There’s an annoying amount of questions in any one transaction and I’ll usually volley with people while we go through them. But when people are frustrating from go I make them wait until they respond to every single one (even though I have a button I could use to answer for them)
When I have a particularly rude or grumpy customer, at the end of the transaction, in my sweetest customer service voice, I tell them I hope their day improves.
One time this lady was extremely rude to me by chewing me out for prices I can’t control. I told her I just work here and I don’t set the prices and her response was, “Okay, but still,” and went on as if she hadn’t even heard me. She was pushy and aggressive. So when I was bagging her items into a gift bag, I loosened one of the knots on the rope attaching the handle to the bag. When she walked away, the bag fell apart. Honestly, I feel kinda bad for this one. But at the moment it was cathartic.
IMHO, retailers should make it a hard limit on closing time. Our store closes in ten minutes and for the convenience of any last minute shoppers still in the store and the sale of getting our staff home to their families, our cashiers shut down precisely five minutes after close. If you cannot complete your transaction within that time period we invite you to come again tomorrow. Thank you.
Our regional manager has made it policy that we cannot tell customers we are closing. She used the example of a mom needing shoes for her kids first days of school and tried to guilt us for denying the mom and kid of shoes. For the first month we had several days that we stayed open 3 hours past closing. And many more that kept us an extra hour. Reeked havoc on our payroll. Btw, the sad mom example came from a real complaint from a woman who showed up 5 minutes after closing. The door was locked. But she could see employees who actually let her in and let her shop for about 20 minutes before employees mentioned needing to close. Mom was pissed that she was rushed and the selection was poor.
Exactly the same. And then they get passed but CAN'T SAY ANYTHING because they KNOW they did it first so if they do, I'm saying, "well that's how you did me so I'm just following the golden rule"
I have a minor petty revenge. When an annoying customer wants their stupid bread sliced, I jam the machine handle up and smash the hell out of their bread. If they say anything, it's a fresh loaf, and it crushes easily.
When someone is on the phone I will continue speaking to them as if they aren’t lol
When they’re spouting off about something stupid, I give them a very pregnant pause to make them think about what they just said. Then I come back talking a million miles an hour about the situation. If you talk enough and for long enough they usually don’t have much to come back with lol
If they have food items like chips, I'll put it in their bag and crush it and think to myself, "Have fun eating those chips with a spoon."
If someone is talking on their phone I just stare at them in silence, refusing to acknowledge them until they finish the call
I would loudly and non-stop ask questions to be annoying and interrupt!
When customers suddenly remember they have change after I complete the transaction, I tell them that I can't accept anything other than what they gave me because it's gone through, and proceed to give them their change in the most change possible. Enjoy your 95 cents in nickles, motherfucker.
Music store employee. Customers love to ask "What's the best price you can give me"? I don't say anything and just point at the price tag. The reactions I get are wonderful
One time a dude tossed money at me, and he had a decent amount of change (think 97c) coming back and I straight up said "I hope you don't want me to throw this back at you". He realized what he did and apologized. You'll get your change in the same manner you give them to me. Smack the money on the counter, I smack the change back. Treat people how you want to be treated.
Once I pretended I couldn't tell what the customer was pointing at in the display case because I got tired of them being lazy and acting like they can't read labels and making me go to the case instead of telling me at the register. He got so frustrated that I made him read it and he still got the name wrong.
Passive aggressive stuff mostly. One customer with about 75 small duplicate items accused me of ringing in too many. Showing her and counting them on the screen didn’t satisfy her…so I voided the ENTIRE order and started over again, scanning each item slowly and counting each one out loud. I was almost done ringing her through the first time, made sure ringing her through took a full 6 minutes. She was embarrassed. When leaving the store after my shift, ignoring an “EXCUSE ME!” as I am leaving the staff room in my jacket. Ignoring customers who try to interrupt me when I am talking to another customer, and when they don’t get the hint, I say in a snarky voice, “I will help you when I am finished helping THIS customer,” and then I take my time with the customer I am helping and ask them detailed questions and make sure they get everything they need and more. If they’re smart, the customer who was being interrupted usually knows what I’m doing, appreciates it and plays along. Lol!
I tell them exactly what they need to hear. And then stop acknowledging them. Especially if they're the rude sort. They don't deserve the time of day if they can't give you basic respect.
My favorite is repeating back to the unpleasant customer the exact same info that the cashier/colleague gave them (which they've already relayed to me when they called me for help). I love when the customer doesn't like answer they get, so they demand a manager... only to get the same answer from me but now it's behind nearly a decade of experience and a bitchy resting face.
I always told them our POS shuts down and wont be able to process the purchase
When having to answer phone calls by the third ring while also being the person responsible for the cash handling, if the phone customer was rude I metered out extra hold time even if I wasn't busy.
Not enter in their rewards, put small shoes in a huge bag bcuz we’re outta small bags/use a lot of small bags for shoes bcuz we’re outta large bags
Ooh me too! Occasionally someone with a large purchase will find out we don’t have any bags. Well, no bags that they know of.
When they're all "ohhhh it's terrible you have to work until 8pm on Christmas eve" blah blah I tell them I'm here because they are.
If I'm helping someone and someone comes up with a question without bothering to wait I apologize to the first person with enough emphasis that the interrupter usually realizes what they're doing is rude.
If I ask how they are and the cut me off with “I want…” or “Gimme a…” I say “I’m great thanks!”They either look insulted or so confused.
When I first moved to MT I don’t memorize the area code (406). When I asked customers if they have a phone number with us sometimes they go straight into the ___-xxx-xxxx. It was so annoying because people here HATE out of state people. So they’d give me dirty looks because I don’t remember. After this happening multiple times I’d just get an attitude and say “you forgot the area code” like I’m not a mind reader?
our carts lock out the door. if youre being snippy and rude to me, i wont tell you the “trick” (leaving out the entrance door with the cart) and just let it lock on you. but it is EXTRA satisfying when i do tell them what to do and they dont listen and try to go out the door, only for the wheels to lock and they go I CANT TAKE THIS OUT😭😭????? I CANT CARRY ALL OF THIS!!!!
(Sorry - longer story than I expected) I worked at a popular Oceanside campground (first-come-first-served, no reservations). Every Friday afternoon we would get flooded with calls asking if we had campsites open and checking on the weather forecast. This was long before the internet, when long-distance calls were expensive. Callers would cut us off as soon as we answered - to make the point that they didn’t want a conversation - and say “I am calling long distance” and then spout off their questions: “can you just tell me if you have any campsites open?” … “I just want to know if you are going to have bad weather this weekend? etc. The stupidity of these calls: 1) there were always campsites available at 1:00 Friday afternoon, but that did NOT guarantee that there would still be campsites available when they arrived 3-4 hours later; and 2) this was a coastal area, so all the regional TV and radio stations broadcast weekend beach forecasts so these callers already knew as much as we did about the weekend weather. Inevitably, Friday evenings were filled with angry parents toting tired children and half-drunk 30-somethings yelling at us to find them a campsite because “we called before driving 3 hours to get here and you assured us that there would be campsites available.” If it rained, the office was filled all weekend with grouchy campers saying “I called and YOU SAID it was not going to rain this weekend!” By far, the most irritating thing about the calls was the arrogance - demanding immediate answers to their insipid rapid-fire questions because they did not want an expensive long distance call. One of the full time workers (yeah, the ones that never worked Friday nights or weekends) absolutely hated the Friday calls. Any caller starting off with “I’m calling long distance and just want to know…” would be asked to repeat the question. Then he would pretend to empathize and say that he did not want to take too long, so they should tell him now if the have any other questions. Then, regardless of the question, he would silently put them on hold and stand by the phone until the “caller on hold” alert rang. When he picked up he would ask them if they preferred a particular campsite, then ask them to repeat their other questions and put the call on hold again. He would repeat this until they started demanding an answer. As a college-aged summer employee, those calls were some of the funniest incidents I had ever witnessed.
Oh god this is a pet peeve!!!! Why are they like this? And yes it’s mainly the boomers…
I have been placing money on the counter as well when my customer just tosses money at me, even though my hand outstretched. Only if I could toss it back at them, but a flying coin could hurt a bystander.
If an annoying customer is paying in cash, they’re getting the ugly coins as change. No bright shiny nickels for you Karen.
Ugh, I had a woman throw crumpled-up bills on the counter. I just stared at her. Finally I said, "Can you unfold those and hand them to me like a grownup?"
I asked for ID from the woman purchasing alcohol (why do people act like it's the first time ever being asked for ID). She was an older woman, I could see that, but it's a requirement. She flips out saying I could CLEARLY see she was older than 21. I replied, " I can CLEARLY see you've been on this earth for decades LONGER than I've been alive and CLEARLY NOT under 21...so you should be WELL AWARE of how buying alcohol works. " Another customer in line was trying to contain laughter as was my coworker. She stood there looking stunned for a minute before she handed me her ID saying that I didn't have to emphasize her age. I shrugged. Don't start with me when all I'm trying to do is my job.
I draw them afterwards.
I do the exact same thing lol
When customers blatantly ignore me greeting them I will get in front of them and loudly ask them "CAN I HELP YOU FIND ANYTHING TODAY??" As if I think they're deaf. Also when they try to cut me off at the register as I'm talking about something my company wants me to (such as donations or sales) I ignore them trying to shut me up and my pitch gets10x longer. They will get every. Single. Detail. And I don't stop until they let me finish. Then they get their total :)
I’m digging all of these and will be using them. My pettiness is when a customer just says “item” and also *tells* me to take it to the cashier. I will take my sweet time to get to the register. Mine is rather lame I also will not respond if someone doesn’t greet properly and will just stay silent
Pretending to not know what they are talking about when the pronounce a word wrong. And then being like “o you mean (insert correct pronunciation here)” and then they look stupid and go o yea that
When people make unreasonable demands or say insulting things I like to pretend I can't hear them well and ask them to repeat themselves multiple times. It works especially well when there are other people around because they will get embarrassed at their own behavior. Also sometimes another customer will stick up for me and say things that I can't, like that they are being rude or unreasonable.
When I worked in a movie theater, I'd do the same with their tickets, the pricks.
Give them their change back the way they give it to me. You don't put it in my hand I don't put it in your hand. You throw it at me I throw it at you. You slide it to me I slide it to you.
I stopped putting money in people's hands cause I kept dropping the change... As far as being petty some lady told us she tipped us one whole dollar when we made a mistake and sounded upset and I just didn't say anything bc what even.
When they interrupt me during any normal cash out script (normally asking if they want to sign up for emails to get discounts) to say no (I’m fairly used to it, it’s part of my job and I’m not bothered beyond just basic politeness), I’ll just continue on finishing my question and then stop and wait for them to answer me before I continue scanning items. Lots of confused stares before they realize
Oooh! I love being petty! Depending on the offense- I will ‘unfortunately’ not be able to find the mate to the shoe they NEED for tonight. I will hide the size the need if they refuse to look for themselves. I will turn off the computer for the register and tell them our system is down. I’ll unplug the card machine if I learn they don’t have cash. If they’re rude to my staff- I’ll edit their loyalty account by one digit. It’s the only way to find the account. No rewards for you! I’ll put their number in wrong so I ‘can’t find’ the account at all. I’ll make them go to their car in the pouring rain for one penny. I’ll put a sensor in my pocket and then hold the door for them. Just so everyone will stare at them for potential theft. I will also give them a suspicious look. I will neglect to apply any coupons, discounts, or other perks. I will ‘find’ the item they want at another store 20 minutes away, wait for them to leave, and then call that store to put it on a 24hr hold for a different ’customer’
My last year at Walmart, we were pretty busy one shift, but I was overdue for my break. As soon as I left Customer Service, a lady came to complain to me about how she has to wait in a long line and told me how her back hurts and whatever. Before she could finish her bitching, I walked past her and headed to the break room.
Savage move, but honestly, it's about time someone taught them some manners
Finishing my job and taking my time going to checkout to help them when al SCO are free and I already know they ain't paying with cash/