Some Overdue Customer Observations
Very much first things first - UMM...
Right, that's that out the way.
I have a horrible feeling that I'm coming down with a cold. Or, even worse, that Tonsillitis has come back to claim me for what feels like the fiftieth time this year. I've been in such a bad mood these last few weeks that that would be just... yeah. just. Seriously - such a rage that I cannot even TYPE properly. Even when I think I'm feeling calm. It's getting silly.
Ugh, yesterday. It was an OK day, but I was in the full day and thus in of a bit of a tizz. I'm bad enough at getting up and organised, but earlier than 9? It's horrible. Anyway. I was serving on till from 8:30 till about midday when all this happened.
Me: *waves*
Emma: My coworker. She's worked here longer than I have
Mr DVD: A slight regular, mid 40's and of large build.
Mr Outraged: A more frequent regular, glasses and a beard.
These two serious sucks happened between about 9 and 10.
Suckage the First
Me: *serving*
Mr DVD: *comes up holding a Telegraph coupon for the DVD*
Me: *brainlessly goes for the Daily Mail DVD* *stops* *corrects self and gives him the Telegraph one*
Mr DVD: Oh, you can give me the Daily Mail one as well! Go on, it's for the kids.
Now, I've been in a pretty low mood for a while now and presumtious customers who are used to getting their own way were not helping anything. It may not come over in how it's written (like I say, I've been in a terrible writing slump) but this guy was hitting the "ingratiating/belittleing" scale in a big way. Also, we've been having level issues with the DVD offers - scan too few and they start to send inadeqate amounts, too many and we drown in the damn things for months. We've only just started enforcing the rules which are: No coupon/paper, no disc and no reserving of discs for anyone.
Me: Have you got a coupon?
Mr DVD: *blinks* no, but the disc is right there.
Me: I'm afraid I can't give it out without the coupon sir.
Mr DVD: FOR F**KS SAKE. *storms off* ((this guy is not of slight build, believe me. He scared the crap out of me))
And then? He turns midstride and FRISBIES the dvd back at me. There are a few things to point out about this - 1) dvd is in a cardboard envelope with remarcably sharp edges, 2) He WANTED the dvd...which he has just thrown at me and 3) The thrown dvd almost hits me. He threw it at neck level. Now, I took physics and all that so I know that the chances of me being beheaded by cardboard are unlikely, but DUDE - WTF?!
Suckage the Second
This didn't happen to me, but I was serving right next to it. A note - where I work we have to offer every customer a till offer. The general one is half-price chocolate. Our bosses say we have to ask EVERY SINGLE customer, even if they're regular. The only people us till girls try to avoid asking are our diabetic regulars...IF we can remember!
Emma: *scans stuff and reels off the schpiel*
Mr Outraged: FOR GODS SAKE! THIS ISN'T A MARKETPLACE! I DON'T EXPECT TO BE ASKED FOR CHOCOLATE EVERY TIME I COME IN HERE! THIS IS A SHOP!
Emma: *shocked* I'm sorry sir, I'm only asking.
Mr Outraged: THIS ISN'T A MARKET PLACE THOUGH! I DON'T WANT YOUR CHOCOLATE! WHY DO YOU ALWAYS ASK ME?!
Emma: *Obviously trying to stay calm* I'm afraid my boss says I have to ask everyone.
Mr Outraged: *goes of on a rant about how he's ALWAYS asked about it and he will NEVER want it*
At this point I'm pretty shocked - if you don't want it, all you have to say is "no thanks". I reinforce every point Emma has made to her customer and then my customer, one of the butchers who works two doors down, also sticks up for us.
Butcher: All right mate, calm down.
Mr Outraged: BUT IT ISN'T A MARKETPLACE!! YOU DON'T EXPECT TO BE ASKED QUESTIONS EVERYTIME YOU BUY SOMETHING!! I DON'T WANT ANY CHOCOLATE!! *directed back to Emma* WHY DO YOU ALWAYS ASK ME?!!
Emma: I'm afraid you'll have to talk to head office. I've told you that my boss makes me ask everyone who buys something.
Mr Outraged: I'VE ALREADY TALKED TO HEAD OFFICE, BUT YOU'RE STILL ASKING ME!
Butcher: Leave her alone mate, she's only doing her job.
Mr Outraged: *ignoring Butcher completely* I WILL TALK TO HEAD OFFICE. I'LL LET THEM KNOW ABOUT YOU!
Like, OK, I'm sure they'll fire her or something for DOING HER JOB O.o
The only thing that kept me serving and offering for the rest of the day was the memory of this guy who came in just as we opened.
Me: *futzing about with opening jobs*
Mr Awesome: NOW is the winter of our discontent, made glorious summer by this son of York!
Me: *looks up like o.O*
Mr Awesome: Now what was that from?
Me: ((I couldn't tell if he was asking himself or me)) Uh, Shakespear isn't it? Henry the...
Mr Awesome: Yes, one of the Henry's. *he then goes on to quote most of the rallying speach given before the battle* ((My memory of Henry the Fifth is a little patchy - it's my dad's fave but I've never really gotten round to imersing myself in Shakespear yet))
Me: Uh...
Mr Awesome: But then there's Wordsworth! *Starts to quote the last verse of "I wandered lonely as a cloud"*
By this point I'm just gaping. As I work in a shop I have little speaches that I have to say but it really is like a broken record and I havn't really "done" any plays or poetry or any older literature since I finished school a couple of years ago. I do try, but it just doesn't impact on you the way that someone performing RIGHT IN FRONT of you does. My mind is just bubbling happily and I not really focused on WHAT he's saying, just the fact that he is!
Mr Awesome: ... dances with the....*looks expectant*
Me: *thinking - crap...uh...*
Mr Awesome: They're yellow, grow in the spring...
Me: DAFFODILS!
Mr Awesome: *beams* Anyway, must be off. Parting is such sweet sorrow! *dramatic hand sweep*
Me: Romeo and Juliet *clasps hands over heart in a dramatic way*
Mr Awesome: And to be honest my dear, I don't give a damn...
Me: Gone with the wind!
Mr Awesome: *grins* See you tomorrow!
OK, this is a waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay overdue post, so I'm just going to fly it out onto my lj now. I got a bit sidetracked over the last few weeks and kept putting off posting this, but I can always come back and edit later.
Also - Mr Outraged DID ring off and gave the poor woman on the end of the phone line a complete earful. Aparently she was close to tears. It went up though the company a bit and our boss was told that we have to avoid bringing the issue of chocolate up with that customer again. Which is just so silly. He also came back and apologised to Emma a few days later. She accepted it, which is way more than I would have.
Kat xXxXx