Writer's Block: Tales from the Registers
First, let me say the majority of customers are nice and reasonable; you can't have retail without customers! The retail industry today is self-serve, but nobody told the customers that, so who can blame them when sometimes they get irked?
My least favorite customer story: a woman with two young children was in the store and suddenly flamed out on a cashier for not answering a question quickly enough. This was a high-school student's first day on the job! As a floor associate, I rushed over to calm the lady down, offer her whatever assistance I could, but basically she just wanted to rant. She was boasting that she was a relative to one of the store managers and she was taking down all our names to make sure we got in trouble, that she only came in there because she was in a rush, trying to furnish her new house in time for the holidays, all the while the child that wasn't confined to the stroller was making a mess, dropping food all over the carpet and stomping on it. It was ugly. I felt like this lady had no self-esteem and was getting her jollies bashing lowly department-store workers, trying to make herself seem superior, because she had the time and money to shop, while we didn't. The baby in the stroller seemed to be teething and was fretful. I felt sorry for this woman; she not only made us employees feel bad but she made herself look badly, too. I don't think it had anything to do with customer service at all, which is why it sticks in my mind.
My least favorite customer story: a woman with two young children was in the store and suddenly flamed out on a cashier for not answering a question quickly enough. This was a high-school student's first day on the job! As a floor associate, I rushed over to calm the lady down, offer her whatever assistance I could, but basically she just wanted to rant. She was boasting that she was a relative to one of the store managers and she was taking down all our names to make sure we got in trouble, that she only came in there because she was in a rush, trying to furnish her new house in time for the holidays, all the while the child that wasn't confined to the stroller was making a mess, dropping food all over the carpet and stomping on it. It was ugly. I felt like this lady had no self-esteem and was getting her jollies bashing lowly department-store workers, trying to make herself seem superior, because she had the time and money to shop, while we didn't. The baby in the stroller seemed to be teething and was fretful. I felt sorry for this woman; she not only made us employees feel bad but she made herself look badly, too. I don't think it had anything to do with customer service at all, which is why it sticks in my mind.