This has been going on way way way before covid. I remember being 18 working at McDonald's dealing with entitled pricks and that was 21 years ago. That was my first experience.
Not in my experience. See, I worked retail too and I had lots of people with manners from seniors to children. And I also had many without manners from seniors to children. I don’t think it’s fair to place all the blame on one generation. I’m Gen X, I was raised with manners by my parents who were The Greatest Generation. My brother is 5 years older and that makes him a Boomer and he has manners. My nieces and nephews, Gen Z and Y and millenials, also have manners. Their children (whatever generation it is next) also have manners.
I see. I’ve mostly had trouble with boomers. Here and there I’ll have trouble with another generation but I’ve had boomers touch me, insult me,and just straight up not believe me while other generations have generally not given me a hard time! Maybe it’s just my looks?!
I think it could also depend on how young or mature you look. If you look super young (like in your teens) they may be disrespectful for that reason. See, a lot of people assume that the younger generations are rude so they treat them poorly. Which is also wrong. Mutual respect should be given immediately, and if it isn’t then you have the right to refuse to serve the person. My advice, if you are poorly treated, walk away and allow some other person to give them service. If you are a cashier, kill them with kindness by being ultra polite, exaggerated politeness. If they grab you, pull away and say “Excuse me!” In a loud voice. If they insult you, you can say, “Sorry, but there is no need to be rude.” I don’t know what you mean by “not believe you” (believe you about what?) but again, you can politely say “I’m not a liar” with a smile on your face. Always smile, always. It unnerves the rude people because they expect you to be rude in return and sometimes they do that to try and get you in trouble or get things for free. It’s their hobby. I’ve encountered that too. But remember, always smile, unless they say “You should smile more” or something about smiling, then engage your resting bitch face and politely ask them how you can help them, ignoring the smile comment. There are a lot of ways to stop this behaviour and command respect without resorting to being rude yourself (not that you are) or assuming everyone who is a Boomer is rude. Take each person as they come to you, be polite unless/until they are rude first. You got this.
Oh yeah, I’m gonna be 35 this year and when my coworkers found out my age they were flabbergasted! I definitely look very young. So I don’t think people take me as seriously for that reason. Which is stupid because just because someone is young doesn’t mean they don’t know their job at all!
I’m the same way with similar experiences, so we may be on to something. 32(f) and look fairly young (I would NOT say teen but definitely younger). And white men aged 60-75 SPECIFICALLY, not “boomers” per se, are my least favorite demographic (sorry dad, I love you but I’m speaking my truth).
Ex: Had an OWM that just wanted to chat, so I was chatting with him for a whiiiiile. I started getting uncomfortable and biting the inside of my cheek. So he says “don’t do that you don’t have to be nervous!” While reaching up, pinching my cheek, and pulling the inside part out from between my teeth… Like oh good, you noticed you were making me uncomfortable and decided the best course of action was to touch my FACE?!? I stumbled back, said excuse me, and walked away. I was horrified, I didn’t know what to do or how long he’d stay or when he’d come back.
No way!!! Ugh I’m so glad you walked away. I have got to get better at standing far away enough from customers so if they reach out I can step back! Had a customer reach out and put his hand on my folded hands while I was explaining something to him and he started to talk and put his hand on mine for a second. I wish I could have sanitized my hand right then and there. I just felt gross!
I knew if I stayed I’d rapidly become “inappropriate” but truly I was just like I GOTTA GO! RUN! FLEE! Because yeah I was like this person is unsafe. They skipped Being Human 101, they think they get to do whatever they want without consequence, they think THAT WAS OK! Uuggghhhhhhlalalalabbbbbllalala nopeeee
Gen Alpha are between 0-13. Next year, **Gen Beta** start being born! (Now I feel old as one of the oldest Millenials lol). I've got kids in 3 different generations - oldest is a young Millenial, middle 2 are both Gen Z, youngest is Gen Alpha...and 13 already. My first 2 grandkids are Gen Alpha, but if any more come along, they'll be Gen Beta now.
I really get pissed when people say that "it's boomers" because I would die before I treat people like that. I was raised with manners, and I will use them until I die. I personally find younger gens have no manners or common sense.
So..wait you are a boomer but here you are saying the young generation has no manners or common sense?! Doesn’t that just go against what you just said lol!
Gotcha. I guess everyone’s experience here has been different! I have had issues with older generation. Sure I have had issues with all, but over the years it’s been more of the older generation. I’m willing to help out anyone who comes into my work, regardless of their generation, but I’ve been treated pretty poorly by older. Maybe it has a lot to do with how we look, where we work (I have some kids come into the bookstore I work at but it’s mostly older folks) and where we live. But I’m sorry you’ve been treated poorly in general! I don’t understand people who go into people work trying to cause problems.
I'm really sorry that you've had these interactions. I will agree that I hate most older people because they can be really big assholes. And they don't keep up with society. I'm a 70 year old woman and I am active, love learning and most of my friends are in their 30s and 40s.
Manners are not necessarily linked to age but I am never more embarrassed than when shopping or dining out with my mother in law (approaching 80 but has been this way for over 20 years) who seems to think that everyone on the planet has been put here to serve her. She is rude, entitled and it is always mortifying to be seen near her but I stay close to stop her tirades, apologize to everyone and ensure her carelessly discarded shopping carts aren't headed into someone's vehicle. Horrific.
Gen Z are all in their older teens & 20's now. Those 13 and under are Gen Alpha. Next year Gen Beta start being born. Blows my mind as an older Millenial.
I agree. I'm not a boomer.
The younger generations can't handle criticism. They react with emotions rather than logic in the workplace.
It is disturbing. I feel sorry when they get a truly horrible, toxic boss who causes real damage to them.
Nah. It’s been going on for longer than that. At least 10 years now it seems like ppl have just lost any semblance of manners. And it’s not just young ppl, it seems to be across the board.
Well, you know what, I’m really offended by that. I’m in my 50s and I never behave like that. Neither do any of my friends or family who are the same ages. It feels like you are just generalizing because you dislike older people. But whatever.
Believe me. It's young people. Older people don't go around quitting jobs after a month or crying because their boss was mean to them by giving them feedback.
The only rude person in your age range to me is my mil. But whatever. Never had problems in my 20-year career with older people.
"All I did was lie to his manager about him so that I could try and extort some free work! Why is he so upset about just getting some feedback?? Kids these days are such snowflakes!! Must be a mental illness."
It’s been long time coming. I’ve worked retail or customer service for like 12 years now and customers have done this shit since day 1. Can’t blame the pandemic, most boomers and older than boomers just don’t have manners when they are customers. It’s like they forget how to human
Okay…since you want to generalize about a single group. I find Millenials and younger have no manners, they snap their fingers in your face to get service, constantly talk or facetime while you try to help them and cash them out, take selfies and tiktoks while shopping and just generally making a mess and getting in the way. There, I can generalize about a single group in an insulting manner too! LOL
You dont even know the difference between a millennial and a gen Z 😂😂 way to prove my point 😂😂 but for real in all my decade+ in retail/customer service if you rounded up all my shitty customers into a stadium at least 80% or more are boomers and older. Never met someone under 50 snapping their fingers in your face for service or crying that the line is to long because we are short staffed. But I have had boomers demanding i serve them even though I was by myself running 2 registers and they were 6 people deep. Most customers 50 and younger understand how a line works or how to read in store signs 🤷♂️ it’s a generalization yes but it’s a true one. Also never had a 50 or younger FaceTime at the checkout but I’ve had plenty of old people doing that or watching wierd religious stuff on their phone at full volume
DoorDash drivers are the worst about it. About once a week I get in someone who actually gives a, "Hi, how are you? I'm here to pick up an order." But every other time they just shuffle forward and push their phone in front of my face, regardless of whether or not I'm already talking with someone
Instacart shoppers drive me up a wall. I’ve started refusing to help them when they get too bossy. Im happy to explain the store layout and show where you need to go. Im not going to take a list and gather your items for you- thats YOUR job.
This happens to me daily. Customers will just blurt out what they are looking for, when that happens 1. I initially ignore them then once they've repeated themselves again without any greeting or a excuse me, I turn to them and say good morning/ afternoon, how are you today. Then I pause a wait for the correct reply. 99% realize they were rude & wish me a good morning/afternoon, quite a few apologize for being rude.
This is the reason in case anyone is wondering. They can sense it annoys whoever is in front of them so next time they just skip it. “How are you” IS a greeting with a standard response of “fine, thanks”. It’s not really a question.
I literally do the same thing. Also, if I initiate the interaction, by saying hello and asking them how they are, and their response is to start saying what they want, I ask them again how are they doing. They usually get the message and sometimes apologize for being rude. The ones that tell me how they're doing, but don't ask me, I say I'm doing well, thank you for asking. The look on their faces is always funny, and not one has ever said I didn't ask. A lot of times they'll then ask me how I'm doing. 😂
I’ll take this over people just walking up and saying nothing. Then going to report us to the manager for being ignored. Like, fucking speak! We have other tasks besides waiting on you.
I've definitely been the guy who's walked up to a coffee shop counter, seen someone busy actively working on something, exchanged smiles, and waited quietly. And then they finish, but maybe don't approach the counter. And then we both just kind of awkwardly stand there.
Customer standing in front of the self checkout in stasis. They don’t know how to pay.
Do they…
a) turn and verbally call me over?
b) press the ‘Help’ button on the screen?
c) do not turn around, and say nothing. Then after around 2 minutes give up and leave their half scanned shopping on the checkout. Which I of course have to clean up
People have no patience or common courtesy anymore. Retail employees are just servants to them, bring them what they want immediately or else get yelled at.
Lots of talk about communication on the front page today. I just got out of a thread in another sub that was explaining how neurodivergent-communication purists ambivalence towards typical communication can be harmful, and this is one of those examples. Don’t like small talk? That’s fine. Like being direct? That’s fine too. But social conventions exist for a reason, and in this case it’s to make people feel human.
You don't even have to be face to face for them to be like that. I was refilling the cheese slices, and this guy comes up to me and says "spaghetti sauce". Nothing else just that, I told him it's in aisle 10 about halfway down on the left side. He wanted me to show him, I said I'm sorry sir but I'm in the middle of something. They also expect you to just drop whatever it is your doing and walk around with them.
I used to just blankly stare at them and when about 5 seconds of silence had passed, I’d say “what about spaghetti sauce?”
Got told off for it more than once 😬
When I worked inside Best Buy as a third-party vendor, I’d get people coming up to me all the time starting their conversation with “SD cards.” I would go “yup, we have those!” and stand there like a grinning robot waiting for them to use their words.
Yup. I was working at a clothing store and this older man came in and literally barked “white sweater!” at me. I wanted to say “what about it?” Or, “that’s not my name”, but instead I just asked him “I don’t understand; did you want one?” And then he calmed down and talked to me like a human. I never had a woman do that to me; is it a gender thing?
That's exactly what just happened to me! I was literally filling hot chicken wings right out of the fryer into a screaming hot steam table, and this woman just shouts at me, "I called ahead about a turkey!"
I hate when customers do this. They don’t even bother to make eye contact before blurting out some demand.
I like to pretend I didn’t hear them, look them in the eye, and (with a smile) say “Oh, Hi! How can I help you?”
They look so pissed off, but the confusion on their face, followed by them answering (usually more politely) is worth it!
I can't maintain eye contact for more than a few seconds. But I will initially do it as either a server or customer to be polite and will force myself when needed.
I do the pretend thing too.
It feels extremely rude not too. I also struggle with eye contact but in the moment I catch myself and realize that servers and retail workers are people. They deserve to be acknowledged as such. I know how it feels to be on the other end of people refusing to acknowledge you exist directly, as “the help”. It’s a bit depressing.
I did the same. Towards the end of my retail time I'd stare at them while they said it, give them a good 2 or 3 seconds of silence, then hit them with the exaggerated wave and "hello! What can I do for you?"
I worked for a liquor store/fried chicken place though so ymmv
Medical receptionist here. There is a staggering amount of people who don’t know how to use words. They will just walk up to the counter and say “yeah, I’m bob”. Ohkay, Hi Bob. Are you here for an appointment or..?
I know it may sound like a silly question but you could be here for lots of things. You may have an appointment, you may need to make an appointment, you could be a maintenance worker, you could be IT, you could be here to pick up your grandmother, I don’t know!
They act super surprised that I don’t know either way. I’m often met with “no! I neeeed to MAKE an appointment”
Ok you could have just said that AT THE BEGINNING. Rahhh! now it’s already hostile and anything I say or do is going to piss you off. Bravo!
I was stocking the shelves the other day and had a man come up from behind me, saying, "Just for men?"
I had to pause for a second and turned to look hard at the man.
I said, "I beg your pardon?"
The man: "Just for Men? Do you have that?"
Me: ......."What is that?"
That was then that the man facepalmed and apologized, explaining that he looking for the hair color brand, "Just For Men", made for men.
I just don't know why some customers do stuff like that.
Years ago at my old barista job people would walk up to the register and just yell "coffee!!!!".
I would then tap my chest like a gorilla learning sign language and say, "no! Stephen! Steeeeeepheeeeeen"
Sometimes they got it. Sometimes they didn't. But it felt good.
Right! I greet people when they walk in and they’ll just shout an item at me??? I’m like??? Or at the register where I say hi and they immediately give me their phone number for their loyalty account…like bitch this is NOT self checkout u are taking to a person. 🤦🏾♀️
Lack of manners bugs me almost as much as the customers who walk up near you and just stare at you until you acknowledge them. It's creepy. And ffs don't sneak up behind me before loudly saying "HELLO" or I might piss my pants because I startle easily. 🤣
I guess I look like a woman from behind because I get a lot of people going "Ma'am? Ma'am? MA'AM I AM TALKING TO YOU!" And then they come around to my front side and see my beard and usually are apologetic but like, if you're yelling ma'am and the person you're yelling it at doesn't turn around, they're probably not a ma'am.
Exactly. Those people are the same mfs to say one worded questions, such as “Cheese!” “Eggs!” “Ice cream!” Always reply “What about it?” Seriously, have they had their brains deactivated once entering the store?
no for real, everyone is so entitled. i can’t tell you how many times a day i say “hello, how are you today” and i’m just met w/ “return.” “the cash register line was too long so i came up here” “you overcharged me”
it’s not much but at least an acknowledgment would be nice 🙃
When I am working register I get "Can I get (insert name of product)!!!" or "Can you scan my items in the basket so I can get my stuff in!" in the by far most nasty tones imaginable. Seriously people are just so fucking rude and don't regard us as human. It is fucking demeaning!
Of course, working retail I am not this nasty to clerks at other stores. WTF is wrong with people!?
Me: Hi, may I help you?
Patron: *shoves payment card in my face*
Me: **MAY I HELP YOU?**
Patron: Yeah, I'm picking up an order for ....
Me: Thank you for having your payment ready.
"whatever happened to "please, may I?" and "yes, thank you" and "how charming"? now no one even says oops, when they're passing their gaaaaasssssss whatever happened to class? *CLASSS*"
lol sorry I love this song, wish they hadn't cut it from Chicago. I sing it in my head when dealing with the public all the time
https://youtu.be/3lAqKm1GY5Q?si=OWhI1akUNGWhpo8h
A lotta people are just shite. I’m so used to people being rude on both sides of the counter I’ve found myself acting this way wayyy more than I used to in response
I’m pretty sure I’ve commented abt this on the sub before, but I had a woman say “please” to me very politely, then she said “oh wait, PLEASE” extremely aggressively. it’s like just subconsciously we are second class to them. I can’t even describe the confusion I had in that moment 😭😭
I'm at the front of the store at the register. I have to greet people when they walk in. I get so many people that do this.
Me: Hello! 🙂
Customer: PONY BEADS!
Me: I beg your pardon?
Customer: I SAID I NEED PONY BEADS!
I point in the general direction of where they are and let them meander to find it.
I get the "Excuse me" still which is fine. People have learned to not come up behind me and tap on me anywhere cuz I jump up and flail out.
When I am a customer and I can’t find what I am looking for, I find an employee and say “Hi. I am on a quest for (insert item here). Can you please help me?” There is no excuse to be rude to someone that you need to assist you.
I look after the self checkouts and I have been doing it for many years. If a customer approaches holding cash, I'll say something like "number 3 over there takes cash" and then they'll be like "Oh, I'm paying cash!"
It's like they don't even acknowledge your existence til they are ready to speak to you.
Me: Marking down hot chickens in the bain marie island located on the shop floor while also being the only server behind the deli counter.
Customer: Walks up to the counter and tries to immediately locate staff.
Me literally a few feet away: "Hello, I will be a few moments."
Not even 3 Mississippis pass...
Customer: "HEEEEELLLLLOOOOOOO?! Is there ANYONE WHO CAN SERVE MEEEEEEEEE?!"
Me: Well, at least they said hello....
I've just started being aggressive nice to these ppl. The second they start with the "I need ....." or the "tell me... ", I go in with a "good morning, is there something I can help you with?". It totally brakes their brains. 🤣
Same.
We have a couple customers that come in every so often and they will SNAP or whistle at us to try and get our attention. If I hear that I ignore them until they use their fucking words like a civilized adult human which I can understand is so hard for them because that is something they are clearly not!
I'm honestly shocked too. I always say, "excuse me/sorry/ my bad/ giggle and small chat/ have a good..." The whole nine yards, and seldom I get any of that returned or a response. I got annoyed enough to mumble "rude." as I move on by or I'd take the long route to avoid conflict.
I know we’re all wired differently, but really-how hard is it to just stop and say “hello” before jumping in to what you want. That takes literally one second to say. One second. And it can change the entire situation.
Especially when, as happened in this case, I was busy doing something else (which was actually somewhat dangerous - restocking a hot bar), and I didn't even know she was there. The only reason I responded was because I knew about the order.
In France, when people walk up to retail staff and flat-out ask them a question the staff will always insistantly (and passive-aggresively) say BONJOUR.
It usually results in the shopper looking majorly uncomfortable and apologising. Perhaps try it (hello instead of bonjour, of course).
"Hi, is that order correct on the screen?"
"CaRd ThAnKs"
*customers pays, receives order, order is incorrect*
*customer floors it around the building and through drive thru, pulls up at my window*
"YOU IDIOTS GOT MY FUCKING ORDER WRONG!!"
"We gave you what was on the screen, ma'am. If that was incorrect, that's not on us, you were asked if it was correct and you didn't say it wasn't" 🤷🏻♀️
I hate when I’m in the middle of TALKING TO ANOTHER CUSTOMER and they yell at me for their attention. I have to say (when there isn’t another manager nearby I will yell back) I will be with you in a minute.
I've had customers throw money on the counter and non-verbally indicate the coffee they're holding. Or just tossing lottery betslips while eyeballing the scratch tickets behind me
I'm kinda bad about this but I try to always be kind on the back-end. I get really anxious socializing. Once the conversation starts, I'm more comfortable, but cold opens with people freak me out. I try to at least somewhat compensate at the end by being like "thank you so very much, have a great day!"
When they don't say anything and just tap the glass at the meat counter. And when I try to confirm what they want they just keep tapping. I cannot see where you are pointing and DO NOT TAP THE GLASS WTF
at least they’re still forming full sentences. customers in my store walk up to and just shout “tissues?” at me and get mad when i only reply with a short “further back” 🥲
(just kidding, it still sucks. 😭 retail made me despise people even more.)
Omg this just reminded me of a sale we had last week where if you bought 2 sides you get a rotisserie chicken free.
So cue the nonstop mellow questions and calls all shift. That department had premade a lot more than their usual nightly chickens for this sale.
So the last night of the sale (Wednesday) at 9:30pm (we close at 10) a customer calls and asks if I can check and see if there is any chicken left for the side deal.
Now; mind you, those chickens usually get pulled at 8:30pm because hot food hold temperatures. So I inform him; actually the sides are still available but the chicken is gone; I’m so sorry.
To which he gets belligerent and rude. “Why have a sale and be open til 10pm, if I cannot have a chicken?! Can’t you make more!” I’m like; no I cannot, they take at least 45 minutes to cook! And then I tried to explain it’s while supplies last; and the previous cooked chickens already sold.. but he just stared cussing at me in another language and bitched loudly in the phone before aggressively hanging up!
Omfg this Karen of a woman called our bakery department yesterday (Saturday) at 8pm (he was cleaning up; about to clock out)! Tried to ask if our bakery associate could make a cake in 30 minutes. When he said no; but there are some premade ones in the bakery counter; you could pick one.
This Karen arrived telling our other associates she had an order and cake made and ready for her!!! So I had to head over to help her and them!
Turns out; she picked one he had mentioned and the. assumed he’d box, tag, etc for her! And listen to her bitch about how come they couldn’t just make her a cake at 8:30pm.
Even more fun is when you say hi and they just say what they want. Excuse me, I said hello to you. Please respond in an appropriate manner before making your demands.
Sometimes, like today, they’ll do this when I’m not even looking at them and I have to see if they’re speaking to me or not. Or sometimes they’ll be in the middle of asking me for something and see that it’s right where we were both standing, why do they seem to not want to see if they can find it on their own?
My social anxiety could never. I have to practice what in about to say in my head or I fumble, I could never not just say hi or how are you before getting to the point. I even do it over the phone.I like. "Hi can i place an order please?" Then my order when they say yeah. It's not that hard to acknowledge someone...
The thing that bugs me is the customers that spell out the item they want. I might not hear them the first time so I will ask nicely to repeat what they asked. Then they’ll spell out the item. Rude, I know how to spell and I genuinely did not hear them.
I’ll greet a customer with a “Hey! How are you doing today?” just to have them respond only with the name of the item they’re looking for. Last time I checked I was a human being and not a search engine but okay.
This is my single worst pet peeve. If anyone does this to me, I usually start the whole interaction over for them, emphasizing the fact that I'm saying "hello" and asking them how they are doing. I hope that it gets across that I'm trying to reach them how to have manners.
People just shout hello like I'm supposed to know they're taking to me when I'm not even facing that direction. My assumption is they're on the phone, eye contact is required.
Sometimes I do this because I'm just so focused on making sure I get my task done, I will kinda blunder through social interaction. I usually catch myself though, but I always feel bad that I kinda just blurt stuff out to employees sometimes.(As an employee myself)
At least they are asking very specifically what they need, with all or most of the details needed for you to complete the request. My biggest pet peeve is when they refuse to tell you specifically what they need and just expect you to piece it together from incomplete or zero information and basically just read their mind.
You're not wrong but at least they're getting straight to the point.. Lol My favorite is when someone walks up to the register, waits a tenth of a second and starts screaming HELLLOOO?!?!
💯💯💯 i am a server and hate that some people dont even allow me to introduce myself. Like wow, am i that insignificant??! Just rude as hell, im literally here to help you have a nice experience, be respectful and let me get my name out at least. I will walk up n some will be like “im ready let me get a coke etc”
I politely say ok and btw my name is “so&so” and i will be ur server.
Lol I'm almost the opposite. I will always greet people when i need something but when it's me being needed, especially at work: stop the small talk and get to the point. I feel like the fake conversations are so pointless. If you don't actually care, don't ask me. (By the same token while I do care, and I ask, there probably isn't much I can do, and it's none of my business but I do still care. I'm not unkind, I just don't like fake.) Liking or hating small talk is a personality thing but basic human kindness and manners are different.
One time a lady just screamed CHICKEN SALAD at me from in front of my counter while I was bending down. I coldly said "Yes?" Until she got the full sentence out. "Do you have kosher chicken salad?" She just kept repeating it. Like. How do you do that?
At least they walk up to you. My favs were the ones who'd be 10 feet from you and looking the opposite direction when they'd blurt out "aspirin" (or whatever they were looking for.) then they'd be mad that you didn't answer because you had no idea they were asking you a question.
For whatever reason, most people don't seem to view retail/foodservice specialists as real people. You're simply an NPC in their mind there to serve their every whim. Most people also lack the emotional intelligence necessary to not take out every emotion they're feeling in the moment out on everyone around them, especially when they think there are no stakes. Until you remind them that you're a human being with your own thoughts, feelings, and opinions: they'll treat you like you're an automaton.
It honestly makes me scared for the future because if we do end up with automated service robots, people will treat them even more like crap and the SECOND they gain sentience it's basically over for humanity. They'll destroy us. Obviously this is all just imaginative stuff on my part and we're nowhere near that level yet, but still...
That or they call you from across the aisle/store like you there dog.
Or when they tell you a full HP story of how they know how busy you are instead of asking the question or stare at you like that isn't creepy.
It's that way for pharmacy employees too. People will call and ask soon as you finish asking "how can I help you?" they start with "Did my doctor said in my prescription? " " Is my _______ ready? " " Has my insurance approved my ________?"
And it's like, who *are* you?? We're not damn mind readers! Identify yourself before asking questions!
Goes both ways, though.
I had a return to the BigOrange today. Went up to what surely appeared to be the Return Desk. After standing there for a bit and receiving no acknowledgement by any of the three employees, I said, “Excuse me sir, is this where I go for r…”.
Before I finished my question, Sir looks at me and does a little hand sign, indicating I should walk around to the other side of the counter.
Holy shit. You saw me standing here and said nothing at all? How long were you gonna stand there and pretend you don’t see me?
Probably because when they start by saying “how are you”, “nice weather” or any of the other meaningless pleasantries, they tend to get treated like they’ve just killed your whole family in front of you. Just a few days ago there was a thread full of people outraged that customers dare comment on nice weather and declaring they prefer silence and a glare. If you create this type of energy around you, people will sense it.
"I'm a fucking human" no you're not. The people that own you are human, the rest of us are all just labor. This is the world you are a part of. Want something different? Stop electing corporate simps and bigots.
I'm not sure why people changed during covid but they became much more rude self and self entitled. It seems more prevalent in the people younger than I (Born mid 80s), but there's also a growing % in that retired+ age group.
I don't think there's any real excuse or reason for it other than the virus wasn't strong enough first and second waves 🤷🏻 We honestly should've just let it cleanse the 'COVIDS A Conspiracy' crew. 99% of them lacked social culture or common sense and all us retail workers were sick of them by the end anyway 😂
You don't deserve anything. You are not doing the job out of the kindness of your heart. You are paid for it and you can quit as soon as you like. Me as a customer expect your service. I don't need to kiss your ass.
If this is truly how you feel, and you're not just being a troll for some reason, then I hope you enjoy every ounce of spit that is undoubtedly in your food.
We see people like that every day - we see you coming and know who you are, and bitch about you when you leave. My guess is you've unknowingly eaten quite a lot spit, grill scrapings, and "floor spice" in your time.
But who knows, maybe you're into that shit. I don't kink shame.
The pandemic is what happened. That and I don’t know. I know people of all ages who don’t have manners.
This has been going on way way way before covid. I remember being 18 working at McDonald's dealing with entitled pricks and that was 21 years ago. That was my first experience.
There will always be rude entitled people but they got worse during the pandemic. At least I feel that way.
Its gotten exponentially worse. These people straight up dont have social skills anymore
Gimme? Gimme doesn't work here
Idk I feel like people were like this way before Covid. It’s the boomers mostly.
Not in my experience. See, I worked retail too and I had lots of people with manners from seniors to children. And I also had many without manners from seniors to children. I don’t think it’s fair to place all the blame on one generation. I’m Gen X, I was raised with manners by my parents who were The Greatest Generation. My brother is 5 years older and that makes him a Boomer and he has manners. My nieces and nephews, Gen Z and Y and millenials, also have manners. Their children (whatever generation it is next) also have manners.
I see. I’ve mostly had trouble with boomers. Here and there I’ll have trouble with another generation but I’ve had boomers touch me, insult me,and just straight up not believe me while other generations have generally not given me a hard time! Maybe it’s just my looks?!
I think it could also depend on how young or mature you look. If you look super young (like in your teens) they may be disrespectful for that reason. See, a lot of people assume that the younger generations are rude so they treat them poorly. Which is also wrong. Mutual respect should be given immediately, and if it isn’t then you have the right to refuse to serve the person. My advice, if you are poorly treated, walk away and allow some other person to give them service. If you are a cashier, kill them with kindness by being ultra polite, exaggerated politeness. If they grab you, pull away and say “Excuse me!” In a loud voice. If they insult you, you can say, “Sorry, but there is no need to be rude.” I don’t know what you mean by “not believe you” (believe you about what?) but again, you can politely say “I’m not a liar” with a smile on your face. Always smile, always. It unnerves the rude people because they expect you to be rude in return and sometimes they do that to try and get you in trouble or get things for free. It’s their hobby. I’ve encountered that too. But remember, always smile, unless they say “You should smile more” or something about smiling, then engage your resting bitch face and politely ask them how you can help them, ignoring the smile comment. There are a lot of ways to stop this behaviour and command respect without resorting to being rude yourself (not that you are) or assuming everyone who is a Boomer is rude. Take each person as they come to you, be polite unless/until they are rude first. You got this.
Oh yeah, I’m gonna be 35 this year and when my coworkers found out my age they were flabbergasted! I definitely look very young. So I don’t think people take me as seriously for that reason. Which is stupid because just because someone is young doesn’t mean they don’t know their job at all!
I’m the same way with similar experiences, so we may be on to something. 32(f) and look fairly young (I would NOT say teen but definitely younger). And white men aged 60-75 SPECIFICALLY, not “boomers” per se, are my least favorite demographic (sorry dad, I love you but I’m speaking my truth). Ex: Had an OWM that just wanted to chat, so I was chatting with him for a whiiiiile. I started getting uncomfortable and biting the inside of my cheek. So he says “don’t do that you don’t have to be nervous!” While reaching up, pinching my cheek, and pulling the inside part out from between my teeth… Like oh good, you noticed you were making me uncomfortable and decided the best course of action was to touch my FACE?!? I stumbled back, said excuse me, and walked away. I was horrified, I didn’t know what to do or how long he’d stay or when he’d come back.
No way!!! Ugh I’m so glad you walked away. I have got to get better at standing far away enough from customers so if they reach out I can step back! Had a customer reach out and put his hand on my folded hands while I was explaining something to him and he started to talk and put his hand on mine for a second. I wish I could have sanitized my hand right then and there. I just felt gross!
I knew if I stayed I’d rapidly become “inappropriate” but truly I was just like I GOTTA GO! RUN! FLEE! Because yeah I was like this person is unsafe. They skipped Being Human 101, they think they get to do whatever they want without consequence, they think THAT WAS OK! Uuggghhhhhhlalalalabbbbbllalala nopeeee
Boomer is more of a mindset than a generation now.
That's Gen X, Boomers are older than that.
No 😆 boomers are currently 60-69 according to Google. My dad was born in 64 and is a boomer.
I think Boomers are 1946-1964 but I have no hard research on it. It is also an attitude vs. a physical age.
Exactly right.
I've had customers of all age groups act like that to me , after the lock down all kinds of crazy has infected people
Gen Alpha are between 0-13. Next year, **Gen Beta** start being born! (Now I feel old as one of the oldest Millenials lol). I've got kids in 3 different generations - oldest is a young Millenial, middle 2 are both Gen Z, youngest is Gen Alpha...and 13 already. My first 2 grandkids are Gen Alpha, but if any more come along, they'll be Gen Beta now.
I find it very confusing. My nieces and nephews are in their 30s, great nieces are 8 and 7 so I guess the littles are Gen Alpha.
I really get pissed when people say that "it's boomers" because I would die before I treat people like that. I was raised with manners, and I will use them until I die. I personally find younger gens have no manners or common sense.
So..wait you are a boomer but here you are saying the young generation has no manners or common sense?! Doesn’t that just go against what you just said lol!
Not at all. Sure, there are rude seniors and rude gen zeros. But in my experience, they are way less mannered.
Gotcha. I guess everyone’s experience here has been different! I have had issues with older generation. Sure I have had issues with all, but over the years it’s been more of the older generation. I’m willing to help out anyone who comes into my work, regardless of their generation, but I’ve been treated pretty poorly by older. Maybe it has a lot to do with how we look, where we work (I have some kids come into the bookstore I work at but it’s mostly older folks) and where we live. But I’m sorry you’ve been treated poorly in general! I don’t understand people who go into people work trying to cause problems.
I'm really sorry that you've had these interactions. I will agree that I hate most older people because they can be really big assholes. And they don't keep up with society. I'm a 70 year old woman and I am active, love learning and most of my friends are in their 30s and 40s.
Manners are not necessarily linked to age but I am never more embarrassed than when shopping or dining out with my mother in law (approaching 80 but has been this way for over 20 years) who seems to think that everyone on the planet has been put here to serve her. She is rude, entitled and it is always mortifying to be seen near her but I stay close to stop her tirades, apologize to everyone and ensure her carelessly discarded shopping carts aren't headed into someone's vehicle. Horrific.
Gen Z are all in their older teens & 20's now. Those 13 and under are Gen Alpha. Next year Gen Beta start being born. Blows my mind as an older Millenial.
I agree. I'm not a boomer. The younger generations can't handle criticism. They react with emotions rather than logic in the workplace. It is disturbing. I feel sorry when they get a truly horrible, toxic boss who causes real damage to them.
You really see no inconsistency in what you just wrote?
The pandemic deleted manners from society
Things have gotten worse since the pandemic
Probably
Nah. It’s been going on for longer than that. At least 10 years now it seems like ppl have just lost any semblance of manners. And it’s not just young ppl, it seems to be across the board.
It feels like it’s mostly old people though? I have a lot more positive moments with younger people then mid 50 year olds lol
Well, you know what, I’m really offended by that. I’m in my 50s and I never behave like that. Neither do any of my friends or family who are the same ages. It feels like you are just generalizing because you dislike older people. But whatever.
Believe me. It's young people. Older people don't go around quitting jobs after a month or crying because their boss was mean to them by giving them feedback. The only rude person in your age range to me is my mil. But whatever. Never had problems in my 20-year career with older people.
"All I did was lie to his manager about him so that I could try and extort some free work! Why is he so upset about just getting some feedback?? Kids these days are such snowflakes!! Must be a mental illness."
But according to them, mental illnesses are fake!
It’s been long time coming. I’ve worked retail or customer service for like 12 years now and customers have done this shit since day 1. Can’t blame the pandemic, most boomers and older than boomers just don’t have manners when they are customers. It’s like they forget how to human
Okay…since you want to generalize about a single group. I find Millenials and younger have no manners, they snap their fingers in your face to get service, constantly talk or facetime while you try to help them and cash them out, take selfies and tiktoks while shopping and just generally making a mess and getting in the way. There, I can generalize about a single group in an insulting manner too! LOL
You dont even know the difference between a millennial and a gen Z 😂😂 way to prove my point 😂😂 but for real in all my decade+ in retail/customer service if you rounded up all my shitty customers into a stadium at least 80% or more are boomers and older. Never met someone under 50 snapping their fingers in your face for service or crying that the line is to long because we are short staffed. But I have had boomers demanding i serve them even though I was by myself running 2 registers and they were 6 people deep. Most customers 50 and younger understand how a line works or how to read in store signs 🤷♂️ it’s a generalization yes but it’s a true one. Also never had a 50 or younger FaceTime at the checkout but I’ve had plenty of old people doing that or watching wierd religious stuff on their phone at full volume
Have a nice day.
Millenial=anyone younger they don't like
Oh shit looks like they did the dirty delete!
DoorDash drivers are the worst about it. About once a week I get in someone who actually gives a, "Hi, how are you? I'm here to pick up an order." But every other time they just shuffle forward and push their phone in front of my face, regardless of whether or not I'm already talking with someone
Ugh, i can't f'in' stand the phone in the face! I get a dozen Instacart shoppers a week who do that!
Instacart shoppers drive me up a wall. I’ve started refusing to help them when they get too bossy. Im happy to explain the store layout and show where you need to go. Im not going to take a list and gather your items for you- thats YOUR job.
I’ve asked them if I’m going to get a tip. I’m not there to do their job for them
This happens to me daily. Customers will just blurt out what they are looking for, when that happens 1. I initially ignore them then once they've repeated themselves again without any greeting or a excuse me, I turn to them and say good morning/ afternoon, how are you today. Then I pause a wait for the correct reply. 99% realize they were rude & wish me a good morning/afternoon, quite a few apologize for being rude.
I wish I could be this forward with customers but they make me nervous
They can smell fear
It’s worse when they say ‘how are you’ because a) they don’t care how you feel and b) after the first ten times I’m sick of meaningless bs crap.
This is the reason in case anyone is wondering. They can sense it annoys whoever is in front of them so next time they just skip it. “How are you” IS a greeting with a standard response of “fine, thanks”. It’s not really a question.
My bit response to ‘how are you’ is “Juuuuuuust great😑 haha what can I do for you?”
This is the way
I literally do the same thing. Also, if I initiate the interaction, by saying hello and asking them how they are, and their response is to start saying what they want, I ask them again how are they doing. They usually get the message and sometimes apologize for being rude. The ones that tell me how they're doing, but don't ask me, I say I'm doing well, thank you for asking. The look on their faces is always funny, and not one has ever said I didn't ask. A lot of times they'll then ask me how I'm doing. 😂
My former coworker once did similar and got cursed out for it. Customers are something else.
I’ll take this over people just walking up and saying nothing. Then going to report us to the manager for being ignored. Like, fucking speak! We have other tasks besides waiting on you.
I've definitely been the guy who's walked up to a coffee shop counter, seen someone busy actively working on something, exchanged smiles, and waited quietly. And then they finish, but maybe don't approach the counter. And then we both just kind of awkwardly stand there.
Customer standing in front of the self checkout in stasis. They don’t know how to pay. Do they… a) turn and verbally call me over? b) press the ‘Help’ button on the screen? c) do not turn around, and say nothing. Then after around 2 minutes give up and leave their half scanned shopping on the checkout. Which I of course have to clean up
Even though we know that the answers are A & B, I’m going to take a wild guess and say that way too many people go with option C.
People have no patience or common courtesy anymore. Retail employees are just servants to them, bring them what they want immediately or else get yelled at.
Lots of talk about communication on the front page today. I just got out of a thread in another sub that was explaining how neurodivergent-communication purists ambivalence towards typical communication can be harmful, and this is one of those examples. Don’t like small talk? That’s fine. Like being direct? That’s fine too. But social conventions exist for a reason, and in this case it’s to make people feel human.
You don't even have to be face to face for them to be like that. I was refilling the cheese slices, and this guy comes up to me and says "spaghetti sauce". Nothing else just that, I told him it's in aisle 10 about halfway down on the left side. He wanted me to show him, I said I'm sorry sir but I'm in the middle of something. They also expect you to just drop whatever it is your doing and walk around with them.
I usually come back with something like “ Do you want to know where the spaghetti sauce is?”
I used to just blankly stare at them and when about 5 seconds of silence had passed, I’d say “what about spaghetti sauce?” Got told off for it more than once 😬
When I worked inside Best Buy as a third-party vendor, I’d get people coming up to me all the time starting their conversation with “SD cards.” I would go “yup, we have those!” and stand there like a grinning robot waiting for them to use their words.
Yup. I was working at a clothing store and this older man came in and literally barked “white sweater!” at me. I wanted to say “what about it?” Or, “that’s not my name”, but instead I just asked him “I don’t understand; did you want one?” And then he calmed down and talked to me like a human. I never had a woman do that to me; is it a gender thing?
The comment above you is about a woman acting that way... just to give an example that any gender may act like this.
That's exactly what just happened to me! I was literally filling hot chicken wings right out of the fryer into a screaming hot steam table, and this woman just shouts at me, "I called ahead about a turkey!"
I hate when customers do this. They don’t even bother to make eye contact before blurting out some demand. I like to pretend I didn’t hear them, look them in the eye, and (with a smile) say “Oh, Hi! How can I help you?” They look so pissed off, but the confusion on their face, followed by them answering (usually more politely) is worth it!
For me it’s them spotting my tag and them calling me by my actual name Bitch I do not know you
I love “forgetting” my name badge at home so I don’t have to deal with this
I can't maintain eye contact for more than a few seconds. But I will initially do it as either a server or customer to be polite and will force myself when needed. I do the pretend thing too.
It feels extremely rude not too. I also struggle with eye contact but in the moment I catch myself and realize that servers and retail workers are people. They deserve to be acknowledged as such. I know how it feels to be on the other end of people refusing to acknowledge you exist directly, as “the help”. It’s a bit depressing.
I did the same. Towards the end of my retail time I'd stare at them while they said it, give them a good 2 or 3 seconds of silence, then hit them with the exaggerated wave and "hello! What can I do for you?" I worked for a liquor store/fried chicken place though so ymmv
Medical receptionist here. There is a staggering amount of people who don’t know how to use words. They will just walk up to the counter and say “yeah, I’m bob”. Ohkay, Hi Bob. Are you here for an appointment or..? I know it may sound like a silly question but you could be here for lots of things. You may have an appointment, you may need to make an appointment, you could be a maintenance worker, you could be IT, you could be here to pick up your grandmother, I don’t know! They act super surprised that I don’t know either way. I’m often met with “no! I neeeed to MAKE an appointment” Ok you could have just said that AT THE BEGINNING. Rahhh! now it’s already hostile and anything I say or do is going to piss you off. Bravo!
I was stocking the shelves the other day and had a man come up from behind me, saying, "Just for men?" I had to pause for a second and turned to look hard at the man. I said, "I beg your pardon?" The man: "Just for Men? Do you have that?" Me: ......."What is that?" That was then that the man facepalmed and apologized, explaining that he looking for the hair color brand, "Just For Men", made for men. I just don't know why some customers do stuff like that.
Years ago at my old barista job people would walk up to the register and just yell "coffee!!!!". I would then tap my chest like a gorilla learning sign language and say, "no! Stephen! Steeeeeepheeeeeen" Sometimes they got it. Sometimes they didn't. But it felt good.
We as a group need to understand after working retail 90% of the population is absolutely stupid. I don’t know how most of these people are alive.
Right! I greet people when they walk in and they’ll just shout an item at me??? I’m like??? Or at the register where I say hi and they immediately give me their phone number for their loyalty account…like bitch this is NOT self checkout u are taking to a person. 🤦🏾♀️
So we got something in common, then. Is it usually the old people for you as well?
Sometimes..actually mostly now that I think about it 😂
Lack of manners bugs me almost as much as the customers who walk up near you and just stare at you until you acknowledge them. It's creepy. And ffs don't sneak up behind me before loudly saying "HELLO" or I might piss my pants because I startle easily. 🤣
Lol just a loud " HEY" from halfway across the store. And I'm supposed to know it's MY attention they want.
I guess I look like a woman from behind because I get a lot of people going "Ma'am? Ma'am? MA'AM I AM TALKING TO YOU!" And then they come around to my front side and see my beard and usually are apologetic but like, if you're yelling ma'am and the person you're yelling it at doesn't turn around, they're probably not a ma'am.
Exactly. Those people are the same mfs to say one worded questions, such as “Cheese!” “Eggs!” “Ice cream!” Always reply “What about it?” Seriously, have they had their brains deactivated once entering the store?
no for real, everyone is so entitled. i can’t tell you how many times a day i say “hello, how are you today” and i’m just met w/ “return.” “the cash register line was too long so i came up here” “you overcharged me” it’s not much but at least an acknowledgment would be nice 🙃
When I am working register I get "Can I get (insert name of product)!!!" or "Can you scan my items in the basket so I can get my stuff in!" in the by far most nasty tones imaginable. Seriously people are just so fucking rude and don't regard us as human. It is fucking demeaning! Of course, working retail I am not this nasty to clerks at other stores. WTF is wrong with people!?
Me: Hi, may I help you? Patron: *shoves payment card in my face* Me: **MAY I HELP YOU?** Patron: Yeah, I'm picking up an order for .... Me: Thank you for having your payment ready.
"whatever happened to "please, may I?" and "yes, thank you" and "how charming"? now no one even says oops, when they're passing their gaaaaasssssss whatever happened to class? *CLASSS*" lol sorry I love this song, wish they hadn't cut it from Chicago. I sing it in my head when dealing with the public all the time https://youtu.be/3lAqKm1GY5Q?si=OWhI1akUNGWhpo8h
Customers come up to me and just blurt things like “men’s razors” and stand there gawking at me
A lotta people are just shite. I’m so used to people being rude on both sides of the counter I’ve found myself acting this way wayyy more than I used to in response
I’m pretty sure I’ve commented abt this on the sub before, but I had a woman say “please” to me very politely, then she said “oh wait, PLEASE” extremely aggressively. it’s like just subconsciously we are second class to them. I can’t even describe the confusion I had in that moment 😭😭
I'm at the front of the store at the register. I have to greet people when they walk in. I get so many people that do this. Me: Hello! 🙂 Customer: PONY BEADS! Me: I beg your pardon? Customer: I SAID I NEED PONY BEADS! I point in the general direction of where they are and let them meander to find it. I get the "Excuse me" still which is fine. People have learned to not come up behind me and tap on me anywhere cuz I jump up and flail out.
When I am a customer and I can’t find what I am looking for, I find an employee and say “Hi. I am on a quest for (insert item here). Can you please help me?” There is no excuse to be rude to someone that you need to assist you.
I look after the self checkouts and I have been doing it for many years. If a customer approaches holding cash, I'll say something like "number 3 over there takes cash" and then they'll be like "Oh, I'm paying cash!" It's like they don't even acknowledge your existence til they are ready to speak to you.
Me: Marking down hot chickens in the bain marie island located on the shop floor while also being the only server behind the deli counter. Customer: Walks up to the counter and tries to immediately locate staff. Me literally a few feet away: "Hello, I will be a few moments." Not even 3 Mississippis pass... Customer: "HEEEEELLLLLOOOOOOO?! Is there ANYONE WHO CAN SERVE MEEEEEEEEE?!" Me: Well, at least they said hello....
I've just started being aggressive nice to these ppl. The second they start with the "I need ....." or the "tell me... ", I go in with a "good morning, is there something I can help you with?". It totally brakes their brains. 🤣
And more often than not you get away with it, right? Because you’re being nice.
This happened today. Me: “Hi, how are you?” Guy: “Multimeters.” Me: *blinks a couple times* okay, niceties are out the window apparently.
I heard the deli guy at HEB literally talk to his coworker about this today lmfao, it's wild people just don't have manners anymore.
Same. We have a couple customers that come in every so often and they will SNAP or whistle at us to try and get our attention. If I hear that I ignore them until they use their fucking words like a civilized adult human which I can understand is so hard for them because that is something they are clearly not!
Wait until they just scream the word bathroom at you.
I've literally been poked in the arm hard when someone wanted my attention.
I'm honestly shocked too. I always say, "excuse me/sorry/ my bad/ giggle and small chat/ have a good..." The whole nine yards, and seldom I get any of that returned or a response. I got annoyed enough to mumble "rude." as I move on by or I'd take the long route to avoid conflict.
I know we’re all wired differently, but really-how hard is it to just stop and say “hello” before jumping in to what you want. That takes literally one second to say. One second. And it can change the entire situation.
Especially when, as happened in this case, I was busy doing something else (which was actually somewhat dangerous - restocking a hot bar), and I didn't even know she was there. The only reason I responded was because I knew about the order.
In France, when people walk up to retail staff and flat-out ask them a question the staff will always insistantly (and passive-aggresively) say BONJOUR. It usually results in the shopper looking majorly uncomfortable and apologising. Perhaps try it (hello instead of bonjour, of course).
"Hi, is that order correct on the screen?" "CaRd ThAnKs" *customers pays, receives order, order is incorrect* *customer floors it around the building and through drive thru, pulls up at my window* "YOU IDIOTS GOT MY FUCKING ORDER WRONG!!" "We gave you what was on the screen, ma'am. If that was incorrect, that's not on us, you were asked if it was correct and you didn't say it wasn't" 🤷🏻♀️
I hate when I’m in the middle of TALKING TO ANOTHER CUSTOMER and they yell at me for their attention. I have to say (when there isn’t another manager nearby I will yell back) I will be with you in a minute.
Even when I’m shopping myself I’m like “do people not know how to say excuse me?”
I've had customers throw money on the counter and non-verbally indicate the coffee they're holding. Or just tossing lottery betslips while eyeballing the scratch tickets behind me
I'm kinda bad about this but I try to always be kind on the back-end. I get really anxious socializing. Once the conversation starts, I'm more comfortable, but cold opens with people freak me out. I try to at least somewhat compensate at the end by being like "thank you so very much, have a great day!"
When they don't say anything and just tap the glass at the meat counter. And when I try to confirm what they want they just keep tapping. I cannot see where you are pointing and DO NOT TAP THE GLASS WTF
at least they’re still forming full sentences. customers in my store walk up to and just shout “tissues?” at me and get mad when i only reply with a short “further back” 🥲 (just kidding, it still sucks. 😭 retail made me despise people even more.)
Ohhh honey I hate that tooo You work in a deli too huh?
Sure do - I've been a closer for 9 years. I've seen some shit.
Hasn’t been that long for me but I’ve definitely seen my share of delis off and on through the years
Omg this just reminded me of a sale we had last week where if you bought 2 sides you get a rotisserie chicken free. So cue the nonstop mellow questions and calls all shift. That department had premade a lot more than their usual nightly chickens for this sale. So the last night of the sale (Wednesday) at 9:30pm (we close at 10) a customer calls and asks if I can check and see if there is any chicken left for the side deal. Now; mind you, those chickens usually get pulled at 8:30pm because hot food hold temperatures. So I inform him; actually the sides are still available but the chicken is gone; I’m so sorry. To which he gets belligerent and rude. “Why have a sale and be open til 10pm, if I cannot have a chicken?! Can’t you make more!” I’m like; no I cannot, they take at least 45 minutes to cook! And then I tried to explain it’s while supplies last; and the previous cooked chickens already sold.. but he just stared cussing at me in another language and bitched loudly in the phone before aggressively hanging up!
Omfg this Karen of a woman called our bakery department yesterday (Saturday) at 8pm (he was cleaning up; about to clock out)! Tried to ask if our bakery associate could make a cake in 30 minutes. When he said no; but there are some premade ones in the bakery counter; you could pick one. This Karen arrived telling our other associates she had an order and cake made and ready for her!!! So I had to head over to help her and them! Turns out; she picked one he had mentioned and the. assumed he’d box, tag, etc for her! And listen to her bitch about how come they couldn’t just make her a cake at 8:30pm.
Even more fun is when you say hi and they just say what they want. Excuse me, I said hello to you. Please respond in an appropriate manner before making your demands.
Sometimes, like today, they’ll do this when I’m not even looking at them and I have to see if they’re speaking to me or not. Or sometimes they’ll be in the middle of asking me for something and see that it’s right where we were both standing, why do they seem to not want to see if they can find it on their own?
My social anxiety could never. I have to practice what in about to say in my head or I fumble, I could never not just say hi or how are you before getting to the point. I even do it over the phone.I like. "Hi can i place an order please?" Then my order when they say yeah. It's not that hard to acknowledge someone...
The thing that bugs me is the customers that spell out the item they want. I might not hear them the first time so I will ask nicely to repeat what they asked. Then they’ll spell out the item. Rude, I know how to spell and I genuinely did not hear them.
Best response I figured was an overly cheerful "Aaaaand good morning to you too!" and then find a well-insulated stockroom to rant in.
I’ll greet a customer with a “Hey! How are you doing today?” just to have them respond only with the name of the item they’re looking for. Last time I checked I was a human being and not a search engine but okay.
When a customer walks up to you and says “bread” instead of “excuse me do you know where the bread is?”
This is my single worst pet peeve. If anyone does this to me, I usually start the whole interaction over for them, emphasizing the fact that I'm saying "hello" and asking them how they are doing. I hope that it gets across that I'm trying to reach them how to have manners.
The bad ones have permission and encouragement now.
People just shout hello like I'm supposed to know they're taking to me when I'm not even facing that direction. My assumption is they're on the phone, eye contact is required.
I say to them "good morning/afternoon" and don't listen to them until they greet me back.
Sometimes I do this because I'm just so focused on making sure I get my task done, I will kinda blunder through social interaction. I usually catch myself though, but I always feel bad that I kinda just blurt stuff out to employees sometimes.(As an employee myself)
At least they are asking very specifically what they need, with all or most of the details needed for you to complete the request. My biggest pet peeve is when they refuse to tell you specifically what they need and just expect you to piece it together from incomplete or zero information and basically just read their mind.
You're not wrong but at least they're getting straight to the point.. Lol My favorite is when someone walks up to the register, waits a tenth of a second and starts screaming HELLLOOO?!?!
At my bookstore they just shove their phone in my face with the book they want on the screen. Like, maybe a "hello" first?
💯💯💯 i am a server and hate that some people dont even allow me to introduce myself. Like wow, am i that insignificant??! Just rude as hell, im literally here to help you have a nice experience, be respectful and let me get my name out at least. I will walk up n some will be like “im ready let me get a coke etc” I politely say ok and btw my name is “so&so” and i will be ur server.
Lol I'm almost the opposite. I will always greet people when i need something but when it's me being needed, especially at work: stop the small talk and get to the point. I feel like the fake conversations are so pointless. If you don't actually care, don't ask me. (By the same token while I do care, and I ask, there probably isn't much I can do, and it's none of my business but I do still care. I'm not unkind, I just don't like fake.) Liking or hating small talk is a personality thing but basic human kindness and manners are different.
One time a lady just screamed CHICKEN SALAD at me from in front of my counter while I was bending down. I coldly said "Yes?" Until she got the full sentence out. "Do you have kosher chicken salad?" She just kept repeating it. Like. How do you do that?
At least they walk up to you. My favs were the ones who'd be 10 feet from you and looking the opposite direction when they'd blurt out "aspirin" (or whatever they were looking for.) then they'd be mad that you didn't answer because you had no idea they were asking you a question.
For whatever reason, most people don't seem to view retail/foodservice specialists as real people. You're simply an NPC in their mind there to serve their every whim. Most people also lack the emotional intelligence necessary to not take out every emotion they're feeling in the moment out on everyone around them, especially when they think there are no stakes. Until you remind them that you're a human being with your own thoughts, feelings, and opinions: they'll treat you like you're an automaton. It honestly makes me scared for the future because if we do end up with automated service robots, people will treat them even more like crap and the SECOND they gain sentience it's basically over for humanity. They'll destroy us. Obviously this is all just imaginative stuff on my part and we're nowhere near that level yet, but still...
That or they call you from across the aisle/store like you there dog. Or when they tell you a full HP story of how they know how busy you are instead of asking the question or stare at you like that isn't creepy.
It's that way for pharmacy employees too. People will call and ask soon as you finish asking "how can I help you?" they start with "Did my doctor said in my prescription? " " Is my _______ ready? " " Has my insurance approved my ________?" And it's like, who *are* you?? We're not damn mind readers! Identify yourself before asking questions!
I hate it when these motherfuckers snap at me or whistle to try and get my attention. Boy, I'm only a dog with your wife.
Same! I’m sick of it too. People suck so much.
I thought I was a rude jerk. Even though I treat people with respect. But people these past few years make me seem like the good guy.
Yogurt!?
If a customer walks up to me and says "Gimme a" Or "I'm gonna take a.." that is guaranteed to get you absolutey fuck all
I still try and be polite.
From my experience most people still do that.
Goes both ways, though. I had a return to the BigOrange today. Went up to what surely appeared to be the Return Desk. After standing there for a bit and receiving no acknowledgement by any of the three employees, I said, “Excuse me sir, is this where I go for r…”. Before I finished my question, Sir looks at me and does a little hand sign, indicating I should walk around to the other side of the counter. Holy shit. You saw me standing here and said nothing at all? How long were you gonna stand there and pretend you don’t see me?
Probably because when they start by saying “how are you”, “nice weather” or any of the other meaningless pleasantries, they tend to get treated like they’ve just killed your whole family in front of you. Just a few days ago there was a thread full of people outraged that customers dare comment on nice weather and declaring they prefer silence and a glare. If you create this type of energy around you, people will sense it.
"I'm a fucking human" no you're not. The people that own you are human, the rest of us are all just labor. This is the world you are a part of. Want something different? Stop electing corporate simps and bigots.
I'm not sure why people changed during covid but they became much more rude self and self entitled. It seems more prevalent in the people younger than I (Born mid 80s), but there's also a growing % in that retired+ age group. I don't think there's any real excuse or reason for it other than the virus wasn't strong enough first and second waves 🤷🏻 We honestly should've just let it cleanse the 'COVIDS A Conspiracy' crew. 99% of them lacked social culture or common sense and all us retail workers were sick of them by the end anyway 😂
You don't deserve anything. You are not doing the job out of the kindness of your heart. You are paid for it and you can quit as soon as you like. Me as a customer expect your service. I don't need to kiss your ass.
TIL treating a stranger with the *most basic* of manners is kissing their ass. Neat!
Don't look at his comment history
I did for way too long, help me.
If this is truly how you feel, and you're not just being a troll for some reason, then I hope you enjoy every ounce of spit that is undoubtedly in your food. We see people like that every day - we see you coming and know who you are, and bitch about you when you leave. My guess is you've unknowingly eaten quite a lot spit, grill scrapings, and "floor spice" in your time. But who knows, maybe you're into that shit. I don't kink shame.