Well, I haven't been on a good rant for awhile. It's time!
I was just fine today...until I went to the grocery store. I decided to get some fresh seafood. Behind the counter was a young guy, probably in his early 20's. He was standing to the left of me, maybe 6 feet away....close enough that he could easily see me.....and I waited. And I waited. He ignored me. I was just about to say "hello?" when he finally looked up at me...and then back down. "What do you want?" he asked, as if I had some nerve bothering him. "Well, I'd like some of this salmon," I said, politely. "How many pounds do you want?" he demanded, still staying where he was; still looking down. "I don't know." I answered. Then, I pointed to a fillet and said, "This one looks about the size I want." Finally, very slowly, he ambles down to where I was and says, "Which one?" I started to point again to what I wanted and then suddenly something snapped in me. I just stopped dead until he finally looked at me, and then, looking him right in the eye, I said, calmly, quietly and firmly "Do we have an attitude today?" "Huh?" he says. So I repeated what I said. "No." he responded, mumbling something I couldn't quite hear. I said, "Good, because I'm not interested in any attitude today!" He finally got the fillet I had pointed to and....verrrrry slowly, wrapped it for me. (probably spit on it when I wasn't looking.) I thanked him and walked away. But I was fuming, because, let me tell you, I have a hair trigger and ZERO tolerance for attitude from anyone, but least of all from clerks in places where I'm spending my money!
On my way to the produce section, I happened to see a manager and I was still mad enough that I had to say something. He apologized, and told me it wasn't the first complaint he'd had about this kid. He said he was going to "immediately address the problem." I don't know if the kid lost his job over this...but, I don't care if he did! I'm tired of rude people in places of business.
I have been out in the working world since I was 16 years old and I have to say that it wasn't even an option in my mind to be rude to a customer! I've also owned my own business for the past 18 years, and if anyone working for me was ever rude to a client they'd lose their job. There wouldn't BE a second opportunity to do it again! (And, believe me, some of our clients down through the years have been pretty obnoxious and hard to take, but it isn't the job of the people working for me to respond in kind. If someone is nasty to one of my people, I will handle it in my own way. I've been known to "fire" clients just as fast as I'd fire an employee.)
It seems to be more and more acceptable, not only for employees to be rude, but for managers and business owners to overlook this behavior. Why is that? And it seems to be mostly people in their late teens and early 20's who are exhibiting this behavior...and I KNOW why that is! (Read my other posts and you'll see why.)
Many times in a grocery store, the cashier and the bagger will be carrying on some ridiculous inane conversation between themselves while totally ignoring the customer. The cashier's snapping gum, looking like a cow chewing her cud, laughing loudly, while tossing your produce off the conveyor belt, (the produce that you've spent time choosing carefully so you don't have bruised fruit) and the bagger is tossing cans into a bag on top of your bread and eggs while confiding her latest boyfriend problems or some other such nonsense to the cashier.
You know what? When this happens to me, I gently put my hand on top of the cashier's hand and stop her cold. When I have her full attention, I look her right in the eye and say: "I would like you to pay attention to what you're doing, and to your customers whose patronage here in this store is what allows you to have your job! None of us are interested in your personal life."
And, if the bagger has bruised the produce or squashed the bread, or overloaded one of those ridiculously flimsy plastic bags with heavy cans, I will ask them to go get me another loaf of bread, and to re-do those bags so that they make some kind of sense! And if I get attitude I will quietly say, "You seem to have a problem with my request...perhaps the manager can help." That pretty much stops the 'tude- storm in its tracks!
You know, I used to fume quietly and just go on my way. But, no more. The older I get, the less tolerance for bullcrap I have. (I plan on wearing a lot of purple, and a big red hat as I age, too! HA!) I'm tired of being treated like I'm a bother when I'm spending my money someplace. I'm sorry if you have problems at home, or you've had a bad day, or someone else has been rude to you and you decide to take it out on me. I didn't do anything to you and I won't allow you to treat me as if I have, or, even worse, as if I'm invisible. Keep your problems at home where they belong!
I am never rude to any clerks, restaurant servers, cashiers, or any other employees with whom I have any business dealings, and I expect to be treated with the same respect I show them. I am polite; I say please and thank you, I smile, and I look them in the eye!
I only ask for the same, simple, common courtesy.
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I had the same cashier experience with fruit - probably at the same chain store. I was mad. They were kids doing a job they really didn't want to be doing. But, that is no excuse for being rude to a customer and carrying on a conversation with a bagger of groceries like I did not exist. Yes, if it were not for customers, do they think they would have a job? No would be my answer.
The very first time it happened to me, the cashier, a teenager, was tossing my stuff around like it was baseball season. I was PO'd. I stopped her and told her that I want fresh produce, not beat up produce. She looked at me with the attitude look and said "well take it or leave it". I told her that I wanted the produce (would I have put it in my cart in the first place if I didn't want it?) So, I waited until she was done checking out my groceries and turned to the patrons in line behind me and said "please, I am sorry for the wait, but I want new produce that is not damaged". I told the cashier I would go get new produce and to remove all costs from my bill and I would be back when I was done getting new items. She wasn't too happy about that.
When I left the store, I stopped at the self-check out line and asked a very nice woman if she was the manager. She said no, but do you have complaint or a problem? Well, YEAH! I told her that the cashier and bagger at register #7 were rude, could not have cared less about my groceries (that, by the way, I had just spent over $200 on) and I wanted the manager notified immediately. Funny, I have never seen that cashier or bagger at that store since.
I always try to be kind to people. No matter where it is, the grocery, the drug store, a restaurant, a drive thru pick up restaurant, everywhere. I tell them thank you for the service and have a great day/evening. In fact, the a few weeks ago, I drove through a place to pick up a meal. When I pulled up to the window to pay, I said "thank you girl" to a young black woman. When she came back to the window to give me my order, I apologized for calling her "girl". I told her that I have a daughter about her age and I always call her "girl" and it just came to me that I had no right to say such a thing to a young woman (other than my daughter). The young lady just looked and me and laughed and said "no big deal". But, it was to me. I do not like to be disrespectful to people, nor do I want to be disrespected myself. I could not stop thinking about the comment I made to that young lady. It was a slip of the tongue, but that is no excuse. She is working hard at a low paying job and I should have thought to myself - this is not my daughter. Shame on me for not thinking before something came out of my mouth.
Respect the people around you, and they will respect you as well.
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