Those with Customer (public) facing jobs...

[dave87]

Just curious here, those with jobs that face the general public, do you expect the worst and then are pleasantly surprised when they aren't actually that bad, or do you expect the best case scenario, and then are disappointed when they aren't?


I mean take an example - Customer complaining to the management of a well known supermarket because those Vouchers for Schools that people didn't want and were accumulated were handed out to the person infront of them.

I mean, WTF?

If it was chances at a £1000 prize fund I could understand, but seriously, it goes to a School?!



I'll hold my personal opinion until later in the thread, but I'm curious to see if others see it the same way...

[MadduckUK]

oops sorry that was my fault, only asked for em to go to the next person who wanted em didnt think it would cause a problem

[TheAnimus]

This sounds like someone i used to work with, i'll just called him Howard. He was really quite stupid, but thought he was smarter than the system. This applies to credit cards, cashback sites etc.

He would see the vouchers as a cost, which he was paying, and be angry that the money was been spent on something he didn't want.

He frequently suggested things like changing my bank account and getting £50! I always told him that i'd be happyer just to write some code or something, as money per hour vrs long term hassle these things aren't worth the effort. Joke is the twonk took a job at RBS, when it was painfully obvious they where going to really struggle.

My point is these people often are their own worst enemy.

[KidChameleon]

At the end of 2007 I started working at the football stadium. I can't remember what I was expecting but it turned out to be soul destroying. Football fans are arrogant, abusive, overdemanding, they don't understand anything slightly unusual, everything is the fault of the person on the till, they want their orders to be ready before they get there, if we had drinks ready for the half time rush, everyone complained that the drinks had been standing for too long, if we poured fresh ones the people behind complained about it taking too long. The tills kept crashing, so it was my fault for not being able to recode the software. Asking anyone for ID made them very angry and they sometimes asked to see a manager, despite looking 16 years old.

Rugby fans were unbelievably nicer. Rugby matches were a lot quieter, which probably contributed. They were willing to stop for a quick chat and if something went wrong they said "That's ok" with a smile and waited patiently while we sorted it. They mostly treated us like humans instead of button pushing monkeys.

I decided to do my best not to work with customers after that job. I'm also a lot more forgiving to people working with customers.

[finlay666]

Used to deal with sales and partially in customer services

Been shouted at (and in some cases been called some pretty hurtful things) for:

-Refusing sale of an 18 game to a 10 year old, then refusing sale to the parent when they came in with the child despite explaining how GTA 3 San andreas was a violent game and there are laws with sales to those underage/bought on behalf of those underage

-Giving a customer a free laptop bag, mouse and memory stick because they bought a laptop on offer with those free, told them if they didn't want them they can give them to friends etc. Got a mouthful about how they weren't prepared to pay the extra so they bought it then were refunded the FREE items (as in they had them taken from them) and they seemed happy. Was going to offer to take them but didn't want another mouthful for that lol

- Offering a customer a free upgrade on an LCD they bought 10 months previously that had broken down because of no available substitution, same size, same make....better spec

- Telling a customer that it is not worth buying an LCD calibration dvd from the stats when you can freely download and burn one yourself, or hook up a PC.

- Telling a customer an O2 sim card won't work in an Orange phone (because they started with O on both networks they thought they would)

- Telling a customer a PS3 game wont work in a PS2

........Really there are a LOT of idiots about

Saying that I had an issue that finally got sorted today where I was being overcharged on my new phone contract, waited 3 weeks for a call back and explained I was not happy about being kept waiting, charge reduced to amount I was quoted and £20 free (pays to be polite and understand from their POV aswell)

[Behemoth]

Where do I start ??

The one about not wanting the free items with a Laptop I can relate to, it's like when we sell a TV where I work and we bundle in a £300 blu-ray player, customer asks if they can have the cheaper if they don't have the player. You should been there, the guy kicked up that much fuss saying that because he didn't want it he should have the TV cheaper, then he insulted me, called me a fat four eyed ******.

All I can say from that point was he didn't get served, yet I was the one who had a complaint from head office because of his own stupidity.

Take the customer that came in wanting a washing machine there and then, but wanted the cheapest, worst brand named one we had. Beko. When I said we didn't have it but could order it for them they kicked off, then I said look we've got this machine in stock, if you bring me in your old one I will give you £30 off this as we are doing a trade in at the moment.

They flat refused to have the Bosch which would have brought it into their budget (£230 max !!) as it was £269 and they left the store, throwing all sorts of insults at me, I didn't think much of it at the time. Later that evening we had a competitor phone up saying about these customers (the guy used to work in my store, that is the guy calling us up) and stated that he knows me and there is no way I was rude to them. When I asked what machine they bought, it was a Beko.

Next day, a complaint from head office. They said I was belligerant and rude !! I wouldn't know how to be either, I was firm with them yes, but not rude.

Usually you can tell, or at least I can when you think someone is going to be very hard work, sometimes I get it wrong and the customer turns out to be brilliant, I've got one or two regulars that keep coming back to deal with only me, but sadly being customer facing can sometimes be a very soul destroying job.

I say that because if their product goes wrong, it's always our fault, I mean we didn't make the product. I must admit it does help IF we had a better first contatc system for getting hold of our stores. The people they put in the call centres are useless, they tell people things that aren't true, and then WE get it in the neck for the duff info.

Sadly with no other jobs out there that I can turn my hand to (considering being down here in Cornwall) I'm better off sticking it out with where I am untill something else comes along, I so want to just hand my notice in, but that really would be cutting off my nose to spite my face.

[finlay666]

Where do I start ??

The one about not wanting the free items with a Laptop I can relate to, it's like when we sell a TV where I work and we bundle in a £300 blu-ray player, customer asks if they can have the cheaper if they don't have the player.

Yep, know the feeling, same with telly stands etc (dsg I'm guessing)

You should been there, the guy kicked up that much fuss saying that because he didn't want it he should have the TV cheaper, then he insulted me, called me a fat four eyed ******.

Hmmm....6 asterisks...
Aye ya fat four eyed darlek (do darleks even have eyes??) Bet it would help if you could just exterminate the odd one

They said I was belligerant and rude !! I wouldn't know how to be either, I was firm with them yes, but not rude.

I'm astonished they could spell belligerant, bet it was done on a computer

[TheAnimus]

Sadly with no other jobs out there that I can turn my hand to (considering being down here in Cornwall) I'm better off sticking it out with where I am untill something else comes along, I so want to just hand my notice in, but that really would be cutting off my nose to spite my face.

Move, i really hated the years i spent down in the land of un-employment, void of culture.

Problem is all there is to do is rape sheep and some weed.

[MaddAussie]

Many moons ago I used to work at Tesco and worked on the Customer Service Desk I Had:

A bottle of wine brought back with about 1/2 cm in the bottom that the customer said was vinegary! and wanted a refund! He got arsey when I enquired that it took him virtualy the whole bottle to work this out.

On a Sunday after 2.55pm we couldn't sell alcohol due to Sunday trading laws, had a customer come up and asked if i could put it through at the desk @ 3.15pm. 'I'm sorry sir the till won accept alcohol now, due to Sunday trading laws" he then proceeds to virtually throw the bottle at me and tells me to shove it up my f'ing arse"

[Guy]

Oh god, working in Waitrose for 3 years, I saw and was on the receiving end of much abuse.

I'm so glad my retail days are over.

[MaddAussie]

Oh god, working in Waitrose for 3 years, I saw and was on the receiving end of much abuse.

I'm so glad my retail days are over.

Amen to that

[Lucio]

If you think working in retail is bad, try working in trade distribution, imagine you have to sort out the problems who are taking the crap in the face from the public, so you can imagine how cheerful they are!

[Behemoth]

Yep, know the feeling, same with telly stands etc (dsg I'm guessing)


Hmmm....6 asterisks...
Aye ya fat four eyed darlek (do darleks even have eyes??) Bet it would help if you could just exterminate the odd one


I'm astomished they could spell belligerant, bet it was done on a computer

I'm surprised you can't spell astonished

Thats retail though at the end of the day. Its not like it used to be where the customer would roll over and beg, these days they say 'jump' we have to respond with 'how high?'

Yes your right, I'm employed by DSGI. I do enjoy the job sometimes, but at the moment it's not much fun, always under the spot light from the powers that be, constantly having performance monitored, even more so at the moment.

If the worst should happen and I get the sack (quite likely given I'm not their best sales person there, don't sell enough extended warranties for the bosses liking) then I shall fall back onto my original plan. Become a self employed PC tech, I've got the skills, I just need the push in the right direction to make it happen.

Going back on topic though, I wasn't at work when it happened but we had someone smash his laptop outside ebcause we couldn't replace it, it had to go away for repair and he wasn't happy about that so smashed it outside in the car park.

Then there was the guy who lost his temper with his ipod when that had to go away for repair and he threw it on the floor and smashed it into several bits, what a lovely chap he was.

[alsenior]

working the front line can be very demoralising but luckily out store is small and we work as a very tight nit group. also it makes it worth it from time to time when you get those customers that understand what it's like to understaffed and overworked and know to say thanks when you do something.

On the other hand there are the other for lack of a better word are complete and utter rubbishrubbishrubbishrubbishrubbish. we can tell these from a mile off. hell i can even generalise about them. early 30's to early 40's has a girlfriend who is 10-15 years younger than himself and is trying to show off. usually has short hair or bald and is a self entitled arse who think that we owe him something for his presence being there.

but yes it does get me and the other down but would i work in a factory ? nah not a chance

[finlay666]

I'm surprised you can't spell astonished

shhh I can really

Then there was the guy who lost his temper with his ipod when that had to go away for repair and she threw it on the floor and smashed it into several bits, what a lovely chap he was.

Gender issues?

I always had a load of grief for not selling the additional cover on most things, I'd try and normally fail but I made up for it in my attachments, when I was at comet I sold 6 bose (£200-300) iPod docks in one week when there was a promotion on, for a part time member of staff I was pulling in better figures than full time members of staff (actually got an unconditional offer of a job when I finish my placement but doubt I will go back due to some of the changes that have occured). Always got it in the neck of the arsey managers for not selling the cover, but they couldn't complain when I regularly had 15-35% of my sales as essentials covering the required target for both lol

Go into Comet and ask a male IT based member of staff about what C.O.C. is and how you can get it.... see if he can keep a straight face

[Behemoth]

shhh I can really


Gender issues?

I always had a load of grief for not selling the additional cover on most things, I'd try and normally fail but I made up for it in my attachments, when I was at comet I sold 6 bose (£200-300) iPod docks in one week when there was a promotion on, for a part time member of staff I was pulling in better figures than full time members of staff (actually got an unconditional offer of a job when I finish my placement but doubt I will go back due to some of the changes that have occured). Always got it in the neck of the arsey managers for not selling the cover, but they couldn't complain when I regularly had 15-35% of my sales as essentials covering the required target for both lol

Go into Comet and ask a male IT based member of staff about what C.O.C. is and how you can get it.... see if he can keep a straight face

Drunk typing, thats all I'm saying lol

Last time I went into a Comet store it took them half an hour to serve me !!