A lot of the customers behavior is due to the fact that they know all they have to do is threaten to call Corporate and we as employees/managers are powerless to enforce anything!
Those are some crazy stories that point out clearly the pettiness and rudeness retail workers face. If only those people could be backed up by corporate, we could start a kindness movement needed everywhere.
And I think you are right about when this general public behavior began.
It's been over 40 years since I worked in the retail and food industry.
If I see a fitting room that's out of control, I'll leave instead. I can't wait to retire so I can shop during the weekdays. I rarely go to the stores on the weekends for many of the scenarios you mention here.
It's not just customers being rude to retail workers; they're also rude to other customers. It's just as easy to shop online at my favorite store and have it delivered.
The attitude of customers is as big a part of the challenge in providing good customer service as anything in retail right now.
The fitting room example really hit home, though I only wish my customers would hand the clothes over to someone. More often than not I find the clothes piled in the fitting room floor with the coat hangers they came off strewn all over the ground.
It sure is tempting to morph this thread into a discussion of rude, inconsiderate, selfish behavior in general. Sorry. It didn't start with Covid. When I entered retail as a career, customers cleaned up and even dressed up to go shopping. You have probably seen funny photos of people in airports dressed in their "Sunday Best" excited to fly. Retail was the same way. People said please and thank you and swatted their kids if they mouthed off to strangers or didn't stay within striking distance. I don't miss the violence on children, but I long for a more civil society. Retail can be a great professional career in the right era. Perhaps there will be sufficient backlash against bullying behavior we see on the news, 24/7 to ease us toward a nicer time to live, work and shop. I hope so..
A lot of the customers behavior is due to the fact that they know all they have to do is threaten to call Corporate and we as employees/managers are powerless to enforce anything!
That’s definitely at play.
Those are some crazy stories that point out clearly the pettiness and rudeness retail workers face. If only those people could be backed up by corporate, we could start a kindness movement needed everywhere.
And I think you are right about when this general public behavior began.
It's been over 40 years since I worked in the retail and food industry.
If I see a fitting room that's out of control, I'll leave instead. I can't wait to retire so I can shop during the weekdays. I rarely go to the stores on the weekends for many of the scenarios you mention here.
It's not just customers being rude to retail workers; they're also rude to other customers. It's just as easy to shop online at my favorite store and have it delivered.
This hits the nail on the head.
The attitude of customers is as big a part of the challenge in providing good customer service as anything in retail right now.
The fitting room example really hit home, though I only wish my customers would hand the clothes over to someone. More often than not I find the clothes piled in the fitting room floor with the coat hangers they came off strewn all over the ground.
It sure is tempting to morph this thread into a discussion of rude, inconsiderate, selfish behavior in general. Sorry. It didn't start with Covid. When I entered retail as a career, customers cleaned up and even dressed up to go shopping. You have probably seen funny photos of people in airports dressed in their "Sunday Best" excited to fly. Retail was the same way. People said please and thank you and swatted their kids if they mouthed off to strangers or didn't stay within striking distance. I don't miss the violence on children, but I long for a more civil society. Retail can be a great professional career in the right era. Perhaps there will be sufficient backlash against bullying behavior we see on the news, 24/7 to ease us toward a nicer time to live, work and shop. I hope so..