(no subject)

[caithream]

Loooooook I actually have things to post about.

Unfortunately, work related. But entertaining?

We have doors on either side of our store where you can come inside, and sometimes people get confused on where the line is for the register, since sometimes people linger on either sides of the register. Which is just... ughghaglkas. Really? You can't figure out how lines work? Well, no, I guess not. Because today: I finish up a transaction for a woman and send her on her merry way. Look up and see two other women lingering on either side of the register. I wait to see who steps forward first. Lady #1 does. I get her order, ring her up, and as soon as I finish...

Lady #2, to Lady #1: EXCUSE me, but you completely cut in front of me. I was here FIRST.
Lady #1: Oh, uhh... sorry? I just stepped up when the other lady was finished.
Lady #2: I WAS HERE FIRST. YOU CUT IN FRONT OF ME. I can't BELIEVE you, we were WAITING HERE, how did you not see us, for Christ's sake.
Lady #1: Are you... serious?

At this point I'm like... JFC. Lady #2 is causing a scene and ~verbally harassing another one of my customers. I'm the acting manager. Should I step in? Should I apologize on behalf Lady #1 to Ms. Crazy Pants? (Lol no.) Okay, so trying to diffuse the situation it is.

(Please also note that Lady #1 and Lady #2 were the only line that existed.)

Me: Um, okay, let's just move on, shall we? Can I get your drink order?
Lady #2: WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE. She cut in front of me and you're acting rude as hell when it's none of your business.
Me: ..........you're in my line, so...
Lady #2: Don't get uppity with me!! SO RUDE. I WANT TO SPEAK TO YOUR MANAGER.
Me: *Waves*
Lady #2: Oh, right of course we'll see about that.

And she stomps off. Her poor teenage son who was standing next to her the entire time looking like he wanted the floor to swallow him whole was overly nice when he ordered drinks from me. I feel really, really bad for the kid. They then sat down for about 15 minutes while she made a phonecall and I just marveled at the entire thing and then thought, WOW, I can see why she felt so strongly about being cut in front of because she's just so very very busy and has places to go. Yes. That must be it.

I had a coworker who was on the floor and a coworker who was off the floor witness the entire thing. The coworker who was off the floor overheard who she was on the phone with.

She called the corporate comment/complaint number. SHE CALLED CORPORATE TO COMPLAIN. Omg. I love it.

Two things: 1) she whipped that phone out and dialed that number like her butt was on fire. Without even looking it up. I get the feeling she's done this before many, many times. 2) she didn't even know my name, just told Corporate (from what the coworker overheard) she said that I was in HER line and that I'd better just DEAL WITH IT.

Ohhhh, Starbucks. Never a dull moment.

Unrelated note: I'm finishing up The Kite Runner which is quite good, and I think I'd like to finally undertake Game of Thrones next. I've heard some people say that it's better to read the first book and then watch the series, but I've also heard the opposite. Thoughts?

Comments

[emeraldus.livejournal.com]

Lurker says, watching it first might be better as you won't spend the whole series comparing book to series. I've read the first book, could NOT finish the second one for some reason, but read all the others. So I'd say in lieu of reading the second book the series should suffice.

[caithream.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I've definitely heard that's a problem with some people as well, the comparisons. Plus, apparently the book introduces 200 characters at once and watching the series helps keep track of who's who. I think I'll give it a go, then!

[berreh.livejournal.com]

Good lord. I bet when her number popped up on the complaint center screen it was flashing HEY GUISE HEADS UP IT'S THIS WENCH AGAIN.

People like that make so much noise that no one listens to them. "I'll call the random corporate center and rave like a maniac and they'll fire a manager because I'm so right! I'm sure that will actually happen!" Yeah, ok.

[caithream.livejournal.com]

LOL pretty much. She definitely seemed like the type to try and wheedle free items out of a ~horrible experience.~

[wendy.livejournal.com]

I just recently finished the first GoT book and then watched season one. Honestly, if I could do it over, I'd watch the show and never read the book. The book was excruciating, the show was epic.

[caithream.livejournal.com]

Ha, yes, a coworker mentioned that only the last hundred or so pages of the first book were worth reading at all! I guess I'll give the series a go, then! Thanks Wendy. :D

[feendish.livejournal.com]

People are freaking crazy.

[caithream.livejournal.com]

For reals. And I feel like the retail/food industry just escalates the crazy. SIGH.

[mousewings.livejournal.com]

Whoa at that customer. Talk about entitled. I'm with you on her being the type of person who makes constant frivolous complaints to get free items, seeing how she knows the phone number to corporate by heart.

[caithream.livejournal.com]

Most definitely. And I've got less than zero patience for those kinds of people.

[magikalrhiannon.livejournal.com]

Ahhh customers. Got to love them, haven't you? Especially when they put words in your mouth that you never even said. So kind of them. *rolls eyes* The joys of customer service.

[caithream.livejournal.com]

Ugh, they are the WORST. There's that saying, that retail/food/customer service wouldn't be so bad, if only for the customers.

Also, hiiii! I feel like I haven't talked to you in forever. It's because I'm a terrible person and lurking on LJ instead of posting/commenting. Side effects of feeling blah, I suppose. But I hope you're doing well! <3

[magikalrhiannon.livejournal.com]

LOL I'm not well, but thanks for asking. It's a long story, most of it is on my LJ. Some isn't. It's kind of been the worst 2 and a half years of my life. There have been some high points, like cons in Sydney and Melbourne, where I got to meet a few people like Gareth David-Lloyd, James Marsters, Val Kilmer, Colin Morgan, Billy Boyd, etc, and meeting a few friends off LJ/twitter and stuff, but aside from that I've been really sick and battling work with discrimination and stuff. At the moment I'm being assessed for invalidity. Kinda sucks. But on the plus side Sam is now working as well as running his own web design business. Down side, our ex-flatmate - known as He Who Shall Not Be Named - managed to destroy one of the businesses that Sam was working for with his self employment and took with it a regular paying gig Sam had, along with the owner's business rep, and left us with no savings thanks to sponging off us for a year. He's lucky he's now living/sponging off his son in another country now.

But hey. As long as I can get out of bed in the morning, take my meds, and walk out my front door to get on the bus (a challenge with my agoraphobia and anxiety disorder), as well as laugh at jokes, then it's a good day.

Today isn't a good day, but that's cuz I've been sick in bed with a bad migraine. At least my meds have finally kicked in! :D

[caithream.livejournal.com]

Oh no honey I'm so sorry! I feel like I shouldn't be surprised with how awful some people can be, but He Who Shall Not Be Named seems like a real piece of work. I hope things start to get better for you, you guys definitely don't deserve anything less. Big big clings for youuuuu. <33333

[scary-lullabies.livejournal.com]

Ugggh I feel so sorry for the families of people like that. I've had guests do similar things and stomp off, leaving their SO to pay, and the SO is obviously deeply embarrassed and it's just awful.

[caithream.livejournal.com]

Ugh YES, and I'm just like, I don't understand how people can't see how TERRIBLE they behave!

[hectoraframian.livejournal.com]

JFC customers.... I worked for years in retail and I've seen some crazy shit. And yeah ITA that lady is definitely not going to be taken seriously when she complains.
The last place I worked was a chain of shops with a reputation for excellent customer service, and I'm always hyper aware of both poor customer service and asshat customers taking their bad day out on staff.
Retail or service workers, anyone who deals with the public, are easy targets for angry people looking to vent, because they can't answer back, they have to be polite. Which means that customers who take advantage of this fact are contemptible bullies and cowards.
For some reason, the worst examples of this kind of crap that I've seen have always been in Starbucks. Before Starbucks opened in my country, we weren't used to all the variations of coffee etc. that are on offer, so people tended to get confused and a little frustrated just trying to decide on a drink. Didn't help that nobody understood the whole "grande, venti" thing. None of these things really applies to your crazy biatch though. I've seen the family members do the whole "oh god I'm so embarrassed" thing too, sometimes I feel bad for them, but when it's a spouse or significant other - someone who should theoretically be an equal, as opposed to a child or dependant - I lose sympathy for them, they are complicit in their silence.
Retail/service workers have enough crap to deal with - long hours, hard work, crap pay - without random mentallers using them as targets fir their own issues. Arseholes. Can you tell I feel strongly about this? :)

[hectoraframian.livejournal.com]

Here's the thing though - for all the bad customer service I've seen, the only place where I have literally never seen anything less than excellent service is Starbucks.
Seriously I don't know if it's the hiring policy or what, but I've gone to starbucks after work every day for years, the baristas start making my usual drink as soon as I walk in, so I don't have to wait for it at the other end of the line. Every so often they toss me a freebie. I talk to them when our cigarette breaks coincide, and I know the Spanish girl is struggling with arthritis and the Polish girl misses her family like crazy, and yet they are always cheerful and polite. Customers give them the most ridiculous crap for things that are totally beyond their control, and they always, always respond politely and cheerfully. I honestly don't know how they do it.