Why are people so rude to retail workers?

[Anonymous]

Not a day goes by that I dont get mistreated by a customer. I am a human being. I have feelings. Omg. I hate everyone.

[Shorty1991]

I know all about this. We are just basically a public convenience for them to piss and shit all over. The customer is always right, they say. Pah! Not always. You've scanned their items through the till "put that back I don't want it anymore". At my last job as a checkout operator, I had to buzz for another cashier to take over from me. I was bursting for the toilet. No one came, I said " excuse me, I just need to nip upstairs. "No, your not going anywhere until you serve me". So I served her. I doubt she would have done the same for me if I was the customer. What a cow! Lol. Thank fuck that was only a temp job.

[Imbisexual19]

People are jerks!!! My father in law is one of those people that calls customer service and just rips them a new one when it isn't the customer service agent's fault. My husband worked in customer service for several years and was continually treated like crap. I always make sure to thank retail workers and customer service agents on the phone because I feel so bad for them!

[TheDevilInside]

There's actually a song "I hate everyone". I used to listen to it after a hard day at work as a counter server. Sometimes customers don't even bother to look at you. They think their coffee comes from automated, voice activated machines, not people.

[Bananaman177]

I worked retail and had the same experience. Just remember that everybody who abuses you is mad about something completely different, and usually to be abusing total strangers, they're downright miserable about something or other. So no matter how bad they make you feel, that's just a small taste of what they are feeling all the time. You need to learn how to not take them seriously, not take their abuse personally, and not let them ruin your whole day. Just forget about them after they're gone, and wait for the next one to roll off of you like water off a duck's back.

[scuff1986]

It's cos most see it as menial work and the people who do it don't need respect... I have worked in retail and used to get so pissed off with people attitudes that I'd flat out refuse to serve them... and would get the manager to either ban them from the store or explain that if they are rude we as staff can refuse service

[Asker]

My manager has a strict "the customer is always right" policy

[scuff1986]

Shouldn't make a difference on customer attitude

[Cryostatic]

It's not just retail workers, people are just rude in general. I doubt there are many people out there who are like "I love being super nice to people! Except retail workers. Fuck retail workers".

When I worked retail, I just tried to remind myself that those people probably lead miserable lives, and are just trying to spread that misery around so that they don't feel as shitty as they are.

[JudgmentDay]

Do what you can to find and get a job that is not a customer service job if possible. I heard warehousing, bookkeeping and a few others don't have to ever deal with customer's complaints and rudeness. Just keep looking and ask around. It's the hardest thing when you have to deal with rude assholes on a regular basis.

[hi2712]

I am not rude to retail workers but my girlfriend is, and her reason is because she thinks that retail workers are "a bunch of idiots". That's actually the part of her I hate, I tried to get her to stop but I failed every time. I guess some people are just like that...
Generalizing people.

[Kahbakay]

no offense but honestly i'm sending a big middle finger towards your girlfriend. my cousin is pursuing his Master's degree and works retail on the side since he is a full time student. not all retail workers stay retail workers. i worked in retail during college as well and customers that that way and treat us as such... we hate them the most lmao

[Anonymous]

It's because when people go into a store (especially clothes stores) they want to feel like everything is about them, so when the retailer is not giving them all their attention and worshipping them they get pissed off. they don't understand that retailers need to help everyone in the store, not just them.

[XRabbitHeartX]

I've had several retail jobs during my uni holidays (they are 2-3 months, can't sit at home doing nothing). It was awful. People were really rude. I always worked at ladies stores and they were the worst.

[jman46241]

Because they're asshole customers and they know they can get away with it. It's an opportunity to make them feel better about their own shitty life.

[FatherJack]

Not just retail , call / contact centres can be even worse. Customer service makes you cynical & misanthropic , but the truth is shit people greatly outnumber the decent !!

[LiveFreeorDieHard]

Human beings have an inmate feeling of wanting to feel superior to someone else. For me, I hate on people who are bigots, dumb or just plain really ugly.

[BellePepper]

That's customer service :/

Just don't take it personally and try to do your best to be nice to customer service people in your life.

[FromAshes]

They are one of two things: assholes on a power trip or spoiled snobs with no perspective.

[ThisDudeHere]

Some people need someone else to went on. A shame it has to be you.

[DumpliingPrincess]

Entitlement. They probably know you can't do anything rude back without losing your job.

[Anonymous]

People are becoming more rude. I hate it too. There are some people who get off on mistreating retail clerks. Their poor, useless, lives in their mind, give them the right to think they are superior and it makes them feel better to abuse us.

[NaughtySarah]

I used to work in retail and some customers were mean. Some people are just like that way.

[Thrifty]

It is kind of annoying to be solicited, though, if we didn't ask you for help.

[Kylesar]

At some point, your dignity falls so low that you just stop caring

[Kantana]

I don't see how anyone can do it, it's the most soul destroying job I can think of.

[Kylesar]

Nope
Fast food most definitely is.

[Anonymous]

Sucks been there done that. Just don't text co-workers on the job out of boredom. They may accuse you of something

[Anonymous]

I guess because they are paying for a service or product so they think you should kiss their butt I guess

[Blueeyes81]

Some people are just assholes.