At a shop counter I heard a customer say (yell) it’s just not good enough. I want to buy it. I came here to buy it. I have money to buy it. And you’re out of stock. What am I supposed to do now.
The person at the counter had no answer. The customer stood their ground, repeating different versions of the same stuff.
Online, a customer placed an order and then rang the store 5 minutes later asking when they would receive it. The team member on the phone explained the process, that orders are picked in the order in which they are placed, the customer yelled I just paid you and now you say there is a delay. They hung, and called back a minute later. I want you to promise you will send it today, they demanded. When told the biggest delay to getting picking and packing done is calls like this, the customer demanded to speak to the supervisor. I am the supervisor was the response.
A newsagent emailed the owner of a supplier with words of venom and disrespect, demanding the attention of the owner for an issue completely outside their control. They refused to consider the evidence that they were wrong. They ignorantly told the business owner how to run their business.
Each of these stories is true and unrelated, in unrelated businesses. The connection is the season and the tension associated with it.
People are on edge. I suspect it is partially Covid related – it’s still there, impacting business, impacting everyday in terms of staffing, the supply chain and more.
What I don’t get is that there is too often right now no escalation visible, people are at full volume, full anger in a heartbeat and they are too ready to blame others while not listening.
As employers our role is to protect those who work for us, to ensure a safe, respectful and healthy workplace. If I hear of people being rude, abusive or offensive to anyone working for any of my businesses I will stand up to them and, if the situation warrants, invite them to take their business elsewhere.
Life is too short to put up with ignorant, rude and offensive customers.
Sadly this sense of entitlement and lack of respect has become all too common. Yes whilst the season and Covid play a small part I think this poor behaviour has more to do with how we interact with our fellow humans today compared to how our grandparents did. Sadly many people today lack the basic human social skills of yesteryear.