So I’ve been working in retail for a while and seen my share of odd and rude customers, but today I had my very first “Karen”, and he was american also. (I’m not, and I’m in Australia).

The store I work for doesn’t give their bags for free, we charge for them. This guy picked an online order and then threw up a tantrum and demanded to speak to a manager when I refused to give him a bag for free. Another team member (more experienced) just gave him the bag and he just left.

That does it I guess, but it’s giving in to rude demands what sustains this kind of behavior imo. I’m not trying to protect the interests of the corporate I work for- it’s just a stupid bag ffs, perhaps ask nicely? I’ve been called off both for giving away bags for free before as well as calling for the manager to deal with “minor issues”.

So I’m asking, in general, how do you deal with these types of customers?

  • agent_nycto@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    4 days ago

    One CO worker looked a rude old lady right in the eye and said “ma’am this is a place of business. When people do business they have to operate with mutual respect and trust. If we don’t trust each other to do our end of a transaction, we can’t exchange anything between us. If we don’t respect each other, we can’t exchange anything between us. I’ve been acting in trust and respect towards you, are you going to do the same for me? Because if you can’t, we can’t do business.”

    She immediately stopped being bitchy and was never a problem again. It was the wildest shit I’ve ever seen.

    • OceanSoap@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      3 days ago

      Staying calm and speaking both rationality and politely does work wonders. It disarms most irate people. I just had to use the technique on some grumpy neighbors.

  • meyotch@slrpnk.net
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    5 days ago

    Your colleague is a dick for not backing you up.

    When I was in retail (Apple Store), we had a saying “Don’t feed the bears”. Meaning if you give in to petulant outbursts, the offender will keep coming back and asking for more.

  • Atherel@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    5 days ago

    I’m working in customer service and we sometimes have people who don’t want to pay for a service we offer (fixing their stuff in IT). There are two options:
    You tell me what you did when and ask nicely if we can fix it for free? You just did half of my work, of course I will make an exception for you.

    You blame everything on us and want the service for free as a compensation? Bet I will invest more time to prove why it’s your fault and therefore you’ll have to pay for it.

    For a plastic bag? Give it to them, it costs nothing and it’s not worth your time and effort.

  • Zier@fedia.io
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    5 days ago

    Some people cause a scene to bully you into breaking the rules and get free stuff. In most cases I just become super nice (like syrupy, sickly sweet) and pretend I’m on their side (bag fees are dumb), and let them know you don’t want to lose your job for giving away free merchandise (so sorry, did you still want to buy a bag?). If they are super toxic, you call a manager and make them deal with it, that’s what they get paid for.

  • snooggums@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    5 days ago

    Stick to policy and let the manager be the one who breaks the rules.

    If you do it, then you can be punished.

  • GiantChickDicks@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    4 days ago

    I’ve been in customer service in various roles for over twenty years. I’ve spent the last six in different positions in animal shelters, veterinary clinics, and am currently at a pet food manufacturer. Anything involving people’s pets leads to highly emotional situations, especially when things don’t go the way pet owners are hoping. I’ve dealt with people on some of the worst days of their lives. This leads to a lot of heated interactions.

    You’re absolutely right, your coworker’s choice to give in to this man’s tantrum is not how that should have been handled. It rewards Karen’s nasty behavior, and it sends the wrong message to other customers. Staying calm, explaining policies simply, and not becoming defensive or arguing points that don’t matter is important. My golden rule is to avoid letting a customer get a reaction out of me by all means necessary. I usually tire them out with calm kindness and repetition, because they’re used to making people uncomfortable to get their way. I’ve got all day, Karen. At least I’m getting paid for this, while they’re wasting their own time.

    • Mothra@mander.xyzOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      4 days ago

      I resonate with this answer. I should practice more that “repeat calmly I got all day” strategy.

      • GiantChickDicks@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        4 days ago

        I’m glad it was helpful! Staying zen in the face of an irate or confrontational customer isn’t easy, but it’s the most effective way I have found to manage these types of situations. Rules and policies are in place for a reason, and I’m not going to be bullied into unfairly breaking rules for an asshole. If people are nice and respectful I will do everything in my power to assist however I can, but entitled people need to stop being catered to. The fact that their behavior gets them what they want is exactly why they treat people this way.