Working as a cashier: getting upset over rude customers?

Question

I'm sure everyone who has worked as a cashier (either at a grocery store or any other store) has dealt with rude, obnoxious customers before?

How do you deal with it when they TOTALLY piss you off?

I worked as a cashier at a supermarket and today this guy started shouting at me and treating me like dirt. He was paying for his groceries and i noticed he had a case of pop under his cart. So i asked him if the case was from here.. and suddenly he started screaming at me saying "dont accuse me of stealing, how dare you. What right do you have to ask me that? you're not doing your job right" and he threw the money all over the counter & i was like what the heck are you talking about. I asked a simple question and he blew everything out of proportion. He comes back a few minutes later and told me that he complained to my supervisor and said "you're in a lot of trouble." and when i tried to talk he told me to shut the f* up.. i cried and i couldnt help it. i was so embarassed :(

Answer 1

Hehe I work at a Dry Cleaners so I deal with a lot of those. The only thing you can do is try to bite your tongue and TRY to be nice. If they still have a problem, nicely say to them, Sir/Ma'am I am sorry if I had offended you in some way. That was not my intent. I really don't appreciate your attitude toward me and I am going to have to ask you to leave or I will have you escorted out.

Answer 2

Oh my, I'm so sorry to hear that! You don't deserve that at all. I'm sure you were just doing your job by making sure that all the groceries were rung up. The customer was really in a bad mood, and that's a usual thing to encounter when you work as a cashier, unfortunately! I think because people don't value this kind of job... but they don't think that if you weren't there, he would not be able to buy his groceries! Common sense, right? Most people don't know what this means. Well, if I were you I would continue being a nice cashier even though people are rude to you. Eventually a good customer will compliment you for your good job, even your supervisor! And don't worry about those crazy people out there!

Answer 3

Well, honestly, I was on WIC for a few years after my son was born. I hated it! I think the reason "women on WIC" may get so annoyed at the register when informed that an item doesn't qualify is becasue 1. they are embarassed that they are at the check out counter get "welfare cheese" and 2. Yes, there is a pamplet that they give you saying what qualifies and what does not, however, I always found it a bit confusing. And most of the time noone takes that pamplet into the grocery store. Also, most of the time, nothing is labeled in the store properly as WIC ELIGABLE. Additionally to add insult to injury, the cashiers can be rude and annoyed that these "WIC women" picked the wrong item and are holding up the line. I don't miss those days! Humiliating! I don't miss those days for sure! It's humiliating! One most comment on everyone that says, they worked at a grocery store and "it's free food, why complain?" It's not like the grocery store you worked out was just giving them this food "for free"! The grocery store gets paid for all WIC vouchers. The grocery store is not doing any WIC customers ANY FAVORS!

Answer 4

It's very hard to deal with difficult people, trust me, I've worked as a cashier at Walmart for several years, and I've dealt with all sorts. Most definitely it helps when you keep your cool, especially the ones that like to make scenes and get all the managers involved over nothing.

Another thing a manager told me once was to "kill them with kindness," I know that the last thing you want to do is be nice to them, but you'll see how much more it pisses them off sometimes when you're just SO NICE to them, even when they're acting a fool.

You can tactfully say things in a polite manner that doesn't let them know that you're angry, a lot of the time when it's rude customers you just gotta deal, but they make for great discussions in the break room with your friends. Don't take it personally, they're probably having a bad day.

Answer 5

As a nurse, I have dealt with rude patients, and sometimes, their families. I keep in mind that these people are unwell, and most of the time, are in pain. Some of them are not going to get better (another way of saying they're dying). So if they get a little rude or short with me, I ignore them. I am very lucky now to be a school nurse, and the students (college-aged) are extremely polite to me. I have not had one that gave me a hard time since I started working there in the Summer. I suppose when I am ready to give them a shot, they don't dare being impolite to the nurse. (Just kidding!)

However, those who are just plain rude (like your example), you ** must ** call the manager to you at once. You do not get paid to deal with people like that. (Many years ago, I had a wonderful boss (this was from a couple of jobs ago in a clinic) who stepped in and dealt with rude patients. She reminded me that I wasn't paid to deal with a x x h x x x. Yes, exact word she used.

Meanwhile, before the manager shows up (which may take a few seconds or a few minutes), look at the guy and say, simply, "Excuse me, what did you just say?" and wait until he repeats it (so everyone can hear it).

Keep in mind that what goes around often comes around. Imagine having to work / live with him.

Answer 6

I am sorry, i used to work in a supermarket, i know what they can be like.

Personally i used to squish their bread between my fingers, squash their soft fruit and bash their eggs lol .. without them seeing of course.

Not ashamed of it either lol- i was a very courteous cashier, but many people didnt appreciate it.

On a serious note, you should try to remember that some people are actually not quite right in the head... some may have been having a bad day .. some might actually be mentally ill, on medication, on drugs or whatever. They probably go thru life acting like jerks and you just happen to be the latest person on the receiving end. Its not personal, they are the ones with the problem not you, so dont take it to heart, brush it off.

Answer 7

I HATE people like that!

I work the front desk at a museum, and I'm also a floor manager, so I know exactly what type of people you deal with!

When faced in that situation, just remember one thing, it's not you, it's them. You don't know how their day is (maybe they got fired from their job, or someone close to them just died), you don't know what they went through trying to get to your store that day (backed up traffic, got into an accident), and you don't know what they've been dealing with that day. Just remember though, it's them, not you.

I'm sure you meant no harm by asking about the case of soda, but to them, it sounds as if you were accusing them of stealing, even if they weren't. Maybe they hadn't had a chance to grab the case of soda from under the cart, or maybe they just simply forgot. Does that give him the right to blow up at you like that? Not a chance, but he did. Instead of trying to talk to him, you should've just backed up and called your manager. Let your manager deal with him. That's what they are there for, to take the heat.

As a manager, I've been through quite a few customer service training classes. One of the things they teach you is to back off and let someone else handle the problem. Sometimes all it takes is for someone else to step up to the plate. Most of the time, if the customer is upset already, they don't want to deal with you. By stepping back and letting someone else handle them, they get to see a fresh face, and will likely be less defensive in the situation. Also, let the manager take the heat and kick him out of the store.

Sorry it happened to you. We all deal with guys like this at one time or another. You just need to learn to bite your tongue when this happens. And when he leaves the store, that's when you take your break to clear your head and calm yourself down.

Answer 8

Wow...i'm sorry to hear that you were treated that way. I have worked as a cashier a few times and I know how you feel. I've had customers make me cry by screaming at me before, and I was always mad at myself afterwards for showing that they got to me. But, just remember that guy must be a damn miserable soul to have flipped out like that. He's the one with the problem, not you.

Answer 9

what a nut. He probably was trying to steal the pop.

I had an old grouch once, I was so angry I smashed the good calculator. I felt better. I called in my manager and she hates old people too, so she covered my ***. saying I was fired and it was a bad day for me because I had just gotten bad news about my grandma,. It was such a good lie. lol.

I still hope she'll just jump in the box already. With a smile on my face, and hope she chokes on the pizza I sold her.

Answer 10

Try to remember, when something like that happens, it has NOTHING to do with you and EVERYTHING to do with the other person. If you can find some comedy in it or feel some compasion for folks like that, you'll be much better off. People who act like that are reacting to their own internal stuff and it has nothing to do with you. I'm sure that your bosses will understand that and appreciate that you are trying to make sure everything is paid for. Remember...it's NOT you...it's them.