Who was right in this situation?

Question

Everyday I come home from work I usually tell my husband about my day and how it sucked and tell him about the mean customers i get. It seems like my husband is always aginst me when I tell him a situation. Tonight I told him that (btw I work at a arts and craft store) I got this customer who got really pissed at me when I explained to her about a return policy. She was buying a hand crafted bow topper for her xmas tree. Hand crafted items are not refundable. She flips out because she is not understanding me correctly and starts to call me a smart @$$. So I was like "Mam you need to calm down" and then customer says "your a dumb *****, and your are EFFIN RETARDED" and starts waving the stupid bow in my face and she got freaking glitter in my eye. I then say "F YOU. Get out of my line" I shut off my register light and go to my manager. The customer denied calling me all that... so I denied saying "F u" because no one heard me

I didnt get introube or anything.. my manager just told me to cool off and to take a break (no biggie) I tell my husband what happend and he flips out at me saying "what is wrong with you". It really pisses me off because he is so aginst me. Would you let a customer treat you like crap??

Answer 1

I don't blame you at all. It is best to keep your cool at all times, but sometimes it is imposible. Nobody should think that you are made of steel. You have emotions to. The rude customer shouldn't have acted like that. Your husband has to be more unerstanding.

Answer 2

This would be a good topic to discuss with your boss and other employees when you are not in crisis. I've worked in retail sales a lot and had to take a lot of stuff from ignorant and angry people, but you don't have to bow to real abuse. You should not lose your temper and stoop to their level - you'll only be putting yourself and your job in jeopardy. Try role-playing the situation with someone you trust because it gets easier to cope with when you practice and have some good things to say tucked away in your head for this kind of emergency. When you show your frustration and anger it only feeds into the abusive customer and prolongs the agony.

edit: I like what tiny said about not making the rules and suggesting that the customer speaks to the manager. The bottom line is that you do not make the rules, that's why people can take advantage of the situation - they know you won't slap them around when they deserve it. But your defense is in knowing that you don't have to get angry - IT'S NOT REALLY YOUR PROBLEM, RIGHT?

Your husband is a separate problem. I hope he is more supportive than you described. Maybe he had a bad day too, but he needs to be a better listener and more supportive of you. Good luck.

Answer 3

Yep, I would.

You need to go to a seminar or something or get a book to learn to deal with difficult people effectively in a customer service situation. You lowered yourself to her level, which only made things worse. I worked in customer service for a good while and luckily we had excellent training. Keep your cool. Ask yourself, is this really going to help the situation if I say something rude? Is it going to make her act right? No, it isn't. It's only going to make her more angry, get you in trouble, maybe fired, or worse. Go to your manager before you lose it next time. If a customer is out of control despite your attempts to solve the problem, get yourself out of the situation and let the manager handle it. Then let it go. Don't take it to heart. Maybe that customer had had a horrible day and it only took one more thing to push her over the edge. We have all been there. She had no right to verbally abuse you, and you do not have to take it, but you cannot retaliate like you did. The manager is there for these situations.

Ok now part 2 of my answer is, don't dump all this on your husband. Come home and be glad that you're not at work, let the day go, and just relax and enjoy each other. Have a glass of wine, try to see the humor in life. Tell him about the good things that happened at least as much as the bad. Learn to see the good in your day! The bad customers don't matter enough to let them affect your home life. Life is too short to carry work home with you in your head and let it spoil all your free time too.

Answer 4

Really to be honest neither of you are right. First off it is wrong for you to start yelling at a customer where you work
it is your job to put up some crap once in awhile and if it gets to out of hand let management deal with it. Why put your job in jeopardy for someone that has her panties tied up in a tight little bow it just ain't worth it.

Really I think your husband needs to apologize know matter what you say or how your day went or the crap you had to put up with gives your husband the right to speak to you like that.

Next time CALL OVER MANAGAMENT just tell the person
I do not have the authority to do returns so you`ll have to take it up with our manager. Be polite and tell them that certain items are non-refundable. If they would like to still speak with a manager you get one ASAP.

God Bless and Best Wishes

Answer 5

When your husband tells you about a problem ar work, he just wants you to listen. When you tell your husband about a problem ar work he thinks you want him to solve it. That's just the way of it. He may be tired of you coming home complaining all the time too. Try not telling him about all the idiots you encounter every day, try just telling him funny things about people, try not complaining at all and just saying something like it was just another day in paradise!!! You really didn't show much class in dealing with this customer so he really had a right to be upset with you over it, if he didn't care about you he wouldn't have said anything, just let you think that this was the appropriate way to act. He wants you to be the best you can be.

Answer 6

You are right. Sometimes customers can be unreasonable, rude, and very out of line. And then it doesn't help that your husband doesn't take your side. The good thing is that we can learn from these incidents. For instance, a sentence started with "You can't..." will set the tone of your conversation as adversarial. I am currently reading a book, listed below, that addresses situations like yours where the customer wants something that you can't give.

Answer 7

When a customer acts like this, you just smile at her and say, excuse me, but I think we need to take this up with a manager, explain that you do not make the rules for the store, and then call for a manager. if she continues to be irate, that is when you politely walk away and go for the manager, NEVER use the type of words you just explained, because this is what the customer is hoping you will do, just show that you are a true lady, and handle this in the way I have explained.

Answer 8

In the business of customer service, the client is always right even if they call you names. Its hard I know and when you tell your husband about it, he gets irritated as well maybe because he doesn't like people treating you like sh*t. Maybe try this - next time you go home, tell you husband the nice things that happened to you that day and lets see how he reacts about it. And keep the negative stories in the toilet bowl and flush it away. Negative things attract negative vibes.

Answer 9

No I wouldn't. But I think the bigger question you should be asking yourself here, is why are you letting your husband treat you that way though? I mean if you don't take it from a customer, then why are you taking it from your husband? I don't see a difference here at all. A person talking smack to or about me is really not worth my time. That is why I put up with it from no one. And I believe you should start thinking the same way. Life too short to be dealing with azzholes. No matter if you are married to them or not.

Answer 10

I think I would have gotten my manager before it got that far but your husband should agree with you no matter what the situation is!My husband does the same crap with me always on everyone else's side it get's frustrating but you love them so we gotta deal with it! I got my husband one day we was conversating with someone and he was totally against what they was saying which he was right but I took the other persons side just because he does it to me all the time! Try it it really works!Good Luck