[SirMasterKey]

(Original post by stargirl001)
My number one pet peeve is customers who interrupt whilst you're talking to or assisting another customer. Theres been so many times that I've been with a customer, CLEARLY talking to them or showing them something and another customer just butts in to ask a question. Then they'll start tutting when I try to explain I'll be with them in a moment. Have some ****ing manners.

"Excuse me, can you tell me where erm...um....oh you know....erm....um.....oh whats it called?....erm"
No lady, if you don't know you're looking for, how am I meant to know?

Able people who don't pack their own shopping, instead they just stand there and watch the assistant struggle to scan and pack an entire weekly shop. I know its part of the service, but have some common sense please. It makes the whole process 10x longer.

Customers making unfunny jokes. I can't fake laugh.

To be fair I've once went and waited at a till in a shop to speak to one of them, one was a guy I knew and the other I presume his manager, I was happily waiting for them to finish their conversation, I didn't interrupt but the way the manager dealt with me was rather rude. He seemed annoyed that I'd come over and asked if the shop had a particular book. It annoyed me because I don't feel I interrupted but he acted like I did. Jeez.


I had a customer the other day, 'oh we'll take the same order again' (as we were serving at Student prices) and as it had been a few drinks I couldn't remember them all, so when she cited them I made them. She said Vodka and lemonade and when given it was like, 'well I ordered a vodka and orange'. No you didn't. You might think you did but in fact you said lemonade. I offered to make the 'correct' drink for her but she said it was fine.

[AmIDoingItRight]

Not annoying but was strange a lady asked me to try a pair of gloves and asked me what sized id wear.

[Jadelyndsey]

(Original post by Emma:-))
Is there anyone on the student room who works in a shop, supermarket, restaurant etc and had really annoying customers.

I work in mcdonalds and we have had our fair share. One threatened to throw a brick with a bacon and egg mcmuffin selotaped to it through the window because he had apparently had a burnt one in the past and apparently the one he had on this occasion was burnt too (it wasnt at all) He never did throw it through the window.

YES.

TJ Hughes. Only yesterday I had someone come straight up to the tills and demand an exchange on underwear that had been worn. I tried to kindly explain that not only was the customer service desk on the 3rd floor, and it was only them that dealt with exchanges and refunds, but that she would be unable to return worn underwear for hygiene reasons. She then began hurling abuse at me, accusing me of calling her dirty and discriminating against her, and told me how stupid I was for the fact that customer services was on the 3rd floor...Yeh, like I can help that...

I also had a man tell me that I was incompetent because I didn't know whether the Calvin Klein underwear was acceptable for men over 35. In my defence, I asked 3 other members of staff for him, along with the floor manager, and he just stood there telling me I needed to put more effort into customer care...

I love life.

[aliphatic]

(Original post by conway!)
Easiest just to always say no. Some guy went down my street of shops saying "Can I get a twenty for this...can I actually swap that for two tenners? No, actually four fivers...can I get the first lot back and I'll do it again, wait a minute..." and stole about £20 from each place. It's actually really smart how they do it, if you're good at arithmetic you're still likely to get caught out - however, I'm really bad at arithmetic, so just to be safe I always said I wasn't allowed to swap money, unless it was a kid needing bus money or something but even then I was really careful.

Someone did that exact same scam to me! I was 90% sure she was trying to hustle money off me, but after a couple of minutes of arguing with her a manager came over and just said to give it to her because we were so busy. ARGH.

When my till was cashed up at the end of the day I was a tenner down, just like I thought. The difference was taken out of both me and aforementioned manager's wages, but I still lost an hours work for that.

[Emma:-)]

(Original post by aliphatic)
Someone did that exact same scam to me! I was 90% sure she was trying to hustle money off me, but after a couple of minutes of arguing with her a manager came over and just said to give it to her because we were so busy. ARGH.

When my till was cashed up at the end of the day I was a tenner down, just like I thought. The difference was taken out of both me and aforementioned manager's wages, but I still lost an hours work for that.

I had another customer try and change money last night. I was working at another mcdonalds a few miles away (which is owned by the same franchisee) covering their christmas party. They have the same rule as us about not swapping money. Anyway, this bloke came (with his mate who kept wandering off) and ordered 6 double cheeseburgers. He paid for them, and while i had the draw open, he asked to swap a £20 note. I told him that we couldnt swap money. Then he was like "but they are for my pub, please swap them". I told him again that we couldnt swap them, andagain he was likke "but i need the money for my pub, please can you swap them". I dont care if they are for your pub or not, we arent allowedto swap ANY money. I am not going to break the rules so you can have money for your damn pub.

Then there was a weird customer. She was only my 5th customer of the shift, and id been recognised from my normal store. She was like "you are from x store arent you?" I said i was and that we had just come up to cover their xmas party for the night. She was then asking how mum was etc etc. She doesnt even know my mum!!! Or me or any of the rest of my family!!! I vaguely know her from brownies (she is a leader from another brownie group) but ive only seen her from a distance, never met her. I said that my mum was fine, just to be polite, but i was rather taken aback to say the least.

[Shockolate]

(Original post by aliphatic)
Someone did that exact same scam to me! I was 90% sure she was trying to hustle money off me, but after a couple of minutes of arguing with her a manager came over and just said to give it to her because we were so busy. ARGH.

When my till was cashed up at the end of the day I was a tenner down, just like I thought. The difference was taken out of both me and aforementioned manager's wages, but I still lost an hours work for that.

Unfair that it got taken out of your wages when you had refused her originally. I get customers like that sometimes but don't think I've fallen for it so far, there's also this lady who I'm pretty sure targets new members of staff, she'll come in like 5 times in one day sometimes trying to return things, exchange things, magically losing the receipt for something she's bought an hour ago and trying to return it, saying 'that sales assistant remembers serving me so can't I just return it', and generally seeing whether staff will relax the returns policy. She also does this while starting a conversation with you about something completely different and talking loads so it distracts you. All the staff know she's up to something, and she comes in so often she recognises when people are new and tries it with them, I warned the Christmas temps who started after me to be careful with her, and generally whenever she comes up to the till another member of staff will float around nearby just to make sure no one ends up getting confused by her.

[snufkin_]

(Original post by AmIDoingItRight)
Not annoying but was strange a lady asked me to try a pair of gloves and asked me what sized id wear.

HAHA! this happened to me on sunday.

I've also been asked in the past to try on jewellery so they can see what it looks like on a younger person cos it's for their daughters whoss around my age..

and i've been asked to try on certain cardigans/dresses for customers who want to see what it would look like on their wife who's "around your size".

I never quite know what to say when it happens tbh..

[Kenny_uk]

(Original post by tom.pyotr.morgan)
Generally I'll tell people were not allowed to but if they've bought something or its a kid, I'll let them. I'm always careful though, I won't change money during a transaction, I'll give them there change and then do it after and if anyone was to try and change what they want, I'd start again. Always pen test and use the note checker machine to check they're real too.

Do get quite a few "I printed that one this morning" when checking notes, might be funny if it wasn't the 20th time I'd hear it that shift.

I almost always refuse to change notes unless it's a kid, since I've seen these scams happen quite often, we don't have the note pens to check them so we have to rely on our own skills and instinct, which for some staff is non existent >.>.
Change is another thing that bugs me, I'm not going to sit there for 10 minutes counting out eight pounds in five and ten pence pieces just to give you pound coins when I have other customers. especially when half of those coins aren't actually British ones.

[Pony Jack]

Right, christmas hols so all (most) of the students have gone home, so we've just got random old people and internationals coming in, and I had the weirdest guy came in today.

He tried to buy a 10-pack of cigarettes, and looked under 25 (about 18 actually) so I asked him for ID as per usual. He pulls out a perfectly legit-looking driving licence that has his birthday as February '94 (making him still 17...and too young to buy the cigarettes). I ask him how old he is, while still holding his driving licence, and he says 'Eighteen.', so I say, 'Well your driving licence says you're seventeen', and he goes, 'okay', takes it, and leaves without a fuss! Weird as anything! I figured he was either just trying it on and hoping someone didn't check it properly, or was sent in by the fuzz to make sure we were actually checking the dates.

[iMe]

Customer: 'Excuse me, is there any meat in the cheese and onion pasty?'
Me: 'No, it's just cheese and onion'
Customer: '...and what's in the tuna melt bap?'

[Skip_Snip]

(Original post by iMe)
Customer: '...and what's in the tuna melt bap?'

tbh I don't know what 'melt' means, I don't like tuna so never ventured, it could be another word for salad for all I know! I'm guessing it's melted cheese?

[iMe]

(Original post by Skip_Snip)
tbh I don't know what 'melt' means, I don't like tuna so never ventured, it could be another word for salad for all I know! I'm guessing it's melted cheese?

You are correct! I can understand someone asking about that one. It's just the 'meat in the cheese and onion pasty' that I don't understand!

[Z-6H820]

(Original post by iMe)
You are correct! I can understand someone asking about that one. It's just the 'meat in the cheese and onion pasty' that I don't understand!

I often ask if certain things are vegetarian that seem obviously veggie, but it's usually in case there's gelatin or something in it. Maybe that was her aim (also as cheese is usually not vegetarian) but she WAS being silly saying 'meat' :P

[nadiah]

(Original post by Pony Jack)
Right, christmas hols so all (most) of the students have gone home, so we've just got random old people and internationals coming in, and I had the weirdest guy came in today.

He tried to buy a 10-pack of cigarettes, and looked under 25 (about 18 actually) so I asked him for ID as per usual. He pulls out a perfectly legit-looking driving licence that has his birthday as February '94 (making him still 17...and too young to buy the cigarettes). I ask him how old he is, while still holding his driving licence, and he says 'Eighteen.', so I say, 'Well your driving licence says you're seventeen', and he goes, 'okay', takes it, and leaves without a fuss! Weird as anything! I figured he was either just trying it on and hoping someone didn't check it properly, or was sent in by the fuzz to make sure we were actually checking the dates.

This is curious, we also had a guy come in and try to get cigarettes, who was born in 94 (can't remember the month). He however admitted he was 17 when asked.....bizarre. I wonder if it was the same person!

I also wondered if he was a test person, however he can't have been if he said he was 18 when you asked him, since they aren't allowed to lie about their age if they are asked (We got told this on our licensing course).

[Tsunami2011]

(Original post by conway!)
Easiest just to always say no. Some guy went down my street of shops saying "Can I get a twenty for this...can I actually swap that for two tenners? No, actually four fivers...can I get the first lot back and I'll do it again, wait a minute..." and stole about £20 from each place. It's actually really smart how they do it, if you're good at arithmetic you're still likely to get caught out - however, I'm really bad at arithmetic, so just to be safe I always said I wasn't allowed to swap money, unless it was a kid needing bus money or something but even then I was really careful.

Exact same thing happened to me. Luckily, I think I managed to suss him out in time and he decided to cut his lossess, when I called my manager, he acted like he was asking for 49p rather than £49. It was only because he asked for £50 back after all the exchanges that I got suspicious. I'm never risking it again, he may well have still shaftted me. Luckily where I work, I don't think they actually check your till/cash everyday, since you just log on and off, so it'd be hard to know who was responsible for an amount of money going, unless it was when you were logged on.

[Kenny_uk]

(Original post by nadiah)
This is curious, we also had a guy come in and try to get cigarettes, who was born in 94 (can't remember the month). He however admitted he was 17 when asked.....bizarre. I wonder if it was the same person!

I also wondered if he was a test person, however he can't have been if he said he was 18 when you asked him, since they aren't allowed to lie about their age if they are asked (We got told this on our licensing course).

I've overheard a lot of younger people saying "oh just try it, they never check the date anyway, they just look at the picture" etc, so that's probably what he was hoping would happen.

[kittycake]

Some man told me to f*** off and do one today at work. Oh the joys of miserable customers, bless their hearts!

[JessyPhil]

Things that are my fault at work, which I personally am responsible for

Being sold out of Christmas trees on 15th December
The prices of things
What time we open
What time we close
Being out of stock
Delivery dates not for another month
Home delivery charges
Other shops being out of stock
The fact that we only have four tills
Mates not being in today

How is any of this my fault

[SleepySheep]

(Original post by nadiah)
huh? My uni isn't in London so that is irrelevant....

Oh sorry, haha. I only asked because I was wondering if you actually needed student ID with a student oyster card. Silly me!

[(:Becca(:]

I work in KFC.
"Can I have the bargain bucket/2 piece meal/whatever? Oh, but I only want these particular pieces of chicken!" No, **** off, you get whatever chicken we give you, alright?
Customers who change their mind after they've paid so I have to get my manager to come and void it.
Customers who leave all their **** at the table! We have to clean that up when we close, would it kill you to walk 10 seconds to a ****ing bin?
I hate my job.