On Sat, 17 Dec 2005 16:01:48 -0500, Julia Altshuler <
[email protected]>
wrote:
>Customer comes into wine and cheese shop. He speaks to co-worker for a
>moment about ordering wine, and since I know more about the wine in the
>store (only from working there longer, I'm no expert), I take him up to
>the computer/register to take the order. This means saying that the
>wine he wants sounds familiar, saying that I think we're out but will
>check the product list, seeing that the inventory does, indeed, say
>zero, and moving to take an old fashioned order which involves writing
>down the customer's name, phone number, credit number and type of wine
>wanted. Somewhere in there, and it's hard to remember where, the
>customer interupted me at which point I knew immediately to shut up and
>let him finish. I smiled at him while he went into this long tirade,
>the upshot of which was that the boss KNOWS he wants the wine since he
>orders a case every month, KNOWS his name and that he doesn't have to
>put up with this, if he has to he'll order somewhere else. I'm making
>it sound more polite than it was. The man was a jerk. I just stood
>there and smiled while he bawled me out. When he asked me something
>that amounted to "can you do that?" I nodded once, and he left.
>
>
>When the boss got back, I gave him what part of the order I was able to
>take, mentioned how unpleasant the customer was, and learned that this
>is NOT a standing monthly order. The guy ordered once before. The boss
>scarcely knew him but was able to remember what it was about.
>
>
>I wondered about my options at the time. I was very near to throwing
>the guy out of the store and asked the boss about that, but he said that
>I really couldn't throw someone out unless he was doing something
>illegal.
This is where the boss is wrong. If any customer gets so far out of line you feel at all
threatened, not just that you don't like them or what they are saying (unless it's abusive
and/or threatening) you should politely ask them to leave and to call and discuss this
with the manager or owner.
The owner/manager should back you up unless it was you that caused the problem.
>I have to admit that there's some sense to this policy, but it
>got me thinking. Are there limits to what an employee is expected to
>put up with? That's not to say that anything was too terrible. I've
>been yelled at before, and I did know that the best way to deal with
>they guy was just to grin at him without trying to defend myself.
Politeness will kill an angry persons reason for being angry soon enough.
"I see you are angry about this, What would you have me do to correct it?"
>
>At my next shift, I learned that the guy had called to complain about
>me. The mom and pop pair who are my bosses didn't come to me to tell me
>about the complaint. I learned when we were chatting about customers in
>general. So it's not like they were unhappy with my work or how I
>handled it, but they didn't defend me either.
They should have defended you. They have a responsibility to treat you with dignity and
respect and to defend you, especially since you informed them about the situation. It's
not like they were blind-sided with the call.
>They didn't tell the
>customer "look, she asked for a credit number. We TOLD her to do that."
>
>
>That made me ask if the guy said anything specific that I'd done that
>set him off. I know that I didn't remember saying anything awful, but I
>also know that it's possible for something to be interpreted different
>ways, and I wanted to know if maybe I'd said something that I should be
>aware of so I could make sure I didn't get perceived as impolite again.
> When I was asking questions along those lines, I learned that this
>same guy has been hitting on a co-worker.
>
>
>This is a young lady I really like. She's young (22), quite pretty,
>very nice, the sort of kid who can talk to and make friends with people
>who are older (I'm 47) and be lovely and genuine. She has an infectious
>laugh and bright smile. I could understand that young men might think
>she was flirting, but it's hard to help it when you're that pretty. She
>could model. (She has professional dance and acting experience.) It
>turns out that the customer has been hitting on her. She said it
>started out O.K. with him just talking to her, but most recently he's
>been asking her out and making comments of the "if I were younger"
>variety, not of the kindly old man gently teases with young woman old
>enough to be his granddaughter, but more of the middle aged man makes
>young woman uncomfortable variety. She said that the next time he comes
>in, she's heading for the bathroom and staying there.
She needs to not run, but to politely help him, and if he makes any comment she feels
uncomfortable with, she needs to let him know he is out of line and he will have to deal
with someone else. If he persists, the police should be called and charges filed -
regardless of the owners feelings. If he touches her, she should immediately call the
police.
>
>
>This leads me to the question I'm opening for discussion. What are the
>limits? I know what I'd put up with from a boss, but I've never
>wondered before about what I'm expected to put up with from a customer.
No more than you would tolerate from any other complete stranger.
> You read all the time about sexual harrassment from a boss, but what
>about from a customer? The boss (a nice guy who can get grouchy but who
>has never been mean or unfair, someone who is actually more likely to
>get himself into trouble for being a pushover) hasn't given us any
>guidelines except the nothing illegal one. Any thoughts?
>
You should tolerate nothing more from a customer than from a boss. Perhaps give leeway
verbally, but certainly not physically. If anyone ever touches you, you need to let them
know in no uncertain terms it is not acceptable, it is repeats, call the police. If they
touch you sexually, no hesitation, call the police.
I see absolutely no leeway for "friendly touching" among strangers, customers, employees,
or co-workers. There is no such thing, and the line gets too blurred if any touching is
allowed. Employers should be especially aware if they see employees or customers touching
their employees, and should put a stop to it immediately.
If you feel uncomfortable, let the other person know that they are over the limits. If it
persists, call the police, regardless of the manager/owner.
--
Rick R
[email protected]ult
replace default with com to email
, tell your boss what happened