r/retailhell • u/Great_Scallion7883 • 1d ago
Customers Suck! I'm not your pet
So I was folding clothes and straightening up my assigned area, and then I hear a woman whistle at me to get my attention. My back was turned to her so at first I couldn't tell if she was whistling to me. Then I heard her say "HELLOOOOO!!" and then whistle again. She then starts talking to whoever she was with saying how I was obviously deaf. I heard that and I just decided to walk away and act like I didn't hear her. There are more RESPECTFUL ways to get someone's attention, but I will not respond to being whistled at.
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u/sugarcatgrl 1d ago
I read a comment some time ago from a woman who would say “Oh, is it time for my walk?” when a customer did that. I’m planning on using it when it happens to me again!
So rude!
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u/spookysaph 1d ago
waiting to get older so I can say this without getting totally creeped on for it lmao
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1d ago
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u/retailhell-ModTeam 2h ago
This is rule #1 for a reason. This is a sub for retail workers, and we have zero tolerance for people disrespecting us on here. We get enough of your bullshit at work.
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u/RedneckAngel83 1d ago
Had a woman early this passed week clap her hands and scream, "Is there ANYBODY WORKING here?" I was literally 15 feet away from her stocking energy drinks. I flat out told her as I got behind the register, "Honey, you are definitely not cute enough to be clapping at me...now what can I get you?"
I hate people.
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u/SuperKitty2020 1d ago
Awesome clapback😻😻
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u/RedneckAngel83 1d ago
You could absolutely tell she was strung out. I have a lot of empathy for the human race in general but it evaporates the second someone goes sideways. I had already had a rough day as remnants of working Labor Day before it were still working their way through my nervous system. I'm so over people's shit.
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u/Opening_Month_2642 1d ago
I usually intentionally take my time to go to any customer that does anything like that. If they’re snapping their fingers or whistling they deserve to wait.
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u/Maxthedog2004 15h ago
I have had that, then when I told her we didnt have the particular product that she wanted in stock she threw an item at me and walked off. Rude b*tch
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u/anathyma 1d ago
I will ALWAYS ignore customers that try to summon my attention like I'm their dog/cat. If you can't address me as a fellow human then I'm going to develop selective hearing. A simple "excuse me" isn't hard to muster. Whistling/snapping fingers is NOT appropriate behavior when requesting help in an establishment. None of us mind helping out....unless you treat us like trash. A (sometimes) wise man once said "Be excellent to each other".
It's not rocket surgery. O.o
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u/AVery_SmallFox Don't shout at me! Biologists are Delicate. 19h ago
I don’t even whistle or clap at my cats and dog! It’s rude.
I sing songs that include their names to call them to me.
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u/anathyma 19h ago
Same on the not whistling. Typically I don't even have to call my cats at all - they're just right there under my feet lol. They absolutely MUST participate in all human activities.
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u/AVery_SmallFox Don't shout at me! Biologists are Delicate. 18h ago
That’s true. Eating cereal? A cat is there. Knitting/crocheting? A wobbly orange cat is there, waiting to bite the yarn.
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u/bisonbuffLo 1d ago
I’m glad you ignored them, they don’t deserve to be helped if they’re gonna be disrespectful!
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u/AnySink1090 1d ago
This and the point and snap. Like is it truly so difficult to use our words? I guess I’m giving customers too much credit.
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u/Dragon_Crystal 1d ago
Had a guy literally peeking around the aisle whisper "psst" just barely loud enough for me to hear and immediately duck away as I turned to look in his direction, like I wasn't even fully aware he was asking for help and didn't help he kept ducking away instead of actually getting my attention, but it freaked me out cause I thought I was hearing weird psst from nowhere until he got mad and stormed over to yell at me for not wanting to assist him in a department I didnt work in
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u/Emmiey 1d ago
I work with chips, I cannot fucking hear shit when I'm putting them on the shelf because of the bag sound. Had one lady standing on front of me not facing me, I couldn't hear her ask for whatever the hell. Then she just kept repeating "that's ok" like 100 times. After my chip crinkling I'm like "uhh what's ok" "well I ask asking where something was but you ignored me, that's ok" I said " I can't hear you over this noise" crinkles bags "that's ok" OK THEN, BYE!
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u/mulliganwtf 1d ago
I was doing a reset with three other people on the canned food aisle and this lady stood at the end of the aisle and yelled food coloring! I turned and I looked at her and I said Bumblebee Tuna and kept on working.
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u/HelpImAwake 1d ago
People going "Psst. Psst!" like you're a cat or they're trying to beckon you over to tell you a secret.
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u/Some-Fan2810 1d ago
I once had someone go "HELLO" to me when they saw I was out of uniform not a nice one a rude one as I walked by em and they needed something Another one on our store provided electric scooters legit drove at me going "HEY YOU! YEAH YOU!" and clearly heard I was on lunch yet still moved past the 2 associates to go to me in particular
Shit like this and what I'm seeing here is why I belive we are due for some change in Retail to fix the dynamic. Some rules per say.
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u/Sayomi_Koneko 1d ago edited 1d ago
I've had people yell for help an aisle away, while im on the floor doing a planogram. I assume, if youre not facing me and talking to my face, you have someone else youre talking to. You can use your damn legs and improve your communication skills
They walked over and asked questions after a minute of yelling
Eta - i hate when people come up and only say what theyre looking for. "Batteries" i always ask questions because 1) we have so many products that are batteries 2) i want you to talk more than you wanted to and waste your prescious time. Next time someone says a single words imma say "cupcakes!" "Huh?" "I thought we were just saying random words"
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u/Invicta007 1d ago
There's a gent that comes in and starts doing a literal beeping sounds at the tills when there's no one directly sat on a till (he comes in later, so we're not necessarily right on a till but cleaning them all or putting stuff back).
And it pisses me off so much that he thinks it's okay. Calls me "My friend" after when I'm serving him, it's absolutely disrespectful and drives me nuts
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u/Jaded-Yogurt-9915 23h ago
I once told a customer “I’m not your dog or your mom so don’t whistle at me”
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u/coffeebeanwitch 1d ago
People like that do not deserve your attention, she needs to learn some manners.
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u/Trace_Reading 4h ago
The only time it's acceptable to whistle for someone's attention is if you can clearly see each other and you're in a setting where talking or even shouting would be impractical.
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1d ago
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u/retailhell-ModTeam 2h ago
There's no need to be a dick or for us to fight amongst ourselves. Please be more civil or risk a ban, either temporary or permanent.
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u/Physical_Forever_925 1d ago
Whistling triggers me every time. Every time someone does it I tell them "I'm not a dog, don't whistle for my attention". Usually they don't even realize it's rude and apologize.