If you work in the retail or food service industries, sooner or later you’re going to run into a horrible customer who’ll try to make your life hell. It kinda comes with the territory! However, you’d expect other workers to have a bit more respect for each other, considering they literally do the same thing. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, as one internet user shared.
One redditor shared a spot of workplace drama with the r/pettyrevenge online community. The former Home Depot employee spilled the tea about how he accidentally came across a customer who’d been rude to him before, only this time, the roles were reversed. And it was the perfect moment to get some payback. Scroll down for the full story about how the OP wasted the man’s time for hours, to give him a taste of his own medicine. Meanwhile, check out Bored Panda's interview with the author of the post.
Sadly, not all retail workers are kind to each other, even though they might work similar jobs
Image source: Oxana Melis (not the actual photo)
One former Home Depot employee shared how he got revenge on a rude customer when he saw accidentally stumbled upon him working one day
Image source: m01229 (not the actual photo)
Image source: sockc**ksock
"I've found some of the worst customers are the ones who currently work in retail or the service industry"
We were curious about what the OP's first reaction was when he realized that the customer started getting angry at him about the sign. "I honestly thought it was hilarious when he got mad and said he would go to Lowe's specifically for a color match of a Home Depot branded sign that was bolted to the counter," he told Bored Panda.
"I think he got upset because I politely called him out on how asinine his comments were in front of the other customers," the redditor said.
"In my experience working retail, I've found some of the worst customers are the ones who currently work in retail or the service industry because they for some reason feel entitled."
According to the OP, there wasn't any point when he thought that wasting the customer's time at his own job would backfire. "He didn't appear to recognize me and I bought a soda before I left, so technically I was a paying customer."
Bored Panda also wanted to get the post author's thoughts on working in retail.
"My advice for new people working retail is to remember that you're not a manager and if you get someone irate call your manager that actually gets paid to deal with that," he said, adding that after he clocks out, he goes to have fun and relax so that he "won't even remember the bad customers an hour after" clocking out.
You can deescalate conflicts with customers by showing them that you're actively listening to them
Image credits: Blake Wisz (not the actual photo)
Though we often hear that the customer is always supposed to be right, the reality is that it’s far from the truth. The customer is quite often wrong. And sometimes they’re huge jerks to the people who are trying to help them as best they can.
According to ‘Indeed,’ empathy can be a very powerful tool when dealing with a customer’s problem. By actively listening to them and building rapport, you can show them that you fully understand where they’re coming from. Working an apology into the conversation can also show them that you care about their issues and time.
This, in turn, can make the customer understand that you’re trying to help them. They’re also more likely to see you as a person, not just a faceless nobody. And if you find that the conversation’s getting too heated, focus on the facts so that you’re not the victim of someone who just wants to vent.
It's essential to stay calm and professional throughout the entire interaction
Image credits: Liza Summer (not the actual photo)
Ideally, when you’re facing someone who’s being belligerent and disrespectful, you’ll do your best to stay calm, cool, collected, and professional. The last thing you want is to get into a shouting match with a stranger in your workplace.
Even if you know for a fact that you’re right and they’re behaving like a donkey, it’s worth the effort not to fall to their level.
If someone’s being particularly rude, get a hold of your manager, so they can help mediate the conflict. You can tell that someone’s a great manager if they’ll support you and enforce boundaries on your behalf while continuing to be professional with the customer.
Leaders shouldn’t automatically assume that their staff is in the wrong—they’ll likely have racked up enough experience over the years to know which customers have a real issue and which ones are overdramatizing everything for attention (or for a discount).
The customer isn't always right, but not everyone who's rude is a bad person at heart
Image credits: Clem Onojeghuo (not the actual photo)
“Keep your cool and remember that whatever abuse they’re giving you is no reflection on you as a person. That customer doesn’t even know you, so there’s no way it could be. But on the other hand, don’t be subservient. Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself and tell customers that abuse is not tolerated. And if it persists, hand them over to a manager as soon as you can and let them deal with it,” Alexander Kjerulf from Positive Sharing told Bored Panda a while ago.
However, he noted that it’s important to remember that not all rude customers are equal. And not everyone who’s rude is a bad person at heart, though some might be. It helps to distinguish between two types of folks. Ones who are simply good people having a terrible day and they’re lashing out because they’re unable to deal with their emotions in a healthy way. And those who are angling for preferential treatment because they’re learned that getting mad and yelling works for them.
Of course, there’s really no excuse to lash out at retail employees. Or, well, any workers anywhere. Remember that everyone’s doing their job as well as they possibly can, in their particular circumstances.
If you ever get mad about waiting in line or not being able to get help with your query, it helps to take a deep breath and put yourself in the worker’s shoes. How would you like to be treated if you were working their job? You’ll likely want to deal with polite and understanding customers who put in that little bit of extra effort to be respectful. You never know when the roles might be reversed!
A few internet users had questions for the author of the post
Here's how some readers reacted to the revenge story
