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Tips dealing with sleazy Male customers

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    #32
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    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,057 ✭✭✭.......


    I worked in a supermarket when i was in my late teens and early 20s and I had to deal with "the great unwashed", a sizeable number of which were men who would behave inappropriately - although actually some of the staff were worse than the general public when it came to leery behaviour.

    The way I dealt with it was to adopt quite a prim professional "look", hair tied back nice and neat, minimal make up, uniform clean neat, serviceable shoes type of thing. Nothing to give rise to comment, neutral nail colour, not much jewellery. I mean, I was in work, so I just wanted to look clean neat and efficient.

    And I adopted a professional manner. So I would speak to people in quite a firm and clear way, a bit jolly hockey sticks. I would stick to the point and if someone made an inappropriate comment, I would pause slightly, then pick up where I left off as though they hadnt said something inappropriate.

    I was asked out by customers, asked regularly what a pretty girl like me was doing in a job like that, asked what time I was off at, asked if I was interested in dating etc... I would smile politely and say "I dont discuss my personal life in work". Sometimes if it was something I just couldnt ignore I would say out good and loud, "Im sorry, I didnt hear you properly, did you just say THAT YOU LIKED HOW I LOOK IN MY UNIFORM BLOUSE?" - and make sure I said it loud enough to attract attention at which point the lech would usually scurry off. If they were frightening me I would tell them that I needed to speak to my supervisor and I would go tell her to deal with them. Frankly, my minimum wage didnt pay me to handle scary intense weirdos.


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    #33
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    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,070 ✭✭✭✭pq0n1ct4ve8zf5


    Yeah it's a funny one, the younger you are and the more entry level the position (i.e. where a customer has much more clout to complain) the lower the bar for appropriate behaviour. What's just natural and harmless and a bit of craic suddenly becomes a complete non starter when they're up against someone who can talk back or who they have a vested interest in not annoying. If you wouldn't let your glance linger on your bank manager's breasts or chance a hilariously saucy joke with your dentist right as she fires up the drill then leave poor receptionists, bar maids etc alone. You're well aware of your behaviour and its effects and choosing to inflict it on people who can't do anything about it.

    OP, the advice to ignore comments point blank and keep it professional is good, I've flat out walked away from sleazy customers when they were mid sentence but obviously that's not possible for you right now.

    You need to try and communicate that you find this behaviour unimpressive and boring rather than that you're wound up or upset by it. You can't come out and say so but your body language and facial expression can do a lot. Clarity from HR is a good shout too.


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