Are you working retail this Christmas?

One More Toy

Are customers genuinely assholes this time of year? Been a good few years since I worked in a hotel bar and the amount of arseholes you have to deal with is unbelievable.

Plumbthedepths

One More Toy wrote: »

Are customers genuinely assholes this time of year? Been a good few years since I worked in a hotel bar and the amount of arseholes you have to deal with is unbelievable.

Worked in hospitality years ago, most people were sound during the Christmas period. Of course you would get the drunken asshole or the idiots that would look down there nose at you ( usually left them waiting for service as long as possible).
Happily I got sense and trained for a different sector. Great time off and excellent wages.

Febreeze

8 years in retail now. Every Jan I tell myself I'm getting a new job

Fluorescence

I'm not in the sector now but spent years working in retail and hospitality, and honestly people were soundest and cheeriest this time of year. Yeah you'd get the odd prick but they're pricks year-round typically. Whereas the normal person would be extra cheery and in good humour around Christmas. Loved the extra tips I'd pick up too.

Still do Christmas work but in a very different industry, but people are sound for the most part. It all comes down to how you choose to view the world. If you're cynical you'll only remember the arseholes but if you try to be positive you'll get it back in turn.

My 2c anyway

Richard Hillman

Yes. This was the worst year. The absolute entitlement from customers is astonishing. They behave like you are a tax funded public service.

Along with that the company attempts the absolute minimum amount of staff possible, management are either in hiding and most definitely unsupportive and more abusive than the customers, whilst the unrelenting, never ending hoardes of customers come pouring in with abuse, vitriol and snide remarks.

And when it's all over and done with, was it good enough? No. We're the unrealistic targets hit? No. Do you get thanked? No.

punisher5112

Hey I pay your wages....

soiseztomabel

This is my first year working in retail (funding my way through college) and this week has been pretty stressful. Management couldn’t give a **** about the bare staff who they expect to hit unrealistic targets while the general public act with a level of entitlement I’ve never experienced in my life.

I understand getting into town and dealing with huge hordes can be stressful at this time of year can be a dose but the treatment I’ve seen colleagues go through has been a major eye opener. The commission is pretty sweet but jaysus Christ you earn it by being treated like a dog for the feral members of the general public.

One More Toy

soiseztomabel wrote: »

This is my first year working in retail (funding my way through college) and this week has been pretty stressful. Management couldn’t give a **** about the bare staff who they expect to hit unrealistic targets while the general public act with a level of entitlement I’ve never experienced in my life.

I understand getting into town and dealing with huge hordes can be stressful at this time of year can be a dose but the treatment I’ve seen colleagues go through has been a major eye opener. The commission is pretty sweet but jaysus Christ you earn it by being treated like a dog for the feral members of the general public.

Without being too specific, what kind of targets are you expected to achieve?

At least when I was working in the bar it was just put your shift in and be done with it. The hard workers got rewarded with more significant shares of the shifts. I was quite good at it and knew all the locals and could have a bit of craic with fellow staff

Rubberchikken

i work i. an essential service and am working nights all of christmas and new year. it may be stressful and busy but i wouldnt swop it for retail for any money.

NSAman

worked retail and owned retail for many years... I HATED it.

The vast majority of people were lovely this time of year, then you had the assholes who want drinking Christmas Eve and got drunk and forgot the kids presents on lay-away.... yes that call from a distraught mother at 2am crying cause hubby was more interested in drink than the kids. Open the shop and never a thank you.

I can’t understand even to this day, why shops open on Stephen’s Day... give the staff a day off at least...pure greed IMHO.

You retail people are great... Thanks for all you do.

fergiesfolly

It's a long time since I worked retail and the ratio of arsehole to decent folk definitely increased this time of year. My daughter just had her first experience of working retail this Christmas and didn't have a bad word to say, so maybe people are copping on.
Its a tough job this time of year so I always go out of my way to be friendlier than normal and tip a bit extra where I can.
Happy Christmas all

DrPhilG

Did it for 5 years, every year was carnage. Although as I just mentioned over in the "sh*tty Christmas behaviour" thread I did once have the thrill of a front row seat for 2 oul biddies hurling a mixture of punches and sectarian abuse at each other on the shop floor.

So yes, people are stressed out and behave like gob****es much of the time.

soiseztomabel

One More Toy wrote: »

Without being too specific, what kind of targets are you expected to achieve?

At least when I was working in the bar it was just put your shift in and be done with it. The hard workers got rewarded with more significant shares of the shifts. I was quite good at it and knew all the locals and could have a bit of craic with fellow staff

A couple of thousand per person