Business Owners: Don't shout at customers

10-10-20

Twice in the last two weeks have I been shouted at in shops.

Case #1: Once today in a large paint shop in South Dublin - I was escorted in by a staff member who dived behind a display-shelf to find my product leaving me standing alone with nobody around me for ~4m. Immediately the boss behind the counter shouted at me "hey! - hey!". So I stood still, hoping that he was shouting at an inanimate object in my general direction.
He shouted again, "Hey! There's no browsing, it's a trip hazard".
I gave him a scorpy look and indicated that I was with a staff-member and he backed down. But a trip-hazard? That says more about the problems with the layout of the shop than it does of a viral issue.
I had to pay him for the paint and he did apologise, but I told him that I didn't appreciate being shouted at and that it wasn't the way to do business all of the same. :pac:

Case #2: In a small garden-center, all of the tools, seeds indoor plants and useful non-plant items are in a large shop with two tills. There was a queue for the tills outside, but the large shop itself was otherwise empty.
I marched past the tills (with plenty of room to social-distance) with the intention of picking up some fertz. But no, some young won bellowed out at me that I can't enter the shop until it was free of paying customers. Like what the hell?? You're going to stop everybody paying while I browse? Do you actually want my business?

Both of these were small businesses. I get that they are under pressure, but so are the customers and I was going out of my way to support the local businesses.

Contrast that with a recent trip to Dunnes where I could have effectively lain on top of the fruit & veg for 20 mins and come less than 20cm away from the staff buzzing around the aisles and had a squeeze of each of the lemons while I was at it.

So top tip to business owners: DO NOT shout at your customers from behind the protective screens. It's a pretty good way to never see that custom returning.

/rant over

callaway92

Honestly, best way to combat it rather than ranting is just not giving them your money.

If anything upset me in a shop I’d just walk out.

Strumms

callaway92 wrote: »

Honestly, best way to combat it rather than ranting is just not giving them your money.

If anything upset me in a shop I’d just walk out.

Yes, if somebody shouted at me in a shop the only thing going back in their direction is a go fûck yourself and not my money certainly.

road_high

Yea I do know what you mean. I have a feeling this will end very soon though as business struggles to maintain the pent up demand that is there after lockdown.
There’s a very obvious arrogance about “you should be so lucky as to be allowed shop here “ vibe with some. It ain’t going to last

Was there a sign telling people to wait outside the second shop?

It's happened to me, no people waiting but shops at it's max numbers and I don't spot the sign. Stroll in and told to wait outside. My bad to be fair.

10-10-20

Niner leprauchan wrote: »

Was there a sign telling people to wait outside the second shop?

For the tills, yes. But was not obvious that it was for the entire shop too.
I was in Brooks Providers on Saturday. It was a much more relaxed atmosphere. Builders are obviously made of stronger-stuff. :pac:

DebDynamite

Yeah, i’ve noticied there’s a big difference between retail/service workers who have been working since the start, and those who came back after the various phases. I think being sheltered at home for a few weeks makes people nervous when they get back into the workplace

Donald Trump

10-10-20 wrote: »

I marched past the tills (with plenty of room to social-distance) with the intention of picking up some fertz.

Should have just went with the 10-10-20

Tea drinker

Unfortunately for me , being a little bit "HAH?" means they have to shout at me or I won't here them. :-)

Richard Hillman

As a former worker in Retail I fully support staff shouting at customers

boege

Was in town last week sitting outside having a coffee with wife. The coffee shop had set up two doors (entrench and exit only as there was no seating inside) with huge signs on each door in ginormous font.

That did not stop one muppet walking though the Exit Only door trying to skip the queue. He was promptly told to leave by one of the staff. The boss was cleaning a table outside and quietly commented, as your man passed by, that the sign must be difficult to see :pac:

JustAThought

I feel so sorry for retail staff at the moment - they are doing their best trying to earn a living and pay their way in life and despite multiple tv and radio ads, shop signage and individual retail instructions and almost two thousand deaths the customers just stroll around as thou there wasn’t an incurable life changing highly contagious plague & make up their own rules. It must be extremely frustrating. Small wonder they don’t keep little piles of rocks or tomahalkes beside their tills - shouting should be the least of the OP’s worries.

plodder

boege wrote: »

Was in town last week sitting outside having a coffee with wife. The coffee shop had set up two doors (entrench and exit only as there was no seating inside) with huge signs on each door in ginormous font.

That did not stop one muppet walking though the Exit Only door trying to skip the queue. He was promptly told to leave by one of the staff. The boss was cleaning a table outside and quietly commented, as your man passed by, that the sign must be difficult to see :pac:

Maybe it was difficult to see or he was distracted and didn't notice. They were right to tell him to go out and join the queue though, so long as they did it politely. There is no excuse for shouting at people unless they genuinely can't hear you. If someone shouted at me in a shop for no good reason, like they were nervous or something, I would just leave and shop somewhere the staff are less jumpy.

Lillyfae

plodder wrote: »

Maybe it was difficult to see or he was distracted and didn't notice. They were right to tell him to go out and join the queue though, so long as they did it politely. There is no excuse for shouting at people unless they genuinely can't hear you. If someone shouted at me in a shop for no good reason, like they were nervous or something, I would just leave and shop somewhere the staff are less jumpy.

There is a blanket order to be vigilant. At this point in time it’s beyond inconsiderate, it’s aggressive, because we are all aware that our actions have consequences. I am very thankful if staff and business owners pull them up on it.

Beechwoodspark

Sorry now but coming from a retail perspective and knowing a bit about retail Shouting at customers shouldn’t be “the done thing” but can be justified at times -

gentle advice to the OP is Have a bit of PATIENCE with the staff as this is an evolving situation for all concerned.

plodder

Lillyfae wrote: »

There is a blanket order to be vigilant. At this point in time it’s beyond inconsiderate, it’s aggressive, because we are all aware that our actions have consequences. I am very thankful if staff and business owners pull them up on it.

Yes, absolutely pull him up on it, but the poster said the guy was "a muppet trying to skip the queue". I think that is highly unlikely (who would expect to get away with deliberately skipping a queue in a coffee shop in the present climate?) and while he may well have been inconsiderate by not being more attentive to the signs, it's hardly that great a crime, and that kind of thinking and assumption that people are not simply making mistakes, which leads to these aggressive responses.

My wife was in a queue for a supermarket recently and at the top of the queue she misinterpreted the word-free signals from the queue supervisor to go into the shop, where she was roared at to "get back in the queue". It's completely unnecessary.

Beechwoodspark

No need for “roaring” but yes as someone with a lot of experience of retail there are times when staff need to raise their voices to get customers to follow instructions/warn them of a danger etc

Lillyfae

plodder wrote: »

Yes, absolutely pull him up on it, but the poster said the guy was "a muppet trying to skip the queue". I think that is highly unlikely (who would expect to get away with deliberately skipping a queue in a coffee shop in the present climate?) and while he may well have been inconsiderate by not being more attentive to the signs, it's hardly that great a crime, and that kind of thinking and assumption that people are not simply making mistakes, which leads to these aggressive responses.

My wife was in a queue for a supermarket recently and at the top of the queue she misinterpreted the word-free signals from the queue supervisor to go into the shop, where she was roared at to "get back in the queue". It's completely unnecessary.

Have you been out of the house recently? You seem to be able to use the internet so I'm going to assume you can also access information on how to behave when out in public.

I am in no way overly cautious and find I can go about my business perfectly without putting myself or anyone else at risk, which is what about 40% of people do. The other 60% spend their time ridiculing the rules, admonishing people for wearing masks, and passing people as closely as they possibly can in supermarkets. Like I said, I am grateful when someone stands up to these people. I'm sorry if your wife can't follow another person's instructions, or if you doubt someone would skip a queue in a cafe like they have been doing since cafes began and moreso now but there is clarity and putting other people at a health risk is aggression.

rob316

10-10-20 wrote: »

For the tills, yes. But was not obvious that it was for the entire shop too.
I was in Brooks Providers on Saturday. It was a much more relaxed atmosphere. Builders are obviously made of stronger-stuff. :pac:

Brooks were open throughout the whole pandemic, I was in and out of there few days a week for work on the house, even before may 18th. Cool as a breeze they were

plodder

Lillyfae wrote: »

Have you been out of the house recently? You seem to be able to use the internet so I'm going to assume you can also access information on how to behave when out in public.

I am in no way overly cautious and find I can go about my business perfectly without putting myself or anyone else at risk, which is what about 40% of people do. The other 60% spend their time ridiculing the rules, admonishing people for wearing masks, and passing people as closely as they possibly can in supermarkets. Like I said, I am grateful when someone stands up to these people. I'm sorry if your wife can't follow another person's instructions, or if you doubt someone would skip a queue in a cafe like they have been doing since cafes began and moreso now but there is clarity and putting other people at a health risk is aggression.

If that's your perception of the majority of people, you might be better off staying at home.

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

No need for “roaring” but yes as someone with a lot of experience of retail there are times when staff need to raise their voices to get customers to follow instructions/warn them of a danger etc

No doubt, and there will be aggressive people on either side of the fence and also those who take offence unnecessarily. But, I think the OP makes a valid point as does the poster who said people will just leave without saying anything, and will not come back.

JoChervil

Agression is usually a result of fear. The OP could have easily kept his cool. His stake was only buying or not buying a paint, while the business owner's life and wellbeing of him and his staff could have depended on customers' proper behaviour.

I think this situation is too asymmetrical too judge. I think we all need more compassion and understanding, while some people think money is the most important...

Dempo1

I've no doubt its an horrendous time for most retailers but equally this pandemic has turned shopping into a nightmare for customers also, in fact I suspect these new restrictions, protocols etc whilst necessary will just push consumers online.

I made my way across numerous obstacle courses yesterday whilst trying to shop and its horrendous. The oddest thing I saw was a perspex partition in a shoe shop, customers put their foot into a shoe, under a perspex screen, if it wasnt so serious it would be hilarious. One pharmacy has a complete Perspex Box inside the door with a section cut out to speak to staff, opposite and I kid you not was what look like a cat flap where there pass items out, just bizarre, basically absolutely no browsing permitted.

I felt sorry for the staff of a Bar/Restaurant I wen to, it was like the set of a bad science fiction TV show from the 60'S and beyond ludicrous with face shields being worn by all the staff. The Irony of course being not a single customer social distancing with groups of 4 and above huddled into snugs, it was a complete contradiction.

Other shops have main doors locked, 2 customers at a time , it crazy stuff and I wondered what is the point of it, few if any businesses could be making money in this environment and I suspect most are only open because of wage subsidies . It made be wonder would it have not been far more sensible to delay opening until the Virus was truly crushed, already new cases on the up and you've only got to look at the states to see the consequence of bad timing.

The approach is NOT going to work and apart from retail staff just loosing interest, customers completely put off and the reality of businesses being subsidized to open early, this debacle is nonsensical.

I fear the High Street as we knew it will be gone sooner than anyone thought.