Every person should work in customer service at least for a little while. Not only does it teach you how to get through a stressful situation, but shows you just how much tears and laughter go into your every order. Kerri H. from Auckland, New Zealand, knows this. She’s been in the industry for years and has seen it all. Recently, she decided to share some of the surprising experiences she has had to show that people behind the counter have the same feelings and emotions as the ones who are making the orders.
Image credits: Nickolas Nikolic (not the actual photo)
“I am the store manager which is what I assume people call the general manager,” Kerri told Bored Panda. “I ensure the store is being run well and deal with any paperwork, contract things and issues that might arise.”
Usually, her shifts vary between 7 and 14 hours, depending on what her coworkers can do and how much help they need. “My main responsibilities are focusing on ensuring the store is a happy and safe work environment and making sure all customers needs are being met.”
And judging from Kerri’s stories, boy do they get needy. But she knows how to keep her cool and her experience is probably what helps her a lot. “I have been working there for 5 years and it’s my first permanent job. I did other temp jobs like event catering and service as well as worked in a tiny cafe casually,” she said.
Our Iced coffees are a fresh espresso shot poured over ice, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, cold milk and a swirl of whipped cream. Iced Mochas are the exact same drink but it has chocolate syrup added to it. That’s the only difference. I did explain it to her but she had already made her mind up. Extra dollar to the store I guess. The way she said “Thanks” really riled me up because truly, it doesn’t get any better than this as I really love a condescending tone of voice.
This gentleman is older and likes to think of himself as very money savvy, he’s a regular at our store and has an incredibly tight budget. This fella ordered our all day breakfast choice of Eggs on Toast, with an additional side of bacon, (which is two eggs cooked to your liking and two pieces of toast with a fried tomato for $12, a side of bacon is two rashers for $4 which comes to a whopping total of $16) We aren’t heartless and if we know there’s a cheaper option we always tell our customers. The meal we were trying desperately to convince him to buy is $13.50 and comes with everything he wanted, two rashers of bacon, two eggs, two pieces of toast and a fried tomato. We gave up and he left thinking he had gained the upper hand and scammed us all, his smug smile is one I will never forget.
I don’t work at a Starbucks. We are franchised and have a very similar feel but I cannot stress the fact we aren’t Starbucks any harder than I already do. I don’t know Starbucks sizes, I get told “Tall”, “Grande” and “Venti” more times than I can count and genuinely have no idea what those sizes are. We have small, medium and large. I have said countless times that the coffees we offer aren’t like Starbucks but customers are always sure what they’ve ordered will be just like they expect. This coffee, in particular, is the bane of my existence because no matter how many times I repeat we don’t make it like Starbucks they always insist that it will be. Ours comes as long or short and is literally only a shot of espresso with fresh foam gently floating on top, it makes three distinct layers and is actually a very pretty drink. Starbucks caramel macchiato is very different, although I do know how to make it like Starbucks now because I get yelled at about it so often.
Our store has full table service and two doors that are held open, which is essentially two huge holes to dine and dash through. There have been so many people trying to make a run for it so often its crazy. Old women who come in pairs are the WORST for it. They always know they haven’t paid and will link arms to get away as fast as possible. I’m not a runner but I have sprinted after old ladies through traffic to catch them. This particular pair were nearing their 80s and had gotten halfway down the walkway before anyone had noticed them slip out. I did catch “Maggie” and her friend, (they were both old ladies guys, they aren’t THAT fast) and said if they didn’t return to the store I would have to call the Police. They both scoffed and said it wasn’t that serious and that it was just a harmless mistake they had forgotten to pay “We’re senior citizens, we tend to forget things like paying for bills!”
This one was a personal victory for me. It’s actually the one and only time I was so awful and petty to a customer that part of me regretted if for the slightest moment. A secret of mine is that I have always wanted to sass a customer as you read online, where a person asks to see the manager and the staff member does a flamboyant 180-degree spin and says “That’s me” I got to live that dream. This was a few years ago and as stated in the image it was Valentines Day. A customer had come in an hour or so earlier and booked a table for his girlfriend and himself and left some table decor he wanted to set the table up with. I offered to set up roses, LED candles and cloth napkins for them both so he could leave to get ready. I finished setting up the table when in walks Mr. Businessman. The store is basically empty at this point, it’s 4:30 in the afternoon, too early for the dinner rush and so there are lots of tables free. Mr Businessman walks up and asks to use the table clearly set up for a romantic night. I politely say it’s been reserved but there are many other tables he can take a seat at, but he insists that he have that table. I take him to the table directly next to it and say this table is free, but he doesn’t want that seat, he wants the reserved seat. He starts to raise his voice and at this point I can see he is choosing to be difficult for no other reason but to be difficult. I repeat myself that that table is reserved and that’s when he says it. He asks to see the manager. I feel the moment spread through my whole body, starting from my suddenly beaming smile all the way to my fingertips and overworked feet, I feel the power I suddenly posses flow over me. This is it, this is my moment. I look around and then down at my name badge and gasp as it says “Manager” under my name, I smile and say “That’s me, sir, I’m the manager”. I was being awful and petty and he’s beyond angry at this point and raises his finger, stabbing the air around me and says “WHAT’S YOUR NAME?! I’LL BE REPORTING YOU TO HEAD OFFICE” I point at my name badge again and spell out my name “Make sure you spell my name correctly, so many people tend to misspell it”.
He leaves in an angry huff and says he’ll be taking his business elsewhere. He ended up returning an hour later and is now a regular at our store, he greets me by my name every time he comes in.
This is pretty self-explanatory. We get a lot of what I assume people would call “Soccer Moms”. So many orders like this come through and its always from people wearing yoga pants, carrying a Versace bag and wearing really heavy gold chain necklaces. They also always have a phone pressed against their face and a call that they absolutely CANNOT hang up on. I do understand that Skim milk can be a little more gentle on tummies that struggle with lactose (or so I have been told) so I always ensure that the milk is the correct one but it always seems oddly unnecessary for “diet” reasons when you essentially have half a cup of syrup and marshmallows.
Also! A little note for people who love sugary drinks, don’t EVER be ashamed of what you’re ordering. I don’t care if you want ALL syrup, I don’t care if you hate coffee, but it’s my job to ensure you get exactly what you want and you leave with the exact drink you want. Don’t pretend you don’t want any sugar when you truly want 8 but are too embarrassed to say so.
This was on one of our most busiest days of the year, we have two days a year where we make triple what we do on any other usual day, and our shop was full to the brim. A couple came in and sat down at a table set up for 12, there were multiple reserved signs scattered on the table and had menus and cutlery all set up ready to go when the couple sat down at it. I went over and politely asked if they would be able to move to another table, I apologised for the hassle and hoped that they would be understanding as they had just taken their seat and hadn’t settled in yet. The wife immediately got angry at me and said very loudly “No, my husband and I want to sit here.” I pointed at the giant table that they had sat at and reiterated that it was for a table of 12, if she wanted extra table room she could have a table for four but just not THIS table. Behind me I had gotten my coworkers to clear a table with soft couches for her and her husband to sit at. The table of 12 had started to arrive and there was absolutely nowhere else they could sit unless she moved. I was desperate at this point and practically begging her to try the couches to see if she would like that instead, I even offered to give her a meal on the house if she chose to. She looked at her husband and slammed her hands down on the table, snatched the menu out of his hands and threw it on the floor. She pointed in my face and said what she said in the image “I had made a very powerful enemy”. She ended up writing into our head office complaining about how she was treated badly by the staff and that their entire day had been ruined because they hadn’t been able to be served at any local restaurant because they had all been booked out. All she needed to do was move one table over. Her friends in high places turned out to be a person who had a high ranking on Zomato. She also comes in every now and again and always says what a wonderful time she has had.
This might seem a little complicated to understand, but it’s not really once you break it down. Our toasted sandwich menu starts at $3, $3 is for the bread and for each filling you choose it’s worth $1, so a toasted sandwich starting at $3 with two fillings is $5. We have a small part of the menu where it breaks it down for you to make it easier to understand and so when you’re choosing your fillings you will know exactly how much it will cost. This young woman works in a store nearby and said she wanted the two filling sandwich and then ordered six fillings which comes up to $9. When I told her the price for it she was confused and said: “I want the two filling toasted sandwich” then listed six fillings. I broke it right down and explained why it came to $9. She nodded understanding and said she would be right back as she had left her wallet in her office. We made the sandwich, trusting she would be back when I saw her walk past five minutes later with a meal from a neighboring store. She ended up coming back to our store about 6 months later and did the same thing with ordering the two filling sandwich and ordered six fillings so I explained how it all worked out to her and had an “Ah-ha!” moment. She purchased the sandwich and continues to do so every Thursday afternoon.
This was an email sent straight to our Head Office. Any and all complaints can be sent to them through a contact page or Facebook, but this one was sent anonymously through email. We got sent the email and the correspondence that Head Office had with her and even they didn’t understand why she threw the whole muffin away because she didn’t have butter with it. The customer works in a place that would have butter on hand as well. She also sent it anonymously to avoid us knowing who she was but we all knew because she was the only person to make that order that day.
A good rule of thumb I have picked up too is if a person is being rude and then says “I come here all the time” or “I’m a regular here” they are neither of those things. I’ve worked at this particular store for over 4 years and I work very long hours, so I get to know the people who are regulars and I know if you come to the store regularly. This lady had come to our store twice in the past. I don’t know why so many people think that being a regular or coming to places all the time gives them some sort of authority over things as if frequenting a place means that they get to dictate how we do our jobs. It boggles my mind every time they say it. She also returned two or three times later and we made sure to put two butter packets with her muffin each time.
I point out that he is hearing impaired because the only way we can communicate is by writing each other notes so he always has a notebook and a pen or pencil with him. The whole entire staff know him because of his talent and when he enters the store we all wave hello to him. I have taught myself how to say hello and how are you in sign language too which is always nice to do and makes him smile. There’s not much more to say on this one. I still have the drawing hanging up in my bedroom. It was a quick drawing he did in about 10 mins while eating a sandwich.
It’s funny as at the time I was going through a really tough time, I was exhausted from work, had barely slept and when I got this gift I was practically in tears. I’m sure he has no idea how much it meant to me that he chose to draw me but I will always treasure it.
I saved this one until last because even though I have had some really rough experiences while being in this career, or even just this current job, I have also had moments where my breath has been taken away. I have had moments where a customer has treated me so kindly and made me feel so respected and like I was part of their family. I have seen women pregnant and then seen that baby grow up right in front of my eyes and run to hug me when they come to have dinner. Its moments like that when I’ve worked for 14 hours straight and have another shift starting in 8 hours to help get me through it. I have had people lose someone close to them and have no one else to turn to in their time of grief where I lend them a listening ear and a cup of hot tea, something small but can mean the world to them. Or when my elderly customers pull out their iPads and show me pictures of their sons wedding, the pride beaming from their smiles. Its moments like those I remember when I have people raising their voices at me.
The drawing
But Kerri understands that all of the struggles are part of a bigger picture that has plenty of positives as well. Kerri says she genuinely loves her job as well as making people happy and seeing and hopes to keep doing it for as long as she can. “I am so content here and I know my employers are happy with the work I do. And I chose to share my stories because I wanted to share my experiences with people who could relate to it, not only in hospitality but also in retail.”
“I also wanted to show people out there that the people on the other side of the counter aren’t just a uniform,” she added. “We aren’t the business that they are ordering from, we are real people with feelings that can be hurt or made to feel special by the most simple actions. I want people to realize the things they say and do can and will affect us and to be mindful of what they say especially when the situation is out of the staff’s hands. Just really want people to remember we are people too who have loved ones and loves outside of work.”
Oh, and the best part? The background pic with the coffee is an image she took personally after making that cup herself!
People had a lot to say about her work stories
I have only ever worked in customer service and never again. Soooo many customers are absolute a******s. Being a checkout operator we are pretty much the only faces customers see, so we bear the brunt of it. Something is out of stock, it’s our fault. The prices have risen, it’s our fault. We no longer stock an item, it’s our fault. You get the picture. We had a customer abuse all the checkout operators in the express checkout because one of us refused to put rat poison in the same bag as unpackaged fresh fruit and veg. He called us all a bunch of bitches. Another time a man abused me coz my supervisor asked me to close my checkout to have lunch (mind you it was already 2 hours later than I was meant to have my break). We have customers telling us their while life story, I had one talk about being constipated and having to go to hospital and have a colonoscopy. another told me she was a prostitute and the guy with her was her partner and pimp. Customer service sux.
I'm with you. I worked Customer Service for years, mainly counter and phone service. Like dealing with the guy that's angry because we won't fix his generator under warranty because he buried it in sand clogging the fuel lines. The woman who handed my sister her baby because she had to run out to the car to get her wallet. The guy that was screaming at me on the phone that his fridge hadn't been replaced and wanted me to call the manager at home to wake her up (he ignored the directions that said an adult had to be present to receive the fridge replacement..he left his 15 year old son there..the son he was calling a lazy a little S*** for not being home when in fact the kid was home, the father was just to stupid to listen to instructions.) The guy that wanted his dishwasher replaced after a failed attempt to have it fixed under warranty (expired) that resulted in him stabbing the inside liner to try to take advantage of a loophole saying it was guaranteed not to leak. SMH
Load More Replies...Being a manager of a cafe is still the one job I would never want again, but am happy I did. The ugly peoples stories are all true and then some, but we had our regulars who we loved and were always excited to see everyday. I worked open to close 6 days a week for a year before the owner signed our death warrant, "Increase prices but reduce portion sizes and food quality. Our loyal customers would never abandon us." They lasted two months after I walked out right after those words were spoken to me.
You're doing a great job Kerri. I would love to know the exact location of this store in Aukland just so I can be a regular who sits in the store and calls out the stupid people. "Who the f*** orders a mocha with no chocolate?" "Really? You're that f***ing lazy you can't move your a$$ to another seat?" "So you're going to ruin someone's Valentines because you have to be an a$$." I have no tolerance for pompous behavior from people trying to pretend they're important. Some people just shouldn't be in public.
Hahaha! I would like to join you! That would be great lol
Load More Replies...So not about the article, but a little lesson for anyone who cares to read. The term "hearing impaired" actually has a negative connotation in the Deaf community, and is viewed as rude to call someone. It is better to use "hard of hearing" because it is the term preferred by deaf/hard of hearing people. Thank you for listening, and expanding your knowledge
Thank you for the reminder! When I encounter hard of hearing or deaf customers, I try to use the few signs I know. I have a student who is losing her hearing with a degenerative disease, and she is getting acquainted with the local Deaf community, and will continue to do so in college, as she prepares for a future career, adapting for her hearing loss.
Load More Replies..."The client is always right" that is single-handedly the worst advice ever given and has unilaterally destroyed civility and decency towards retail and food service workers because when those jag-offs act entitled because they want their eggs and toasts with a side of bacon and the employee offers you a better deal with the same amount of food and you berate them, they use that c**p.
Working in chainstore retail (also in NZ), I must have heard an indignant “I’m NEVER shopping here again!” one too many times... without pausing or thinking, I responded: “Do you promise?” Also: “I know my rights!” = oh no they don’t. They’re failing to understand the difference between consumer law and customer policy. I actually waded into a dispute when shopping one day, sticking up for the staff against a customer who wanted a promo discount stacked on top of a clearance discount. He thought I was backing him up at first, and couldn’t get out of there fast enough once he realised I was telling him to pull his head in. Then I went around the corner and bought the staff (only four on that shift) a takeaway coffee each, because although customer service is pretty much a minimum wage job in most places, it’s certainly not minimum effort.
I work in a shop that sells luxury underwear, in an outlet mall (so they call the malls that sell branded items at a discounted price from the previous collection) before working here I thought that many things were obvious .. but in reality I had to work with much more trashy clients than I would expect. customers who wanted to change items washed in the washing machine, bought more than a year before (I remember the collections), customers to whom I had to explain that if they want to try briefs they have to do it ABOVE their underwear .. I found tried and stained of blood items of hidden in the corners of the shop .. I had to argue with customers who claimed to change items purchased in another store (and other brand !!), customers who knocked on the entrance door ten minutes after closing on Christmas Eve asking why the store was closed ..before this job i worked with my family in their restaurant and hotel..I thought that these problem existed only in catering world..
Ppl are mean as hell when it comes to retail and the food industry or hospitality industry. You are their servants cuz you work there, or so they think. Some come in w an attitude, and you have to stand there and take it. It's also the most tiring job, cuz the management expects you to always look busy, so you're constantly moving. The last couple of jobs I had was TJ Maxx and Kroger grocery store. I really thought I could just lie down and die, I was so tired. I'd work to set up nice displays, and come back 5 mins later to see someone had trashed it. Constantly picking up stuff off the floor and returning it back the proper place. Good luck to all you workers out there, having to deal w the public!
I wish some people knew what it's like to be in a position like that. She doesn't deserve to be yelled at because she made a REAL macchiato, while she also warned the customer.
In the one where the woman was talking about turning into a monster if she doesn't get her morning coffee, she then says she wants it decaf... wtf. The caffeine is what helps people wake up in the morning
I'm still stuck on why their "iced coffee" is espresso with ice cream, milk, and whipped cream. If i'm ordering an iced coffee, I'm expecting coffee over ice. Am I alone in this?
As an Australian who works in a cafe, and has done for many years, over this way iced coffees are served as mentioned - with ice cream, milk, espresso shot and whipped cream on top. We also put chocolate powder on the whipped cream.
Load More Replies...I worked in a kitchen of restaurant on different food stations. Waitstaff will forever walk on water to me, for what they put up with. The menu CLEARLY stated there was no:tofu, vegan, non dairy, non oil, non gluten, items available. And every single night, at least four requests were made for food we did not create. We even had customers who tried to get into the kitchen (they were "lost") to watch up cook. It was insane.
i can only tell, like it is in germany or italy, as a customer i feel like showing natural respect, and only order from the menu without personalized options. i think its a human & social thing to respect all people no matter what class or service they do.
Skim milk is actually worse for lactose intolerance. It actually has more lactose than whole milk.
The sad part about this is, most folks are acting this way. They believe they have the right to berate and denigrate someone who is serving them. The believe they have te right to make a huge mess and simply leave it. They believe they can do anythi tey like, no matter how rude or disturbing it is to staff and other patrons because it's considered impolite to confront them on their behavior. I don't say this lightly either, it is most people these days.
I have heard, more than once, in the cafe I work in, "don't bother cleaning that up, love, they're paid to do that". The cafe I'm currently in is geared towards children, so mess is to be expected...however, every now and then the mess is so bad, the high chair has to be removed and scrubbed down, and the floor swept and mopped before the next customer can sit there. I've even had someone leave their kids disgusting , slimes, snotty tissues all over the table for me to pick up. Gross.
Load More Replies...The last one is a refreshing dose of hope for humanity after all the awful customer stories
The coffee shop i worked at had the macchiato as well. Luckily just italian peoppe would order it since it was italian owned. At times we would get the young female asking for a macchiato and tell them the size of the drink and what it is. Usually they changed their mind. Also yes, they would order in starbucks sizes. I would have someone work next to us and come in and order a tall. I would be like ok so what is that size for here again, we were comfortable with each other and would laugh it off.
Have the customer pay before receiving their order. That will ensure you do not have any dine/drink-n-dashers.
I love how I’m the end most of the rude people end up being her friends
When I still drank coffee I was at a store when the guy asked me if I wanted room for cream. I said, How about room for some brandy? The guy behind me said he had a bottle of whiskey in the trunk of his car, in his golf bag. haha. This was just outside of San Quentin State Prison and I was waiting for my wife to get off from work, so, no, I wasn't going to drink that guy's whiskey.
I work in customer service. i can understand pretty much everything put down here.
I dream of the day I can order something. I am SO intimidated by the unknown combinations ...
Café Rule of Thumb: The longer it takes to order your coffee the bigger a twat you are.
I’m sure I make mistakes, but I try to be civil and polite if not nice to all people I meet or deal with in life ! It costs nothing ! Treat people as you would like them to treat yourself , is a good maxim to live by .
It's simple. Treat EVERYONE as you would like to be treated yourself. A smile and a kind word costs nothing neither does being polite. Remember the person serving you may be having a bad day but has to hde their feelings behind their smile so say something nice to them beyond the usual comment about the weather, something personal like " I like your top", or I love the way you make the coffee here, It's always just how I like it. Little things mean a lot and can make the person happy. They deserve that. ☺♥
Try being a CSR operator. They can't see you and you can't see them so they think they can get away with being the biggest, rudest a*****e in the universe. I've been a CSR for over 5 years now. I'd like to quit and do something else, but I like the people I work with and I love my boss. She stands up for us to corporate, who is also a huge a*****e. She is the only reason I'm still there. We've got one landscaper who calls in every summer and is a prick. I refuse to talk to him and he's the only one I won't talk to. All of a sudden my phone gets very static-y. Just because you work/live in Teton county doesn't mean you don't wipe your a*s the same way as everyone else.
I only lasted a month in a coffee shop (just not a people person). It was always the old ladies who were the most difficult customers.
Hated my thankfully brief time as a "customer service representative". No, we were not "CSR"s. We were human piñatas thrown to the rabid mob by Corporate HQ. Never. Again.
1. That macchiato sounds delicious! 2. Who puts butter on a muffin? 🤢
I worked my way through high school and college in many areas of the food service business. Both my daughters did the same. It is the best way to really learn people, all people. Gives skills nothing else provided us, and I was a psychology major!
...a lot of folks who come in all cranky, high and mighty are just letting steam out - from work, bad relationships, bad childhoods. Of course it’s not right, but just like you can be there during people’s good moments you will also cross people during their bad ones.
Sometimes it is repeat customers. We had this one bloke that no one ever wanted to serve him because he was a complete a*****e every damn time. He wasn’t the only one either.
Load More Replies...The fact these customers have such "s****y experiences" then still come back enough to be a regular like shall we just forget that one time you yelled at the manager and basically threw your toys out of your pram
Wow. I worked in coffee shops/restaurants in the 90's/early 00's for around about 10 years and I never experienced customers this rude. Are people getting meaner and more spoilt these days?
Oh yeah. People have become more ballsy in the last 10 years thanks to being spoiled. These are mainly the people that grew up never hearing the word "no" and have a meltdown when they hear it for the first time. I also think it's because social media has kept people from interacting with flesh and blood humans..so when a person is faced with an embarrassing moment..they don't know how to handle it. Basically, there are parents out there that forgot to teach their kids manners, compassion and how to deal with stress. I just hope this problem doesn't get worse.
Load More Replies...Oh how I know this. Barista here. Some people just really like to take their everyday frustration (s**t job, crappy sex life, annoying mother-in-law, etc.) on people who work their gastronomy and who can't send them to the f*ck because of the "client's always right, be patient, put on a huge smile"-thing.
Once, in customer service, a customer yelled at me for, and I quote, "being too nice!" "smiling too much!" and something along the lines of not being genuine. We, at Yell-at-Us-inc., would like to assure you we are genuinely pasting on the best smile we can after grueling hours of dealing with you jerkfaces. Next time you see a customer service person looking "fake"... it's probably that their feet hurt and the person before you reached unprecedented decibels. It's called soldiering-on, everyone.
The one that stated "If I don't get my coffee first thing in the morning I'm such a huge monster! Rawr! Okay! Can I have a large decaf White chocolate Mocha, with SKIM MILK. I cannot stress the SKIM MILK enough, I'm really trying to watch my diet. Also add some marshmallows and three extra pumps of white chocolate for me will ya sweetie?" I don't think this one is a 'horror story' I think it's just a struggling dieter who has a great exciting personality who is awesome at small talk, like that person seems like such a fun person and fun to have at a party.
Years ago, I was a cashier at a clothing store. I was checking out this woman. Her daughter kept pushing buttons on the credit card machine on the other side. Every time she pushed a button, my register stopped working. So I kindly asked her daughter to stop pushing buttons. She screamed at me for talking to her daughter and that if her daughter wanted to push button, let her. Trust me she was cursing and very rude. Well after 30 minutes, I'm still trying to ring her up and then she wanted to talk to my manager because I took too long. My manager kicked her out and took all the clothes back. I absolutely hate customer service job. I haven't done it in years but you'd have to pay me a lot to deal with them ever again. It's so why I try really hard to be nice to cashier/customer service representatives
"I don’t know Starbucks sizes, I get told “Tall”, “Grande” and “Venti” more times than I can count and genuinely have no idea what those sizes are." There only three main sizes. Having memory problems can be tough. Good for you for attaining such a good position despite not being able to remember something that, apparently, comes up often. Seriously though. This whole things seems like it should have been a personal journal rant. You clearly don't like your job. You know what would be even better than just complaining about the people who help pay your salary? Nine great customers who made your day!
My wife works as a supervisor at a Coffee shop.. This Bored Panda Poster write...." I don’t know Starbucks sizes, I get told “Tall”, “Grande” and “Venti” more times than I can count and genuinely have no idea what those sizes are." You still don't know? Really? There are only three main ones but I understand, memory problems are tough. This whole things seems more like a personal journal entry about crappy days. You clearly don't like your job.
Rule of Thumb: The longer it takes to order your coffee the bigger the twat you are.
I'm so grateful for people like you who have the job of service and making food, and wish more people felt the same way instead of being horrible and rude to you and other food service people
I work in a cafe, and have worked in various cafes for over 20 years as both a waitress/kitchen hand and barista. It's an interesting job; so many lovely regular customers that light up your day, then there's the fools that think anyone working in a cafe must have a double digit iq. I've been spoken to poorly many times, and usually I'm dumbfounded, or amused. One lady I remember asked for a cappuccino, when I asked whether that was in a cup or a mug, she looked at me like I was an idiot, "I just said cappuccino" then more slowly "cup-a-chino". She thought it was called cup-a-chino, because it comes in cups, and the those is mugs are called "mug-a-chinos". She walked away rolling her eyes like I was a dimwit...oh how I'd love to say what I think sometimes.
My advice to her or anyone thinking of going into the service industry is quit/don't start. People suck and my goal in life is to avoid them. ~Blissfully single and intending to stay that way.
The customer is wrong, like 90% of the time. Sadly, you can't punch them in the face, and get away with it.
I worked my way through uni in hospitality. Most memorable moment was group of Bikies had a function. Yes function at a 5 star hotel 30 years ago. They ended up at nightclub connected to hotel the night I was on. All went well until the wives left. Then I was kissed fast and hard and thrown over shoulder and taken to bar to find out how many drinks they could get for returning me unharmed. Luckily they let me go with wink and laugh but unfortunately as they threw me over their shoulder my wrist collided with a Glass Beer jug. Beer Jug 1 Wrist 0. 2 broken fingers. Taped and kept working. Life was different when I was younger.
I worked at a grocery store for over 10 years, never had a real problem.
Reading about these people being d*cks makes me feel better about myself, because my worst gaucheries - and they are bad! - are still tame in comparison. Also, these stories make one wonder about the intellectual capacity of some of those jerks. #1, #2 and #8 give me the impression that they're all a few jockeys shy of a horse race.
This brought up some memories that I thought I had buried deep inside of me. Oh the magic of Macy's.
What kind of coffee shop do you work at that has table service and all this fancy stuff? Wow I'm jealous! 🙈
That's a standard cafe in Australia and NZ. Our town is full of cafes like this, too many to be honest.
Load More Replies...Isn't Mocha coffee chocolate anyway? Ahh customer service. The stupid is strong with some.
Even though i been working customer service for 7 years it has been like a wild rollercoaster ride i mean u meet so many people every single day going in and out thar door some havr there good days some have there bad days but at the end of the f*****g day u just have to learn how to deal with it so u won't loose your job. Because once u stoop to there level and act just like they act u gone automatically loose yo dam job and don't think yo boss or yo manager is going to give u a second chance because they not once they see u f**k up the first time that's it yo a*s is grass. So i learn and had my days of being a customer service/ manager at Starbucks and choose not to take that path anymore.
I thought it was very enjoyable. The stories are about experiences, not about comedy.
Load More Replies...I have only ever worked in customer service and never again. Soooo many customers are absolute a******s. Being a checkout operator we are pretty much the only faces customers see, so we bear the brunt of it. Something is out of stock, it’s our fault. The prices have risen, it’s our fault. We no longer stock an item, it’s our fault. You get the picture. We had a customer abuse all the checkout operators in the express checkout because one of us refused to put rat poison in the same bag as unpackaged fresh fruit and veg. He called us all a bunch of bitches. Another time a man abused me coz my supervisor asked me to close my checkout to have lunch (mind you it was already 2 hours later than I was meant to have my break). We have customers telling us their while life story, I had one talk about being constipated and having to go to hospital and have a colonoscopy. another told me she was a prostitute and the guy with her was her partner and pimp. Customer service sux.
I'm with you. I worked Customer Service for years, mainly counter and phone service. Like dealing with the guy that's angry because we won't fix his generator under warranty because he buried it in sand clogging the fuel lines. The woman who handed my sister her baby because she had to run out to the car to get her wallet. The guy that was screaming at me on the phone that his fridge hadn't been replaced and wanted me to call the manager at home to wake her up (he ignored the directions that said an adult had to be present to receive the fridge replacement..he left his 15 year old son there..the son he was calling a lazy a little S*** for not being home when in fact the kid was home, the father was just to stupid to listen to instructions.) The guy that wanted his dishwasher replaced after a failed attempt to have it fixed under warranty (expired) that resulted in him stabbing the inside liner to try to take advantage of a loophole saying it was guaranteed not to leak. SMH
Load More Replies...Being a manager of a cafe is still the one job I would never want again, but am happy I did. The ugly peoples stories are all true and then some, but we had our regulars who we loved and were always excited to see everyday. I worked open to close 6 days a week for a year before the owner signed our death warrant, "Increase prices but reduce portion sizes and food quality. Our loyal customers would never abandon us." They lasted two months after I walked out right after those words were spoken to me.
You're doing a great job Kerri. I would love to know the exact location of this store in Aukland just so I can be a regular who sits in the store and calls out the stupid people. "Who the f*** orders a mocha with no chocolate?" "Really? You're that f***ing lazy you can't move your a$$ to another seat?" "So you're going to ruin someone's Valentines because you have to be an a$$." I have no tolerance for pompous behavior from people trying to pretend they're important. Some people just shouldn't be in public.
Hahaha! I would like to join you! That would be great lol
Load More Replies...So not about the article, but a little lesson for anyone who cares to read. The term "hearing impaired" actually has a negative connotation in the Deaf community, and is viewed as rude to call someone. It is better to use "hard of hearing" because it is the term preferred by deaf/hard of hearing people. Thank you for listening, and expanding your knowledge
Thank you for the reminder! When I encounter hard of hearing or deaf customers, I try to use the few signs I know. I have a student who is losing her hearing with a degenerative disease, and she is getting acquainted with the local Deaf community, and will continue to do so in college, as she prepares for a future career, adapting for her hearing loss.
Load More Replies..."The client is always right" that is single-handedly the worst advice ever given and has unilaterally destroyed civility and decency towards retail and food service workers because when those jag-offs act entitled because they want their eggs and toasts with a side of bacon and the employee offers you a better deal with the same amount of food and you berate them, they use that c**p.
Working in chainstore retail (also in NZ), I must have heard an indignant “I’m NEVER shopping here again!” one too many times... without pausing or thinking, I responded: “Do you promise?” Also: “I know my rights!” = oh no they don’t. They’re failing to understand the difference between consumer law and customer policy. I actually waded into a dispute when shopping one day, sticking up for the staff against a customer who wanted a promo discount stacked on top of a clearance discount. He thought I was backing him up at first, and couldn’t get out of there fast enough once he realised I was telling him to pull his head in. Then I went around the corner and bought the staff (only four on that shift) a takeaway coffee each, because although customer service is pretty much a minimum wage job in most places, it’s certainly not minimum effort.
I work in a shop that sells luxury underwear, in an outlet mall (so they call the malls that sell branded items at a discounted price from the previous collection) before working here I thought that many things were obvious .. but in reality I had to work with much more trashy clients than I would expect. customers who wanted to change items washed in the washing machine, bought more than a year before (I remember the collections), customers to whom I had to explain that if they want to try briefs they have to do it ABOVE their underwear .. I found tried and stained of blood items of hidden in the corners of the shop .. I had to argue with customers who claimed to change items purchased in another store (and other brand !!), customers who knocked on the entrance door ten minutes after closing on Christmas Eve asking why the store was closed ..before this job i worked with my family in their restaurant and hotel..I thought that these problem existed only in catering world..
Ppl are mean as hell when it comes to retail and the food industry or hospitality industry. You are their servants cuz you work there, or so they think. Some come in w an attitude, and you have to stand there and take it. It's also the most tiring job, cuz the management expects you to always look busy, so you're constantly moving. The last couple of jobs I had was TJ Maxx and Kroger grocery store. I really thought I could just lie down and die, I was so tired. I'd work to set up nice displays, and come back 5 mins later to see someone had trashed it. Constantly picking up stuff off the floor and returning it back the proper place. Good luck to all you workers out there, having to deal w the public!
I wish some people knew what it's like to be in a position like that. She doesn't deserve to be yelled at because she made a REAL macchiato, while she also warned the customer.
In the one where the woman was talking about turning into a monster if she doesn't get her morning coffee, she then says she wants it decaf... wtf. The caffeine is what helps people wake up in the morning
I'm still stuck on why their "iced coffee" is espresso with ice cream, milk, and whipped cream. If i'm ordering an iced coffee, I'm expecting coffee over ice. Am I alone in this?
As an Australian who works in a cafe, and has done for many years, over this way iced coffees are served as mentioned - with ice cream, milk, espresso shot and whipped cream on top. We also put chocolate powder on the whipped cream.
Load More Replies...I worked in a kitchen of restaurant on different food stations. Waitstaff will forever walk on water to me, for what they put up with. The menu CLEARLY stated there was no:tofu, vegan, non dairy, non oil, non gluten, items available. And every single night, at least four requests were made for food we did not create. We even had customers who tried to get into the kitchen (they were "lost") to watch up cook. It was insane.
i can only tell, like it is in germany or italy, as a customer i feel like showing natural respect, and only order from the menu without personalized options. i think its a human & social thing to respect all people no matter what class or service they do.
Skim milk is actually worse for lactose intolerance. It actually has more lactose than whole milk.
The sad part about this is, most folks are acting this way. They believe they have the right to berate and denigrate someone who is serving them. The believe they have te right to make a huge mess and simply leave it. They believe they can do anythi tey like, no matter how rude or disturbing it is to staff and other patrons because it's considered impolite to confront them on their behavior. I don't say this lightly either, it is most people these days.
I have heard, more than once, in the cafe I work in, "don't bother cleaning that up, love, they're paid to do that". The cafe I'm currently in is geared towards children, so mess is to be expected...however, every now and then the mess is so bad, the high chair has to be removed and scrubbed down, and the floor swept and mopped before the next customer can sit there. I've even had someone leave their kids disgusting , slimes, snotty tissues all over the table for me to pick up. Gross.
Load More Replies...The last one is a refreshing dose of hope for humanity after all the awful customer stories
The coffee shop i worked at had the macchiato as well. Luckily just italian peoppe would order it since it was italian owned. At times we would get the young female asking for a macchiato and tell them the size of the drink and what it is. Usually they changed their mind. Also yes, they would order in starbucks sizes. I would have someone work next to us and come in and order a tall. I would be like ok so what is that size for here again, we were comfortable with each other and would laugh it off.
Have the customer pay before receiving their order. That will ensure you do not have any dine/drink-n-dashers.
I love how I’m the end most of the rude people end up being her friends
When I still drank coffee I was at a store when the guy asked me if I wanted room for cream. I said, How about room for some brandy? The guy behind me said he had a bottle of whiskey in the trunk of his car, in his golf bag. haha. This was just outside of San Quentin State Prison and I was waiting for my wife to get off from work, so, no, I wasn't going to drink that guy's whiskey.
I work in customer service. i can understand pretty much everything put down here.
I dream of the day I can order something. I am SO intimidated by the unknown combinations ...
Café Rule of Thumb: The longer it takes to order your coffee the bigger a twat you are.
I’m sure I make mistakes, but I try to be civil and polite if not nice to all people I meet or deal with in life ! It costs nothing ! Treat people as you would like them to treat yourself , is a good maxim to live by .
It's simple. Treat EVERYONE as you would like to be treated yourself. A smile and a kind word costs nothing neither does being polite. Remember the person serving you may be having a bad day but has to hde their feelings behind their smile so say something nice to them beyond the usual comment about the weather, something personal like " I like your top", or I love the way you make the coffee here, It's always just how I like it. Little things mean a lot and can make the person happy. They deserve that. ☺♥
Try being a CSR operator. They can't see you and you can't see them so they think they can get away with being the biggest, rudest a*****e in the universe. I've been a CSR for over 5 years now. I'd like to quit and do something else, but I like the people I work with and I love my boss. She stands up for us to corporate, who is also a huge a*****e. She is the only reason I'm still there. We've got one landscaper who calls in every summer and is a prick. I refuse to talk to him and he's the only one I won't talk to. All of a sudden my phone gets very static-y. Just because you work/live in Teton county doesn't mean you don't wipe your a*s the same way as everyone else.
I only lasted a month in a coffee shop (just not a people person). It was always the old ladies who were the most difficult customers.
Hated my thankfully brief time as a "customer service representative". No, we were not "CSR"s. We were human piñatas thrown to the rabid mob by Corporate HQ. Never. Again.
1. That macchiato sounds delicious! 2. Who puts butter on a muffin? 🤢
I worked my way through high school and college in many areas of the food service business. Both my daughters did the same. It is the best way to really learn people, all people. Gives skills nothing else provided us, and I was a psychology major!
...a lot of folks who come in all cranky, high and mighty are just letting steam out - from work, bad relationships, bad childhoods. Of course it’s not right, but just like you can be there during people’s good moments you will also cross people during their bad ones.
Sometimes it is repeat customers. We had this one bloke that no one ever wanted to serve him because he was a complete a*****e every damn time. He wasn’t the only one either.
Load More Replies...The fact these customers have such "s****y experiences" then still come back enough to be a regular like shall we just forget that one time you yelled at the manager and basically threw your toys out of your pram
Wow. I worked in coffee shops/restaurants in the 90's/early 00's for around about 10 years and I never experienced customers this rude. Are people getting meaner and more spoilt these days?
Oh yeah. People have become more ballsy in the last 10 years thanks to being spoiled. These are mainly the people that grew up never hearing the word "no" and have a meltdown when they hear it for the first time. I also think it's because social media has kept people from interacting with flesh and blood humans..so when a person is faced with an embarrassing moment..they don't know how to handle it. Basically, there are parents out there that forgot to teach their kids manners, compassion and how to deal with stress. I just hope this problem doesn't get worse.
Load More Replies...Oh how I know this. Barista here. Some people just really like to take their everyday frustration (s**t job, crappy sex life, annoying mother-in-law, etc.) on people who work their gastronomy and who can't send them to the f*ck because of the "client's always right, be patient, put on a huge smile"-thing.
Once, in customer service, a customer yelled at me for, and I quote, "being too nice!" "smiling too much!" and something along the lines of not being genuine. We, at Yell-at-Us-inc., would like to assure you we are genuinely pasting on the best smile we can after grueling hours of dealing with you jerkfaces. Next time you see a customer service person looking "fake"... it's probably that their feet hurt and the person before you reached unprecedented decibels. It's called soldiering-on, everyone.
The one that stated "If I don't get my coffee first thing in the morning I'm such a huge monster! Rawr! Okay! Can I have a large decaf White chocolate Mocha, with SKIM MILK. I cannot stress the SKIM MILK enough, I'm really trying to watch my diet. Also add some marshmallows and three extra pumps of white chocolate for me will ya sweetie?" I don't think this one is a 'horror story' I think it's just a struggling dieter who has a great exciting personality who is awesome at small talk, like that person seems like such a fun person and fun to have at a party.
Years ago, I was a cashier at a clothing store. I was checking out this woman. Her daughter kept pushing buttons on the credit card machine on the other side. Every time she pushed a button, my register stopped working. So I kindly asked her daughter to stop pushing buttons. She screamed at me for talking to her daughter and that if her daughter wanted to push button, let her. Trust me she was cursing and very rude. Well after 30 minutes, I'm still trying to ring her up and then she wanted to talk to my manager because I took too long. My manager kicked her out and took all the clothes back. I absolutely hate customer service job. I haven't done it in years but you'd have to pay me a lot to deal with them ever again. It's so why I try really hard to be nice to cashier/customer service representatives
"I don’t know Starbucks sizes, I get told “Tall”, “Grande” and “Venti” more times than I can count and genuinely have no idea what those sizes are." There only three main sizes. Having memory problems can be tough. Good for you for attaining such a good position despite not being able to remember something that, apparently, comes up often. Seriously though. This whole things seems like it should have been a personal journal rant. You clearly don't like your job. You know what would be even better than just complaining about the people who help pay your salary? Nine great customers who made your day!
My wife works as a supervisor at a Coffee shop.. This Bored Panda Poster write...." I don’t know Starbucks sizes, I get told “Tall”, “Grande” and “Venti” more times than I can count and genuinely have no idea what those sizes are." You still don't know? Really? There are only three main ones but I understand, memory problems are tough. This whole things seems more like a personal journal entry about crappy days. You clearly don't like your job.
Rule of Thumb: The longer it takes to order your coffee the bigger the twat you are.
I'm so grateful for people like you who have the job of service and making food, and wish more people felt the same way instead of being horrible and rude to you and other food service people
I work in a cafe, and have worked in various cafes for over 20 years as both a waitress/kitchen hand and barista. It's an interesting job; so many lovely regular customers that light up your day, then there's the fools that think anyone working in a cafe must have a double digit iq. I've been spoken to poorly many times, and usually I'm dumbfounded, or amused. One lady I remember asked for a cappuccino, when I asked whether that was in a cup or a mug, she looked at me like I was an idiot, "I just said cappuccino" then more slowly "cup-a-chino". She thought it was called cup-a-chino, because it comes in cups, and the those is mugs are called "mug-a-chinos". She walked away rolling her eyes like I was a dimwit...oh how I'd love to say what I think sometimes.
My advice to her or anyone thinking of going into the service industry is quit/don't start. People suck and my goal in life is to avoid them. ~Blissfully single and intending to stay that way.
The customer is wrong, like 90% of the time. Sadly, you can't punch them in the face, and get away with it.
I worked my way through uni in hospitality. Most memorable moment was group of Bikies had a function. Yes function at a 5 star hotel 30 years ago. They ended up at nightclub connected to hotel the night I was on. All went well until the wives left. Then I was kissed fast and hard and thrown over shoulder and taken to bar to find out how many drinks they could get for returning me unharmed. Luckily they let me go with wink and laugh but unfortunately as they threw me over their shoulder my wrist collided with a Glass Beer jug. Beer Jug 1 Wrist 0. 2 broken fingers. Taped and kept working. Life was different when I was younger.
I worked at a grocery store for over 10 years, never had a real problem.
Reading about these people being d*cks makes me feel better about myself, because my worst gaucheries - and they are bad! - are still tame in comparison. Also, these stories make one wonder about the intellectual capacity of some of those jerks. #1, #2 and #8 give me the impression that they're all a few jockeys shy of a horse race.
This brought up some memories that I thought I had buried deep inside of me. Oh the magic of Macy's.
What kind of coffee shop do you work at that has table service and all this fancy stuff? Wow I'm jealous! 🙈
That's a standard cafe in Australia and NZ. Our town is full of cafes like this, too many to be honest.
Load More Replies...Isn't Mocha coffee chocolate anyway? Ahh customer service. The stupid is strong with some.
Even though i been working customer service for 7 years it has been like a wild rollercoaster ride i mean u meet so many people every single day going in and out thar door some havr there good days some have there bad days but at the end of the f*****g day u just have to learn how to deal with it so u won't loose your job. Because once u stoop to there level and act just like they act u gone automatically loose yo dam job and don't think yo boss or yo manager is going to give u a second chance because they not once they see u f**k up the first time that's it yo a*s is grass. So i learn and had my days of being a customer service/ manager at Starbucks and choose not to take that path anymore.
I thought it was very enjoyable. The stories are about experiences, not about comedy.
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