You know how you enter the store to get some milk, only to see the shelf full of pinot grigio right in the way, staring at you with no place to hide? This moment of pure impromptu is basically the essence of the “decisions were made here” meme that shows the lonely product (one intended to buy) standing in the midst of the indulgence section, whether it’s beer or ice cream.
But no matter how funny it may be in the joke format, the reality is a tiny bit different. It turns out, it’s one of the most annoying things customers do while shopping, according to supermarket employees—not even mentioning taking a thing out of its package and leaving it lying out somewhere.
Below is the list of seriously annoying stuff we should all quit immediately if we ever want good shopping karma.
This post may include affiliate links.
Accurate
When People Stop In The Middle Of An Aisle And Act Like They're The Only Ones In The Store
This really annoys me, especially when you say excuse me and they act like you are the one being rude interrupting their conversation.
I get so passive aggressive in these situations. I usually just stand there and stare at them until they notice me. Then they always look at me like I'm a complete weirdo, but I like to believe that it gets the point across a bit better.
I say, a bit loudly, "Excuse me!" Keep it polite, but make it obvious they need to MOVE IT.
Load More Replies...
Don't forget about driving down a side street & 2 other vehicles are sitting next to each other, facing the opposite way in the middle of that street while 'catching up' for 5 minutes. Ggrrrr!
Hey I know! How about you both stand on the same side of the aisle and have this conversation?
hhhhhh my mom does this,, i just stand there awkwardly and it's the worst thing ever
Face the other direction and take an intense interest in whatever’s right in front of you.
Load More Replies...
I usually get this when I get off the escalator, going up or down. Are people this oblivious to their surroundings?
I hate when my friends try to do this to me. There's always a café either in store or nearby and I say "Are getting anything that can't keep for too long? Nope? Meet me in the café and I will buy us both a drink and we can chat" A nice coffee and comfy seat out of everyones way to relax and chat and catch up for a bit. Nice
Maybe bring a bell to the supermarket for cases like this. A big bell might be too much and ring when it is not necessary. But like a bell that goes on a bike for example. I often get overlooked because I am in a wheelchair, so I am at a lower level that most people. But I don't care, I ask if they can move and if they don't hear me, I tap them on the shoulder (if I can reach their shoulder, otherwise on their back). Always does the trick. At least until now, lol. But I don't know how people in other countries (many people from the USA over here I guess, though many other nationalities too) react to that.
I don't have a bell but I do have a gag-gift button that makes farting noise. It works to get people out of my way.
Load More Replies...
This happens at Wal-Mart all the time, so annoying! My dad curses at them.
i dont mind this but i always try to be polite and say excuse me and usually they're cool with it
If you get close to them and start talking to yourself while not making eye contact with them, they'll move. You need to say this : "Now where did I leave my dildo? I wish Johnny wouldn't pick his nose all the time. Her feet stink. I like green. It's always the cashews !! Never the pecans !! And then I'll dump the trash all over the floor. Oh there's my dildo... I feel it now!!"
Load More Replies...
Standing in the way of others make you look fat. When the story is retold you will be fatter.
Or when someone leaves their cart in the middle and there's not enough room to get around it… I find that being LOUD AND FRIENDLY gets me through, "PLEASE MOVE YOUR CART CO I CAN PASS." If they give a dirty look, NOT MY PROBLEM!
Omg! Some clueless old dad was taking up the whole aisle with his confused toddler, Talking On The Phone asking what kind of diapers. I said "Excuse Me" 3 times so I could turn down the aisle. HE Yells at ME "Can't you see I'm on the phone!!" Whaa...???
I'm surprised I haven't arrested for assault! This drives me nuts.
You gotta have fun with these people. Ever watch a Marx Brothers movie... you know Groucho, Harpo, Zeppo, Chico and Gummo. Think about Harpo's goofy face and try to imitate that look when you look at them. Stand close to them and look at them like that. And then belch real loud and smile.
Load More Replies...
And then they get put out and annoyed because you say 'excuse me" because you want to pass through.
Never say excuse me. Fart or belch real loud right next to them. Guarantee they'll move
Load More Replies...
And in hallways - people, take the left half or the right half, NOT THE MIDDLE HALF!!!
This just happened today, I was walking to one of my classes, and the teachers just thought it would be awesome to stand in front of the door and have a full-blown conversation. I had to walk right through the middle of their conversation to get into my classroom. Ugh.
Just stand next to them and smile, shake your head in agreement. They'll get uncomfortable and move. You can't laugh when you do this though.
Load More Replies...
In hallways at work. Bottoms of escalators, tops of escalators, elevator lobby, vestibules...I especially love walking *through* the thing and talking loudly to whomever I'm with about the right places to have conferences.
It’s the perfect situation for a passive-aggressive approach
Load More Replies...
I just barge through on my wheelcbair or better still sometimes join in lol
After reading all these it doesn't seem as bad being home bound. I like the bicycle bell idea though, maybe it would bring back child like fun feelings.
That's why I like the fart button! It releases my inner child.
Load More Replies...
I move them... I excuse myself and offer for them to park their baskets and talk on the same side of the aisle...
I must admit last time I just bumped into one woman‘s shopping cart on purpose. Felt bad about it afterwards, but currently, I encounter 10 people like that while grocery shopping and at some point, I just lost it. Can’t we expect adults to THINK about their surroundings? -.-
OOOHHH.... what about when they park the trolley and walk to the other end. Then look at you like you a criminal when you move their trolley to get the the goods
My mom does this, and im on the side thinking " how does anyone not hate me?"
Or let me leave my cart in the middle of the aisle while i go and look at something far away from my cart.
In that case, you need to put items into their cart so they're surprised when they get to the cashier. Just grab a few things off the shelf there and in the cart they go. Don't over-do it or they'll notice right away.
Load More Replies...
This is my dad and eventually I wander off and go somewhere more interesting. When it's other people I just say excuse. Sometimes they will get mad, but for the most part they are cool about it.
TARGET. I won't shop there anymore cause I can't walk down a single aisle.
my mom does this, then proceeds to introduce me to her friend´s kid, then I have to wait like 10 minutes to actually go shopping
And when it happens at the door and you're trying to get through lol
Hate this when happen, if I ask can I get through they giving me filthy look.
Fkn annoying! Especially people waiting at the bus stops. I actually see a woman with a kid in the pram needing to get passed and everyone still stood in the way. She actually had to push her child in the road to get by! The good thing that has come out of covid is that people actually step aside instead of bumping in to me.
OH F**K YES, I HATE WHEN PEOPLE DO THIS, ESPECIALLY THESE DAYS! WHAT KIND OF SELFISH MORON ARE YOU?
We're in the middle of a global pandemic, we're meant to limit the amount of contact we have with other people, and yet we STILL get these idiots clogging up supermarket aisles. If I had my way, they'd be firmly shown the way out and given a lifetime ban!
Yeah lets NOT do that pls stop standing there im tryna get groceries!
This pisses off customers, too. GET OUT OF THE WAY OF THE REST OF THE WORLD, KAREN AND STACY! THIS IS NOT YOUR LIVING ROOM!
Stop using the name 'Karen'. It's racist. If you look it up, you'll see a Karen is either from an Asian tribe or a white woman. Racist all the way. Knock it off.
Load More Replies...
I always speak up in a friendly tone excuse me ladies ad the please if they don't turn, I say it louder THANKYOU HAVE A NICE DAY .That always get them
As a customer, I hate this as much if not more than the store staff!
This drives me NUTS at the best of times but right now, during a global pandemic, it absolutely infuriates me! Our lock down rules in Scotland had eased but they are now back in place. But when we were in full lock down, I saw people STILL doing this in supermarkets! They seemed to think they were OK because they were standing in at the shelves on opposite sides of the aisle so they were far enough apart from each other - but they didn't leave enough room for people to walk past them and still maintain the 2m distance that we all needed to adhere to to keep us safe as well! All I can say is that I'm glad I don't have teeth and that I can't wear my dentures! I'd have had no feckin tongue left if I did have teeth, I needed to bite it that much during the initial lock down! But I developed an even bigger dislike of people as a result of it!
I just shove right through them. If they say ANYTHING to me, I blast them with as much hatred and venom as I possibly can, as LOUD as I can!
Oh man, you need to play with these people. Pretend you're Borat and fool on them. Grab onto their cart to make like you need it for balance and take your shoe off. Play with your feet and then put your hand all over their cart and an item or 2 in their cart. Hahahahaha
Load More Replies...
Hmm - but that's life though? You meet someone, maybe it HAS been a long time - you're in the moment, you're tunnel visioning. Everyone has done it.
Yeah, but you can try and find an area where you're not blocking people and preventing them from getting on with their day.
Load More Replies...
Oh my goodness. Talking is important, especially nowadays, and everybody can say : sorry, may I pass. That really cant be a problem. A problem is beeing an a**hole, not chatting
omg this drives me insane. I need a horn on my cart. lol just call me karen !! hahahaha i'm laughing at myself now... wow.
Calling someone a 'Karen' is very racist. Look up the definition and you'll see the regualr defintion is someone belonging to an Asian tribe. The urban slang definition is a white woman. The term itself was started by blacks. Kinda like calling a white person a "cracker". So unless you're racist, don't use it.
Load More Replies...
Just to be the voice of dissent: I mean, if I ran into someone I haven't seen in a long time, I would probably hang out for a little bit to talk to them. It's exciting when this happens.
When this happens I always take great pleasure in walking right between them and just inwardly daring them to to express their disapproval just so I can have the other great pleasure of giving it back with both barrels blazing.
As a mum, sometimes this is the only time we have for socializing. Get over yourselves and if someone is being inconsiderate and taking too much space, kindly say 'excuse me'. I'm sure they didn't notice and were just excited.
Unfortunately, these days, those who are most likely to be standing around the aisles blocking them while discussing their social lives are the supermarket workers! Really, really, really annoying!!!
"If You Let Your Kids Do This, [screw] You."
!["If You Let Your Kids Do This, [screw] You."](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/5f92a01806dc0_YOx7EgQ__700.jpg "\"If You Let Your Kids Do This, [screw] You.\"")
This is really annoying. What kind of parents are them? How do they educate those children?
Back in the 1950s and '60s, the vibe at supermarkets was totally different. According to author Blake Morgan, “brands treated customers like they didn’t have brain cells and used loud and obnoxious voices and obviously exaggerated print.”
It all changed with Ogilvy, the father of advertising who said that you gotta treat customers like you treat your family members. Because, essentially, they’re potential clients.
Then, the now-famous phrase “the customer is always right” was pioneered by successful retailers named Harry Gordon Selfridge, John Wanamaker, and Marshall Field. This approach stuck with us for many years to come, and it’s still in use today. But critics claim it doesn’t work in the current times.
If You Really Love Your Heros, Consider This
Yes, calling people 'heroes' for doing their jobs is a good way to pat them on the back, congratulate them and avoid thinking about work conditions and salaries.
"Retail Workers Know What I Mean"
Getting Told The Same Joke
In the times of consumerism, customers are no longer the perfect beings worthy of praise. According to the author Alexander Kjerulf, sticking to the “customer is always right” mantra has multiple adverse effects.
It makes employees unhappy, it gives abrasive customers an unfair advantage, it results in worse customer service, and it ignores the fact that some customers are just plain wrong.
Even if being customer-centric is part of the customer experience, that doesn’t mean brands and companies have to follow it blindly. They should rather seek a smart balance in making both customers and their workers equally happy.
"Working In Retail Is A Special Type Of Hell"
When I was a kid, customers had to pay for stuff they dropped and destoyed. Doesn't seem a thing anymore.
This Is Accurate
Customers Who Don't Say Hi
I always say Hi and I'm very cheerful about it because I feel like they have taken the time to be nice
When They Act Like Masks Don't Apply To Them
Sounds About Right
All The Employees Have To Do Is Put Stuff Away...right?
"If you do this, f**k you."
When Customers Leave Stuff From Other Aisles In Places They Shouldn't Be
You don't have to work in a supermarket to hate this...I feel for you all.
"I Think We All Can Relate. Am I Right?"
When They Tell Employees Their Whole Life Story
Yup, I have heard about a women having a colonoscopy, a woman being a prostitute and that the fella with her was her pimp and bf, a guy with a big bandage telling me about his infection that was literally oozing pus etc. Some things we just don’t need or want to know.
"Any Season"
When Guests Forget The Entire Reason Employees Are In The Store
When They Walk In Just Before Closing
Just close the doors 5 to 10 minutes minutes before closing time and only let customers out. Common practice in the Netherlands.
When Customers Forget How A Store Works
When They Come .5 Seconds Before Closing Time
In my country it is mandatory by law to have 'online cash registers' everywhere, that works like sending all data directly to some tax office or anything. It means if a shop is officially open from like 9 to 18, they can't sell you stuff AFTER 18, because register will note the tax office that out of business hours this shop was doing business. Therefore, shops can legally tell people who come this late that sorry, if you can't make your purchase in the next ten seconds, we can't legally serve you.
"Black Friday As A Wal-Mart Employee."
When Customers Leave Their Dirty Trash In The Carts
Customers Are Relentless
"Well, let me think a bit about this generous offer you made... NO!"
Even Though Zebra Says 1 But Not Binned In Anywhere
You just go in the back, rest for 5 minutes and come back to tell him "No. We don't have it. I checked everywhere"
Things-Supermarket-Employees-Hate
And yet I did get charged twice at a bookstore once when this happened. Took forever to get my money back. I realize that's an exception, not the rule, but I am wary now.
"Why I Hate Working In Retail."
When Customers Disappear After Employees Go Into The Back To Get Something For Them
Reminds me the scene with Rowan Atkinson and Alan Rickman in the movie "Love Actually"
Cough Cough
I feel awful for my son. He spits when he talks because of a few reasons. He has a lateral lisp which causes excess saliva and he has low muscle tone in his mouth which causes him to still dribble and not have as much control as most people do. I worry how that will impact him as he gets older.
Those Coupons Though
*Beverly Goldberg (please tell me you guys watch that show).
When People Leave Food In A Cart
Carts need a sign, like, “Don’t complain about rising prices of food when you do this s**t!”
When People Take Something Out Of Its Package And Just Leave It There
I admit: I did that once or twice. The packaging had no information about the fabric on it, but I need that info for my decision. Afterwards I really really tried getting the stuff back in the packaging, but gave up after 5 to 10 minutes. If the damn manufacturer is not able to print the f*****g type of fabric on the packaging and I have no chance getting the stuff back in the packaging because it was packed under a vacuum... sorry. And yes. I asked staff about the type of fabric, and mostly the answer is a blank stare and an „I don’t know...“
When They Beckon An Employee Over Like They're A Trained Animal
Things Supermarket Employees Hate
Who Just Decided "No" On The TV?
I really don't understand how people can do things like this. It's so...
When They Don't Recognize The Difference Between In-Store And Online
"98% Of Customers Are Illiterate"
Sometimes this discount applies only to certain items and it isn't always clear which one
People Who Shop At The Absolute Last Minute
In a way I wish we had coupons like they do in the US but as a past checkout operator I am also glad we don’t. Takes up so much time.
Note: this post originally had 53 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.
Everyone should have to work in a service industry job for a month (at least). I'm pretty sure it would cut down on a lot of this sort of thing happening.
I wish I could up vote you 1000 times.
Load More Replies...
I do not think this reflects normal customer behaviour. One respectless will outweighs 99 considerate ones. And most of the things shown here are likewise annoying to other customers than to staff.
It doesn't, 95% of people don't do any of this. But you don't hear about the boring normal customers.
Load More Replies...
I think I could never work on retail. If I'd see any of the crap people pull I'd lose all filters and go off on them. I was taught to be respectful to other people and things I do not own. Clearly there are people that just don't have the mental capacity to understand that.
Those they don't need to work in retail. I will make sure my kids both have summer jobs in retail dealing with customers. It teaches patients and how to deal with uncomfortable situations.
Load More Replies...
I've worked retail, both as a worker and a manager. Some customers are idiots and very entitled behaving. However, some retail workers are lazy, rude and disinterested in helping anyone. They can be rude, nasty and dishonest. So, yeah...nasty people on both sides. Saying this, there is NEVER any excuse for being rude, nasty, entitled or demeaning toward anyone, including someone who is this way toward you. If you are a customer and an employee is less than professional, find the manager and complain, but be honest, be polite and try not labeling someone for one bad day.
Here's two. 1. If an item is on sale, it tends to go pretty fast. Had a female customer who was looking for bread on sale but there was none on the shelf. I went in the back and couldn't find the bread I'm looking for. I go back to the store and explain that we're completely out. This then turns into this. Her: But it's on sale. It's even in the paper and since it's on sale it should be on the shelf. Me: Yes, Ma'am but sometimes when an item is on sale it tends to go rather quickly. Repeat conversation 5X before another employee comes up and watch as the explanation is repeated the same amount of times. 2. When you say an item is a certain price and I have to do a price check, if my price is different then your's and you insist on seeing the price for yourself, the price I'm pointing to is the actual price. It's not the price to the left of the item. It's not the price to the right of the item. It's not on the shelf above or below of item. The price is where I'm pointing. Period.
One thing to add to the HATE list: Instore Radio. If I hear "More Than Words" one more time or one more Maddona tune I'd like to take a hammer to the loudspeakers.!
Yeah,yeah I get it. All customers are assholes and retailers are poor downtrodden saints. In the interest of fairness how about posting things that retailers do that customers hate?
I’d like to see a list of things that decent, polite customers hate about rude, oblivious clerks.
This is something that annoys me not as a worker, but as a shopper. You're going for the next item on your shopping list and someone is standing in the exact spot where the item is located just staring at the shelves. You wait a few minutes before deciding to grab a few other items and come back later. You come back ten or fifteen minutes later and Mr. I Smoked Five Joints Before Coming To The Store is still standing there staring.
Reading this gave me an anyurism, because I am going to work in half an hour and I work in a grocery store
I worked retail for a few years, and I swore I would never do it again. Examples like these only make my conviction stronger.
Ahh even though I can relate to most of the these I still loved my job I spent 6 years work at a I guess u would call it a high end clothing store. I love the people I worked with and most of the customers. There were entitled rude ones but the good ones made up for it. And the pay and bonuses were really good.
They forgot the biggest pet peeve (at least for places with them): putting the carts in the corrals!!
Asking how much something is at The Dollar Store. It's the dollar store, not somewhere that it could be .50 or 2.50 or $5. It's the dollar store.
Some countries have mandatory military service for a year. The US should have mandatory retail service for a year.
So many of these have the words "old people" when in my experience as an "old" person who has worked in retail, it seems to me that the younger people who seem to feel entitled are a bigger problem.
So many comments about putting the money on the counter instead of in someone's hand. In large parts of the world it's common to put the money on the counter and it would be considered rude to hold out a hand for change. Hey BP, the world consists of more than just the US of Absurd you know? America might think it's great and the best at everything, but the rest of us really don't
Everyone should have to work in a service industry job for a month (at least). I'm pretty sure it would cut down on a lot of this sort of thing happening.
I wish I could up vote you 1000 times.
Load More Replies... I do not think this reflects normal customer behaviour. One respectless will outweighs 99 considerate ones. And most of the things shown here are likewise annoying to other customers than to staff.
It doesn't, 95% of people don't do any of this. But you don't hear about the boring normal customers.
Load More Replies... I think I could never work on retail. If I'd see any of the crap people pull I'd lose all filters and go off on them. I was taught to be respectful to other people and things I do not own. Clearly there are people that just don't have the mental capacity to understand that.
Those they don't need to work in retail. I will make sure my kids both have summer jobs in retail dealing with customers. It teaches patients and how to deal with uncomfortable situations.
Load More Replies... I've worked retail, both as a worker and a manager. Some customers are idiots and very entitled behaving. However, some retail workers are lazy, rude and disinterested in helping anyone. They can be rude, nasty and dishonest. So, yeah...nasty people on both sides. Saying this, there is NEVER any excuse for being rude, nasty, entitled or demeaning toward anyone, including someone who is this way toward you. If you are a customer and an employee is less than professional, find the manager and complain, but be honest, be polite and try not labeling someone for one bad day.
Here's two. 1. If an item is on sale, it tends to go pretty fast. Had a female customer who was looking for bread on sale but there was none on the shelf. I went in the back and couldn't find the bread I'm looking for. I go back to the store and explain that we're completely out. This then turns into this. Her: But it's on sale. It's even in the paper and since it's on sale it should be on the shelf. Me: Yes, Ma'am but sometimes when an item is on sale it tends to go rather quickly. Repeat conversation 5X before another employee comes up and watch as the explanation is repeated the same amount of times. 2. When you say an item is a certain price and I have to do a price check, if my price is different then your's and you insist on seeing the price for yourself, the price I'm pointing to is the actual price. It's not the price to the left of the item. It's not the price to the right of the item. It's not on the shelf above or below of item. The price is where I'm pointing. Period.
One thing to add to the HATE list: Instore Radio. If I hear "More Than Words" one more time or one more Maddona tune I'd like to take a hammer to the loudspeakers.!
Yeah,yeah I get it. All customers are assholes and retailers are poor downtrodden saints. In the interest of fairness how about posting things that retailers do that customers hate?
I’d like to see a list of things that decent, polite customers hate about rude, oblivious clerks.
This is something that annoys me not as a worker, but as a shopper. You're going for the next item on your shopping list and someone is standing in the exact spot where the item is located just staring at the shelves. You wait a few minutes before deciding to grab a few other items and come back later. You come back ten or fifteen minutes later and Mr. I Smoked Five Joints Before Coming To The Store is still standing there staring.
Reading this gave me an anyurism, because I am going to work in half an hour and I work in a grocery store
I worked retail for a few years, and I swore I would never do it again. Examples like these only make my conviction stronger.
Ahh even though I can relate to most of the these I still loved my job I spent 6 years work at a I guess u would call it a high end clothing store. I love the people I worked with and most of the customers. There were entitled rude ones but the good ones made up for it. And the pay and bonuses were really good.
They forgot the biggest pet peeve (at least for places with them): putting the carts in the corrals!!
Asking how much something is at The Dollar Store. It's the dollar store, not somewhere that it could be .50 or 2.50 or $5. It's the dollar store.
Some countries have mandatory military service for a year. The US should have mandatory retail service for a year.
So many of these have the words "old people" when in my experience as an "old" person who has worked in retail, it seems to me that the younger people who seem to feel entitled are a bigger problem.
So many comments about putting the money on the counter instead of in someone's hand. In large parts of the world it's common to put the money on the counter and it would be considered rude to hold out a hand for change. Hey BP, the world consists of more than just the US of Absurd you know? America might think it's great and the best at everything, but the rest of us really don't
