John Lewis Boss Calls For Abusing Shop Workers To Be An Offence

[Mister M]

On the subject of the thread, I don;t think there should be a specific offence for shop workers.

However I would support any move for the right of a shop worker not to serve members of the public who are belligerent and nasty.

I do know that many shops, buses and services have over the years started to display signs which state very clearly that the company does not tolerate abusiveness towards their staff. 

I have seen appalling incidents of members of the public being vile to people who are just trying to do their job, and it's not fair.

[Irene Swaine]

49 minutes ago, Mister M said:

On the subject of the thread, I don;t think there should be a specific offence for shop workers.

However I would support any move for the right of a shop worker not to serve members of the public who are belligerent and nasty.

I do know that many shops, buses and services have over the years started to display signs which state very clearly that the company does not tolerate abusiveness towards their staff. 

I have seen appalling incidents of members of the public being vile to people who are just trying to do their job, and it's not fair.

I disagree with some of your argument. Serving beligerant and nasty customers is part and parcel of customer service careers. The customer service professional should continue to provide exceptional service, despite any rudeness from the customer.

 

If the customer is swearing and being threatening or abusive, the customer service agent should have a right to refuse the service.

 

I do add that if a customer service agent is being polite, welcoming, helpful, attentive and doing their all to ensure the customer has a pleasant and enjoyable experience, then I cannot forsee any logical situation where a customer would become abusive.

[Mister M]

3 minutes ago, Irene Swaine said:

I disagree with some of your argument. Serving beligerant and nasty customers is part and parcel of customer service careers. The customer service professional should continue to provide exceptional service, despite any rudeness from the customer.

 

If the customer is swearing and being threatening or abusive, the customer service agent should have a right to refuse the service.

 

I do add that if a customer service agent is being polite, welcoming, helpful, attentive and doing their all to ensure the customer has a pleasant and enjoyable experience, then I cannot forsee any logical situation where a customer would become abusive.

Well I have worked in a customer service environment, and sometimes you can be as pleasant and as eager to please as possible. However if a customer is spoiling for an argument, or is just an ar$e, then it's nothing to so with the worker, and everything to do with the customer.

Nobody should have to put up with nastiness or abusiveness. 

Yes people work in customer services, but they're not punchbags.

If you want to put up with that - your choice. However you shouldn't expect others to.

[Irene Swaine]

15 minutes ago, Mister M said:

Well I have worked in a customer service environment, and sometimes you can be as pleasant and as eager to please as possible. However if a customer is spoiling for an argument, or is just an ar$e, then it's nothing to so with the worker, and everything to do with the customer.

Nobody should have to put up with nastiness or abusiveness. 

Yes people work in customer services, but they're not punchbags.

If you want to put up with that - your choice. However you shouldn't expect others to.

In my opinion, if you can't handle the grumpy business man at 6AM who has not yet had his coffee fix and is rather grumpy and abrupt, then customer service is not for you.

 

There is a fine line between dealing with rudeness and dealing with abuse. 

 

Customer service agents are there to satisfy the customer, not the other way round. As someone who has had the boot on both feet, I can see a sad decline in customer service. I see people who either aren't cut our for the job, or don't seem as though they want to be there. The customer does not care about that, they expect great service, consistently. For every job advertised, 100 people will apply. Perhaps it is time to step aside and let the other 99 people have ago if you can't deal with a bit of rudeness.

Edited July 22, 2023 by Irene Swaine

[Mister M]

5 minutes ago, Irene Swaine said:

In my opinion, if you can't handle the grumpy business man at 6AM who has not yet had his coffee fix and is rather grumpy and abrupt, then customer service is not for you.

 

There is a fine line between dealing with rudeness and dealing with abuse. 

 

Customer service agents are there to satisfy the customer, not the other way round. As someone who has had the boot on both feet, I can see a sad decline in customer service. I see people who either aren't cut our for the job, or don't seem as though they want to be there. The customer does not care about that, they expect great service, consistently. For every job advertised, 100 people will apply. Perhaps it is time to step aside and let the other 99 people have ago if you cam't deal with a bit of rudeness.

I'm not a 'customer service agent', nor do I treat staff as such but as people equally worthy of respect.

This isn't about a 'sad decline in customer service', this is about entitled customers behaving like ar$eholes.

If that's how they're treated, I'm not surprised they don't want to be there.

Like I say more fool you if you think customer service is taking crap. I wouldn't expect anyone else to, and neither should you.

Edited July 22, 2023 by Mister M

[RollingJ]

1 minute ago, Irene Swaine said:

I disagree with some of your argument. Serving beligerant and nasty customers is part and parcel of customer service careers. The customer service professional should continue to provide exceptional service, despite any rudeness from the customer.

 

If the customer is swearing and being threatening or abusive, the customer service agent should have a right to refuse the service.

 

I do add that if a customer service agent is being polite, welcoming, helpful, attentive and doing their all to ensure the customer has a pleasant and enjoyable experience, then I cannot forsee any logical situation where a customer would become abusive.

I disagree with a lot of your argument, too.  If you go into an establishment to purchase a product/service, you do not go in as though that establishment has in some way offended you, purely by being there. 

 

If someone is being offensive, the establishment has the right to ask them to leave.

 

Some individuals behave like louts at all times.

[Irene Swaine]

11 minutes ago, Mister M said:

I'm not a 'customer service agent', nor do I treat staff as such but as people equally worthy of respect.

This isn't about a 'sad decline in customer service', this is about entitled customers behaving like ar$eholes.

If that's how they're treated, I'm not surprised they don't want to be there.

Like I say more fool you if you think customer service is taking crap. I wouldn't expect anyone else to, and neither should you.

It's not just taking crap, there is much more to it than that, which I have learnt through my studies and my careers in customer facing roles. Some elements are *politeness *Resilliance *Professionalism *Welcoming Attitude * Helpfulness * Thinking of every way to give the customer a great experience.

 

If I go to Sandra's shoe shop and the staff seem as though they can't be bothered to be there, but I go to Carmel's shoe shop and the staff are welcoming, polite, helpful and go the extra mile, you bet your bottom dollar I will return to Carmel's and give Sandra's a swerve.

Edited July 22, 2023 by Irene Swaine

[Mister M]

3 minutes ago, Irene Swaine said:

It's not just taking crap, there is much more to it than that, which I have learnt through my studies and my careers in customer facing roles. Some elements are *politeness *Resilliance *Professionalism *Welcoming Attitude * Helpfulness * Thinking of every way to give the customer a great experience.

 

If I go to Sandra's shoe shop and the staff seem as though they can't be bothered to be there, but I go to Carmel's shoe shop and the staff are welcoming, polite, helpful and go the extra mile, you bet your bottom dollar I will return to Carmel's and give Sandra's a swerve.

Why are you shifting the topic. This isn't about staff at Sandra's shoe shop not seeming to care, this is about customers who behave in a disgusting manner. There is no excuse for that kind of behaviour.

If Sandra's staff don't care, then Sandra needs to pull them up about it.

If someone is being rude or abusive then, whoever is working there should have the right to tell the customer to take their rancid carcass out of the shop and go elsewhere.

[Irene Swaine]

5 minutes ago, Mister M said:

Why are you shifting the topic. This isn't about staff at Sandra's shoe shop not seeming to care, this is about customers who behave in a disgusting manner. There is no excuse for that kind of behaviour.

If Sandra's staff don't care, then Sandra needs to pull them up about it.

If someone is being rude or abusive then, whoever is working there should have the right to tell the customer to take their rancid carcass out of the shop and go elsewhere.

There is a difference between rudeness and abuse. One is acceptable, the other is not.

[fools]

"rancid carcass" - is that a term they teach you in customer services nowadays

 

fuss over nothing, if customers are abusive, the staff can decline to serve them anyway

 

I had 3 members of staff in one shop turn their back on me the other day, they knew I was trying to get some help