My first job was cashiering at a nearby supermarket during the summer between my last two years of high school. The amount of work I had in my classes had gotten to the point that I couldn’t be comfortable with a huge amount of spare time, so I ended up working eight-hour shifts five days a week.
Over the course of the couple months I worked there, I somehow managed to have zero instances of scam attempts, rude behavior, or give-me-your-manager incidents from the customers I served, and I was under the impression that such behavior was rare.
So, you can imagine my surprise when, as I was clocking out after having given my two weeks’ notice, I was approached by a couple of my coworkers who had the demeanor of a squirrel that has been hit by a truck.
Coworker #1: “Customers, right, [My Name]?”
Me: “What do you mean?”
Coworker #2: “We heard you handed in your notice. Tired of dealing with these customers, are we?”
Me: “No, school’s just starting back up, and I mostly took this as a summer job. I like this sort of public-facing job, though, so I’ll probably be back after I graduate if there’s still an opening.”
My coworkers traded confused looks.
Coworker #2: “You actually like working with customers?”
Me: “I mean… yeah? Scan their items, make a little small talk, receive payment, wish them a good day.”
Coworker #1: “And what about the people demanding a manager because they want a discount that we don’t offer? Or the people who give you a twenty and then insist they gave you a fifty? Or the parents with a rampaging child who don’t do anything to stop them?”
Me: “Never had an encounter like that.”
Coworker #2: “Then you’re a f****** moron.”
Me: “Excuse me?”
Coworker #2: “If you seriously think that customers are nice people to be dealing with, then you’re a f****** moron.”
Me: “Well, I’m sorry, but I’ve been working here for two months, and I’ve not met any customers of that sort. And you’re saying I’m a ‘f****** moron’… because I drew a conclusion based on a huge number of examples?”
Coworkers #1 & #2: “Yes.”
Me: “Wow. Right a**holes, you guys are.”
My coworkers proceeded to make my last two weeks a living Hell. Word spread throughout the workplace that I had never had problem customers, and I found myself hounded by insults during clock-in, on my breaks, and as I was clocking out… because I had inferred that most customers were nice people, based on the fact that I had met a LOT of nice customers. Management made no effort to try and dissuade them, even after I spoke to them about it.
I did NOT return to that workplace after I graduated.
Several years later, I have now witnessed a fair few misbehaving customers, but I still find that the vast majority of customers are decent people. Apparently, that makes me a f****** moron.
