So I work at a busy café in Auckland city, and we’ve been slammed with customers lately because it’s the holidays. One customer, a tourist, comes in and orders a complicated flat white with extra foam and a sprinkle of cinnamon (so a cappuccino). I get it made, but they come back 5 minutes later saying it’s not what they asked for.
I politely remake it, but they start complaining about the wait time and how incompetent our staff is. I’m trying to stay calm, but they keep pushing my buttons. Finally, I snap and tell them, "Look, mate, we’ve had a busy morning, and we’re doing our best. Maybe take a deep breath and try being a bit nicer."
The customer goes ballistic, and my manager has to step in. Now I’m getting a warning for losing my cool, and not the customer is posting bad reviews online. AITA for standing up for myself?
NTA. Guy was being an absolute princess during a tough shift. Have done retail/hospitality jobs and professionalism is important, but you can only tolerate so much.
NTA. Good thing it wasn’t me. I would have taken the coffee and given his money back and banned him .
Can’t be an AH for defending yourself. I don’t know if it would have mattered in this scenario. But being passive typically works. Something like “sorry for the inconvenience we caused you on a busy morning, and our lack of competence has caused you to berate us. Again, my apologies, I will make it again or refund you the money, which would you like?”
NTA. Customer service in Australia and New Zealand is not like the US, we don’t put up with bullshit. Your manager should’ve had your back and brought the hammer down.
NTA. Everyone has a breaking point. It does require a special type of person to work retail and hospitality. Doesnt matter if you had 10,000 good customers it will be that single one that you never forget. Theres many more of them as well.
Of course management wants you to suck up because their business name is on the line. Then these types of customers have that mentality that “the customer is always right” (even thoigh thats not the full saying) so they go around treating the staff the same way.
I agree, but if you don’t mind me asking, what *is* the full saying? I’ve worked in retail before and I have had this same “always right” comment thrown at me too, but I never knew that the same saying is supposed to be longer.
So to save googling through the various blood pressure raising people who quote it, can you please elaborate?
OP NTA btw
The original saying is “the customer is always right in matters of taste”.
So if they want to buy a poo brown shirt you let them buy the poo brown shirt without issue. Doesnt meant the customer can treat staff like a dick though.
NTA. Those of us who have done our time in hospitality, retail etc know that eventually on a a bad shift/day a difficult customer will cause you to snap/be short with them/shake your head at them etc. it happens to us all
So long as you don’t find it happening regularly cut yourself some slack; there are some people just aren’t suited to that kind of work and bite back too easily but everyone will have a day when it happens.
NTA.
I worked as a barista back in the day, and in some ways, it’s way worse than mainstream retail. You handled better than I would’ve. Next time, use decaf espresso in their drink, smile, and tell them to have a nice day. Did that for years as a way to keep my actual thoughts to myself while quietly being petty.:)
Cinnamon? That’s not a cap.
Let me guess: They were American.