Impatience is a virtue...

A few months ago I had to sign a statement claiming that if I'm caught bad-mouthing the company I work for online I know that I will lose my job. But there was nothing on that statement telling me I can't bad-mouth the customers.

Anyone who works with the public knows how difficult it is to deal with people, especially people who believe they are entitled to get whatever they want, when they want it, no matter how unreasonable their demands.

I've dealt with some pretty awful people over the years. I've been cussed out, spit on, tripped, threatened, stalked...you name it...people have done it. One time a man was yelling at me so loud that a coworker came running over to see if I needed help. I lost it and pretty much told the guy to ... well, nevermind. I thought for sure he would complain and that would be it. But he actually came back a few minutes later and apologized for being such an ass. (His word.)

To be fair, the majority of customers are fine. Some are even fun to joke around with but you have to be careful because some are also easily offended. You may say something in jest and they will take it the wrong way. So, I say as little as possible these days.

You never know what will happen once you walk through those doors but one thing is certain, if it's a holiday and you're working the jewelry counter, you WILL be the target of someone's wrath. It's a given. And the sad thing is, you have to stand there and take it.

Working the jewelry counter last weekend (Mother's Day) was just as I suspected it would be. Stressful, busy and surrounded by impatient customers who wait for the last minute to buy their gifts, then take out their frustrations on us. I was busy helping a women find a ring when an elderly man approached. I made the mistake of acknowledging him which he took as a sign that I was free to help him right at that instant.

Without any regard for the customer I was already helping, he asked me what the birthstone is for December. I told him I didn't know but would look it up for him as soon as I finished with the customer I was with. That wasn't good enough, he wanted to know NOW!

We have a red phone sitting on the counter that, when it's picked up, rings through to an employee who will come and help you. My co-worker had the jewelry phone so I could reach her if I needed her. I told the man that he could pick up the phone and another worker would come and help him. He couldn't be bothered. Instead, he'd rather stand there and yell at me for not having a list of the birthstones posted where everyone could see it.

I then apologized to the woman I was trying to help, walked over and picked up the red phone but my co-worker didn't answer. (She had put it in a shopping cart by the fitting rooms and left it there.) The impatient, entitled man was livid by this time, the woman I was helping was staring daggers at him, I grabbed the list of birthstones out of the drawer and put it on the counter in front of the man but he continued to bellow at me that it should be posted.

At this point I saw another co-worker and asked her to please find Deana (not her real name) and tell her I need her help up here. I then returned to the woman I was originally with and she just stood there staring at the old man. Deana came up and he started in on her. By this time my female customer had had enough and tore into the old coot. He finally shut up and let Deana help him.

These were just the first two customers that day. Thankfully, no one else yelled at me for the rest of my shift.