What would it take...?
 

...For you to yell at someone while working?

I had to take very many deep breaths today and remain cool in situations where I usually would have punched someone in the nose. People returning items in stupidly hideous and deformed states. People returning things without proof of purchase. Without boxes. Without the damn item! I had to deal with being yelled at for doing my job.

I'm now being reported to my head office for my so-called 'lack of customer service skills' even though my manager was stood right next to me and told me I did everything EXACTLY as I should.

So. Where is the line? Where do you stop being 'Yes ma'am, thankyou ma'am, may I do anything else for you ma'am'? When can I finally let rip and tell them just when to shut the fuck up?

Have at it, people.

Hmmm... specifically customers, or co-workers too?

If you have that job, it is not a line, it is an unclimbable wall. You have to be able to talk to idiots all day and not grab the item and beat them over the head with it.

Sometimes I find a lot similarities between dealing with people and dealing with computers. Sometimes they just can't grasp concepts for some reason. Like the concept that you being an employee can only do what the company will let you do. You are there to help them but you can't just do what you want either. Of course then they get mad when you tell them you can't do it and blame you.

As much as you want you can't yell at them though, and even if you did it wouldn't change anything. You have to grin and bare it, then go take your anger out on some unsuspecting inanimate object; preferably one that can't hurt you back.

I think that the art of consumer service is that you have to tell them the truth in such a way that they still like it. How to actually perform this task is beyond me, but like IHMN says you really can't yell at anyone ever. I got scolded on several occations because I dealt with people too harshly when working at Dunkin' Donuts. It is amazing how people get bent out of shape if you don't put enough sugar in their coffee or are out of their favorite donut. They act like you just took a baseball bat to their first born child!

I just needed to wait until I was with my friends after work to let loose. :) It helped, sometimes.

Okay, so I can't yell at the customer. I already knew this, but you guys are so STUCK UP. Damn people, chill. XD It was firstly just a rant. Secondly, I've been in retail since the age of 16. I know not to yell at customers. The question was at what point would you snap to do it? What would push you over the edge to shout at them?

And in that, how to wind down after a particularly bad day that doesn't involve drinking alcohol in excess...

Oh, you want to know our snapping point? From the beginning I would be rude to idiots because of the stupid things they are doing. I would never yell (Because I never do), and it would take a lot for me to hit them (Would not hit certain people though, no matter how idiotic their demands are). Over time I would just give up trying and do as little work and talking as possible until my hours were over.

As for the second question, I dunno. Do something you like, or sleep.

Grand Theft Auto. Erm... the games.

Or read how other people deal with customers... for example some of the comics on W.I.S.H.. Even better: Acts of Gord.

It actually takes a very lot to get my mad enough to yell at all; if I get that mad it usually ends with me hitting something. My favorite thing to do to wind down is to find something to hit. I've been in Karate for a while now so I have many a thing to hit without causing damage to myself or other things. A good alternative is a nice run or bike ride. Anything that will burn massive amounts of energy works wonders.

Working burns ENOUGH energy in retail. I run around constantly all day meeting customer demand, doing displays, serving, picking stock...etc etc. There isn't a moment pause. So more excercise when I come home is definately out of the question.