I don't think you're right, Dave. I spent many years working retail and in my experience unless given a reason, even a part-time high school aged employee isn't going to go out of their way, unprovoked, to stir the pot with a customer. It's always for reasons unknown, a customer coming in hot. I used to not agree, but after my experiences, totally think it's ok for an employee to fight back a little if a customer is treating them unfairly.
For most, jobs like that are a means to an end. Something to do to pass time after school or between college classes while making a little cash. If they get fed up at one crap job making 11/hour they can quit and go work at the store across the street doing the same thing. I don't agree that employees should be able to say whatever they want whenever they want to angry customers, but there is a line and when the customer crosses it, they are almost always barking up the wrong tree. The retail system is broken, and the ones that need to hear the complaints never do. These companies don't want to invest in a competent, educated staff, but customers don't care, they just want to be heard, even if it's shouting at the 16 year old girl that might be a little more concerned about her upcoming ACT or college decision then making sure your groceries ring up correctly.
Problem is, and I've seen it and was probably guilty of it in my time, shift managers are told to "make it right" no matter how wrong the customer is. So a lot of times, back in the Hy-vee realm, the customer service associate might tell a customer "you're wrong" only to have the shift manager come over and tell the customer "you're right". Bend over is the overarching policy at Hy-Vee, or at least was at the stores I worked at, when I worked at them.That's when it helps to have a good manager who has your back.
Here’s an idea, fire the ****** ones and replace them with robots. Everyone wins. Kid doesn’t have to listen to Karen and Karen can yell at the robot all she wants.
Yeah self checkouts are the future. I've noticed the Hy-Vee's here in Dubuque have like 15 self check stations compared to 5 person-manned ones now. Turning into Walmart, which I'm sure just tickles the boomers even more.
65 YO Boomer. I LOVE self checkout. No meaningless chit chat and nobody throwing the soap into the same bag with the butter.
I was afraid to point out that oversight ... (with hiphopp being a mod and all.)
When I worked there oh so long long ago we had two more:
