"Well I'd like to talk to your manager!"

Disclaimer: This blog entry is merely airing my grievances about what I run into almost every day at work....


Yes, I am a woman. Yes I am 21. I am not however, stupid. If I don't know an answer about one specific product out of the 50,000 products in the store, I am more than capable than finding the answer out. Do not treat me like I am stupid because your question is off the wall and I have not had the opportunity to find it out.

More frequently than I care to admit, customers feel as though they can treat me like I am below them. I have been called stupid, a liar, uninformed, and talked down to (mostly by older men but you'd be surprised how many women look down their nose at me) because I apparently can't know much about anything for a variety of reasons. An innumerable amount of times people ask me a question and then I watch them as they go directly to a man (older or younger) and ask the same exact question. It is hard to believe for some people that I know my way around a tractor, or can lift bark mulch or bricks.
"The customer is always right" has gone so far that it allows people to come in to any store and treat the employee like garbage because the employee has to put up with it - or else "I want to speak to your manager" enters the conversation. Many come in looking for a fight and are just waiting for the employee to say something back so the customer can continue to get the employee in trouble.

While I know there are plenty of employees in any store that can be the north end of a southbound horse, I am privileged to know many at the place that I work that bend over backwards to go above and beyond for the customer. And I'll tell you this much, if something does go wrong, I promise you that it isn't the store or employee that is trying to screw you over.

What about you? What are your experiences with people being rude?