Show Dont Don't Offload Workplace Stress Onto Retail Clerks Amy Joyce The Washington Post Standing in line at the Whole Foods store one night after work recently I watched as a man in front of me took his bad day out on the woman behind the cash register Excuse me the cashier politely said after the customer customer customer cus cus- tomer mumbled something I I I. SAID HOW ARE YOU TO NIGHT the man so politely replied I dont don't think he really cared Im sorry Ive I've been here since noon the woman said with a smile as a way to apologize for not hearing him Well I got to work at 5 this morning the man snorted back I have more stress than you he was saying As a shopper in line behind him I had fantasies of grabbing him to say that he suit-clad suit man that he was probably had a long day of thinking meeting sitting at a desk Or maybe fighting a case incourt in incourt incourt court or lobbying a politician politician politician cian to support whale hunt ing interests in the Pacific Northwest Stressful sure But meanwhile this woman had been on her feet since noon earning little and putting up with a lot lot like like testy customers This man was her workplace workplace workplace work work- place stress Every job has a different kind of pulling out stress But when customers take their rough day out on a person behind a cash register regis regis- ter that creates almost two jobs for fox that worker work worker work work- er the first being the actual job the second being the job of keeping even the unhappiest unhappiest unhappiest of people happy That's not something dare I say that many people could do The folks at Whole Foods know that the exchange I witnessed is far from uncommon They try to give workers ways to deal with grumpy customers and try to todo todo todo do things for the workers who need to treat nasty customers customers customers cus cus- with a smile Much of the training focuses on how not to take it personally personally personally person person- ally said Valerie McCausland mid-Atlantic mid service coordinator customer tor for Whole Foods This was just something else in that gentleman's day and she was the victim of his mood But how easy is it to just not take it personally Or not catch that bad mood and take it home at the end of the day Professional and office workers can have stress because their work is not rewarding enough Or they have a crazy or narcissistic boss or they have to work long hours because of a workaholic culture said Douglas LaBier a psychologist gist with the Center for and Adult Development author of Modern to Th The Th e i d den n L Link M Madness 1 me U inu Between Work and Emotional Conflict But stress among retail workers is different he said They may still have the problems with management that office workers have but they also deal with a constant constant constant con con- stant variety of shoppers shoppers- many of whom dont don't realize they are the cause of somes someone's someone's some some- ones one's s bad day at work There is a tendency to retail as a treat that person servant who is not human LaBier said LaBier was in line recently recent recent- woman who ly behind a yelled at the cashier because thought the the customer flowers were one price but the cashier could find only a higher price The customer for the had little patience English was cashier whose LaBier said To not perfect remedy the situation the cashier involved a manager LaBier said the cashier shrank back when the manager manager manager man man- ager was near presumably afraid she would get in trouble trouble trouble trou trou- ble later The manager gave the woman her flowers for forthe forthe forthe the lower price After that episode LaBier said he tried to remind himself himself himself him him- self to strike up a little conversation conversation conversation con con- with cashiers and to not be impatient after waiting in n line I 1 think the stress that retail people have haveis I is the stress of disrespect as human beings he said They are not perceived as human beings that have their own lives concerns and issues McCausland said she thinks some customers take their bad day out on grocery workers because most customers customers customers cus cus- view food shopping as a chore But employees at Whole Foods are told in training that customers must leave happy At At the end of that shoppers shopper's experience they have to feel satisfied McCausland said Therefore workers are told not to focus on who is right and who is wrong She acknowledged this effort pretty much goes against human nature And so the store encourages workers to ask someone else to step in if someone just plucked your nerves and you dont don't think you can handle handle handle han han- dle it McCausland said The company knows its it's not easy to deal with the constant stress of pleasing customers a sometimes impossible feat So employees employ employ- ees are given little things such as occasional massages during breaks or days when the thee store I buys pizza for everyone Employees are also given givena a coupon booklet to be used for unhappy customers The employee can use the coupons for whatever they feel they need to do to placate placate pla pla- placate cate a customer McCausland said Grumpy lady with cheap flowers Give them to her for free That can ease the customers customer's tantrum and help take that bad moment off the shoulders shoulders shoulders ders of the worker Dont Don't you all go out yelling at the cashiers so you can get free stuff now please This is not to say there arent aren't grumpy unpleasant retail workers out there there- some who are hard to deal with even if the customer is isas isas isas as kind as can be Being in a custo ser customer e eser ser vice-type vice industry I know were we're not perfect either said Kevin Stickles human resources manager for supermarkets in Virginia and Maryland But they try In service customer-service training training train training train train- ing workers are told to let letan letan letan an upset customer talk then back what they heard repeat Most of the time theres there's a away away away way way we can fix a situation Stickles said Employees are told to get the next person in charge if they are not comfortable comfortable comfortable com com- customer cus- cus with an upset tomer That way they Vu never feel like they're cornered cornered cornered cor- cor cor cor- he said Unfortunately angry customers customers customers cus cus- may be partly to blame for so much bad customer customer customer cus cus- tomer service To deal with the daily stress of being the focus of a customers customer's rant cashiers and other retail workers separate themselves from the person across the counter who is is yelling about the price of milk LaBier said They become numb and unresponsive As one who often yearns for better customer service think about Ill I'll probably grocery store workers workers' stress card next time I swipe my without a smile and run And maybe next time Ill I'll have something to say to the theman theman theman man in the suit |