Originally Posted by Phyl
I do understand your negative reaction to the clerk. She certainly should not have been rude to you or anyone.
I remember once when I didn't stop at a "STOP HERE ON RED" sign just before a crosswalk and the oncoming, turning onto this street, bus driver cursed me and motioned nasty things with his hands at me.
What he didn't know was I had just been given news that I possibly had cancer and yes, even though I was in the wrong, I didn't need the anger he showed.
We tend to forget that people may be having a bad day and I have found that if I approach them and ask "Is something wrong? I know you would never have spoken that way if everything was okay."(in a caring tone, not a nasty one!) It sometimes brings out a better side of them. It sometimes brings out an apology. And if they still act huffy, puffy and downright nasty, THEN I complain to the management. Let's at least give someone the benefit of the doubt.
I politely have to disagree & please know I'm not trying to be rude. Even if someone is having a bad day, it is NEVER right to be rude to a customer. If someone cannot handle their job due to personal circumstances, then they should take the day off rather then push their problems on someone else. The customer is not there to listen to someone's sob story, they are there to shop. While I agree that the bus driver was horrid to you (shame on him!) and what he did was inexcusable, I don't think it's really the same thing as having someone lie or be completely rude when performing the job they are getting paid to perform. The problem is that this is becoming a common practice. If it were something rare, most of us would be glad to figure they must be having a bad day or something similar, but when it happens 9 times out of 10 I think it goes deeper then that. JMO.
I hope your cancer scare turned out to be just that - a scare, and that you are now healthy and hale.
Nancy - I heartily agree with you! Unfortunately, I can't see a way for any of that to change. If anyone has any answers or suggestions, I'd love to hear it!