If you were in a retail establishment and a customer yelled and called mean names to an employee, would you say something to the customer or MYOB?

I might calmly say something about the employee having all he could handle, is doing the best he can, and what the customer said was uncalled for and inappropriate…but it would really depend on the mood I was in. If I was in a confident frame of mind, I’d say something. I’d probably also say something kind to the employee when he got around to helping me.

I am a pissy old busybody who spent years working retail and restaurants, so you damn well bet I yell at rude customers. I get snide and ask them if they are proud of themselves for being a jerk to working people.
One of the advantages of age, getting away with stuff like that. Rude is rude, and is never justified in a business setting.

I don’t know the person’s disposition, so I don’t intervene unless it escalates. I almost always go say something kind to the employee once things calm down. It matters. I worked fast food in high school, people are rotten and show their ass when they think they can get away with it. I hated sunday after church. That was the worst time for customer attitude.

I’d pay attention, but tend to let the staff handle it rather than confusing the situation. But I’d be ready to do something if it seemed like a good thing to do.

I’d also watch to see if it would be helpful to bear witness later. Like, if it seems like the management might benefit from a 3rd party account of what happened. Or if either party looked like they could really use some sympathy.

I was actually feeling like this poor guy (the employee) is trying to answer phones and deal with incoming people and outgoing people all by himself. He actually needed help and for whatever reason, they were shortstaffed. He handled the rude customer well, but I know it was embarrassing being called a name, even though it was a childish name, in front of all those people.

I considered sayng something to the customer but it would have been along the lines of “why don’t you shut the fu*k up,” and that definitely wouldn’t have been helpful.

@jca2, actually, it would have been helpful. It would have deflected the nasty attention away from the badgered employee, which would have been kind.

Depends on the situation and if I feel I can handle possible escalation.

As a man, when you confront another man in public you should always be ready for violence, which is why most people don’t bother.

I also have to take into account my race and how I’ll be perceived if an altercation ensues when the police arrive.

So actually the answer will always be no.

Depends.

You never know if the angry customer has a gun and might snap. People are crazy.

I do sometimes interject. I was the employee or the manager in a previous life in situations like this.

I don’t know the exact situation, but customers in store should come before customers on the phone.

In the stores that I have worked for, no matter what the situation, the store manager would not tolerate a customer verbally abusing a staff member. They would step in and either handle the needs of the customer or tell the customer to leave in extreme cases.

A few weeks ago I was at a hotel, I’ve stayed there about 50 days in the last 12 months) and a customer got angry with the front desk, he started raising his voice and then walked over to other guests in a loud voice complaining about the employee and just making a scene. The manager came out pretty quickly and told the guest to leave. The man said in a hostile voice, “you are going to have me leave and give up the money I am paying for the room?” The manager firmly said, “I told you to leave, you are not staying in this hotel.” If the manager hadn’t come out I would not have confronted the angry guy, but I probably would have gone over to the employee to see if she was ok.

To avoid getting my nose broke, I’d MMOB.

I’m kind of a small person and older, so I would want to say something, but I probably wouldn’t because I don’t want broken bones.

@chyna I have found that those are the very qualities that keep me safe. Nobody wants to be seen being violent at a small, older lady.

Ya’ll know me by now, I always say something. It amuses and concerns my easygoing husband. But he actually got violent himself when he witnessed an attack on an elderly friend. Right is right.

I never know how I’ll act in any situation before I’m in it so I try not to speculate.

I have stepped in on things like this. I’ve stepped in when a manager chews out an employee in front of me, I’ve stepped in when an employee is rude to me, and I’ve stepped in when a person is rude to an employee (that was not rude first).

In the situation presented here, I’d likely point out that the person is working alone and having to deal with someone yelling at him takes even more time away from helping us. In other words, being rude is making me wait longer.

@KNOWITALL You and my wife would get along great. Your husband and I would likely be on yellow alert the entire time too. My wife has said things to people that, if I said them in the exact same way, would put me into a fight.

Had a case one night where we lost power due to a bad storm and after the storm past we decided to drive around to see how far the power outage went. We found a bar that had power and decided we would stop in for a beer. I started playing pool with one good old boy and my wife was chatting with his friend. Out of nowhere, my wife suddenly, in a very loud voice throws up her hands and says “Don’t talk to me, you are too stupid to talk to me!”. Yellow light! The guy, chuckling, tries to say something and my wife once again says “No, I’m serious, you are too stupid to talk to me!”. Bright yellow light. If the light goes red, fists will fly as will beer bottles probably. But the guy just laughed harder. We left shortly after that.

Hard to say how you will respond until you’re actually in that situation.

Though judging from similar situations in the past, I’m more likely to talk to the employee afterwards.

@KNOWITALL I speak up in a lot of situations too, and my husband hates it, but I always thought he just thinks I’m butting in and being annoying. I tell him one day I will be on What Would You Do with John Quiñones and rewarded for speaking up. Lol.

@seawulf575 She sounds like a good time! I do pick my battles but if its a child, elderly, minority or animal, I’ll do and say what I need to. Shoot I’ve called out women for standing up like a man (drunk and picking fight) and even tossed one out the door of the bar by picking her up when she wouldn’t leave. I don’t discriminate with idiots. :)

@JLeslie I love that show, my husband does not. I’m proud of you, more people should step up, maybe the world would be a better place.

I look around to see if someone else will get involved. Then I quietly slide the selector from S to F.

@LuckyGuy

“Then I quietly slide the selector from S to F.”

So you’re setting your phaser from Stun to Fry? ;-o

Ah…Yep. That’s what it is… definitely.