Obnoxious-moi

[SamP]

My wife & I walked into my favourite candy store yesterday to pay for a sweet (Sub) and immediately witnessed an obnoxious chap getting steadily more and more offensive.
Now I know there are plethora posts re us getting the short end of the stick, but this was the reverse.
A walk in non-customer asked for champagne and then complained about it. The salesmen were acting with total professionalism in trying to placate this “Gentleman”, which then fed the complainant to push harder. I was getting a bit agrivated with this chap so just said I’m off.
We then went to a secluded room, conducted business had a few drinks and then left.
As I get older, I’m trying to become a better person by not jumping to conclusions and treating others as I’d like to be treated. These young salesmen showed such grace and aplomb, so much more than I would to the “Gentleman.”
Anyway, I believe he was eventually asked to leave.
So, anyone ever seen a customer giving unwarranted grief to sales folk, to the extent that they just wanted to walk away?
Regards

[MTBer]

I’ve worked in sales and have true empathy for salespeople being treated poorly. When I witness it as a customer, I call them out on it because I know the salespeople are unable to stand up for themselves without risking their job.

[101031-28]

It has been my experience that folks with a bad attitude are fundamentally unhappy individuals who seem to enjoy mistreating others, perhaps in hopes of feeling better about their lousy selves. Very hard to resist saying something back, but I find that most often than not, it is what they are looking for, someone to react. I was in the airline industry for almost two decades, got to see some of the best and some of the worst.

[SPMN]

Wait, so he asked for champagne, received champagne, and then complained about the quality? Wow. Some people just don’t know how to behave in public.

[77T]

I agree you shouldn’t have parachuted into this wanker’s abusive attitude.

But I’d enjoy watching it if Basil Fawlty had been behind the counter.

Now back to reality - I had always been involved with large, complex systems team sales with 12 month or greater sales cycles. Met my fair share of demagogues and puffers - but I welcomed the verbally aggressive influencers. Patient reasoning like the AD’s reps displayed is the best route.

It’s the silent but deadly decision-makers that you don’t want in the shop.


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[FrontHeadlock]

You should have stuck up for them and called out the customer on his BS

[Runnin' Rebel]

SamP..
You’re a wise man, you gave me advice few years ago about a 16622.
I’m sure you could handle most situations. Where I live and my travels I’ve seen the worst in humans come out in public.
🙌

[rootbeer7]

Originally Posted by SamP

My wife & I walked into my favourite candy store yesterday to pay for a sweet (Sub) and immediately witnessed an obnoxious chap getting steadily more and more offensive.
Now I know there are plethora posts re us getting the short end of the stick, but this was the reverse.
A walk in non-customer asked for champagne and then complained about it. The salesmen were acting with total professionalism in trying to placate this “Gentleman”, which then fed the complainant to push harder. I was getting a bit agrivated with this chap so just said I’m off.
We then went to a secluded room, conducted business had a few drinks and then left.
As I get older, I’m trying to become a better person by not jumping to conclusions and treating others as I’d like to be treated. These young salesmen showed such grace and aplomb, so much more than I would to the “Gentleman.”
Anyway, I believe he was eventually asked to leave.
So, anyone ever seen a customer giving unwarranted grief to sales folk, to the extent that they just wanted to walk away?
Regards

This seems like the majority of short-tempered Londoners! No respect, full of self -importance and probably no intention of buying annything!

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by SamP

My wife & I walked into my favourite candy store yesterday to pay for a sweet (Sub) and immediately witnessed an obnoxious chap getting steadily more and more offensive.
Now I know there are plethora posts re us getting the short end of the stick, but this was the reverse.
A walk in non-customer asked for champagne and then complained about it. The salesmen were acting with total professionalism in trying to placate this “Gentleman”, which then fed the complainant to push harder. I was getting a bit agrivated with this chap so just said I’m off.
We then went to a secluded room, conducted business had a few drinks and then left.
As I get older, I’m trying to become a better person by not jumping to conclusions and treating others as I’d like to be treated. These young salesmen showed such grace and aplomb, so much more than I would to the “Gentleman.”
Anyway, I believe he was eventually asked to leave.
So, anyone ever seen a customer giving unwarranted grief to sales folk, to the extent that they just wanted to walk away?
Regards

i see similar behavior a lot.

its also similar to airline passenger behavior with the "do you know who i am" confrontations... I almost want to say "yes i do, you are a mid tier status passenger, sliver status right?"

own a nice a watch or get a frequent flyer card and and the entitlement increases exponentially. Both things get flashed around a lot too. Not everyone acts this way, but its not uncommon

[Rolexavidfan]

We see (actually hear) that everyday on after sales issues trying to balance ourselves from the conflict of policy adherence/non empowerment vs. customer appeasement and satisfaction. It’s really a difficult world out there at times and we definitely need patience. Cheers!!


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[DP63]

Originally Posted by tyler1980

i see similar behavior a lot.

its also similar to airline passenger behavior with the "do you know who i am" confrontations... I almost want to say "yes i do, you are a mid tier status passenger, sliver status right?"

own a nice a watch or get a frequent flyer card and and the entitlement increases exponentially. Both things get flashed around a lot too. Not everyone acts this way, but its not uncommon

Beat me to it.

I see it most trips I make over seas, even with gold card members.

I fly business or first (if no business available) as part of my contract, but I am very much aware that although I paid my flight initially, it is essentially being paid for by the client, and although the airline dont know that, "I do" and I'm well mannered and well behaved as a result of that, as well as my personal code of conduct and general ethics.

Self importance and entitlement are exceptionally low traits in humans in my opinion, there is a serious lack of "humble" these days ... and the world is all the more gloomier for it.

[daveathall]

I don't act like that because I don't see myself as above anyone else, that isn't to say that I won't complain if I get bad service, I just do it quietly, with respect and good manners.

[timedate]

i tell you what p****s me off,

going in to a bank to pay a cheque in, a simple procedure, but i guarantee there are always people who feel the need to ask trivial questions, or have to see a print out of their balance and transactions, or constantly use the counter staff for things they can read about in the terms and conditions, or online.

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by timedate

i tell you what p****s me off,

going in to a bank to pay a cheque in, a simple procedure, but i guarantee there are always people who feel the need to ask trivial questions, or have to see a print out of their balance and transactions, or constantly use the counter staff for things they can read about in the terms and conditions, or online.

this summer there was a tourist group in my AD. I had 3 watches out trying them on. i was wearing my BLRO. I took it off, set it down and then all of a sudden this group was all up in my personal space. The kept picking up the watches my AD had placed in front of me, when they grabbed my personal watch, i had enough.

People are pretty clueless sometimes too.

reminded me of the pennies for everyone jar at the gas station. they were just helping themselves

[AK797]

The rich and faux rich entitlementers aside, I mostly see the Brits are too patient and apologetic when it comes to bad service, and I have increasingly called out lazy and rude shop assistants not for my sake as I won't go back but for their regular customers whom I know are mostly gritting their teeth and silently boiling and tutting.

I do the same now with fancy Michelin restaurants, where no one ever speaks up but now I ask to move table and order away from the main menu or transfer dishes from the set menu to the a la carte. Difference is altho Michelins seem intimidating and thus no one ever speaks up, the truth is they are always willing to bend over backwards for you and always with a smile if you are appreciative, so I have no hesitation in doing it now and think they quite like the challenge, rather than just smiling back to the half-fake smiles all the time. Indeed I've been offered far more free stuff, desserts, drinks, even a bag/table holder thing, in 2/3 star Michelins than in any other.

[Peter99]

There is no doubt that some people because a person offers a service of some sort for which one is being paid that person is a servant.
You are servant because you are being paid directly either for a product or a service like even tutoring a subject.
Rudeness is of course widespread but cultures sometimes have different attitudes regarding what is a servant.
It’s when cultures mix it is sometimes difficult to change an attitude.

[Knappo 1307]

What's MOI?, I hate abbreviations more than anything...

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by Knappo 1307

What's MOI?, I hate abbreviations more than anything...

abbreviations bad... contractions good. makes sense

i have no idea what it means... i just inferred from the context its not good

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by Knappo 1307

What's MOI?, I hate abbreviations more than anything...

It’s French, with emphasis.

[m j b]

I assumed that by "moi" he meant "me", in French.

Not me, him. Him me.

Anyway....

I was in a small jewelry store in the Diamond District of NYC looking at a ring for the wife and a Bluesy for me (bought her the ring, bought the watch off of TRF later) and some obnoxious soul came in to look at some kind of watch... the owner was NYC short and terse with him (very nice to me) and I called him on it. He said, "that jerk has been in here every week to look at that watch, and he'll never buy it".

I noticed that generally the folks in London were very polite, even (especially?) the Bobbies. You chaps still call them Bobbies, don't you?

[Knappo 1307]

Originally Posted by Abdullah71601

It’s French, with emphasis.

Isn't it french for me?

[Knappo 1307]

Originally Posted by m j b

I assumed that by "moi" he meant "me", in French.

Not me, him. Him me.

Anyway....

I was in a small jewelry store in the Diamond District of NYC looking at a ring for the wife and a Bluesy for me (bought her the ring, bought the watch off of TRF later) and some obnoxious soul came in to look at some kind of watch... the owner was NYC short and terse with him (very nice to me) and I called him on it. He said, "that jerk has been in here every week to look at that watch, and he'll never buy it".

I noticed that generally the folks in London were very polite, even (especially?) the Bobbies. You chaps still call them Bobbies, don't you?

Got it, thanks..

[bayerische]

Champagne?

Bud light.

[Brew]

I was not in London. That said, nothing will set me off more quickly than a flute of warm bubbly, even if gratis.

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by bayerische

Champagne?

Bud light.

champale for anything less than a full PM watch, new policy

[fusionstorm]

Originally Posted by bayerische

Champagne?

Bud light.

Ahem! There’s only one “champagne of beers”.......

[droptopman]

LOL, just my wife...ha ha.

I am a lay down for salesmen/women and folks in service industries. I generally won't complain even when I should.

Last time I saw a bad interaction was at Starbucks. Some guy was going off on the barista who made his drink. Now I did say something to him. Like STFU. Poor girl probably making minimum wage getting raked over a $5 drink. She was in tears. Guy was a total jerk.

[CRM114]

Originally Posted by AK797

....
I do the same now with fancy Michelin restaurants, where no one ever speaks up but now I ask to move table and order away from the main menu or transfer dishes from the set menu to the a la carte. Difference is altho Michelins seem intimidating and thus no one ever speaks up, the truth is they are always willing to bend over backwards for you and always with a smile if you are appreciative, so I have no hesitation in doing it now and think they quite like the challenge, rather than just smiling back to the half-fake smiles all the time. Indeed I've been offered far more free stuff, desserts, drinks, even a bag/table holder thing, in 2/3 star Michelins than in any other.

Not always true. I know (and love) a tiny, 2-star Michelin, mom & pop sushi-counter place in Tokyo where one eats what the owner decides is right to prepare and in the order he prepares it, and eat everything served (he will make more things if one answers "yes" when asked if still hungry). A few other rules: No photos, no wearing perfume or cologne, no accommodation made for allergies, your reservation is cancelled if arriving more than 10 minutes late. And of course obvious ones like no kids, no phone-talking, etc.

Of course, all the "No"s are done super-politely and it could be the best sushi in the world. Certainly some of the best.

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by CRM114

Not always true. I know (and love) a tiny, 2-star Michelin, mom & pop sushi-counter place in Tokyo where one eats what the owner decides is right to prepare and in the order he prepares it, and eat everything served (he will make more things if one answers "yes" when asked if still hungry). A few other rules: No photos, no wearing perfume or cologne, no accommodation made for allergies, your reservation is cancelled if arriving more than 10 minutes late. And of course obvious ones like no kids, no phone-talking, etc.

Of course, all the "No"s are done super-politely and it could be the best sushi in the world. Certainly some of the best.

i prefer this approach. The chef is an artist. I get the idea of the fact a customer is always right.... but it would have been like asking Rembrandt to paint in neon colors because thats what you want.

I think most people go to a high end restaurant because of the fact you can discover complex dishes you would never try anywhere else. Whenever i go to a place like that i have never had anything i didn't like even though some of the ingredients dont tase so good when i use them to cook at home. If i would have asked for a substitution i would have missed out.

Going to the Ritz and asking for ketchup on your steak is just wrong. If i was a chef i wouldn't allow it.

food becomes art at a certain level. Altering it then becomes counter to the vision.