So, after having my cherries tossed, by a stranger, onto the conveyor belt, I felt annoyed. Why do people presume to enter into my life? But that line of thought was knocked out of my head by the customers ahead of me. One of them, a woman of about 30, was shouting at the cashier, a woman in her late 60's. The cashier had asked them if they wanted help getting the groceries to their car. This is a standard question, we get asked it all the time. We simply say 'no thanks' and we're done with it.
But the younger woman took great offence to being offered and began shouting at the cashier, threatening to report her to the manager, threatening to get her fired, threatening a 'well deserved smack in the face.' The cashier looked shocked, at first, and then just really tired. When the woman had left, I saw that the cashier was really upset so I said, 'if you don't mind, I'd like to say something, but I can just shut up if you'd like.' She waved her hand, I think still too emotional to speak, I said, 'You didn't deserve to be spoken to that way, you did nothing wrong. I saw the whole thing. You did nothing wrong. I'm sorry that happened to you.'
She smiled and said thanks, she then tried to explain to me that she just was offering like she offers everyone, and by the way did we want help? We laughed and I asked if I should speak to someone. She thanked me but didn't want to put me to the bother. Just then a store manager walked by and I called over to her. She came quizzically, preparing for the worst. I just explained what I had seen, explained the explosion and the threats made. I testified.
I testified that the clerk had kept her dignity throughout the attack.
I testified that the clerk hadn't done anything to warrant the reaction.
I also stated that I didn't intervene in any way because I already thought it was too explosive and, as a wheelchair user, was trapped, with no escape.
The manager thanked me for speaking up.
The clerk was moved that someone did something.
It wasn't much.
But it helped.
I think because, I asked her first.
you witness and you validated to her what she had experienced, and then you narrated the what occurred to the person who may have some power to change the situation..the manager..without much drama or judgement. this is real, this is what happens in public places, this is what verbal violence is.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sticking up for her. It's unreal the treatment so many people in customer service (including me!) get. It's like we're not real people with real jobs.
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