Rude clerks & wwyd

#1

Ugh, I just called to get information and an appointment to pierce my dd’s ears. The woman was just rude.

As I start speaking, the clocks in the store start ringing the hour. Instead of “I’m sorry, but it’s noisy in here” or some other comment in that vein, I get “Speak up, can you? Hello? Hello?” all before I can even take a breath to speak again.

Then I ask how much to get the ears pierced, then if the cost of the studs is included. Instead of a simple “Yes, they’re included”, I get “Well of course they’re included, what do you think? I would have told you if they were extra you know”.

Biting my tongue a bit to remain civil at this point, I ask if I need to get an appointment. She comes back with “Yes, you need an appointment. Why don’t you call back when you know what you want and when you want it.” Um, isn’t it up to her to tell me when they have a spot, or ask me (politely) when I’m available?

All along, her tone of voice is abrupt and so rude.

I’m of two minds about going to get dd’s ears pierced there. She really wants them done, though, has been looking forward to it all week, and I did promise. I also have no way right now to drive to the next town to have them done at another place.

Should I put up with the crying I’ll get if I go back on my promise? I promised we’d get them done today - before the weekend - if she was good all week AND passed her swimming lessons, which she did. Or should I just go for this but not go back for anything else?

#2

Surely there must be somewhere else you can go? There’s no reason you should put up with a rude person like that. I have made complaints to the management for behaviour like that. I don’t understand why some people are in an industry that deals with people when they clearly have no social skills.
I would try to find somewhere else to take your daughter, you shouldn’t give your business to someone so rude.

#3

That women was rude and I would have asked her where she learned her customer service skills! I would contact a jewelry store and inquire if they pierce ears and take her there. Then I would call the other store back, ask to speak with the manager and let him/her know how the earlier conversation went and then tell him the store you are going to and in the end, that person cost him this business and any future business. (sorry for the long sentence) And if that was the manager, then contact the head office. I can not stand bad customer service and have no problem letting people know that I will pay another store/company more money for better customer service.

As for you daughter, just let her know that she will get her ears pierced, it may be next weekend but she will get them done. Maybe toss in a ice cream cone after its done to soften the blow.

#4

I would definately try to find somewhere else to get them done as well. I don’t know how old your daughter is, but if you can explain that conversation with the clerk to her, and suggest that she (your dd) may not want someone so mean to pierce her ears, she’ll understand. Little girls want someone nice and gentle for ear piercing, not some angry 20 something. Its worth a try anyway.

#5

Oh I’d make sure to call back, get her name and know when she was going to be working. Then, I’d show up with my child, let someone else pierce her ears and ask for that nasty shrew afterward. When she came over I’d say to her 'I just wanted to see what you looked like since you sounded like such a horses *ss on the phone. I guess my mental image of you was correct." :teehee: I would complain to corporate too afterward.

#6

I agree if you explained to your daughter the womans cranky mean behavior, she would want to wait and go somewhere that someone pleasant and kind would do a much better job and care how she feels instead of someone you dont really trust to do a professional comforting job. I would also inform the owners. Maybe they arent aware and their sales are lacking or something, they would then a chance to correct the situation and keep a watch out ithat it didnt happen to someone else in the future.

#7

Thanks for your replies.

This woman (I’ve learned after talking to my mother) is the owner’s wife, maybe even the part owner. She’s in her late 50s/early 60s, so not some young kid. Thankfully she is not the one who does the piercing, it’s the owner himself (he actually did my ears when I was a kid). My dd is 4, so whether she will understand and want to wait is kind of iffy.

I live in a very small town, with only the one jewellry store, and there’s no public transport to get somewhere else.

I will talk to her and see if she will be willing to wait another week though.

#8

One thing that also annoyed me, although if it was the only thing, I probably would have understood. When she asked for the name for the appointment, I started to give my dd’s name. She cut me off and said “I don’t want to fool around with that, give me the last name. Your last name, not hers.”

I mean WTH? I thought it would be fun for Pie to have the appt in her own name, since it is for her ears. Like I said, if that was all I would have brushed it aside, but at the end of a rudeness filled conversation, that really annoyed me.

#9

WOW, the older I get the less tolerant I am of rude people and the more likely I am to tell them they are being rude. I think I would do anything I had to do NOT to do business there AND make sure the owner knew why (either a letter or phone call).

#10

I agree with all of the above. The owner definitely needs to know his wife is a shrew that should not be dealing with the public that puts food on her stupid plate and a roof over her rude head. I hope your DD will fully understand why you, nor she, should ever put up with that sort of behavior - from anyone, anywhere. :mad:

#11

Well, it says “wwyd” so I’ll answer. I’d try to be as gracious as she was rude and hope I might rub off on her. :slight_smile:

#12

You might want to ask your pediatrician if he/she would be willing to pierce the Pie’s ears. My ped wouldn’t do it but she told me there is a local practice that does for their patients.

I wouldn’t give my business to anyone who was that rude. I’d wait and find somewhere else to go where they treated you better. I can’t imagine that the experience of getting piercings done in a place like that would be anything but unpleasant.

#13

I was thinking you should try her pediatrian, also. I wouldn’t let anyone that rude come near my daughter. She doesn’t need to be answering the phone, but that is probably why she is so rude, because she hates it. I wonder what makes her think she is so high and mighty?

#14

:thud: Who would act like that if they owned the store?!Maybe she has some other things going on in her life that aren’t clearly visible.
Either way, I second the idea of the pediatrician, mine did my ears when I was 9 and I’m always glad that my mom took me there.

#15

Sometimes it is good to stop the person and ask for their full name, then ask them the number for the corporate office if it is a corporation, or some regional office number over them. Even if you don’t want to take the time, just the fact that you ask for the info. will often get them to change their attitude. I wouldn’t go there though. You know, often your doctor’s office will do ear piercings, have you asked them?

#16

Pie was very insistent on getting them done right away, but I promised myself that one word from this woman and that was it. I found out that there was someone there helping this morning, but she wasn’t supposed to answer the phones and she did. I can’t know if that’s true, although the voice wasn’t the same and I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt.

The man was very nice and so good with Pie. She didn’t cry, but was afraid beforehand, not knowing what it was going to do. I thought I’d post a pic to show her new earring…her face is dirty, I promised her an ice cream if she was very good, which she was.

#17

Very nice, Pie! You were a brave girl!

Wenda ~ I’m glad you felt comfortable getting them done after talking to the owner. Hopefully that person will be addressed by the owner and not be in there again.

#18

HMM that’s too bad you don’t have more places to chose from. When I got my ears pierced we just picked one of the 5 places in the mall and stopped on afternoon.

#19

She looks beautiful in her new earrings! They look great with her hair color.

Sorry for the terrible customer service. If only they knew (owner of not) how often people took their business elsewhere due to rudeness, it might make them concentrate on customer service training for their employees…

#20

She is so pretty. Tell her that I said she doesn’t need anything to make her beautiful, because she already is. Bless her heart, she deserved an ice cream.