Career Questions and Answers
Lost job today..was it fair?
Asked by keef
I worked in a major supermarket. A customer asked me if we had a particular type of lettuce. I said no. She went ballistic because we had none. I said "See the real world and take a holiday in Iraq!" I was soon called to the office and then fired!
Was that fair?
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Best Answer:
You indulged yourself by letting your feelings get the better of you, and spoke disrespectfully to a customer.
Being fired was probably a bit harsh, I agree. If you really want this job back, it's not unheard of for someone to come back the next day and ask to speak to the person their manager, and be VERY apologetic and ASSURE them that such a thing will NEVER happen again.
It costs money to train new employees, along with risks of the new employee making mistakes and also potentially angering customers. So, sometimes employers will take back the next day people that they fired the day before (especially since they had a night to let their own irritation cool.)
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seems a bit harsh to me
Answered by h b
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I'm afraid to say I think so. THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT
Answered by jodders898
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sorry, but yes, u said something not pertaining to the lettuce, and your job didnt want to have problems witht the lady, so they saved their asses.
Answered by Mrpinga S
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Not at all, a verbal warning would have been enough. Check with the citizens advice bureau regarding you rights.
Answered by richard_beckham2001
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When you work in a grocery store, the motto is, "the customer is always right" and must be treated with respect.
Answered by Penny
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if you think thats unfair, you should see the real world and take a holiday in Iraq. no jk, that was a little extreme to fire you. oh and btw to all the other posters, if you've ever worked in the retail/service sector, you would learned very early on, the customer is rarely right. Just cuz i say 5 pounds of filet mignon is 19 cents, doesnt make me right
Answered by mike j
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well what do you think?
Answered by rae c
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well you worked in customer service and saying that was totally rude so yeah you deserve to be fired.
Answered by Natalie's mommy
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Stupid idiotic customers.... do you work in Waitrose? We get those sort of customers all the time! lol
It was not fair you were fired, go see someone at the CBA, they will be able to tell if you have a legal case against them!!
Answered by ♥☆♥Glamourous♥☆♥™
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well, did you have any prior warnings in the file? If this was your very first offense, then maybe it was a tad bit unfair. If you have a history of being rude to customers - then not at all. Someone in a position of customer service shouldn't really say things like that to a customer. If they are so angry, suggest they go speak to a manager.
Answered by ckphilly
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yes you should have kept your mouth shut. customer service means kissing a lot of a**. but you should learn to give a sincere apology with a straight face. and if they go ballistic ,just call your supervisor to take care of it, thats why they get the big bucks.!
Answered by patty moor
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Had you been given any verbal warnings or written warnings before this. If not then they don't really have a leg to stand on with sacking you mate. Sounds like your manager could do with spending some time in iraq aswell.
Hope you find a new job soon!!!!
Answered by Bailey01
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Life isn't fair. You shouldn't have said that to a customer. The management had to use you as a warning for other employees who think of mouthing off like that to a customer. No matter how rude or inconsiderate customers are, they pay our salaries. I know as I am in a customer service business too. I hate that I have to put up with people like that, but I need my job.
Maybe you could go back and apologize and ask for you job back in a couple of days.
Sorry it happened, but you learned a lesson the hard way.
Answered by Angiej1213
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fair or not, I don't blame the supermarket for taking some action. As a representative of them, you may have wanted to respond differently. Someone going ballistic is no excuse. Get a manager, take a breath, and remember her issue is not with YOU. Besides, since we know nothing of your track record with them, how can we say if it was fair or not? Were you spitting mad and in her face when you said it or maybe you've received 15 prior warnings? Or maybe you're employee of the year? You asking us if it was fair without much info is UNFAIR!!!
Answered by questionsRanswers
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I think that to fire you was a little extreme.
Have you already been warned for your attitude to customers?
If the answer is yes then the firm is within their rights to fire you.
If the answer is no then you should of been given a verbal warning.
Answered by tracy_jane1970
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Maybe not the firing part...But you did deserve to be in trouble...possibly written up....those are some harsh words...maybe the customer was having a really bad day and maybe they just lost a husband or child in Iraq...you should really watch what you say to people...you never know what is going on in their life. If the customer was going ballistic on you...you should have got a manager....so...if that wasn't your first rude thing you said to a customer...i could see why they would fire you.
Answered by Anna J
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lol. as great as i think that is right now it wasnt professional. Dont lie to yourself. You know it wasnt professional for you to say that to her.
*cough*(nomatterhowmuchshedeservedit)*cough*
I dont see why you should have been fired. Perhaps your boss should have corrected you on it and reminded you that the lady may have mental problems or a bad day 'cause you just dont know whats going on with her. i mean... how could you? your not her keeper right? <--- rant. sry.
but anyways. i dont think it is fair that you were fired. there i eventually answered your question.
Answered by Bob F
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yep...keep your opinions and editorials to yourself next time you are working in customer service...sorry- on a personal level- YES it is unfair...but
Answered by jmd72inva
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I can't believe you're even asking here. I think you're proud of what you did.
Yes, I think it's fair. Very much so.
If this customer was really upset, your job is to apologize, repeatedly if you have to. If it gets really bad, ask her if she would like to speak with a manager.
Wow. People these days. No wonder companies outsource jobs to other countries :P
Answered by Yuki
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Probably "fair" in the legal sense...you might want to consider a profession outside Customer Service...it doesn't seem to be your strong suit...avoiding confrontation with the customer is usually advisable!! And how you responded sounds more like instigation.
Answered by dalenjen
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It's a bit harsh, but you should have just apologised for not having the lettuce the customer wanted. The customer may not always be right, in fact usually the customer is an idiot, but you've got to treat them better than that! Best thing to have done would be to call your manager and let them take the situation over. Angry customers are never easy to handle, pass the buck every time I say.
Answered by Darren R
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It seems a tad bit extreme but you were out of order. You are lucky you didnt get hit. The owner probably was concerned he could get in trouble for your comment. War is a sensitive subject right now in America. That person could have had a close relative over there.
Answered by Obama2009
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Sorry but yes it was fair. You should never have any type of attitude to customers, you should always bite your tongue and just say sorry but we haven't got them in today (give a reason, no delivery etc). Customers are always right, even when they are wrong. Attitudes and comments like yours, will turn people off coming to that store and people talk to their friends who are then also put off shopping there.
i have worked in shops all my working life and have never made any comment like that to a customer, if i had i would have expected to get sacked. I would love to know why you felt it necessary to tell the customer to take a holiday in Iraq, instead of just explaining why there weren't any lettuce that day.
Answered by dolphin
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Life is a bitch! , you know the customer is always right .
It`s not funny tho is it when you find your self out of a job .
believe me ! as one door closes another will open. Good luck.
Answered by brileen999
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maybe not fair, but i understand that the manager was worried about what you might say to the next customer
Answered by nickipettis
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Yes it was fair. If you are planning to continue to work in areas where you will have to deal with the public then you need to really work on your people skills. Instead of the smart aleck remark, you should have directed to another type of lettuce that you did carry and told her the benefits of it.
Answered by swcasper2001
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Yes, you should not have answered the customer with a comment like that. I understand that the customers response to you was not right, and she needed to move on with her day. But to make a comment about sending her to Iraq on a holiday could have hit a nerve with her and was pretty insulting to her.
Answered by hr4me
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As much as I want to say no its not fair, i have to flip the coin. If you managed the store and a woman come up to you pissing mad (for other reasons as we now know) and said that one of your employees told her to see the world and take a trip in Iraq - which sounds a bit like a death sentence... would you tolerate this? What if the customer was a person who shopped there every week for years?
You wouldnt tolertate it and you would remove the employee from the place of business. Most likely for the sake of keeping the woman coming back into the store... especially if its a small town and word travels fast... people could find out and boycott the store
Answered by Ember
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