This started about four days ago. I 23F work part-time at a drycleaners. We typically close at 5pm, but that day I was a bit behind and stayed a few minutes after to wrap some things up. In comes a customer, we’ll call him Steven. He says he’s sorry he’s late, but since I practically just closed up I can surely take his bag of clothes. Since it was a nine hour shift, I was tired and really just wanted to go home, but I agree to take his clothes and give him a drop slip, but then he asked if I could give him the itemized ticket containing his estimate. To do that, I would’ve had to take out each of his clothes individually, count them and put it into the system, and as he had a big bag I really wasn’t in the mood and told him that I was sorry, but I couldn’t do that, but that his clothes would still be ready by when he needed them. He got mad and demanded his bag back, tossed the slip I gave him on the ground and left.
I got into work the following day and my manager told me he had heard a complaint about me from him and asked that I apologize. He had apparently told him that I refused to take his clothes altogether. Even after I explained my side of the story, he still asked that I apologize because he was a customer, to which I reluctantly agreed.
The next day, Steven came in and before I could even get to the apology he said “Is there no one else here because I don’t want to talk to you.” Here is where I may have taken things too far because I didn’t say anything and I didn’t apologize because honestly I didn’t feel the need to, I just walked off and got my coworker to wait on him while I did other things. The entire time he kept looking at me like I’d offended him in some way, and when my manager came up front, he immediately complained about me.
I calmly explained that he requested I not speak to him and I wasn’t trying to be rude, but to keep the peace, my manager asked that I fully apologize to him and I refused because at the time it just didn’t make sense to me. My manager apologized in my stead and after he left, both my coworker and manager said they understood but I was being childish, and that I probably just gave us a bad review. At the time, I thought they were crazy, but now I feel pretty bad, so before I do offer both my manager and the asshat of a customer an apology, I just want to know if I was truly the asshole in the situation.
Comments
^^^^AUTOMOD Thanks for posting! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of copying anything. Read this before contacting the mod team
This started about four days ago. I 23F work part-time at a drycleaners. We typically close at 5pm, but that day I was a bit behind and stayed a few minutes after to wrap some things up. In comes a customer, we’ll call him Steven. He says he’s sorry he’s late, but since I practically just closed up I can surely take his bag of clothes. Since it was a nine hour shift, I was tired and really just wanted to go home, but I agree to take his clothes and give him a drop slip, but then he asked if I could give him the itemized ticket containing his estimate. To do that, I would’ve had to take out each of his clothes individually, count them and put it into the system, and as he had a big bag I really wasn’t in the mood and told him that I was sorry, but I couldn’t do that, but that his clothes would still be ready by when he needed them. He got mad and demanded his bag back, tossed the slip I gave him on the ground and left.
I got into work the following day and my manager told me he had heard a complaint about me from him and asked that I apologize. He had apparently told him that I refused to take his clothes altogether. Even after I explained my side of the story, he still asked that I apologize because he was a customer, to which I reluctantly agreed.
The next day, Steven came in and before I could even get to the apology he said “Is there no one else here because I don’t want to talk to you.” Here is where I may have taken things too far because I didn’t say anything and I didn’t apologize because honestly I didn’t feel the need to, I just walked off and got my coworker to wait on him while I did other things. The entire time he kept looking at me like I’d offended him in some way, and when my manager came up front, he immediately complained about me.
I calmly explained that he requested I not speak to him and I wasn’t trying to be rude, but to keep the peace, my manager asked that I fully apologize to him and I refused because at the time it just didn’t make sense to me. My manager apologized in my stead and after he left, both my coworker and manager said they understood but I was being childish, and that I probably just gave us a bad review. At the time, I thought they were crazy, but now I feel pretty bad, so before I do offer both my manager and the asshat of a customer an apology, I just want to know if I was truly the asshole in the situation.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
Welcome to /r/AmITheAsshole. Please view our voting guide here, and remember to use only one judgement in your comment.
OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> I refused to interact with a customer even though I was asked to apologize by my manager. I might be the asshole because I put my manager and coworker in a rather awkward position.
Help keep the sub engaging!
Don’t downvote assholes!
Do upvote interesting posts!
Click Here For Our Rules and Click Here For Our FAQ
Subreddit Announcements
Follow the link above to learn more
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
Contest mode is 1.5 hours long on this post.
In our area, most offices and businesses these days now have signs telling people to treat staff with respect and that inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated. Your business needs this. We also have rules that hold businesses responsible for allowing toxic circumstances to exist; employers can be sued by staff for it. Too bad your boss is allowing his staff to be treated that way. It may be time to look for another job. NTA
Explain to your boss, very slowly, what a Catch 22 is. Or a double-edged sword. Your boss set you up for failure and it might be time to find a new job. If the customer specifically tells you not to speak to him and you spoke to him anyway, you would’ve gotten a complaint. You chose to honor his wish and got a complaint anyway. There was no way you could have won this. Your boss is an AH and needs to drop the whole attitude that the customer is always right. Actually, the customer is wrong in most cases, they’re just loud, entitled, and emboldened by weak managers who bow down to their every whim. NTA
NTA. It’s pretty obvious you did nothing wrong and that your manager has no spine. If you’re ok being fired over it – potentially at least – then onward you go. Both the customer and your manager are AHs here.
The customer was manipulative and domineering from the jump, and then extremely hostile and aggressive after that. Unless you totally bent over backwards to accommodate him, you were going to face this type of complaint. What your mgr should have done was said to him something like “I’m sorry for the confusion. We were actually closed when you arrived to drop off your clothes and were not able to provide the intake that we of course do during work hours. While we were willing to have you do a simple drop-off, despite it being after-hours, we could not provide typical work hours services as we had indeed closed for the day.” This is what he should reply with if that guy leaves a bad review. But the customer’s abhorrent behavior towards you should also earn him the black list – your mgr should refuse to do business with him, citing aggressive and hostile treatment of his employees. Something tells me your boss is too spineless for that though. Start applying for other jobs.
I’m a front end coordinator at a dry cleaners myself. I don’t get paid after 5pm and I tell our customers that. I had someone drop off 18 pieces 3 minutes before I closed.
ESH
Welcome to customer service.
Where the customer is given the benefit of the doubt and the businesses have to make concessions and bend over backwards to ensure you keep their business.
Here’s where you may have gone wrong and could have apologized –
First, stop with the drama, he doesn’t ‘hate’ you. Geez. But your take on that gives insight into how you think of customers.
You decided to stay late and left the door open, which means you were welcoming business. Did you say when he walked in that ‘we’re closed’? Or just quietly decide to help him? If you refused part of the service, and said ‘sorry I can’t do that’, did you explain why? Your explanation here was ‘I wasn’t in the mood’ but that doesn’t fly when you’re in business. So technically, that’s what your apology could have been about ‘I’m sorry for the miscommunication, I really should have put up the closed sign when we were in fact closed, and given I failed to do that, I should have fully served you.’
Customer was an AH for obvious reasons, assuming you told him ‘I actually don’t have time to do it all, its’ already 10 minutes passed our closing time so what I CAN do for you is still take your clothes and have them ready by tomorrow, etc’ It’s all about how you deliver the message.
And your boss HAS to do what he has to do to keep customers happy, I disagree with them apologizing on your behalf if you did nothing wrong, but in this case…you left the store open, which means you’re open, and should have helped…or should have turned him away as soon as he opened the door.
Lesson learned,
NTA. Bloke turns up late, lies about you, then refuses to talk but still expects an apology? Get stuffed.
You kept it professional, didn’t cause drama, Steven’s the one acting like a child. Your manager should back you, not pander to a tantrum-thrower. No apology needed.
ESH
This customer is ridiculous. Your employer is ridiculous. At the end of the day, you either need to cave to their whims, though, or find a new job. (Hint: Find a new job).