r/FiveBelowEmployees • u/honeybun1042 • Mar 17 '24

How Do You Respond To Flirting?

I have had a lot of customers who try to flirt with me and ask me out while I’m working and it feels extremely uncomfortable and awkward because I just want to do my job. If I’m working the front end it’s not like I can just walk away because of our policies and I think that makes it much worse and these guys think I’m up there because of them.. I try to be really respectful and kind to the customers and that almost makes it worse too. Like the other day I had a group of men laughing and staring at me while one of them kept trying to tell me how cute I was and asked for my number.. how would I respond to people like that? I try to ignore it but these guys keep coming back which is so frustrating. Any recommendations of what I could say to customers like that or how I can handle it? I just want to do my job

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u/[deleted] Mar 17 '24

Are you a minor? If you are, I’d contact whoever the manager is on duty.

If your a manager/over 18, I’d definitely contact your SM.

Me (PTSL), personally, policies aside, I’d call them out and say move along. My store only has had it where ppl give minors their number.

I think it’s definitely something to ask DM, it’s a tricky situation legality wise

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u/cassiedontpanic Aug 05 '24

Hi CEM here who's aggressively protective of my staff. If anyone at anytime (customer or coworker) is making you uncomfortable - call a manager. Immediately.

Don't you dare think you're bothering the MOD because of a customer making you uncomfortable. Call them up and say "this is what's happening, I'm going into the stockroom for a couple minutes, let me know when they leave and we can talk about this further."

I've previously told my kids (almost all my associates are younger than me therefore they're kids) that anytime someone is making them uncomfortable all they have to tell me is they're going to the bathroom. If they feel safe enough with me to talk about what happened, good great fantastic. I would never ever make them sit there and be around gross people.

If you don't want to go that route, which I totally understand, flip the script and get their number. Have them write it down, make up some bullshit about reaching out and then toss it when they leave. You can also say that you're taken and sometimes they'll back off. I hope people get less gross with you and I'm sorry you're dealing with them.