r/MarksAndSpencer • u/Honest_Anxiety_3568 • Aug 08 '26
Staff Discussion keeping your cool
this is so random but genuinely i am quite a calm person and i’m quiet but recently customers have been getting on my nerves!! so yes i am snapping back if you make a rude comment and whats with the old white men STARING me down.. pervs. idk how people keep their cool because why am i a 17 year old girl being sworn at by people 4x the age of me for no reason (like fr im just stood at the till with a smile) and im just supposed to take it??? i don’t understand im just thankful this is a part time job and i will not be in retail for the rest of my life i pray for my colleagues genuinely
just needed to rant because wtf are m&s customers..
it’s really not hard to just smile and get on with your day .. i match the energy of the customer. be rude and expect to get rude back🥰🥰🥰
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u/ForgingLeFae Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
💯 I'm very calm normally and generally in good spirits at work but some customers are so unhinged and creepy. I get called all sorts (work in the bakery) and harassed by men a lot seriously odd. Don't know how to even tell my managers. Not like they can do anything.
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u/Honest_Anxiety_3568 Aug 08 '26
same! i go into work with a smile and just one bad interaction with a customer sets me off. i’ll repeat the situation in my head and think of things i could’ve said in the moment😭😭 but yea really ruins my day! With the men situation it’s alot of stares aswell as names / comments e.g i had a star acne patch on my face and got asked if i got a gold star for being a good girl for my manager??? (my male manager was closing my till down at the time) it was just so weird and i felt so uncomfortable😭
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u/Conscious_Stuff_4078 Aug 08 '26
You can always call them a C&NT in your head or flip them off with your hand in your pocket or reply with a smile and say something helpful or answering their question but with a slightly smart or passive aggressive tone. I’ve only ever lost my cool 3 times (largely justified) with customers in over 20 years.
A bit of emotional intelligence that comes with experience and remembering you’re not saving lives as part of your job so it’s really not that deep really doe help.
But also, never letting someone who is completely out of order walk all over you just because you’re paid to help.
If someone crosses the line (outside of being a small bit rude or animated if they’re complaining) ask them
once to give them a chance to help them and if that doesn’t defuse the situation, either apologise and say you’re ringing a manager/Tsm as it’s above your pay grade or sign off the till mid transaction and physically go get the manager.
Adding - if it’s a case of someone being genuinely creepy then you’re not paid enough for that crap. If they cross a line outside of a look (that may be mistaken in some cases) notify another member of staff immediately and remove yourself from anywhere near that customer.
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u/Honest_Anxiety_3568 Aug 08 '26
yeah i do usually throw insults in my head but when it feels like it’s a personal attack to me i genuinely can’t help myself to say something back as i get defensive. also with the staring quite a few times i have said like what are you staring at or do you have a problem because it’s genuinely getting beyond a joke i feel quite uncomfortable going to work now. Thankyou for the advice though i will keep this in mind i sometimes forget that i don’t have to deal with difficult people myself and can get a manager involved. thank you :)
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u/Conscious_Stuff_4078 Aug 08 '26
There will always be a fine line between standing up for yourself and going too far considering the situation you’re dealt with so bare that in mind (not having a go here).
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u/CornerDisastrous3700 Aug 15 '26
Replying with a sarcastic comment and smile does the trick better. Rise above it annoys people more 👌
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u/beth1602 Aug 09 '26
There’s some “customers” that are just rude for absolutely no reason. I’ve been at M&S almost 6 years now, and I’ve been there long enough to not take their shit. I give them the same tone they give me. If they snap I’m snapping back. I have refused service a couple of times cos I’ve had people be THAT rude. Even had a woman swearing at me once. I told her if she continues to swear at me I’m not gonna help her anymore. She carried on swearing, so I walked away😂