Aside from buying into karmic retribution and having a healthy belief that all people deserve respect, there are many good reasons to treat others well. Reasons like free french fries and staff discounts…
Sharing their secrets of customer service on Whisper, 18 workers from hospitality, retail and other customer-service-facing industries dished on the rules of engagement and the benefits of being a customer who is a cut above the rest.
Listen to Jo talk about her experience working in retail on Mamamia Out Loud. Post continues after audio.
“I work at a credit union. If you’re nice to me, I’ll go through your account and waive fees you’ve assessed without telling you. So be nice to people,” one user admitted anonymously.
“I work at McDonald’s,” another began. “Sometimes if the customer is really nice and polite I will add extra stuff to their order, like either fill their fries up fuller or put an extra nugget in their box.”
Mmmm, free nuggets.
Another hospitality worker agreed, writing, “I work at a cinema. If you’re nice to me and I like you, I fill your popcorn fuller [sic]. It’s as simple as that. Be aware of how you treat us, it’s not our fault movies are so damn expensive,” while another said, “I work at a grocery store and when customers are nice I conveniently “forget” to ring a few of their items without them knowing.”
For some, it’s all in the condiments. “If customers are nice I won’t charge the extra for the dipping sauce. But if you’re rude, you better believe you get charged $0.30! $0.25 for sauce. $0.05 for rudeness!”
Another employee said, “I work in a coffee shop and when customers are nice I don’t give them expired milk.”
When it came to retail, discount proves to reigns supreme, with one department store worker saying, “I work at Macy’s and if you’re nice to me I will almost always give you a discount. I love the happy faces I see when I tell them, ‘I’m going to give you 25% off today!'”
Top Comments
I try to be nice to people working in retail and customer service regardless. I've worked in retail and I know how crappy it is when the customers are rude for no reason.
Having said that, when I'm a paying customer I'd like to think my handing over the agreed amount entitles me to drink unexpired milk and to be served the proper amount of popcorn, fries or drink I have paid for. These people aren't doing their customers favours, they are fulfilling the basic obligations of their transaction.
It's horrifying to think there are baristas out there, minority or not, who think they are being gracious by giving customers unexpired milk.
or, you know, just be a decent human being for free.