Rude to customer-facing staff? Sorry, but you’re the worst kind of person

Waterstones staff have shared stories of ‘shoppers throwing editions at them in anger’

Unpleasant attitudes towards service workers often come from prejudices about what these roles entail and who takes them (Getty Images)

If you take a trip to your GP surgery, A&E department, post office or local KFC, you’re likely to see a sign beside the counter, or affixed to the protective perspex screen. It reads something like this: “Harassment and abuse of our staff will not be tolerated.” Maybe Waterstones bookshops need to get some of these signs up, too.

The Times reported this morning that staff at the UK’s largest book retailer have been subject to abuse by customers, due to delivery issues leading to six-week delays and affecting the availability of pre-ordered books. Staff have shared stories of “shoppers throwing editions at them in anger”.

I love books, OK? Reading is as necessary to me as breathing. But no matter how keen you are to read the new instalment of Mick Heron’s brilliant Slough House series or Janice Hallet’s next deliciously labyrinthine mystery, there’s never any excuse for chucking books at people serving you on the shop floor.

In 2021, the Home Affairs Committee published a report on abuse towards retail workers, which found that over the previous five years, violence directed at retail staff had increased significantly. Responding to the Committee’s public survey, 70 per cent of 12,667 retail workers had both witnessed and experienced violence and abuse whilst working. The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) also reported that 89 per cent of individuals working in local shops had experienced some form of abuse.

In the summer months of 2021, with many more Brits choosing to book holidays in the UK, hospitality staff were described as being at “breaking point” due to abusive behaviour from frustrated customers. Voices columnist Jim Moore wrote in September last year about how “volleys of abuse” were unleashed at “harried serving staff trying to cope with a surge of business in the midst of a government-created labour shortage”.

It’s widespread on public transport too. According to RMT union’s survey of over 5,000 of its members, over half reported being subject to violent assaults at work since the pandemic began.

The vast majority of customer-facing staff, particularly in working at big chains or organisations, are unlikely to have much control over what is in stock, what services are available, or how the business is run. Kicking off at them, rather than submitting a complaint or explaining how you feel in a review, is not the way forward. It’s an embarrassing, entitled and unacceptable way to behave.

When I worked at a vegan diner, flipping burgers and serving milkshakes, I quickly learned that the worst customers are the ones who behave like you are somehow less than them because you’re taking their order or preparing and bringing them their food. I once served rapper Professor Green, and he was polite, unassuming and generally lovely – despite being properly famous. Be more like Prof Green, folks.

If you’re meeting someone for the first time in a restaurant, bar or cafe, noticing how they treat the staff serving their food or taking their order is a pretty good rule of thumb for figuring out whether this person is worth dating, establishing a friendship with, or doing business with. Anyone who’s rude, dismissive, patronising or outright abusive to staff – or, god forbid, clicks their fingers at them – is probably a massive bellend and you should run for the hills.

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Unpleasant attitudes towards service workers often come from prejudices about what these roles entail and who takes them. Serving and helping customers find what they need, taking orders and preparing food and drink is not “unskilled”. People working these jobs are not stupid or less than, and they don’t deserve to be talked down to based on the role they’re in. In fact, there are no “unskilled” jobs – this is a fallacy repeated ad infinitum to justify poverty wages.

Sometimes – and it’s happened to all of us – we receive poor customer service. It’s perfectly understandable to feel cross and disrespected in that instance. Becoming violent or abusive, however, is never the answer. And before you blame the people in customer-facing roles, think about who is actually at fault, and who is in control. Is it your barista or server or cashier, often on minimum wage? Or is it the bosses who pay their salary and decide how the business is run?

In the case of Waterstones, disappointed book-lovers should be reporting their frustrations via a complaints procedure, rather than taking it out on equally book-loving staff just trying to do their best on the shop floor. Try treating others with courtesy and respect, even if your order is delayed.

I’m sorry, but if you’re rude and abusive to customer-facing staff, you’re the worst kind of person.