Shop staff should never get ‘used to’ being sworn at

SHOP assistants and check-out staff currently have to endure nonstop Christmas songs their bosses believe will get customers in the seasonal mood . . . to spend more money.

If I enter any shop where the shelves are still being emptied of Halloween tat while Roy Wood warbles “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day”, I turn on my heels and leave.

Shop assistants put up with a lot of grief – and not only at this time of year.

A friend’s granddaughter (let’s call her Molly) has a weekend job in a well-known chemist’s where she’s regularly sworn at by customers!

It’s a sad sign of the times that Neanderthal knuckle-dragging numbskulls think it’s okay to swear at 17-year-old shop assistants.

If they’ve picked up an item with the price clearly marked and think it too expensive, why take it to the till? Just leave it on the shelf, go home and swear at the budgie.

Molly was upset the first time it happened - but, being highly intelligent and quietly resilient, she got used to it.

Although shop staff should never get ‘used to’ being sworn at.

A few weeks ago, a lady asked Molly to help locate a particular brand of foot powder she thought had been moved from its ‘usual’ shelf.

Molly said it could be found at the pharmacy counter, but the customer snapped at her and said she didn’t know what she was talking about.

Molly politely followed the customer to the shelf where the foot powder was ‘usually’ found and needless to say it wasn’t there.

When Molly suggested they walk over to the pharmacy counter, the customer’s confrontational attitude became so alarmingly offensive it made Molly cry.

Luckily, a colleague saw this and took the customer to the pharmacy counter . . . where the foot powder was found.

I loathe any form of bullying which is what this was - and if I’d witnessed this, I’d have politely asked the customer to apologise to the girl.

I would probably have expressed the wish that whatever medical condition the foot powder was for wouldn’t clear up any time soon.

Next customer please!