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It's a half an hour til closing, I'm on a front register, and a familiar face comes through the automatic doors.
"Where the fuck is Tom?!?!"
I expected a smile to creep across her face at first. We Natives tend to have a playful sense of humor and mess with each other a lot...
But no smile. More, now obviously drunkenly slurred, demands for Tom. (Who Tom is isn't really important for this story... Besides, we weren't sure WHICH Tom she was talking about, so...hahaha)
She's not wearing a mask, and curses us out for asking that she wear one, as per store policy. She goes off on who the fuck we think we are to tell her wtf to do. *eye roll*
I told her she didn't have to shop here. Oops. The store is Tribally owned and she's a Tribal member. Some get a sense of entitlement with that. Huge pet peeve of mine. More swear-laden slurs hurled.
And THEN, she had the balls to come around and try to get in my face behind the counter!
"I'm gonna need you to BACK OFF." I was real calm about it. Calm but firm.
"WHAT?!" She puffs up her chest and reaches to push my shoulder, which I dodged, making her stumble.
I firmly said her name and repeated myself.
We've gone toe to toe before, her and I, back in the day when I used to party on the Rez... When I used to party at all...
I took a deep breath and was SO CLOSE to saying something I knew would likely send her into even more of a fit and would have probably led to blows.
Instead I just stared her down. "You heard me..."
UGH. I hate being like that. I like being NICE. I AM nice.
I felt sad for her at first... and I DO... But there the fuck she is, out there perpetuating that fucking stereotype of the drunken fuckin' Indian... It pisses me off! She was doing SO well. Or so we thought... Ya never know...
Comments
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Christina
It sounds like you handled that situation admirably. Good job. Customer service can be really difficult at times, and I know that situation wasn't easy for you.
Didrick
I'm glad you stood your ground! I too prefer being nice but sometimes we gotta put people in their place if they have crossed the line of what's acceptable.
✿blush puppy
I'm glad you stood your ground, that is one of the hardest things to do in customer service.