Customer Service - Am I in the wrong?

There is a local store that I have frequented since it opened.
It has grown quite a bit and I've still made it a point to go there, and quite honestly have spent a good amount of money there.

I was shopping and purchased a number of items. I wasn't given a bag for everything and to be honest it was probably too much for me to hold.
I checked out and paid.

On my way out I noticed something else I wanted to purchase. While waiting in that line, a small jar of food I purchased slipped from my arm and shattered on the floor. I was mortified and embarrassed. I would have cleaned it myself but I was trapped between customers in line before a worked yelled for the cleanup. The owner of the store quickly came and clean it up.

I profusely apologize, no response.
I paid for my additional items, and bent down to make sure she saw me and again apologize. Zero reaction, no "oh that's ok it was an accident", nothing nada, just her steaming mad while cleaning the floor. I was completely taken aback by her reaction. The girl at the checkout told me it happens all the time.

Maybe I'm just getting overly sensitive to the complete lack of customers service these day. I expect it from some young inexperienced workers, but not the owner. If she was concerned about product loss, the loss was actually mine, I already paid for the item. I still don't think that is an excuse to be rude to a customer. I know one thing, I sure won't spend another cent in there!

a reply to: JAGStorm


You werent wrong, you should have dropped something on her noggin. Like an elbow.

The staff in the local paper shop had a pop at me once for taking beer out of the fridge (in the middle of summer), they were stressed that they'd have to replace what I took, so I just told them I would take my money elsewhere.

Needless to say, after shopping there for years, I didn't return for over a year, I went to the little Portuguese shop instead, even though it was more expensive.

I eventually began shopping at my old regular again, same staff, they're nice as pie to me now.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I used to work in a frozen food retail outlet. We had breakages on shop floor pretty regularly, and nearly always, the customer would apologise for the mess, and would be reassured that it was entirely alright, and that shrinkage was expected from time to time. The only exceptions to that, were when the customer was clearly drunk (which would result in security being asked to have them leave), or when the customer was clearly simply being a vandal, which happened more than you would have thought, and more than I would have liked.

But from your description, the owner should have been a damned sight more responsive, and reassured you that aside your loss of your jar of goods, there was no harm or foul committed. Its just common courtesy, not to mention essential in ensuring that your customers understand that they are welcome in your establishment, and are not going to be lambasted for causing a little mess from time to time, especially since a store should have on hand all the tools and techniques necessary to clear a spillage or breakage within five minutes at most, of its occuring (depending on the nature of the material spilled of course).

It seems your local store has become far too up itself to bother with the basics, unfortunately.

No, you weren’t in the wrong. It was an accident, and you had already payed for the item.

She was stressed out and not thinking properly. I’d suggest you pop in and talk to her again telling her you were so sorry that it upset her so much, that you’ve considered not shopping there, as to not offend her any further.😏 She’ll most likely apologize to you before you even get to repeating the I’m sorry stuff. Just sayin shop owners may have bad days, due to problems we are unaware of.

I think you may want to try it anyhow, so both of you could stay happy.

One other thing, not only should she not have been pissed the right thing to do would have been to give you a replacement item gratis.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

One other thing, not only should she not have been pissed the right thing to do would have been to give you a replacement item gratis.

Agreed that’s some BS get all bent out of shape because a customer accidentally breaks an item they paid for and not replacing it is ridiculous.

a reply to: BigDave-AR


Which is why I advised dropping a 'bow on her numpty head.

sometimes people are having bad days.

I wouldn't take things too personally

a reply to: JAGStorm

I know the feeling, the problem is apathy and routine.

When I go to the checkout I keep getting asked 'is that all?' I think to myself 'well I was looking at that grand piano and that would look lovely in my...' OF COURSE THAT'S EFFING ALL!!!'

I think they are programmed to be apathetic.

If it happens again don’t apologize. Just keep pointing at spots she is missing.

Customer service is one of the best examples of a oxymoron in the English language .

a reply to: Sheye

I apologized multiple times, I'll be damned if I do it again. As far as I'm concerned she can shove the broken glass where the sun don't shine. I will never beg to be someone's customer!!
I've been a business owner and having a bad day is never an excuse for that kind of rudeness, sometimes you have to put on a smile and pretend!

Regardless of business or not, how about just being a kind person.

I am a loyal person, probably to a fault and once I take my business elsewhere I really mean it. I live in a very small town, in down times these place absolutely rely on local business. She is very ignorant to think that kind of crass customer service will be tolerated for long.

a reply to: JAGStorm

Well, looks like you’ve made up your mind that you’re not wrong.

Now make sure everyone in town knows about it.. that’ll show her !!😏

a reply to: Sheye

No need to tell everyone in town, actions are louder and I'll take my $$$ elsewhere. I have a feeling I won't be the only one.

I’d suggest you pop in and talk to her again telling her you were so sorry that it upset her so much, that you’ve considered not shopping there, as to not offend her any further.

I think you're confused about how customer service works, the business model should be to try not to offend the customer not the other way around.

a reply to: JAGStorm

Customer service isn't like it used to be. I wouldn't be surprised if this small business owner saw this loss as another unanticipated expense. A big difference when corporate owned businesses are emotionally removed from daily business losses. She probably thought your item wasn't paid for, or was upset that as an owner she had to clean-up the mess. It's really no excuse, because it's the unanticipated expense for being a business owner.

"The Customer is Always Right" was always the motto successful businesses followed. They knew from experience, a dissatisfied or poorly treated customer will cause them to lose future sales. Not to mention, an upset customer's word of mouth is much more damaging than a satisfied and well treated customer. This owner clearly lacks good business sense.

I think it's time to break out the pitchforks, strike-anywhere matches and lighter fluid! ...Dammit!

Well, maybe not.

What you describe really isn't customer "service" as much as customer "relations". They're related but different.

You don't have to kiss the customer's ass, but you do have to provide good service.

Ask yourself this; attitude aside, how could your 'service' have been better? If your answer is it really couldn't have been then I'd probably cut them some slack. Who knows what else was going on at the same time. There could have been an IRS auditor in her office conducting some sort of a draconian interrogation.

If on the other hand, they delayed you in particular, charged you double and THEN gave you an attitude problem, that might be a different story.

ETA - I'd probably have said sorry once, and if I got no response I'd have said "Whatever!" out loud and left it at that.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
a reply to: Sheye

No need to tell everyone in town, actions are louder and I'll take my $$$ elsewhere. I have a feeling I won't be the only one.

I’d suggest you pop in and talk to her again telling her you were so sorry that it upset her so much, that you’ve considered not shopping there, as to not offend her any further.

I think you're confused about how customer service works, the business model should be to try not to offend the customer not the other way around.

I meant it in the way that you could tell her you won’t be there and why. It was because she seemed so offended.
If I’m not shopping somewhere again, I like to let them know why, or they won’t learn.

Then again , maybe some shop owners don’t care if they lose certain customers 🤷🏻‍♀️. Their shop, their call , I guess. How long do you think it will take before she notices you don’t shop there anymore ?

I work at a grocery store part time on the weekends and some times its sheer stupidity that things get broken.
Like people letting their toddler carry the glass olive oil bottle, or the 4L of milk they just get tired and drop it.

You get jaded and everyone one just gets lumped into the stupid category. I however would have assured you it was no problem that it happened cleaned it up and I would have got you a replacement for your item,wished you well and seen you off.

Then I’d go into the back and be like damn you guys see that idiot trying to juggle his jars of jam.

Not saying your idiot it’s just a anecdotal story.

At the store I work at service is number 1. You call ahead we shop for you, in the store we bag and carry out every single order dosent matter how small unless the customer refuses the service. Plus we all are trained for every department I can freely help with meat and produce as well as regular stock so if any questions arise we are able to help and answer.

But in the back we all take off our masks.
a reply to: JAGStorm

Cash rules everything around you.

9 times out of 10 the customer is actually dead wrong, and the staff are trained to simply placate the idiot to shut him up and get him out so he stops wasting everyone's time.

In this case, sounds like everyone was just busy and you're reading WAY too much into it.