Bed, Bath and WAAAAAAAAAY freaking Beyond...

[moosmom]

I love working at this store. The people I work with are great and so are MOST of the regular customers. However, every once in a while we get a customer that, no matter what you do, they are miserable.

First let me start off by saying our store prides itself on their great customer service (do I sound like a commercial yet??) And I am by no means trying to bash anyone with a handicap or limitation.

A woman well into her 80's sat outside of the store in her car leaning on the horn for someone to come and get her with a wheelchair. We were terribly busy at the time so it took a few minutes to do so. Once inside the store, she demanded that a sales associate push her around the store so she could shop. No one wanted to deal with her (she's a regular who is a nasty, crotchety old witch). Finally, poor Mo, the MOD, took her on. She climbed ladders to show this woman things she wanted to see (but not buy). 2 hours later, Mo remarked about how dark out it was. The lady said, "Oh no!! I have to go, I cannot drive in the dark." (I'm so glad I wasn't on the road when she was). Mo brought her up to the checkout where another manager was waiting. The lady had one item worth $11.99 and 2 coupons for 20% off a single item. She only had $10 on her and started arguing with Craig as to why she couldn't use both coupons on her one item. After 15 minutes of her berating Craig, he finally reached into his own pocket and took out what she needed to complete the purchase, just to get her outta the store.

I'm glad I didn't have to wait on her. Some people are so miserable. Mo went way above and beyond the call, in my book. I hope this miserable old biddy never comes back!!

Thanks for letting me vent, guys!! It's just another day in retail paradise. :rolleyes:

[Catty1]

If that lady behaved that way in a bar, she'd be banned.

My sister spent many years in a wheelchair - and I balanced my sadness with a gem of a phrase someone once told me: "A handicap does not confer sainthood." ;)

[Reachoutrescue]

Some people are just so miserable that they seem to want to make everybody around them miserable too. Sorry you have to deal with cranky people. I know how you feel. I used to work at Hickory Farms for the Holiday Season for several years, we used to get people like that all the time. I get them at the bar I work at as well! This is why I like animals more! I hope your week goes better then today!

[Dorothy39]

The title to your Thread said it all!!!

One would speculate how "She" got into her car in the first place~let alone , turned the key and drove.

WOW!!!!

[jackmilliesmom]

Good job I was not there - I can have a bit of sharp tounge and if I was your manager I would have let her leave the store without her purchase - sorry but customer service can only go so far - kinda makes you wonder where her family are if she was blessed with any......... Although she was probably so selfish that no one wants her company and beleive me the next time she sat on her horn I would just leave her there. As Dorothy39 said how did she get into her car and get there in the first place????? She is just playing on the kindness of the staff and their soft side - maybe its time to turn your soft side into hard hide and leave her there or get her list and money from her and leave her in the car get what she needs and bring it out to her gently but firmly explaining that the store is quite busy and too many shoppers for wheelchair access at the moment see if she sticks around

[Pam]

It sounds like this lady, due to her advanced age, may have been suffering from at least some form of dementia. The scary thing is that she was out driving on the road. My hat goes off to anyone in retail at this time of year. Your store went above and beyond - as you said *way beyond!" ;)

[Logan]

Pam and I were thinking the same way, it seems. I think it is a great reminder to us all about making sure we are extra nice to the people who we meet in a retail situation this time of year. They are so busy and mostly so accomodating, but those bad apples show up and ruin any glimmer of holiday spirit. Thanks to everyone who works in retail!!!! :) I promise to be nice!!!!! :D

[kuhio98]

She sounds like a very lonely, sad woman. Who knows? The highlight of her day (and the only time she's around people) may be when she goes out shopping. She may be all alone because her personality pushed her family away long ago. Just be nice to her. She's old so she probably won't be a "problem" much longer. :(

[borzoimom]

Well- I bet this trip into town was her one big event. I would also bet some dementia is in play here. She also maybe frustrated she can not see things for herself. My grandmother had altizmers- and later died from it. In the beginning, she was quiet and never asked anything of anyone. She also didnt have food in the house, needed necessities etc and finally when my parents discovered this fact, they moved in with her to care for her. After a few months, they had to sell the car. They tried to hide her car, but she would leave and go driving- one time got lost for 8 hours as she got caught on the 495 beltway loop and drove for hours as she could not remember which exit to take with the changes.
Older people are hard. Sometimes a little kindness reminds them of a simplier time. Some older people the reminder of kindness makes them upset- as they remember people that have left. I found when I had a retail store, if I approached a person of such needs ( and by law- of resonable accomindation, the management must comply) to fill the needs, but not going over board made them feel less embarassed about their situation. You do not know if a neighbor put her chair in the car or helped her. I understand your vent, but maybe she only comes there because your store is the only one that will totally accomindate her needs. Or she came there to have the opporturnity to actually talk to someone. If she lives alone, it IS a very lonely life. This was probably more of a day out than anything. And remember- she could be on a very limited budget- and embarrassed on that as well. If you knew her name and address, maybe social services could help.
I understand your vent- I just thought I would offer the opinion of the other end of the scale. Frustration can make people rude. And asking for things maybe her way of feeling like she is in some control of something in her life.
And for the comment of being 80 and at her age "she may not be a problem too much longer".. - put it this way- all 4 of my grandparents lived well into their 90's, and great grandparents my dad's size over a 100 ( 104, and 102) .. True her own actions could be why she is alone- or not- and that is why she is so demanding. I think she just wanted to feel like she had some control in life- dementia if at all or not- that is what I am seeing.. At least you could come here to vent- she doesnt have anyone to vent to.. Count your blessings..
BTW- I LOVE THAT STORE! I always spend more than I thought I would.. lol. I always find things I didnt even know were available... lol.. ***

[caseysmom]

My Father suffered from Alzheimer's disease, it sounds like this woman could be at the beginning of the disease. On one side we are all going to get old and respect your elders and on the other side we don't need to get abused in the process....this is a tough call.

[KYS]

Try to remember this woman is 80 yrs old and handicap.
(I was blessed with a grandmother whom never got crotchety
in her old age, but some do.) I hope I will be like my grandmother.

As for Bed Bath and Beyond, I find their customer service impecible.
I love shopping their and the workers bend over backwards
for their customers. kudos to BBB. :D

[Cataholic]

There but for the Grace of God, go I. :(

[lizbud]

She sounds like a very lonely, sad woman. Who knows? The highlight of her day (and the only time she's around people) may be when she goes out shopping. She may be all alone because her personality pushed her family away long ago. Just be nice to her. She's old so she probably won't be a "problem" much longer. :(


These are my sentiments also. I wouldn't be to harsh with this old lady. :(

[buttercup132]

You and the emplee's job is NOT to push her around the store.
So I don't really get why someone took her on if they know she is a old grump.

[borzoimom]

Buttercup- its a law in our country called " resonable accomindation" and used that stores have to comply with resonsible requests due to a handicap. They would have had to.

[pitc9]

It's hard to be nice to someone that's being so mean... even if they are older and handicapped. Maybe she doesn't have any family, maybe she does but they don't care about her... it's so sad any way you look at it, but it doesn't give her the right to speak to and treat people like that.

Life is not fair...

[Karen]

My grandma would say "you never know when you are hosting an angel, unaware." If life is a series of tests of character, your manager passed with flying colors.

[cassiesmom]

Try to remember this woman is 80 yrs old and handicap.
(I was blessed with a grandmother whom never got crotchety
in her old age, but some do.) I hope I will be like my grandmother.

As for Bed Bath and Beyond, I find their customer service impecible.
I love shopping their and the workers bend over backwards
for their customers. kudos to BBB. :D

Age (or handicap) doesn't give a person license to be demanding.

I'm a huge fan of Bed, Bath and Beyond. I love to shop there, the customer service at my location has always been exceptional and it's a great place for unusual and delightful gifts.

[Argranade]

I would have pushed her around the store even if she was a real cranky bit*** person.

She's old, maybe she's had a hard life when she was young and her parents never taught her respect, since she's that old she only has a few years a head so maybe if more people are nice to her it will make her think about how she's been acting and hopefuly before it's to late she'll change her heart.

If you where in a wheel chair and you had a hard life I'm sure you would be grumpy too & you would want someone to push you around the store, even tho you where grumpy you still wanted people to respect you because you where old, no it's not right to take out your bad life on other people but I geuss her parents never taught her anything of course or maybe they even died when she was young, it's people like this who we actualy have to help the most.

Maybe this is just me but I have seen grumpy people, sometimes I'll just laugh and do whatever it takes to help and get them on there marry way because the more you give the more you recieve in life, some people with a hard life have more respect them people with a good life but not in this case.

Exsample: Some people don't have anything for Christmas & even tho they go threw the hardest times they can be happy because at least they know there alive and sometimes it's there belife in god that makes them even more happy but then there's some filthy rich people who just curse and swear all the time because they don't have love in there heart just money.

I can't belive I actualy said this :/

[lizbud]

My grandma would say "you never know when you are hosting an angel, unaware." If life is a series of tests of character, your manager passed with flying colors.

karen, I've heard that said also. Makes you stop & think doesn't it? :)

This story makes me think of something that happened last time I was
grocery shopping. The store was crowded & I was glad to get finished
and out of there. I had stowed everything in the car & started to pull
away in the car when I spotted this little old lady at the far end of the
parking lot. She took a cart, & put her purse into the seat part of the
cart & started to push it toward the store.She wasn't even 5 ft tall and
so frail looking, I pulled my car into a nearby space, parked & just watched
her.
(wondering if I should jump out & help her up to the store) I was thinking
this frail old lady would make easy pickings for any thief that happened
to come past. :( In the end, I did not get out to offer help, but instead
watch carefully to see she made it into the store. I kept thinking, there,
but for the grace of God, go I.

[kimlovescats]

I know that it is very difficult (especially during the busy retail season) to deal with any demanding customer. However, I have to agree that this woman obviously is lonely and hurting. :( Where is her family? Why does an 80 year old woman, who is in a wheelchair, have to still be driving herself? True, she may be the type who demands her freedom and "independence" and this may also be why she is abrupt with asking for any help she knows she needs. She probably doesn't really like to ask for help (denial) so when she does, it comes out harshly. I also think that she was probably embarrassed to find that she didn't have enough money in her purse. :( Your manager was very kind to make up the difference for her. Whether he wanted to or not, he showed her kindness and mercy which is truly what Christmas is all about! ;)

I'm so happy that you are loving your job at BBB! ENJOY IT!!! :)

[king2005]

Saddly I know that all too well.. But when other customers see you doing what you did, it makes them like your shop even more.. Keeping your cool & bitting your lip does pay off in the end.. just not with the customer causing the static for nothing.

[moosmom]

I volunteered to push her around. Unfortunately, I was at Customer Service and couldn't leave my post.

I felt bad for her. It made me think about when I get to be that age. :( I also wondered where her family or friends were to help her. I guess she was just a very lonely woman.

[sasvermont]

Well, my thought is that this lady has dementia, an oh so common problem with folks as they age. Someone might want to call a social service to have someone help her out a little. My Mom has dementia, and boy does she need help each day.

Hats off to the person(s) who helped her but I think a bigger help would be a social service.

[carole]

Hey there Donna great to see you back online, gosh what a pain in the Bum that woman was, i don't think she would get that kinda service here in NZ, i can tell you, i cannot imagine anyone honking on their horn to be taken into a shop here, you are on your own,have to rely on caregivers, not staff at a retail outlet, by the way we have bed,bath and beyond outlets here down under too,Nice shop. :)

[Pam]

My grandma would say "you never know when you are hosting an angel, unaware." If life is a series of tests of character, your manager passed with flying colors.

Karen, have you ever read the book by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans called *Angel Unaware?* I read it as a child and will never forget it. It was written about their daughter who was born with Downs Syndrome. That is exactly what they considered her - their little angel.

I agree with Sallyanne. SAS and I are both going through sort of the same things (mild dementia) with our mothers and we recognize the signs. My mom is not ornery but until recently never realized that her abilities were not what she thought they were. It would be nice if someone could find out if she has family, since she is a regular customer. This is so sad and is the plight of many seniors. They drive and live alone, hanging onto every last piece of their independence. I see it at my office all the time. We have a large senior patient population as my boss specializes in cataract surgery. We will all be old some day. May we all age sweetly. That would be a blessings to ourselves and our families. :)

[carole]

I am kinda with Cassiemom on this being old or disabled doesn't mean it is ok to be darn right rude, but i do know that as you get older your tolerance levels drop, have noticed it even at my ripe ole age lol,so i guess just gritting your teeth and being nice is a good thing to do,but sometimes there are just grumpy,ungrateful people in this world,giving her the benefit of the doubt is a wise call and being nice won't hurt will it?

[Chica]

THEIR ARE PEOPLE LIKE THAT EVERYWHERE!!! IT'S TOO BAD FOR THEM THAT THEY CAN'T BE HAPPY!!!I LOVE THAT STORE!!!!MY FAMILY LOVES THAT STORE!!!! EVEN CHICA GOES IN THAT STORE WITH ME AND EVERYONE WANTS TO PET HER!!!I am sure that you are and up person, meaning cheerful all the time. That is the way I am, so don't let people be a downer to you!

[CountryWolf07]

I had a miresable old lady bump into me at Wal-mart.. with her shopping cart!!!! She asked me if I was in line to pay for my CDs.. and I told her that I was and she told me "THEN get in line!" and just bumped me a couple times... what a miresable old lady.

[dukedogsmom]

I say this about any customer service job. Just because you're there to serve the public, that doesn't mean everyone should be allowed to treat you like crap.

[DJFyrewolf36]

I honestly praise your management for taking the time to deal with the old lady. John helped an older lady get something from a shelf at Walmart a couple of weeks ago, she at first seemed a little cranky but when John helped her she actually smiled and thanked him. A little kindness was all it took to brighten someones day and maybe this lady while not thankful on the surface really appriciates what your manager and your coworker did for her.

Good for you for voulenteering as well :D

[Donnaj4962]

She sounds like a very lonely, sad woman. Who knows? The highlight of her day (and the only time she's around people) may be when she goes out shopping. She may be all alone because her personality pushed her family away long ago. Just be nice to her. She's old so she probably won't be a "problem" much longer. :(

This was also what I was thinking. The poor thing. Many seniors are all alone in this world, and since they have limited contact with other people, they sometimes "forget their manners", so to speak. I work with seniors (local Council on Aging) and I commend you and your manager for being so helpful to her, although that is probably the last thing you wanted to do. Know that you made a difference in her life by just helping her!

If I can make a suggestion.... since she is a regular in the store, and since she needs assistance while shopping, have the manager suggest that in the future, she call the store first to be certain that someone will be available to help her when she comes in. Decide on a good time (low traffic in the store and someone WILL be available) and that way she will get the best customer service! Also, the employees will be (mentally) prepared for her and her demands! I hope that if she is told that the store wants to help her, but that she needs to be a little compromising, she will understand and be more accomodating. Good luck!

[kuhio98]

I've also noticed that some of my elders who have had strokes, have lost the "edit" button in their head. They will say and do the most outrageous things -- things we've thought about doing, but manage to stop ourselves..... ;) But, I agree. You guys went way beyond what is reasonable. Thank you for doing that.