26/03/2020
My daughter works in retail, she is 17, and she is under extreme pressure due to the abysmal selfishness of some customers.
This isn't really about my daughter though, it's about all of those who are taking risks to deliver the service that we, as a nation, seem to believe we have a right to expect. The ignorance of some customers beggars belief.
The rudeness displayed by people, both to the staff in shops and to other customers, is reprehensible.
Today, my daughter was serving a a couple at the till. There were clearly marked spaces to try and help customers maintain the two metre distance, and the next customer in the line, an American woman, was not respecting this. My daughter asked the woman to move back and respect the rules in place within the store, but the customer refused and continued to do so after repeated requests.
My daughter called for a manager, who escorted the rude customer; not out of the shop, but to another till where he served her.
This was wrong.
The customer should have been instructed to leave without their purchases.
Other customers complained about the policy of not accepting cash, even though it was clearly displayed on entering the store, around the store and announced constantly over the speaker system.
They did relax this for elderly customers, but the attitude of some shoppers was (I think) unacceptable.
We are all suffering additional stress at this time. No-one is immune from the underlying concern about what this means to our lives, our relationships, our futures.
However, there is no excuse for taking it out on those who are diligently continuing to go to work; whether they are till operators, shop assistants, doctors, nurses, delivery drivers, police officers, warehouse operators, call handlers, paramedics, fire fighters, pharmacists and more.
Those who are engaged in delivering our essential services deserve our gratitude, not our wrath.
Tonight, at 7:58 p.m., my daughter and I went outside the front of our home and, two minutes later we joined in the 'clap for our carers'. Those on the front line in the NHS are fully deserving of our love and our appreciation, as are those police officers, fire fighters and soldiers who are doing all they can to keep us safe; often at risk to their own health.
Right now, we need to pull together as communities; whilst observing physical distancing.
Right now, we need to heed the instructions from the government about essential travel and avoiding social gatherings.
Right now, we need to respect those who are working to help us continue on in these troubling times.
Comentários