How to...deal with people that do not listen

...deal with people that do not listen

Sometimes I feel like I am speaking to a brick wall at work.

I don’t know if it is the fact I’m not telling a customer what they want to hear, or the fact they think I am lying to them, but every day I find myself repeating what I am saying because customers just do not listen.

It makes me want to rage blackout.

“Do you have this in a small?”

“No sorry, it’s just what’s out.”

“So you don’t have any smalls?”

“No, all that is on the floor is all that we have.”

“So there are none out the back?”

“No…it is just what is on the floor.”

This sort of conversation happens everyday and to try and stop myself from being charged with assault whilst at work, I thought it best to come up with a solution to this problem.

I liken this issue to when your parents tell you that you can’t do something that you really want to do. You just keep pestering them in the hopes that their answer will be different.

Mum, Dad, I am so sorry for ever doing that to you. You have the right to punch me.

My favourite solution at the moment is to use four simple little words at the beginning of every sentence until the customer backs off…

“As I just said.”

They are such basic, monosyllabic words, yet they are so powerful. They tell the customer, this conversation is going in circles, implies that they are stupid to continue repeating themselves and also tells them that I am slowly filling with rage like Bruce Banner.

“Do you have this in a small?”

“No sorry, it’s just what’s out.”

“So you don’t have any smalls?”

“As I just said, no we do not have any smalls. All that is left is on the floor.”

“So there are none out the back?”

“As I just said, all that is left is on the floor.”

“Oh.”

Yeah, oh you fool, we’ve just been stuck having the same conversation for four sentences longer than we should of.

I also enjoy using the four little words when someone continually asks me about product I have no idea about after I’ve already explained that I only work for the one brand so, sadly (?), don’t know anything about that product.

“So how do these underwear fit?”

“I don’t know sorry, my brand doesn’t stock underwear and I don’t wear that brand so I can’t even tell you how it fits.”

“But is it a big or a small fit?”

“As I just said, I only work for my brand and don’t know about the underwear.”

“Can you help me with pyjamas then?”

“As I just said, I only work for my brand and we don’t stock pyjamas.”

I think the customers are of the belief I am just trying to shirk my responsibilities but let me assure you, I am not and by rewording a question five times will not change the answer; it will only piss me off.