Oh No He Didn't

Now, I’m not big on moon phases or energy shifts, but there was definitely something in the air that day. I work part-time at a certain store that everybody loves. You know the one. Well, I witnessed something that had me shaking my head—a man, who fits the mold of the majority of folks in leadership, being downright disrespectful to one of my co-workers. And all over a bottle of water!

See, in customer service, there’s this old-school mindset that "the customer is always right." But let's be real, sometimes it's more like the entitlement is always right. This guy was shorted a few cents in change and went from 0 to 100 real quick. Now, I’ve always told my team, when someone reacts that strongly, it’s usually not even about the situation. It’s more about them and whatever they’re going through.

But let me tell you, this man took it too far. He started calling my co-worker all kinds of names—including the b-word—so many times I lost count. My co-worker, trying her best to hold it together, ended up in tears. I could see she wanted to "let it rip" right back at him, but she kept it together. And you know what? This time, leadership stepped up and did the right thing. They banned him from the store.

Too often, leaders just want to de-escalate and move on, but sometimes, you’ve got to take a stand. Not every situation can be resolved with a smile and silence. So, when a customer is straight-up disrespectful and abusive, like this guy was, it’s time to draw the line. Or as a Gen Z queen might say, "Not today, Satan!"

It felt good to see leadership protect her. In today’s world, especially as women, we’re often left unprotected. But not this time. And that’s what true leadership looks like. Because sometimes the best customer service is to make sure you are protecting and standing up for your team!

Because, “You can’t control someone’s actions, but you can always control how you respond.”