Rudeness is out of fashion

Yesterday, after witnessing a woman display unnecessary rudeness I am embarrassed to acknowledge that she and I belong to the same species.

I was at the check-out counter at JC Penney when a customer at the register next to mine complained loudly as her cashier rang up her purchase, 'That price is wrong! This package of underwear was in a bin with a sign that says 60% off'.

The cashier replied, 'I'm sorry, Ma'am. It must have been placed there by mistake. These underwear are not the ones on sale.'

'Well that's not my problem', the woman retorted in an angry voice. 'The sign says 60% off and that's what I want to pay!'

Before the cashier could even respond, the woman demanded, 'I want to talk to the Manager! Call the Manager'! She then turned to the people waiting in line behind her and apologized with a shrug and said, 'these stores! You can't trust them.'

This type of encounter make my stomach hurt. Blatant rudeness, a loud mouth, cutting tones combined with inflexibility are uncalled for, no matter what the circumstance. One can be polite while being assertive. Kindness reaps miles of benefit and understanding soothes any encounter like balm on a blister.

Please know that businesses make honest mistakes. Computers aren't foolproof. Employees are only human and are fallible. Customers don't care where they place an item in the store when they decide they don't want to purchase it. So, let's treat each other with kindness.

I didn't stick around to hear the outcome of this situation. Likely the manager apologized 'for any inconvenience' and gave the woman 60% off her undies. Wouldn't it be great if he/she then said, 'and because of your rudeness, if I ever see you in my store again I'll have security escort you out!?

You reap what you sow. (May the fleas of 1,000 camels infest her armpits.) (Oops - that isn't kind....)