Archived Has anyone ever experienced a crazy customer and had been freaked out for a long time?

[nidiggity98]

I started a month ago and finally opened by myself. Normally the mornings are filled with special needs and their helpers which is completely normal to me. But yesterday something completely terrifying happened to me and I have been shook ever since. A customer, with what me and my coworker think is a split personality disorder, came up and asked us for help. our system was down so we all tried looking for the item on our phones. When I found what she was looking for as soon as I told her what aisle it was in its like something triggered and she snatched the toy I was reshopping out of my hand, gave me her phone and started running in circles. When she stopped she stared at me for a minute and then started talking to me like she was a two year old child. Mind you she was late 30s early 40s. Once she started talking like a baby I almost pissed my pants because I've watched every season of bates motel. Anyways, when she came back around my coworker handed her the things she left behind and she didn't remember a thing. It has been a few days and I go back tomorrow and i'm still shook about it and I don't want it to effect my work. Any advice if you have any?

 

[Tainted Kool aid]

Not to joke about it, but we get 1 of these a day it feels. It come with the territory of working with the public unfortunately. If it happens again call AP. call AP immediately any time you feel unsafe.

 

[can't touch this]

Imma keep it real with you chief, remember when you were a kid and you tried to picture what having a job was going to be like, and you absofuckinglutely never imagined that you would end up working in a big box store while feeling like one of the nurses in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest? I still get these feels pretty often and this ain't my first rodeo. We've all had that moment where we're wiping some 40 year old's drool off our sleeve and think to ourselves "WELP this wasn't what I saw myself doing for 10 bucks an hour"...sending you a fist bump through the Internet

 

[commiecorvus]

I work with folks like the customer you had almost every day.
First off, Bates Motel is fiction.
She won't hurt you, most people with mental disorders are more likely to get hurt then hurt someone.
Second, if someone is having a break sometimes you can bring them back by addressing them by their name.
Speak clearly and calmly.
Just ask to talk to that person and not the two year old.
If you can avoid calling the cops, please do so.
Up here the cops are pretty well trained in handling people with mental disabilities but we have almost no beds or any decent process for helping them.
Down in the states, many cops have no training and the situation is worse.

We have a major issue in this country with lack of facilities and support for people with mental illness that dates back to Reagan.
It is going to get worse before it gets better.

 

[MrGSTLman]

Not a guest but I had a TM we had to terminate threaten to shoot me. Had to get the police involved and I had to be escorted to my car at the end of the night. Shook me pretty good. Nothing ever came of it thankfully but it wasn’t something to fool with. Of course it was one of my first solo LOD shifts to boot.