A Woolworths worker has detailed the shameful abuse they constantly receive from customers as they take out their frustration with the supermarket on staff.
The 19-year-old part-time worker and university student wrote a note detailing the appalling behaviour of customers, which included spitting, hitting with trolleys and a range of verbal abuse.
The teen estimated that 40 percent of his interactions with customers were “overtly abusive” and he shared five-word messages.
“Why do they hate us?” they wrote.
‘A customer physically crushed me in the back with a cart because I didn’t open a cash register, as I was the self-service attendant.
‘I’ve been spat at because I couldn’t offer a refund on a product purchased at Coles, I’ve had things thrown at me because we didn’t have an item in stock.
‘I’ve been called a C-bomb because I couldn’t serve cigarettes to a toddler without proof of age, I’ve been threatened in the parking lot after my shift because I work for ‘profiteers,’ and more.’
The teenager said working at Woolworths was great when there was no abuse and said interacting with friendly customers makes them happy.
A Woolworths spokesperson condemned the disruptive behaviour and revealed the supermarket has taken active steps to reduce harm to staff and customers.
Many supermarket workers agreed with the teenager, with one saying in-store abuse by customers was “getting out of hand” (pictured, a file photo of a Woolworths supermarket).
“Last year, the abuse my coworkers and I endured was comparable to what we received during the Covid pandemic, if not worse,” the worker said. Yahoo.
‘I just don’t understand why so many of you hate us.
“When I say ‘we’ I don’t mean the company, the CEO, senior management or the team at head office. I mean the day-to-day workers on the shop floor, at the checkout, on the dock, in the office, in the deli and in the bakery.”
The teenage worker thought it was ridiculous that “ordinary” workers were being blamed for things they had no say in or control over.
“We don’t make decisions on behalf of the company, but we are the frontline workers who take all the abuse,” they wrote.
‘And it seems, at least from the comments I’ve read, that it doesn’t keep many people up at night.
“I just don’t understand what it is that we, ordinary people (like many of you), do that makes you so angry and cruel towards us because of a company’s decision or decisions that we simply cannot control.”
The 19-year-old supermarket employee struck a chord with other store workers, who agreed that there are many shocking customer behaviours.
“I totally agree with you, the abuse is getting out of control,” one worker wrote.
“I’ve worked for Coles and Woolworths, had things thrown at me, dodged a punch from a guy on drugs, been spat on and shouted at,” said another customer.
They added: ‘(I was) cornered by an angry customer who couldn’t find the expiration date on honey, almost got run over while shopping in parking lots… the list goes on!’
“This happens all too often when we are simply doing a job we are paid to do… I too have been physically attacked and threatened and I am 70 years old, some people think they have the right to treat us like dirt,” wrote a third.
Woolworths recently spent $40 million to help protect its staff, including providing body cameras as well as headsets and personal restraint devices.
A Woolworths spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia they were “alarmed” by the experience detailed by the 19-year-old worker.
Woolworths has spent $40 million on security upgrades to keep its team members safe, including body cameras (pictured, a Woolworths worker with the security camera)
“The majority of our customers do the right thing, but we have a number of initiatives that we use, both covert and overt, to help reduce violence and aggression in our stores,” he said.
“Our entire team is trained and equipped with a range of tools to keep them and our clients safe in the event of conflict or antisocial behaviour.”
The spokesman said the company “supports legislation” to increase penalties for customers who abuse or harm staff.
“Violence and aggression in the retail environment is not a problem we can solve on our own, which is why we are working with stakeholders across the country to actively find solutions,” they said.
Daily Mail Australia understands that all Woolworths team members have access to counselling services.
Ongoing support is also provided in the event of an incident.
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