Daily abuse breaks down Townsville Woolworths worker during coronavirus crisis
A Townsville mum posted a picture of her daughter holding back tears after getting abused by rude customers panic buying during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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A Townsville mum posted a picture of her daughter holding back tears after getting abused by rude customers panic buying during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Debara Nydrle said her teenage daughter, Jordyn, is drained after shifts because she is shouted at by rude customers over issues she has no “control” over.
Jordyn, 18, said she copped abused by customers daily.
Debara, of Alice River, described the abuse of her daughter as “un-Australian” in a scathing viral post on Facebook, highlighting what many supermarket workers across the country face daily.
“Thank you to all the freaking a-holes who think it’s OK to abuse your Woolies staff to the point you break them … daily … multiple times a day,” she posted.
“Abusing them for things that they do not control. How freaking un-Australian.”
With essentials such as toilet paper and some food items such as pasta and rice being snatched as soon as they are stocked on the shelves, staff are working overtime to meet the growing demand from panic buyers.
Service manager Elaine Coghill has been in retail management for 19 years and has labelled the “crazy” panic buying as the worst she’s experienced.
“We’re getting numerous phone calls daily (with customers) asking if we have toilet paper and hand sanitiser,” she told the Townsville Bulletin in March.
“We actually don’t have any because it’s all sold out and customers are getting a little bit abusive on the phone as to why we don’t have any.”
Shoppers also became abusive when staff wouldn’t take their names and phone numbers to contact them when stock is replenished.
Originally published as Daily abuse breaks down Townsville Woolworths worker during coronavirus crisis