’Just trying to do their jobs’: Entitled customers abusing young retail staff after Cyclone Alfred

A disgusting trend has emerged in the wake of devastating Cyclone Alfred, with some Aussies resorting to seriously low acts.

OPINION

It’s been a rough few days, hasn’t it?

Cyclone Alfred has come and gone, but its impact is still hitting hard.

Roads have been swallowed whole, houses have gone dark, and we’re all doing that nervous stock-up dance – will we be cut off again? Will another round of rain push us back to square one?

And in the middle of all this chaos? Some people have forgotten their manners.

Local Facebook pages are full of people venting about empty shelves, long lines and general frustration. But what’s really standing out is the reports of how some of that frustration is being taken out on the young retail workers who are just trying to do their jobs.

A teenage cashier, barely keeping up with the endless stream of stressed-out shoppers, is screamed at because there’s no bread left.

A fast food worker is brought to tears after being yelled at for not having bottled water.

A barista is publicly berated by a red-faced customer because they’ve run out of oat milk.

It’s happening everywhere, and frankly, it’s not okay.

Local Facebook pages are full of reports of frustration being taken out on young retail workers who are just trying to do their jobs. Picture: Facebook

Because here’s the thing: the people scanning your tins of baked beans, making your coffees and whipping up your emergency keep-the-kids-quiet-for-a-minute fast food?

They are not the enemy.

They’re our kids.

Literally.

A lot of the staff standing behind those counters and registers right now are teenagers – our own, or someone else’s. They’re the same kids who have spent the last few days without power, without wi-fi (the horror) and without contact with their mates, which is basically their entire world.

They’ve been cut off from everything that makes them feel safe and normal, just like the rest of us.

And yet, here they are.

Turning up to shifts that are busier than Christmas Eve on steroids.

Doing their best in a situation that is completely out of their control.

I’ve got two of my own working today. My husband had to wait for the floodwaters to recede just to get them there. And if I hear that someone’s been screaming in their face?

Grrrrrr.

It’s not OK. Picture: iStock

Because here’s the real talk.

They don’t control the supply chain.

They don’t control the shelves being empty.

They don’t control the fact that your preferred brand of oat milk is nowhere to be seen.

What they do control is how they show up. And they are showing up.

They are waking up, putting on damp uniforms in houses that might not even have running water right now, leaving families that are still dealing with the aftermath of this mess, and getting themselves to work.

And for what? Minimum wage and maximum abuse from people who are frustrated at a situation that nobody can change right now.

What people don’t always realise is that copping abuse from stressed-out customers doesn’t just ruin a teen’s shift — it chips away at their confidence, their happiness and how they see the world.

It can make them question their ability to handle pressure, impact their mental health and leave them feeling like no matter how hard they try, it’s never good enough.

So, let’s take a breath.

As the clean up after ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred continues, some Aussies are turning on vulnerable workers. Picture: NewsWire/Glenn Campbell

Let’s remember that these young workers are doing their best. That they’re stressed too.

That they might be running on less sleep, more anxiety and whatever snacks they could scavenge from the back of the pantry.

Let’s be kind.

To the kids behind the counters. To the parents who got them there. To the strangers in the aisle, grabbing the last loaf of bread, just like you were about to.

We are a community, and that means we look out for each other. Even when we’re tired.

Even when we’re frustrated. Even when we’re just bloody over it.

Because this mess? It’s temporary. But the way we treat each other in the thick of it? That lingers.

So, be decent. Say thank you. Be patient.

And if you’re lucky enough to get a coffee today, know that someone probably had to paddle through floodwaters to get there and make it for you.

Originally published as ’Just trying to do their jobs’: Entitled customers abusing young retail staff after Cyclone Alfred