A Best Buy employee named Dallas (@dallas_ponzo) posted a viral TikTok clip that’s accrued over 99,000 views. In it, he frustratingly details how a customer threatened his safety.
Several folks who responded to his video stated that sadly, potentially violent encounters like these are par the course for retail workers.
What did this Best Buy customer want?
“Black Friday this year almost turned to Red Friday,” Dallas states at the top of his video. The reason for Dallas’ ominous statement at the top of the video? A customer “threatened to fight” him. Furthermore, he stated that the same shopper also said he was going to get his son to come into the store to beat him up.
Next, Dallas explains why the customer was so irate. It’s because he wanted to be serviced “over another customer.” However, the Best Buy employee was in the process of helping the other shopper purchase a graphics card. As Dallas was ringing the graphics card buyer up, the ready-to-throw-hands patron had a query about Dyson air filters.
“I said, ‘Sir, I’m with this customer, I can help you as soon as I’m done,’” Dallas recalls. However, the Dyson shopper didn’t heed Dallas’ comment and proceeded to ask him the question anyway. This prompted the TikToker to tell the shopper that he wasn’t able to assist him at that very moment.
Upset over Dyson air filters?
At this point, Dallas says the Dyson air filter shopper finally agreed to wait his turn. But then, the TikToker was informed by his manager that he had a line of customers who had been waiting previously for assistance. Consequently, his manager told Dallas to send the Dyson shopper their way, instead.
“So I looked at this guy and said, ‘My manager over there said he can help you.’ And he just stared at me, like,” Dallas then gives a blank stare into the camera. Next, he gestures in the video to illustrate how he was attempting to guide the customer to get him the help he sought. “And so I just said, ‘Over there, my manager said he can help you out.’”
Following this, a wild card was introduced into the situation. Dallas says another shopper, out of nowhere, called him “a f*cking d*ck.”
Perplexed, Dallas looked to see who just hurled an insult his way. “And I look at him and it’s just this older guy who’s like 60, 65. And his son just standing there by the washers, staring at me,” he recalls. “So, I said ‘OK,’ and he said, ‘What gives you the right to talk to him like that?’ I said, ‘I’m working, you have no input here.’”
An unexpected argument
Dallas then found himself getting sworn at further by the random older customer. Subsequently, Dallas immediately contacted his manager regarding the situation: “I got on the radio and I said, ‘Manager’s name, this customer’s being completely aggressive with me. Deciding to curse at me, being aggressive with other customers. I need a manager over here.’”
Shortly after, the foul-mouthed patron began threatening to put a whooping on Dallas in the store’s parking lot. “I said, ‘No, you wouldn’t, I would put you in jail,’” Dallas recalls, detailing their back-and-forth. And he said, ‘No, you wouldn’t,’ and I said, ‘Yes, I would.’ He said, ‘OK, then I’d get my son to fight you.’ I said, ‘Then I’d put him in jail.’”
The TikToker says their argument occurred in full sight and hearing of 8-10 other Best Buy customers. At this point, the TikToker’s manager had arrived at the scene, who urged the customer to let Dallas work in peace.
Dallas claps back
However, the random appliances shopper wouldn’t stop “talking [expletive]” about Dallas. This ultimately prompted the employee to say, “shut the [expletive] up,” to the shopper.
According to Dallas, the shopper, who was fond of swearing at employees, didn’t like being sworn at himself. The customer was shocked and even more upset, but Dalls immediately walked away into the break room. Even away from the appliances area, Dallas says he could still hear the customer “screaming.”
“My manager had to stay with him for 10 minutes. Still didn’t cool down, told my manager I need to lose my job. My manager said he’s not losing his job,” Dallas claims. “And my other coworkers were walking around ready to basically jump this guy. Because he was just being aggressive. And then my customer goes up to the manager, who I sold the graphics card to.”
Dallas then recounted how this particular customer stood up for him, praising his “helpful” service. Furthermore, the graphics card shopper called the man in appliances a “complete a**hole.” This then ended up causing a spat between those two shoppers.
Customer-on-customer violence
Dallas says these two customers then began arguing. “Then all these other people around them were just staring at them arguing,” he explains. “And meanwhile I’m just listening to this happen across the store.”
The Best Buy worker seemed frustrated and perplexed over the incident. “All over a filter,” he says, incredulously. “I can’t make this up. I really…I wish I could. Like this is not a joke, this really happened.”
He ends his clip by saying that he wishes “nothing but the worst” for the aggressive customer.
Are customers more rude than they used to be?
There have been several studies and reports of an increase in abysmal shoppers after the pandemic. It appears that after government-issued mandates implemented due to coronavirus were lifted, patrons are more irritable.
Gallup reported that “post-pandemic” customers are “more demanding” and “harder on employees.” According to the polling firm, 56% of employees said they noticed a shift in consumer expectations after COVID-19.
Specifically, folks were found “more demanding of and expecting higher levels of service.” There was also a notable increase in “more emotional interactions” along with “greater expectations for “virtual/remote service.”
CBS News also reported on this phenomenon with analysis from sociology professor Michael Halpin. He stated that following the pandemic, individuals have consequently displayed, at large, more selfish behavior. This was accompanied by “less friendly interactions” and an overall impatience from consumers.
Another sociologist, Charles Adeyanju echoed these sentiments. He informed CBS that some folks may have perceived the world as more uncertain and unkind during the pandemic. As a result, they can embody the aforementioned unsavory behaviors.
Other Best Buy workers speak out
A Redditor who posted to the site’s r/BestBuy sub asked other workers about a spike in customer rudeness. “Does anyone else feel like since the Pandemic our customer base has been more and more demanding and rude?” they questioned.
Several folks who responded to the blog agreed. Many shared their own anecdotes that were in line with OP’s experience—they thought shoppers’ were way more difficult to deal with after COVID.
The Conversation also commented on this phenomenon, reporting that there was a ride in “toxic customers” post-pandemic. The tone of the piece, however, seemed a bit more hopeful as it seemed to invoke a call for patience from shoppers.
@dallas_ponzo He’s getting the family indicted for Christmas
♬ original sound – Dallas
Viewers aren’t surprised
Several folks who replied to Dallas’ video said that they’ve had similar experiences while working at Best Buy.
One user wrote, “I work at Geek Squad. This is a daily occurrence for us unfortunately. You handled it well.”
Someone else who worked at a grocery store said they, too, have dealt with difficult shoppers. “I had a customer tell me after I couldn’t help him with finding an obscure cottage cheese he said ‘you’re weak, no initiative to go back and find it huh?’ I just said nope and went on my break,” they recalled.
Another applauded Dallas’ manager and the other customer he helped. “Shout out the manager and customer for having your back,” they said.
But some couldn’t understand why authorities weren’t called the second he was physically threatened. “As soon as the guy threatened to do you harm your management should have called the police,” one viewer argued.
Someone else said the shopper should’ve been immediately booted from the store. “I have one question why wasn’t the customer kicked out for aggressiveness towards an employee?” they asked.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Best Buy via email and Dallas via TikTok comment for further information.
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