Although the majority of our society continues to be the polite Canadians who we’re all so proud to be part of, it’s unfortunate that there are some who quite clearly have become less civil.

The other day one of our best employees was with a customer. Another customer interrupted them and asked our guy to open a security cabinet for him, at which point our guy responded that he’d be with him as soon as he was free. (This staff member is about the nicest, most unassuming person you’ll ever meet – I can guarantee that he wasn’t rude.)

This customer obviously wasn’t happy. He replied by hurling crude insults at our guy before going to the checkout where he was also rude to our cashier. (I can’t say what he actually said, but it was pretty shocking.) Absolutely uncalled for.

The sad thing is that this sort of thing is now happening regularly, and I know it’s happening in businesses everywhere. Can you imagine going to work every day and having to face such comments and people?

Our staff deal with great people every day, but it’s these occasional nasty interactions that stick with them. It is demoralizing and absolutely unfair. We have good people in our store and they don’t deserve to be treated this way.

I just don’t understand what’s going on with some people. I know this pandemic has been tiresome, but is that reason to be so nasty? Does this small group treat everybody like this, or do they save it for front-line workers who’ve done nothing wrong other than to show up for work?

I worry that when this pandemic finally ends that one of the hangovers will be too many people with bad manners. I’m hoping for better.

Randy Horswill

Nelson Home Hardware Building Centre