Summer employees face inappropriate behavior from customers in Noormarkku, Finland
Summer employees in the service sector are increasingly facing inappropriate behavior from customers, as highlighted by Sari Kujala, a retailer in Noormarkku, who has taken steps to address the issue. She placed a notice on her store’s door urging customers to show understanding toward new staff members. One such employee, Ella-Sofia Granholm, expressed the stress she feels when she doesn’t learn quickly enough, as customers can become frustrated with delays in service.
Kujala noted a concerning trend where older male customers criticize male employees more harshly than their female counterparts. Employee Arttu Koskela echoed this, suggesting that older men may underappreciate young female workers, expecting them to perform in a certain way due to societal conditioning.
While Granholm and Koskela have not observed a significant change in customer behavior since the notice was posted, Kujala believes it has positively impacted attitudes. Granholm emphasized the need not to let rude comments get to her, affirming that many customers are genuinely kind and respectful, and that her relationships with clients improve with time as they become acquainted with her.
Koskela, who has been working at the store for a few months, mentioned he responds to inappropriate remarks with a polite smile. This behavior has prompted discussions among summer employees regarding their experiences, although issues have generally not escalated to serious complaints.
Anna Lavikkala, a representative of the store trade union, stated that there have been no recent complaints about the treatment of summer workers. She assured that incidents are taken seriously, with processes in place to address any issues that arise, reflecting an ongoing commitment to ensuring a supportive work environment for young employees.