Tips on making a retail worker's life easier

[inferiare]

Much like Jason's topic on how to not be an idiot at a hotel, I've got some of my own stuff that's been making me go batty over the past week. These are in no particular order, seeing as how they can all relate to each other in some way.


- BE NICE. BE COURTEOUS. Being nice gets you good service. Being nice and courteous also makes sure you don't end up on the shitlist of the employee.

- Signs. They're there for a reason. Please read them. Most of the time, people don't read them/ignore them/act like they don't exist and make me think they're illiterate and jerks. If they have important information such as, oh, say how they're changing how bills are paid or a cost increase, it's something important to know. Signs also let you know when someone isn't available to help you and to not push the button (that in order to push, one must reach around the sign saying that there's no one there ydfjtsgaujhfkas guess what has been happening to me lately).

- Cell phones. Oh my god, seriously, you can be without your precious phone for half a minute, please hang it up. There will always be a bitchy employee who will talk loudly over you to get attention. I'm one of them. Bill paying is important and if I have to fight for your attention, I'll do it in the worst way possible.

- Please don't leave your cart 20 feet away from you while you wander aisles. It makes me suspicious and I don't want to accuse people of being cart runners and stealing things. It's fine if you put it out of the way and you walk maybe 4-5 feet away to get something, but to leave it around the corner and in front of an entirely different aisle freaks out the PROTECT STORE INVENTORY part of my brain. It's not cool. It also gets in the way and other workers can possibly mistake it for things to put back on the shelf.

- If there is a problem, don't get defensive! There is a time and place for anger, and if the situation doesn't call for it, don't get angry. Staying calm and rational makes the situation get resolved faster and with better results. Calling the cashier a stupid middle school dropout with the IQ of a toaster just because they cannot and will not risk their job for the customer is not the right way of going about things.

- ...in that vein, no we cannot and WILL NOT risk our jobs by bending the rules. Getting mad will not make us do that, it'll just piss us off. If we say we can't do something, it means we really can't. Throwing a bitchfit doesn't work either and it makes us think that said bitchfit-throwing customer is an entitled whore.

- No, the customer is not always right. No, really. We'll do whatever we can to help a customer and try to do it with a smile on our faces, but if we can't help a customer because they're doing the bitchfit thing or being unreasonable over something we cannot help/do, the customer is not right. Throwing out that logic makes us mentally headwall like so:

- Trying to help us do our job: well, we appreciate it, but not always. Putting product back on a shelf that it was from? Perfect. Putting back a tag that was knocked down by a cart or otherwise? ...not so perfect. Then again, I'm pretty anal about how tags look on the shelves, but we do have to have them hung a certain way. Just turn them into an employee, they'll know what to do.

- In a similar respect, don't just throw shit on the shelves. Got something from two aisles over and decide it isn't wanted/needed? Either give it to an employee, or put it back yourself. Finding two-day old cheese on my shelves is not fun, especially when it's warm, mouldy, and smelling terrible. ><

- ...just don't be lazy period.

- Have all your things together. Checking out and there's coupons involved? Have them out and ready. Paying by check? Have the check written out enough to where you just have to add in the amount. Paying bills? Have them in an accessible place to retrieve them. I don't know how many times lines have been held up because OH I CAN'T FIND X/I HAVE TO SPEND 3 MINUTES WRITING OUT IN FANCY HANDWRITING MY CHECK! that line of people ain't gonna reduce itself.

- FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, IF YOU'RE GOING TO HIT ON THE CUTE CASHIER, DO IT IN A NICE WAY AND NOT "YOUR ASS IS HOT, I WANT TO TOUCH IT AND DO BAD THINGS TO IT". Don't be creepy. It's not cool. It'll only make the cashier wish they could cut you and/or call the cops on you. (Why yes I've had stuff like this happen to me. It creeps me out every time.)

...and now that it's 4:15 am, I have nothing else for the time being. But hey, general rule: being nice gets you stuff. You get further with being polite and nice than screaming and biting heads off.

[SoulBlazerFan]

I've always hated working in retail, primarily because the guests (at Target we have to refer to all customers as guests- stupid, sure, but whatever the MAN wants) are bitchy, complacent, and no matter what, you're always in the wrong.

Part of the reason I went to the overnight crew again is because the guests. I didn't have a job, or any job at that company, that involved dealing with the guests. However, on multiple occasions I've had guests come up to help. Well, on one occasion a guest asked about a vaccum. I don't know crap about vaccums, so I told the guest, since I didn't have a walkie talkie. I let her know that, down the aisle, there was a button, and if she pressed it, someone would come over to assist her.

She replied to me "Well who are you, nobody?"

I looked to her, stood up from where I was, walked and pointed to the button. I repeated the same thing, calm, cool, and collected. "If you press that button, someone will be over here to assist you."

The guest did as I told her. Another kid comes over, and he was known to be a bit of a... let me find the proper word... douche? Yeah, thats it, he's a douche. Anyway, he probably saw the same thing I did, and he gave her a hard time.

Next thing I know, she goes onto her cell phone. ::looks back at raini's list::

She starts SCREAMING into her phone at the other end. By now, the store is closed, and she's just shouting into this phone. Eventually, she leaves. About ten minutes later, yet another team member comes over, and she asks me if I treated some lady with disrespect.

Apparently, this woman went to complain about me and the other kid, because we were uncurteous, disrespectful, and what have you. I told her I personally didn't, and she said she knew. She essentially told the lady to go shove it.

Kind of a horror story, but not really. Some people just have serious sticks up their ass.

[Freedan]

I've always sympathized with people who work in retail. Having to deal with people doing the stupidest things has to be more stressful than anything I've ever had to deal with.

As a customer, I generally just go in, pay for my stuff and get out. If I can't find something, I'd rather go looking for it than ask someone; I don't need to get in to their hair just to find where the batteries are.

I've had a few clerks/cashiers who were pretty short with me before, but I understand what they have to put up with, so I just let it go. I know that cashier isn't just a bitch, and I know she's not pissed at me, she's just having a crappy day because of some moron.

[inferiare]

Freedan wrote:

As a customer, I generally just go in, pay for my stuff and get out. If I can't find something, I'd rather go looking for it than ask someone; I don't need to get in to their hair just to find where the batteries are.

I'm usually pretty cool with people asking me where things are. Can't speak for everyone, but I know I am. WE DON'T BITE (well... I do ) but sometimes things are placed so out of sight that people can't find it and ask.

@SBiF: Yeaaaaah we get that too. When I work at other stores I get people who get huffy with me because I don't know where the item is that they're looking for, even after telling them "I'm new here, so I don't know where everything is just yet Sorry."

[tay120n64]

Let me add something:

-If the attendant looks busy, even if the store is empty, don't try to have a conversation with them just because you're bored. If we're being short with you, its not out of rudeness, its because we have things we have to get done, and an empty store is the only time we can do some of those things.

-Also, if you go into a specialty store, don't repeat questions over and over like you're absolutely certain that the initial answer you received couldn't possibly be right. If you weren't going to agree with the attendant, why did you bother asking a question?

Also, I like it when people bring a game to the counter to sell and ask why we aren't giving the full $30 for it like it says on the "Most Wanted Board". That's when I casually point out the message at the bottom of the board, with words written larger than the game titles, that says "Prices indicated are maximum payout and are subject to change." But then, that goes back to Raini's "read signs" comment.

[EverPhoenix]

id have a few to add, but you have all been so through. i'll try anyway

-if someone is filling something and you can't get through while they are, don't just say "excuse me" and try to get through. in most cases, waiting is easier. itll take a whole 10 seconds of your time, and wont piss off the person filling. after all, they dont shove you aside when you are standing in the way of what they are trying to fill...

-if asking for help, a "hi" isn't difficult to say. for one, it gets the filler's attention. it is also just polite, and can take the edge off a bad day they are having. just going up to someone, naming a product, and expecting them to have been paying full attention just isn't going to work. if they don't know, don't get angry. they might be new, or just have never seen the product before. a thankyou never goes amiss either.

//i had a customer once ask me for "freshness". after trying to decipher what he was saying (with no frustration lost on his behalf) i figured out he was after air fresheners. i told him where they were (aisle 9) and he interpreted that as a "i don't know". he then had the nerve to complain about young people not knowing anything. he is lucky i am a calm and reserved person, or he would have gotten the nasty end of my tongue.

-if putting stuff back, put it where it was. i cannot stress this enough. seeing a random packet of chips on the other end of the store is so frustrating, because someone has to go put it back. This is even worse when someone takes something from deli, eats half of it, and leaves the rest somewhere for us to find.

[inferiare]

@tay: Don't you love those that, after asking a question and they get an answer, get all huffy because THAT CAN'T POSSIBLY BE THE RIGHT ANSWER? hnnng those people make me want to punch babies.

@EP: I hate when people don't ask me "Hey, do you work here?" before trying to ask a question. Even if it's a "Hidoyouknowwherethisis?" I don't care. But that "ITEM!" just makes me frown. Same with stocking shelves. The aisles in my store are TINY and so people will often just shove my 6-wheeler out of the way or into me because they couldn't be assed to just ASK ME TO MOVE IT.

[Yet One More Idiot]

My dad can be a bit of a pain with some of these points - he'll often push past people, and the amount of times he's had arguments with other customers whilst queuing for the checkout....oy....

Anyway, I always try to be a good customer. I'll make a good effort to find something by myself before I go bothering any of the staff ('cos 99 times out of 100, they're busy doing something at the time), I always open with an "excuse me" when talking to someone stocking the shelves or a "hi" when I go to the checkout, always say thanks and give them a smile afterwards ('cos I know just how frazzled and pissed-off store staff can be by the end of a day, and not all of us customers are out to give 'em a hard time).

Of course, I did work in retail myself for a few years, so I know what it can be like from their point of view, too. I used to work for William Hill, which is a high-street betting firm, and OMG the punters (or as we always were told we had to refer to them, "customers") could be such arrogant bloody jerks. I could do an entire post like Raini's or Jason's just on Betting Shop etiquette.

In fact, I think I might do just that sometime.

[Jason Tandro]

RE: Leaving your cart unnattended.

I will take your cart.

I've done it. Somebody left a cart with nothing but a jacket and a loaf of bread in it. I looked around, saw nobody within many many yards (this was a Walmart). So I set the jacket on the nearest shelf, chucked the bread next to it and snagged the cart.

PROTECT YOUR CART.

Also, please refer to Dane Cook's rule about being in line.

"If you're about five feet from the person in front of you, you're in line. If you leave your cart in the space and you're over in the next aisle looking at the Twinkies, you're not commited to the line!"

[inferiare]

Jason Tandro wrote:

RE: Leaving your cart unnattended. I will take your cart. I've done it. Somebody left a cart with nothing but a jacket and a loaf of bread in it. I looked around, saw nobody within many many yards (this was a Walmart). So I set the jacket on the nearest shelf, chucked the bread next to it and snagged the cart. PROTECT YOUR CART. Also, please refer to Dane Cook's rule about being in line. "If you're about five feet from the person in front of you, you're in line. If you leave your cart in the space and you're over in the next aisle looking at the Twinkies, you're not commited to the line!"

LOL. Well. I wouldn't be surprised if this happens, regarding the unattended cart.

As a customer I really hate when people are breathing on me (quite literally) as I'm in line. Seriously. Get out of my space. ><

[Yet One More Idiot]

rainichan wrote:

As a customer I really hate when people are breathing on me (quite literally) as I'm in line. Seriously. Get out of my space. ><

I agree, I always try to keep far enough back from the person in front of me so that I'm not breathing on them. (My dad on the other hand will yawn open-mouthed in the middle of a queue, and inevitably get into a shouting match about it when someone points out how rude it was; obviously I get my manners from my mother's side...)

[tay120n64]

Had a rather interesting experience at Wal-Mart a few days back.

So I was standing in line on a Saturday evening, so naturally, the line was long and the store was packed. Finally, I make it to the check-out counter, only to witness the guy in front of me make a total ass of himself. He had picked up a bottle of water to purchase, but apparently the bottle was part of a case and could not be sold individually. Of course, the guy was rather put out by it. He commented on how "the store wasn't being handled well" and "how long the line was" then had the gall to say they needed to "step up their game" in response to not being able to purchase the water.

Dude. You're at Wal-Mart. On a Saturday. In the state capitol. Seriously?

Of course, the attendant completely ignored him, handed him his receipt, and told him to have a nice day.

[inferiare]

@tay: gyfdshgdjs yeah, I'm one of those that will give them the look of "...dude just buy a bottle of water from one of the mini fridges that we have on ALL OF THE REGISTERS, stop being an idiot." I can do that look quite well.

I have another to add to the list proper: Please, for the love of sandwiches and nachos, HAVE YOUR THINGS READY. ESPECIALLY if the store has a bill pay center and you want to pay some bill of yours (which is what I do all day.) I can't even count on my hands how many people in a day I get that 1: don't have their shit together and have to go digging in their purse/pockets/hammerspace/gigantic purses of DOOM to find their bill, 2: don't have the amount they want to pay written/circled/glowing and hovering over the paper and then get mad when I ask if they want to pay the full amount or part of i- WHY ARE YOU GETTING MAD AT ME FOR ASKING WHEN YOU DIDN'T WRITE IT DOWN DON'T GIVE ME ATTITUDE FOR YOUR MISTAKE.

...yeah, I get a little angry at that one. I get plenty of people who get mad at me for asking "Are you paying the full amount, or just part of it, or a different amount?" ORRRRR they get mad when I get an answer to that question in the form of "full amount", I write in what the full amount IS on the bill, and then SCREEEEEEEEECH I AM A BAT OUT OF HELL voice "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT AMOUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!"

...and I'm behind the counter going O_O at this person, secretly wishing that they would just fall over dead.

...and 3: it holds up the line like you wouldn't believe.

Oh, and also? We aren't mind readers, I am not well versed in the lore and the mysticism of how to read minds just yet. Haven't graduated the course on that in Retail School. Assuming I can just... really pisses me off.



AAAAND last but not least; re: asking for help finding things: it's our job to help, as much as people might not want to do it. I like helping people (90% of the time; it's usually when I'm in the middle of lifting something that someones goes DROP THAT AND HELP MEEEEE. I uh, guess just wait for them to not be doing something like that?) since... working in retail has taught me that you will never, EVER find what you are looking for if it's in some weird place you wouldn't think to look. I've helped people who have gone "...oh, uh... well had that been a snake, it would have jumped out and bit me. *embarrassed laugh*". I do that constantly in my own store. So really, I wouldn't worry about asking for help finding that one product that's probably in the dustiest corner of the store.

[Muerte]

All these things just seem like common courtesy to me, I don't know why there's so many people that do these things. =\

I was doing shopping centre security for a very short period of time before I got fed up with it, which in Australia means I walk around until people ask me stuff or I see a breach of rules or whatever and occasionally sit at the service desk when the people who usually do it are out.

Had this one guy come up to me and asked about how he'd go about renting a electric cart type thing, whatever they're called, for his mother to go in since she can't walk well and the price of doing so. He had a massive accent, but I knew what he was getting towards so I told him something along the lines of "when you come with your mother you need to come to this service desk, and ask for one then, it doesn't cost anything". Then he gets a frustrated tone to his voice and asks again how he can borrow one from the place, so I rephrase it slightly so I wasn't just repeating myself and tell him again. The guy goes off his nut and starts shouting about he's not the one that needs to learn english but that I need to learn english and how stupid I am that I can't understand him. =\

If you're going to ask a question of the staff, listen to the damned answer, and if you choose not to, then don't get angry because you didn't. If you don't understand then don't blame the person you're asking and ask if they could repeat it for you, but don't do it in a bitchy way. If you can't hear them then ask them to speak louder or clearer if possible.

I know it's not really retail, but similar situation, and one that pisses me off soooooo bad.

[Yet One More Idiot]

Muerte wrote:

Had this one guy come up to me and asked about how he'd go about renting a electric cart type thing, whatever they're called, for his mother to go in since she can't walk well and the price of doing so. He had a massive accent, but I knew what he was getting towards so I told him something along the lines of "when you come with your mother you need to come to this service desk, and ask for one then, it doesn't cost anything". Then he gets a frustrated tone to his voice and asks again how he can borrow one from the place, so I rephrase it slightly so I wasn't just repeating myself and tell him again. The guy goes off his nut and starts shouting about he's not the one that needs to learn english but that I need to learn english and how stupid I am that I can't understand him. =\ If you're going to ask a question of the staff, listen to the damned answer, and if you choose not to, then don't get angry because you didn't. If you don't understand then don't blame the person you're asking and ask if they could repeat it for you, but don't do it in a bitchy way. If you can't hear them then ask them to speak louder or clearer if possible. I know it's not really retail, but similar situation, and one that pisses me off soooooo bad.

Yes, it's all (or at least mostly) basic common-sense.

The only problem is, that common-sense is startlingly UNcommon in this day and age.

Asking a question and then not listening to the answer (or misinterpreting the answer) and then going off your nut about it just makes you end up looking stupid to the staff member.

Of course, there's also been a few times that I've been a customer and asked a staff member a simple question, and the answer they give has little or nothing to do with what I asked them; they didn't pay attention to what I was asking, and told me something either irrelevant or that I already knew.

Classic one - in the supermarket. I go up to a staff member and ask "Excuse me, do you have any of (insert item here plz) in stock?"
They say, "Uh yeah, it's over in that aisle" pointing in the direction of the aisle it should be in.
I respond with, "there aren't any on the shelf, I already looked there - do you have any more out the back?"
They reply, "Oh, there aren't any on the shelves? Then we probably don't have any...."
Me: "Well could you look out the back of the store to see if you've got anymore?"
The idiot: "I'm not sure if we have any back there..."

(That's why I'm asking you to sodding well LOOK! *Headdesk moment*)

If you find an actual intelligent and helpful staff member, for the love of **** keep on their good side and always go to them with queries, regardless if they're in another part of the store, or you could end up trying to get help from an idiot like the one roleplayed above.