Tips on making a retail worker's life easier

[EverPhoenix]

have you been in the back/storage area of a store? NOTHING is organised. usually, i do try to look for things, but i rarely return with anything. its because i dont have the time to dig through everything there. i just look at the stuff thats from the same aisle, and if its not there, it wont likely be anywhere. a bit of a cop out, i know, but you have to understand, the people who pack the cages either dont give a shit, dont know shit, or are plain RETARDED.

[inferiare]

Yeah, I gotta agree: we don't keep stock in the back unless it was overordered and we've got a crapton of backstock. Generally my department orders twice a week: Wednesday for Thursday, and then either Saturday or Sunday for Monday of the next week. The only thing we generally keep in the back for constant stock is the soda stock (because Pepsi and Coca Cola keep a toooooon of stuff in our backrooms), dairy stuff (milk, butter), and some deli stuff. I think the only other time we might have a lot of stuff in our back warehouse is when we've got sales going on so we order twice the amount of what we normally carry.

@Muerte: 90% of the people who walk into a retail establishment don't know what common courtesy is. They're the entitled assholes who only think of themselves. The other 10% of the people who are in there are either retail workers themselves, or are the rare few who actually know what common courtesy is so they don't make an ass of themselves in front of 20 other people.

[Yet One More Idiot]

Well maybe it's different in your shops, but I've seen inside a few local shops storerooms (stood by the door and snuck a peek in ), and they're pretty well orgasnised for the most part, with usually quite a bit of stock ready to go out on the shelves at a moments notice.

I can often tell if a staff member is trying to help me, or if they're just trying to cop out. If they are genuinely helpful but still can't find the item through no fault of their own (it really is out of stock or they've looked long and hard but found nothing), that's fine, I'm lovely and polite about it. If they're clearly just trying to blow me off, they'll be lucky to get a "fine, thanks, whatever...." out of me.


"Smile more - it confuses people."

[EverPhoenix]

Yomi's Evil Twin Intern wrote:

"Smile more - it confuses people."

"Smile more, it makes people wonder what you're thinking" is the one i know

[inferiare]

Yomi's Evil Twin Intern wrote:

Well maybe it's different in your shops, but I've seen inside a few local shops storerooms (stood by the door and snuck a peek in ), and they're pretty well orgasnised for the most part, with usually quite a bit of stock ready to go out on the shelves at a moments notice.

Only ordering what we need cuts back on inventory. We've got strict guidelines on inventory, so not having extraneous inventory is our goal. Generally we only keep on hand what I mentioned since it's stuff that sells out frequently. If it doesn't sell within the day that we order it (like milk or something), then it's ordered weekly.

[Yet One More Idiot]

EverPhoenix wrote:

Yomi's Evil Twin Intern wrote: "Smile more - it confuses people." "Smile more, it makes people wonder what you're thinking" is the one i know

Yeah, I've heard that too. Also "Smile more - it worries your enemies".

[inferiare]

Man, I keep adding to this. It's chronic.

This is probably more of a pet peeve, but I get really REALLY irritated when people do that finger tapping thing on my desk. Y'know, all four fingers drumming on a surface? That thing that people do when they're annoyed or in a hurry or something? Yeaaaaah someone did that today.

[Lenc]

All of these things are common annoyences we retail folk have to live with.

Then again people who piss me off get either a "no" or when they are mad and say that they'll leave "I dont care". I even told people just to "fuck off".

I never said I was employee of 2010/2009 my forte lies in everything that needs to be handled in a store cept for customers. Even my boss doesnt want to fire me for bad behaviour because i am the only one who can do the paper work,magazine ,clean , vault, counting, returns, stickers and help customers (When they BUY something) with insane speed and accuracy. I love if that I can tell my boss that he's a n00b compared to me I work 3 years longer in this store then him (he started last year). He even asks me things he doesnt know. They even offered me the job of Shop Manager, however I have other plans for my future and am returning to school this year.

[EverPhoenix]

rainichan wrote:

Man, I keep adding to this. It's chronic. This is probably more of a pet peeve, but I get really REALLY irritated when people do that finger tapping thing on my desk. Y'know, all four fingers drumming on a surface? That thing that people do when they're annoyed or in a hurry or something? Yeaaaaah someone did that today.

i do that on everything. things im filling, desks, cages, everything. when im bored, my fingers start playing imaginary piano. usually the song is going in my head too. and, its usually from the original pokemon R/G/B OST too.

anyway, i do have something to add here,

if you see someone filling, dont park your trolley opposite the cage. it blocks off everyone else. the person filling isnt likely to be moving anytime in the near future, and by blocking off the path you are only making things more difficult for other customers.

[inferiare]

EverPhoenix wrote:

rainichan wrote: Man, I keep adding to this. It's chronic. This is probably more of a pet peeve, but I get really REALLY irritated when people do that finger tapping thing on my desk. Y'know, all four fingers drumming on a surface? That thing that people do when they're annoyed or in a hurry or something? Yeaaaaah someone did that today. i do that on everything. things im filling, desks, cages, everything. when im bored, my fingers start playing imaginary piano. usually the song is going in my head too. and, its usually from the original pokemon R/G/B OST too. anyway, i do have something to add here, if you see someone filling, dont park your trolley opposite the cage. it blocks off everyone else. the person filling isnt likely to be moving anytime in the near future, and by blocking off the path you are only making things more difficult for other customers.

It's only really irritating when I'm trying to punch numbers/key in totals to my register/process a western union, but it makes me think they're in some huuuuuuge hurry and they can't wait the 30 seconds it takes for me to process a bill for them. ><

I do agree to that last point though. People do this to me ALL THE TIME. Not only can I not get to what I'm trying to work from, people can't get around them either.

@Lenc: Lucky you. I'd get in trouble if I said "fuck off" to someone.

[Yet One More Idiot]

I often start tapping a beat to a tune in my head too, then I start bobbing my head in time to the mental tune as well. I know it probably gives off the wrong impression, but I just pass the time with a little light music. ;P

Also, I've been caught out chewing my fingernails and people think I do it 'cos I'm nervous - as one interviewer commented when I went for a job years ago. My reply? "Oh, I'm not nervous....I just bite my nails out of a really ingrained habit" (which is true)

I didn't add that I also do it 'cos I'M HUNGRY and wanna get out of this interview already and go eat some proper food.