My retail rants

[raysnkaysmom]

For those working in retail...feel free to add....

Here's just a couple things that bother me, sparked by a customer yesterday..

We aren't a personal shopper in a boutique (this is big box environment, we aren't on commission and aren't in a small atmosphere). Do customers think the ONLY thing we have to do is be on the floor WAITING for your questions? If we aren't bringing the stock to the floor or ringing up your purchases, you're mad there is no selection or not enough cashiers.... it's like we can't win! We dont' have the payroll to have an associate for every customer. Yes, our company, luckily is still doing very well, and we try our best to accomodate who we can. We will help anyone who asks (hopefully that's always the case) but dont' complain that you can't find someone to help you way back in the bedding department because we happen to be stocking bath at the time.

And, customers can go online and tell about their shopping experience. The most complaints we get are that our fitting rooms aren't maintained and that our clearance isnt' sized!! OMG! I want to scream at that complaint... LOL -
To keep up with these women (yes, women are worse than men in a fitting room or a bathroom) who leave their clothes piled inside out on the fitting room floor like some undisciplined teenager is beyond comprehension!! I'm scared to see what your house looks like. Yes, I've heard 'you get paid to do this'. Ok, that may be PART of our job description, but have some class, and understand that we have MORE to do than clean up after you, and it's not only YOU we have to clean up after....it's hard to keep up!!!! And, on Friday afternoon, our clearance was sized for your convienience, but come Saturday afternoon it's all on the floor and placed on any rack you found convienient to drop off your 'neverminds'. Then you literally yell at us for it being on the wrong rack or that you can't find your size. We aren't the ones shopping it!! We are just trying to keep it off the floor after you've 'accidentally' dropped it!!!!

Yes, I've been in stores with rude associates, and if this is the case, I can understand how the 'little' things bother you... but c'mon.. we are just a few people trying to keep up with cleaning up after the masses, as well as bring your selections to the selling floor... Have a little sympathy and courtesy for us too this holiday season...

Ok, I;ll stop now

 

[Kim&Chris]

I definitely feel for you. Working retail is HARD work.

I work at the corporate offices of a very large chain of retail stores, and I know how HARD the employees work everyday. Customers have unrealistic views of what the store employees should be doing, and probably don't realize exactly how much work store associates are required to do on any given day. Typically, retail associates are required to do anything from ring sales to scrub toilets, and everything in between. Glamorous it ain't.

Granted, that's not to say that there isn't a fair share of employees who don't exactly bust their buns, but for the most part - the employees work hard, long hours for not a whole lot of money.

When I go into a store, I always try very hard to show the cashier or floor associate a little bit of extra kindness. Chances are...they need it!

 

[NMAmy]

I used to work in retail so I feel your pain but there are a few things I want to point out.

If there is no one on the sales floor when I can't find an item, I'm not going to stand in line to ask a cashier--and then face the wrath of everyone in line behind me when the cashier has to waste time finding someone to help me. I'm going to go to another store where I can either find the item or find someone to help me.

The dressing room--yes, people are slobs. I personally hang everything up and put it on the designated hanger for unwanted items in the fitting room. I've been in some dressing rooms however, where there is no place to put the items I don't want. I'm not going to go traipsing all over the store trying to remember where I got something and then making sure it's in the proper order size-wise.

So, while I would not complain to anyone at the store about these things (because they are not the sales staff's fault)--I certainly would send an email complaint to the store. I would want them to know that they do not have enough staff to take care of their customers' needs and are possibly losing customers over the lack of assistance. I don't expect to have a personal shopper or someone to pick up after me--but I do expect to have someone to answer questions if I need assistance and to not have a dressing room looking like my teenage dd's bedroom.

I wouldn't take those email complaints to heart--they're not necessarily a complaint against you but a complaint to try to get the company to hire more workers so these things can be taken care of. A lot of places are trying to get by with piling too much work on the staff they do have instead of hiring more.

 

[babytrees]

I agree on the dressing room one...I get so disgusted by the way customers leave dressing rooms. If there is a hanger there I hang/fold clothes the best I can...those poor ladies have enough to do and I have seen their face when they come in and see the mountains. Hey...what else am I going to do while waiting for my kids to try on their umpteenth pair of jeans?

My other is the customer thinking, no demanding, that they are the only customer that counts.

For good measure I will add....I hate hovering....espescially in the shoe store.

 

[sdarwkcabemanmy]

I no longer work in retail but DH still does.

Dear people,
If the assoc. tells you there are none in stock and won't be coming in until *x* date, he really means it. We aren't hiding things in some supersecret back room just to irritate you. Honest.

Dear people,
No we can't give you a discount because you are *X* local celebrity. Yes we realize you are HOMGFAMOUS!!! but that doesn't really mean a whole lot to us. Other than bragging rights.

Dear people,
No you cannot camp out on the sidewalk for three days before Black Friday. Just..no. If we catch you doing it, we will call the police. I realize you want a good deal, but is it really worth sleeping outside in the wind and rain and muck and sometimes heat? Really?

Dear people,
NO we cannot release *X* movie for sale until we are told to do so. I don't care how much you want a copy..there will most likely be enough DVDs to go around. Really. If we sell a movie before the release date given to us by corp. HQ, we could get into really big trouble and it's not worth it to us.

Dear 10 year old kid,
Did you REALLY think you could walk out with a handful of DVDs by stashing them under your arms, keeping your arms tight to your sides and walking out?

 

[raysnkaysmom]

I used to work in retail so I feel your pain but there are a few things I want to point out.

If there is no one on the sales floor when I can't find an item, I'm not going to stand in line to ask a cashier--and then face the wrath of everyone in line behind me when the cashier has to waste time finding someone to help me. I'm going to go to another store where I can either find the item or find someone to help me.

The dressing room--yes, people are slobs. I personally hang everything up and put it on the designated hanger for unwanted items in the fitting room. I've been in some dressing rooms however, where there is no place to put the items I don't want. I'm not going to go traipsing all over the store trying to remember where I got something and then making sure it's in the proper order size-wise.

So, while I would not complain to anyone at the store about these things (because they are not the sales staff's fault)--I certainly would send an email complaint to the store. I would want them to know that they do not have enough staff to take care of their customers' needs and are possibly losing customers over the lack of assistance. I don't expect to have a personal shopper or someone to pick up after me--but I do expect to have someone to answer questions if I need assistance and to not have a dressing room looking like my teenage dd's bedroom.

I wouldn't take those email complaints to heart--they're not necessarily a complaint against you but a complaint to try to get the company to hire more workers so these things can be taken care of. A lot of places are trying to get by with piling too much work on the staff they do have instead of hiring more.

And...we are ok with letters to corporate asking for more sales floor help...we would love it!! LOL.. we just dont' want the wrath from your frustration in the store....We are where we can be, and will do what we can. And, I understand about frustration on not finding someone... Easiest thing to do is go to Customer SErvice and ask for assistance in that area... Our store has 'assistance buttons' you can press.... and price check machines... dont' cut in line to ask the cashier to check a price for you.. its ON the sign and there are machines throughout the departments!!

 

[kydisneyfans]

Only 1 thing to add, a fitting room is not a restroom. That happened more than once during my few years in retail.

 

[Biscuitsmom31]

Only 1 thing to add, a fitting room is not a restroom. That happened more than once during my few years in retail.

 

[sdarwkcabemanmy]

I've heard of that happening..I've also heard of guys following their wives/girlfriends into the booth to get a little..freaky behind the closed door/curtain.

 

[raysnkaysmom]

Only 1 thing to add, a fitting room is not a restroom. That happened more than once during my few years in retail.

I've heard of that happening..I've also heard of guys following their wives/girlfriends into the booth to get a little..freaky behind the closed door/curtain.

I've found both....
amazingly...more women pee, poop or change tampons in the fitting room than I found evidence of the guys leaving behind his 'happiness'. But...it ALL happens... ugh

 

[MrsKreamer]

Please control your children. Where I work(an arts and crafts store) people just let their kids destroy the floral department(touching, picking up, and even tearing apart silk flowers, and then leaving them on the floor).

I usually have a craft demonstration in the front of the store(sometimes it is for children and sometimes it isn't) and parents think I am a babysitting service..."You sit here with the nice lady and Mommy will be over there shopping..." Um no, I don't think so...I can not be responsible for your child and do my job. Sometimes I have a hot glue gun, what happens when your little snow flake grabs it when I am talking to a customer?

Teens are even worse. Last Friday night we had a group of teens in the store. Not there to buy anything, just to make a mess.

 

[OceanAnnie]

Please control your children. Where I work(an arts and crafts store) people just let their kids destroy the floral department(touching, picking up, and even tearing apart silk flowers, and then leaving them on the floor).

I usually have a craft demotration in the front of the store(sometimes it is for children and sometimes it isn't) and parents think I am a babysitting service..."You sit here with the nice lady and Mommy will be over there shopping..." Um no, I don't think so...I can not be responsible for your child and do my job. Sometimes I have a hot glue gun, what happens when your little snow flake grabs it when I am talking to a customer?

Teens are even worse. Last Friday night we had a group of teens in the store. Not there to buy anything, just to make a mess.

That's a pet peeve of mine as a customer. I don't want to wade through a mess when I'm shopping! I know kids *can* be kids, but it is a teaching opportunity to me. I have had times when my kids couldn't keep their hands off of something or wanted to rearrange items. I have always told them put your hands on your hips and look with your eyes. That helps. If it's something unbreakable sometimes I'll let them handle it with care, but they know we leave things the way we found them. And I make sure of it. I tell them, people took the time to put things a certain way and that's that. I ask them how would you like it if someone messed up your room? That hit home.

 

[audrabolster]

I feel for you. Workin retail was one of the hardest jobs I ever ever had.

 

[Angelhalo]

I used to work in retail so I feel your pain but there are a few things I want to point out.

If there is no one on the sales floor when I can't find an item, I'm not going to stand in line to ask a cashier--and then face the wrath of everyone in line behind me when the cashier has to waste time finding someone to help me. I'm going to go to another store where I can either find the item or find someone to help me.

The dressing room--yes, people are slobs. I personally hang everything up and put it on the designated hanger for unwanted items in the fitting room. I've been in some dressing rooms however, where there is no place to put the items I don't want. I'm not going to go traipsing all over the store trying to remember where I got something and then making sure it's in the proper order size-wise.

So, while I would not complain to anyone at the store about these things (because they are not the sales staff's fault)--I certainly would send an email complaint to the store. I would want them to know that they do not have enough staff to take care of their customers' needs and are possibly losing customers over the lack of assistance. I don't expect to have a personal shopper or someone to pick up after me--but I do expect to have someone to answer questions if I need assistance and to not have a dressing room looking like my teenage dd's bedroom.

I wouldn't take those email complaints to heart--they're not necessarily a complaint against you but a complaint to try to get the company to hire more workers so these things can be taken care of. A lot of places are trying to get by with piling too much work on the staff they do have instead of hiring more.

I agree. Also the OP seems to be yelling at the complainers. Has it ever occurred to the OP that the ones complaining about the mess, probably aren't the main causers of mess. I certainly wouldn't be creating a mess in the dressing room and then complaining about it. I'm the innocent bystander who goes in to a messy room, has nowhere to hang my items, steps on a staple and is told too bad so sad when I complain about it.

I'm also not the type of shopper who just casually drops stuff off on the wrong racks. I try to help out and keep everything in its correct place, so I don't see any reason to assume that because I am complaining about it, that I am part of the problem. Quite the contrary. When I worked retail I always felt so bad for the people who complained because I realized that they were actually the GOOD people who hadn't created any of the mess but were now being told to just deal with it, get over it, and enjoy your crappy shopping experience.

If a store can't hire enough people to keep the dressing rooms, racks, and aisles in decent shape then I won't shop there, and I would think that the company would want to know that.

 

[sdarwkcabemanmy]

than I found evidence of the guys leaving behind his 'happiness'.

I'm so stealing that...a guy's happiness'.

Please control your children....parents think I am a babysitting service..."You sit here with the nice lady and Mommy will be over there shopping..." Um no, I don't think so...I can not be responsible for your child and do my job. Sometimes I have a hot glue gun, what happens when your little snow flake grabs it when I am talking to a customer?

Agreed. You are not there to babysit their special snowflakes. You are there to do a job. And if SS gets hurt because they grabbed a hot glue gun and burned themselves, the parents would blame YOU for not keeping an eye on THEIR kids.

Teens are even worse. Last Friday night we had a group of teens in the store. Not there to buy anything, just to make a mess.

What is it with teenagers these days? My sister (who works in a fast food resteraunt) was ranting about this the other day. She had already closed a section and put cones in front of it so you would know it was closed. She said a bunch of teenagers came in, ordered their food and sat down in the closed section. Then the proceeded to spread salt, pepper and condiment sauce all over their table. She was MAD. But there was nothing she could do about it except wait for them to leave so she could clean it up.


This one is from a few years back:

Dear Father Of The Year,
I realize that you are trying to score MAJOR brownie points with your kids by taking them to the Barnes and Noble for the midnight release of *Book*. HOWEVER, that does not give you the right to act like a jerk to me. It is now 10 pm and our resteraunt is CLOSED. I can get you drinks, because we haven't shut down the drink machines yet. We have french fries but they've been sitting there for fifteen minutes and they're probably gross by now. I cannot make you an ice cream shake/float/blendie because we closed the ice cream machines down twenty minutes ago on account of they are a PITA to clean. I'm sorry you're upset about this but if you wanted ice cream you should have come to us sooner than 10 pm when we are attempting to shut down our registers. Yelling at me and telling me I'm an awful person and I give bad cust. svc won't help any either. Yes you have the freedom to march your happy rear end over to the Haagen Daz across the food court but I'm going to laugh at you when you do. They've been closed for an hour. Yelling at them to give you ice cream when they've already cleaned out the freezers for the night is only going to result in them ignoring you. You can take it to mall mgmt if you want, but the cust. svc desk for the mall has also been shut down for about an hour. H ave fun trying, though.

 

[Angelhalo]

And...we are ok with letters to corporate asking for more sales floor help...we would love it!! LOL.. we just dont' want the wrath from your frustration in the store....We are where we can be, and will do what we can. And, I understand about frustration on not finding someone... Easiest thing to do is go to Customer SErvice and ask for assistance in that area... Our store has 'assistance buttons' you can press.... and price check machines... dont' cut in line to ask the cashier to check a price for you.. its ON the sign and there are machines throughout the departments!!

The price check machines are nice in theory. Half the time they don't work. In Wal-Mart at least 50% of them just have black screens and they aren't even on. Its like why thank you for providing this useless machine for us!

 

[raysnkaysmom]

I agree. Also the OP seems to be yelling at the complainers. Has it ever occurred to the OP that the ones complaining about the mess, probably aren't the main causers of mess. I certainly wouldn't be creating a mess in the dressing room and then complaining about it. I'm the innocent bystander who goes in to a messy room, has nowhere to hang my items, steps on a staple and is told too bad so sad when I complain about it.

I'm also not the type of shopper who just casually drops stuff off on the wrong racks. I try to help out and keep everything in its correct place, so I don't see any reason to assume that because I am complaining about it, that I am part of the problem. Quite the contrary. When I worked retail I always felt so bad for the people who complained because I realized that they were actually the GOOD people who hadn't created any of the mess but were now being told to just deal with it, get over it, and enjoy your crappy shopping experience.

If a store can't hire enough people to keep the dressing rooms, racks, and aisles in decent shape then I won't shop there, and I would think that the company would want to know that.

Oh...I'm not 'yelling' at those who aren't at fault...beleive me, I've been on the receiving end of a bad experience as well...I just hate the assumptions shoppers make that we have total control over how our budget is spent, how we keep up with the 'not nice' customers and what they think the store SHOULD be.... it's all nice in theory.

I am definitely sympathetic to a genuine concern a customer brings me. And, thats another thing... if one of our associates (I'm a mgr there) IS rude to you, we DO want to know about it. There's a bad apple or two in every bunch and it helps us to weed them out, through legit complaints.. But...dont' expect us to reprimand or fire them in your presence (as has been requested believe it or not)... that is rude...and unjust. We will take care of them per protocol.
Also...if an associate is KIND or went out of their way for you...we (and them) love to hear that too People are always eager to jump on the negative but never want to recognize or reward the positive.

 

[Angelhalo]

Oh...I'm not 'yelling' at those who aren't at fault...beleive me, I've been on the receiving end of a bad experience as well...I just hate the assumptions shoppers make that we have total control over how our budget is spent, how we keep up with the 'not nice' customers and what they think the store SHOULD be.... it's all nice in theory.

I am definitely sympathetic to a genuine concern a customer brings me. And, thats another thing... if one of our associates (I'm a mgr there) IS rude to you, we DO want to know about it. There's a bad apple or two in every bunch and it helps us to weed them out, through legit complaints.. But...dont' expect us to reprimand or fire them in your presence (as has been requested believe it or not)... that is rude...and unjust. We will take care of them per protocol.
Also...if an associate is KIND or went out of their way for you...we (and them) love to hear that too People are always eager to jump on the negative but never want to recognize or reward the positive.

Amen sistah! I go out of my way to tell managers when they have GREAT employees! People are sooooo quick to focus on the negative and never reward the positive. My friends will get embarrassed sometimes because I will ask for a manager just to tell them how great an employee was!

 

[raysnkaysmom]

LOL...I just thought of a blog my friend posted last year. He works in the automotive dept at Sears...and this was his take (of course I have to edit some for the DISers) LOL



Open letter to our customers
Current mood: annoyed
Category: Jobs, Work, Careers

This is something to all the customers those of us who have chosen to work in retail as a career have come across too many times during the holiday season.

Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you for patronizing our business during this hectic holiday season. We appreciate you chosing our store to make your holiday purchases. While we would welcome you back as a repeat customer, there are a few things that need to be noted before you set foot into our store again.

We strive to provide all our customers with the utmost in customer service, equally. With that said, we are not robots. Attitude is everything. If you come into our store thinking you deserve to be treated like a king, or queen, you won't. We don't care if you drive a car that costs twice as much as a normal person's house. Being a self-absorbed BLEEP will only make us do everything possible to give you the minimal level of service. If you are such a customer and attempt to bargain the price down, please leave the store. The management really can't be responsible for what the seasonal help will say to you. This isn't a street market in Bangladesh. You came into the store because of the ad that showed the cheapest hunk of FUN merchandize we could legally advertise. If you think you're going to get a better deal, BLEEP.

If you expect to get a break by paying in cash, you need to realize the 70's are done. Too much cash in the registers makes for unecessarily long closes at the end of the night. Really, use your debit Visa or a credit card. The managers work 14 or more hour days during this time of year so don't get on our bad side by doing something stupid like that. (CAN I ADD WRITING CHECKS IN HERE?!??!?!)

We don't really care if you're in a hurry. Your inability to schedule your day properly is not our fault. If you think we're not moving fast enough for you, it's probably the fact that there are 5 other people in a hurry ahead of you. Either that, or we just don't care at that point. Deal with it.

No amount of whining or *****ing will make an out of stock, "limited to stock on hand" item magically appear. We don't keep secret stashes of that stuff. It's usually STUFF that never sold last year and we just need to make the room in the warehouses for the new stuff so we blow it out so some idiot would buy it.

If you are understanding and realize that we work obscene hours so that you can shop after you're done with your candy-butt banker's hours job, we can begin to give you the customer service we strive for. We will still make fun of you after you've left our store.

Sincerely,
The management


I think it's funny.... but in general..I will say...we dont' make fun of anyone, except the rude people

 

[sdarwkcabemanmy]

If you expect to get a break by paying in cash, you need to realize the 70's are done. Too much cash in the registers makes for unecessarily long closes at the end of the night. Really, use your debit Visa or a credit card. The managers work 14 or more hour days during this time of year so don't get on our bad side by doing something stupid like that.

Agreed..it takes far longer to count actual money than it does credit slips. And you're less likely to end up with a short drawer due to credit slips.


Here's another one from DH;

Dear people,
It is really irritating for you to call three, four, FIVE times a day asking if we've gotten a truck and if *X* item was on it. It takes up uneccessary time in our day. We have things we need to get done and we can't get them done if we're answering the phone every 30 seconds.

No love from the inventory person.

Dear sir,
I do not know what posessed you to pick up one of our phones and yell "SHUT UP YOU *bleep*!" into it but we'd really appreciate it if you didn't do it again. The customer who was on the other end of that phone call called us back and started to rake us out because she thought WE were the ones who told her to shut up.

No love.