Retail Request

[Jennasis]

OT, but the Pandora prices are out of my league so I would consider it high end.

 

[Andtototoo]

Another one:

Do not attempt to dicker the prices in a retail store. This is not a flea market or a garage sale. And regardless of what that book about how you can dicker anything anywhere says, you CANNOT. You cannot dicker the price of a screwdriver at Sears and you can't dicker the price of a pricey bridal gown at the high-end bridal salon. Insisting that you're going to take your business elsewhere is not going to allow me to break corporate rules. Insisting that you CAN is not going to make it true. And stop yelling at me about how that books says you can -- why not go back to the book store where you bought it and ask for you money back?

 

[kaytieeldr]

My stint in retail--we used folding boards. No matter how hard a customer tried, they were never going to fold it as well as we could with that board.

While I won't leave a trashed pile and despised when people treat the clothing displays like a rubbish pile...bottom line, there is a particular way that items get folded and most often the stack is getting refolded at the end of the night. Not sure if that remains the case, but I have seen some stores.

Do you think anyone would look at me funny if I brought my own folding board? I generally shop for clothes online, but sometimes find myself in Walmart...

 

[PeterPan09]

I understand what your saying, I totally do. But the same can be said about the customer.

Maybe the customer that comes up to you in a bad mood has had something happen to them that has made them crabby. Just like the clerk that had a bad encounter with a customer. So it kind of goes both ways. You can't expect a customer to be nice to a nasty clerk because something "might" have happened to them and then not give that same courtesy to the customer. They to "might" have just had something happen to them too, you just don't know.

True, but if the rule is that the store clerk may never take out their bad day on the customer, then the opposite should also be a rule. All we're doing then is creating more bad days, if one of the two people in the transaction rises above it, then the cycle ends.

I've found on both sides that when you start the transaction pleasantly it's more likely to end up that way.

 

[pixiefairy]

True, but if the rule is that the store clerk may never take out their bad day on the customer, then the opposite should also be a rule. All we're doing then is creating more bad days, if one of the two people in the transaction rises above it, then the cycle ends.

I've found on both sides that when you start the transaction pleasantly it's more likely to end up that way.

Totally agree. I know I've had some REALLY grumpy people in the past, but sometimes, a smile and a little small talk go a long way. I used to refer to my job as being like a bartender - a LOT of people would share their life stories, worries, happiness, and losses with you. Sometimes just listening while they talked while you ring up can make that person feel really good about you and the store. I work for a former customer of mine now...we became friends during one of her shopping excursions, and she turned out to be my angel in disguise (she got me out of retail).

As far as the closing time dilemma (earlier in the thread)....my store really liked to make that last buck, and if it meant we stayed a few hours later to let someone shop until THEY decided to leave, that's what they thought we should do. Despite the fact that all the other stores in our plaza were closed and it was VERY dark in our little corner. I don't think you should come in at 5 minutes to close unless you know what you want, where it is, and plan on making it about a 15 minute stop. I'd been stuck for over 45 minutes just helping finish up a customer and not doing my end of night procedure. And they just didn't care that we'd closed so long ago. We don't make announcements, but we do gently remind after so long. The store manager didn't even want us to lock doors if we had customers in the store...to me this was a safety hazard and I locked them and then let out our stragglers as they finished up.

 

[Elmo9607]

This is my 5th Christmas season in retail. I work at a hardware store similar to Home Depot and Lowes, and I have my own list of requests.

1. Do NOT wrap Christmas trees yourself, or, worse yet, cut the ends off the stumps yourself. If we don't have anyone out to help you, I will call someone. I don't have training on wrapping trees and it is another departments responsibility in the first place. If you screw it up or hurt yourself it will be mine and the departments fault. Just wait a few minutes, please.

2. We can tell when Christmas lights have been broken by dropping them. Please don't return them after dropping them.

3. No, we do not offer price adjustments on Black Friday merchandise.

4. Please don't try to 'hide' things you don't want in the displays by the registers. If you don't want an item, just say so and hand it to me. I'll be happy to take it back to where it belongs.

5. Please don't take phone calls while I am processing a return for you.

6. If the light is off on my register, then I am either closed or will be closed. Please don't get in my line.

7.Please don't bring your pets into the store. If your dog just had an operation and can't be left alone in the car what makes you think he's going to enjoy being carried around a store. Save the shopping for another day.

8. Don't come up to me, stare at me, don't say anything, then get upset that I haven't read your mind as to what you need help with.

9. Please be pleasant. I work in retail to help you, not give you the run around. If you start off an interaction in a condescending manner, you are hurting me and yourself. Just be nice. Please.

 

[mrodgers]

The proper way to respond to the question, May I help you? would certainly NOT be to scream "Well, I'm not standing here for my F'ing health!

As a matter of fact, "F" should not come into play at any time at all when talking with someone providing you a service. Unfortunately my wife tells me that it is the minority that you won't hear "F" coming from the customer, and even less minority that a customer will ever talk in a calm and pleasant fashion.

 

[goofinoff]

How about this one....

When there are several people standing around a counter where there isn't a clear line and the associate behind the counter says "Who was next?" and you know that you weren't don't jump in and say "I was!" This happened to me about a year ago and the customer who was actually next yelled at me for taking the customer who told me she was next!! Why didn't she speak up and say "No, actually I was next!" I apologized up and down, gave her a couple of extra samples, couldn't have been nicer but she still left in a huff lecturing me. HOWEVER....she came back about 2 weeks later and apologized to me for her behavior! This is a first for me in my 23 years of retail!! She told me she felt horrible about it and she hoped that she didn't ruin my day!

 

[goofinoff]

The proper way to respond to the question, May I help you? would certainly NOT be to scream "Well, I'm not standing here for my F'ing health!

As a matter of fact, "F" should not come into play at any time at all when talking with someone providing you a service. Unfortunately my wife tells me that it is the minority that you won't hear "F" coming from the customer, and even less minority that a customer will ever talk in a calm and pleasant fashion.

I've had people drop the F-bomb with me if we are out of something they want. I have actually told them not to use that language with me because a.) it's not my fault that we are out of something and b.) other people around don't want to hear it. I had a guy swearing up and down at me one year because it was December 23rd and he had to (gasp) wait to be helped!! And then we had the nerve to be out of what he was looking for!! Before I could even say anything another customer spoke up and told him he was rude and disrespectful and that I didn't deserve to be spoken to like that! He just stormed off. I thanked her and about 20 minutes later she came back with a cup of coffee for me! There are sweet people out there!!

 

[mrodgers]

I thanked her and about 20 minutes later she came back with a cup of coffee for me! There are sweet people out there!!

Since you mentioned this.... What a great gesture, there are some people out there who are wonderful even if it is the minority lately. Unfortunately in the case of where my wife works, if she was caught with said cup of coffee, she would be fires as they are not allowed to have a drink with them, even out of site. There has been enough of the cashiers in the front who has been fired just in the past year for having a bottle of water at their register. What is even more ridiculous is, they are usually fired by a management staff member who is walking around with a bottle of water.

I don't know how the general public can't understand, the cashiers are just the underpaid workers and not the rule makers. They have to follow the rules, whether it is refusing to refund the 10 year old shopvac that you are trying to return, or having a drink out of site under their register counter. Wifey just told me the funny one the other day how they were gathered together to be lectured about not being allowed to have their cell phone on them when on the clock when that manager's cell phone rang and they walked away clearly talking to their spouse who just called.

The worst part is customers will want something ridiculous such as returning the clearly 10 year old shopvac I mentioned above and they yell, scream, and swear at my wife working the customer service desk because she can not return something without a receipt, then the manager comes and makes her look like an idiot because he walks past and says, return it.

The heroin addicts have a wonderful employment lined up for them in our town. They steal $40 circuit breakers in the morning, then come back in the afternoon and return them without a receipt. My wife knows they are stolen, the boxes are marked from previous times, management knows they are stolen, lost prevention knows they are stolen, my wife refuses and even discusses with management that they are stolen merchandise, but the manager tells her to just return them. We are talking about 5 $40 circuit breakers stolen in the morning and returned in the afternoon. That's an easy $200 for the heroin addicts. My wife knows this because she is the one working the afternoon/evening shift and is the one taking the items back to the shelf every night. She's marked the boxes. She is the one who gets sworn and screamed at because she has to follow corporate rules (along with the full knowledge that they are stolen items) and management is so scared to death about someone putting a complaint into corporate that they will accept the return of anything.

 

[tlbwriter]

Do not attempt to dicker the prices in a retail store. This is not a flea market or a garage sale. And regardless of what that book about how you can dicker anything anywhere says, you CANNOT. You cannot dicker the price of a screwdriver at Sears and you can't dicker the price of a pricey bridal gown at the high-end bridal salon. Insisting that you're going to take your business elsewhere is not going to allow me to break corporate rules. Insisting that you CAN is not going to make it true. And stop yelling at me about how that books says you can -- why not go back to the book store where you bought it and ask for you money back?

I have a friend who used to work in the garden center at Walmart and she said she had this conversation on a daily basis:

Can you give me a price break on this plant?
No, sorry, I can't do that.
But it's dead.
Then maybe you want to pick out a live one. Look, here's one.

 

[MrsKreamer]

Since you mentioned this.... What a great gesture, there are some people out there who are wonderful even if it is the minority lately. Unfortunately in the case of where my wife works, if she was caught with said cup of coffee, she would be fires as they are not allowed to have a drink with them, even out of site. There has been enough of the cashiers in the front who has been fired just in the past year for having a bottle of water at their register. What is even more ridiculous is, they are usually fired by a management staff member who is walking around with a bottle of water.

I don't know how the general public can't understand, the cashiers are just the underpaid workers and not the rule makers. They have to follow the rules, whether it is refusing to refund the 10 year old shopvac that you are trying to return, or having a drink out of site under their register counter. Wifey just told me the funny one the other day how they were gathered together to be lectured about not being allowed to have their cell phone on them when on the clock when that manager's cell phone rang and they walked away clearly talking to their spouse who just called.

The worst part is customers will want something ridiculous such as returning the clearly 10 year old shopvac I mentioned above and they yell, scream, and swear at my wife working the customer service desk because she can not return something without a receipt, then the manager comes and makes her look like an idiot because he walks past and says, return it.

The heroin addicts have a wonderful employment lined up for them in our town. They steal $40 circuit breakers in the morning, then come back in the afternoon and return them without a receipt. My wife knows they are stolen, the boxes are marked from previous times, management knows they are stolen, lost prevention knows they are stolen, my wife refuses and even discusses with management that they are stolen merchandise, but the manager tells her to just return them. We are talking about 5 $40 circuit breakers stolen in the morning and returned in the afternoon. That's an easy $200 for the heroin addicts. My wife knows this because she is the one working the afternoon/evening shift and is the one taking the items back to the shelf every night. She's marked the boxes. She is the one who gets sworn and screamed at because she has to follow corporate rules (along with the full knowledge that they are stolen items) and management is so scared to death about someone putting a complaint into corporate that they will accept the return of anything.

Yep, hate when this happens!

 

[connorlevismom]

The worst part is customers will want something ridiculous such as returning the clearly 10 year old shopvac I mentioned above and they yell, scream, and swear at my wife working the customer service desk because she can not return something without a receipt, then the manager comes and makes her look like an idiot because he walks past and says, return it.

This happen in most jobs with the managers. I don't know why it is, but it happens everywhere.

 

[Coconut36]

This happen in most jobs with the managers. I don't know why it is, but it happens everywhere.

I agree. There are really strict rules regarding returns on items like music, DVDs, and games. If the item has been opened it is only allowed to be exchanged for the exact same item..that's it. You can't refund it. This is not just a store policy but a requirement all stores are supposed to adhere to (has to do with copyright issues as it unknown if the item has now been copied to be resold). As I was explaining this in one location the manager said "eh refund it" and I had to stop them and say I could not (the system will NOT allow it). So he had to step in, log in and do it himself..at least any repercussions were on his head not mine.

 

[Sorsha]

The worst part is customers will want something ridiculous such as returning the clearly 10 year old shopvac I mentioned above and they yell, scream, and swear at my wife working the customer service desk because she can not return something without a receipt, then the manager comes and makes her look like an idiot because he walks past and says, return it.

This happen in most jobs with the managers. I don't know why it is, but it happens everywhere.

As I was explaining this in one location the manager said "eh refund it" and I had to stop them and say I could not (the system will NOT allow it). So he had to step in, log in and do it himself..at least any repercussions were on his head not mine.

Its all part of "The Customer Is Always Right" syndrome. But we have to look like we are trying to follow the rules, so the cashiers have to enforce policy. THEN when the customers are screaming at us, the managers get to step in and be all nicey-nicey about it, make the customer feel better, and get them to feel like they just got Special Treatment.

The customer leaves the store happy, and the manager has satisfied guest expectations. Problem is, the customer will continue to remember who it is that peeved them off in the first place and takes it out on the employees in subsequent visits. I can't tell you how many times I have heard "Well, will you just call So-and-So up here, SHE was able to do it for me last time..." (translation: YOU don't know how to do your job, obviously...)

 

[joyjoy]

Regarding the issue of whether or not it is a clerk's job to fetch different sizes and styles.... It's pretty clear when the sales person is working for at least partial commission. These people are always super eager to help you find what you need/want, it's how they make their $. But an employee that works for a flat hourly rate at Target? Absolutely not! Omg, who would be so snotty to assume they have a personal assistant available to them at Target or WalMart? That's just flat out rude and disrespectful.

 

[2Kds2K9]

Gotta add another request.

Please don't shop from the internet and then call us at 3pm on a Saturday to ask if we have the item in stock. I will take your information, and then I will look for the item. However, don't expect it to happen anytime soon as I most likely have 10 people standing in front of me looking for my help. It may not be until 8pm or later before I can even begin to look for your item. I suggest that if it's that important, you get off your bottom and come into the store like the other 400 plus have that afternoon.

So glad to see that I'm not the only one with "retail requests" this time of year!

Merry Christmas!

 

[Sorsha]

Gotta add another request.

Please don't shop from the internet and then call us at 3pm on a Saturday to ask if we have the item in stock. I will take your information, and then I will look for the item. However, don't expect it to happen anytime soon as I most likely have 10 people standing in front of me looking for my help. It may not be until 8pm or later before I can even begin to look for your item. I suggest that if it's that important, you get off your bottom and come into the store like the other 400 plus have that afternoon.

So glad to see that I'm not the only one with "retail requests" this time of year!

Merry Christmas!

Have to agree wholeheartedly with this one... I am *not* a personal shopper!! This afternoon, cashiering, probably close to 40 people in line - we have a queue system - everyone stands in a winding Disney-esque queue, there are 5 cash registers, and people just move to the next open register.

Anyhow, today we are screamingly busy, and a lady telephones and asks if I can please go look through all the pattern books and see if we carry a pattern to make a sheep costume for a size 5 child. Well, I certainly can't do that right now, but I can take your name and number and call you back when I have a chance to go look. I warned her that we were VERY busy and it might take a while. She had the nerve to get all kinds of upset, and tell me that she was really in a hurry to know because he has to have the costume for a church Christmas pageant, and if we had one she would come get it, but she had no intention of driving to the store if we might not have one. So sorry lady, still not gonna happen.

I went and looked about an hour later, when I was able to do so, and called her back to let her know that we did indeed carry a child's sheep pattern. Then she was mortally offended that it wasn't the brand of patterns that were on sale this weekend. SIGH.

 

[Styx Fan]

About the store closing/still shopping topic. I try to be very sensitive to employees being allowed to close up at the right time. But please don't play those announcements to herd customers to the checkouts then not have enough employees to actually check them out quickly! I get very annoyed if I rush to the register to only have to stand there in a long line. Figure I might as well wander a few minutes, then get in the end of the line. My time counts also. And yes, I have done my time in retail, then some

 

[Grog]

Good grief, yes!! Someone did this to me when I was waiting tables. I turned to the rude gentleman and said "I am not a dog, sir. You can speak to me like a human being." He got the message. What a donkey's behind.

I worked in a restaurant when I was younger. If anyone snapped their fingers at a server the owner would throw them out.