Stories From Work
I haven’t mentioned it on here, but I am currently employed. It has basically consumed my life and leaves me with no will to do anything. But that’s the life of a part-time retail employee!
Just to be safe, I’ll opt to leave out the name of my employer. However, I’ll tell you that it’s a superstore in the same vein as Wal-Mart. You know, the giant corporate chains that popup everywhere and sell everything. Yay big business!
Anyway, let’s take a look at some of the fun times I have at work, shall we?
Let’s talk about customers. Aren’t they the best? For instance, it’s a store policy that kids in shopping carts are supposed to be seated, and not standing in the cart. You know, so that the kids don’t fall and bust their heads open. Alright cool, safety is awesome.
So of course, when I ask this one guy to have his son sit down what does he do? He asks his son to sit down! His son looked disappointed. Don’t worry, though kiddo! As soon as the guy pushed the cart maybe five feet away – completely within my range of hearing – he said, “You can stand back up now.” Well thanks guy. Thanks for pretending to listen to me, only to completely go against what I asked, seconds later. And also risking your son’s safety. What a dick.
And today, I was putting up little sale signs in front of items, to advertise the lower, sale price and I had a shopping cart with all the signs and papers and things in it. Well this woman comes up and asks “Do you need this carriage or can we take it?” WHILE she was asking me this, she was already moving my stuff out of the cart. And before I could answer, she had emptied the cart and walked away. Um thanks, I was only using that for stuff and never said you could take it, but sure why not? I understand that the carts are in the front of the store and we’re in the back of the store BUT I WAS USING THAT CART YOU BITCH.
I’ve had a few other annoying customer experiences, but these two were probably the most annoying so far. And since the holiday season is upon us, I’m sure I’ll encounter MANY MANY MANY MANY more annoying customers. The only thing that gets me through it all and stops me from screaming at them is the thought of sweet, sweet money. Oh money. <3
I’m sure most, if not all of you have had crappy customer experiences. So share them!
Hello, my name's Josh and I might be a hipster (you decide!). I've been blogging and designing in some form for the past eight or so years and I think I'm starting to get the hang of it (once again, you decide!). I love indie music, coming of age stories, sarcasm, video games, and aesthetics. At the moment I'm working part-time and going to college with hopes of being a web designer. 
Posted by Aisling — Sunday, November 14th 2010
Oh BOY do I have stories. 6 years worth! One has even been published on Not Always Right (a lady rammed a cart into another man because he dared to stand near me while he was trying to ask a question!). I’ve been lied to, humiliated, etc. Ugh.
I definitely hope I never go back to retail. But at least I know I’ve paid my dues. I like to think it has made me a better customer!
Posted by Aisling — Sunday, November 14th 2010
Oh, I forgot to add that I’ve also been stalked and sexually harassed. So, I mean, lucky for you, you are a guy, and I’m pretty sure guys get wayyyy less of that!
Posted by Donna — Sunday, November 14th 2010
I’m fairly certain I know exactly what store you work at because I used to work there as well. And man, I feel your pain. D:
Once during a phase where I was cashiering more frequently than anything else, I had a crazy man throw a shopping basket *at my head* because I wouldn’t give him the sale price on an item that had gone off sale the day before. -_- Bro, if you wanted the sale price, buying it when it was on sale would have been pro.
But then he started getting crazy and started yelling about how he had fought a war in Germany, etc. 1) What does that have to do with sale prices and 2) dude was like early 30s, tops. What the hell war in Germany was he in?
Posted by gem — Monday, November 15th 2010
I’m currently working part time retail for the holidays, so I totally feel that whole lacking a will to do much thing. I work at a stupidly huge department store that is prime for tourists since it is NYC in the holidays, after all. Ergo it’s crowded and half of them don’t speak English, plus my department sells weird stuff that I have to explain to customers over and over again.
My problem isn’t actually the customers though, it’s more the way my manager treats us. There’re 4 more sales people than there need to be in the department, yet she expects all of us to greet and talk to each and every single customer… yeah, that’s not overwhelming. One day she told me that I need to make sure I “shadow” everyone. Who enjoys being shadowed while they’re browsing???
And back in the day I worked as a cashier at a WalMart-esque store, which was absurdly mind-numbing. The worst thing there was people trying to con the store because it was usually just awkward. I didn’t personally care and their policies on sales prices were along the lines of “the customer is always right,” but sometimes it was just too obvious not to say something. This one woman came up to me with a cart full of items with sales tags, yet none of the prices rang up correctly. Now obviously nobody ever actually price checks, we usually just gave the marked price, but after about five items of this I just looked at her and said, “…seriously?” It was so obvious that she’d taken sales tags off of other things that were actually on sale and put them on way more expensive things that weren’t on sale. I changed like two items and then was like “I have to give you the price that’s ringing up, sorry.” And she tried to haggle with me on every. single. item. She wasn’t mean about it, which made it more annoying because I didn’t have the energy to haggle with her and I had no reason to call over a manager, so sometimes I just sighed and was like “Fine, I will take off the two cents on that one item, ugh.” (I have a very awesome work ethic, I should add.)
Posted by Clem — Monday, November 15th 2010
I have so many stories from working in retail. Customers are the worst. Then again, depending on your supervisor, they can be pretty bad too. :P
I’ve learned that although customers suck while you’re dealing with them, they at least make some good stories six months later!
Posted by Kay — Tuesday, November 23rd 2010
I’d just like to point out that retail is a cakewalk compared to being a waitress. There’s about a billion things people can do to harrass you, and about two things they can do to actually be nice to you.
1) People never just order what’s on the menu. They’re always like, oh, I’d like the bacon cheddar burger, but no bacon and no cheese, I’d like mushrooms and onion rings on it instead. Oh, and lots of mayo.
True story.
2)People ask you for things every twelve seconds. Can I have like, 6 shrimp put on this? Some seasoning salt? Some HP sauce? A side of seedless grapes? Some extra gravy (this is always by an overweight person who ordered a diet coke along with their fish and chips. I don’t know what diet book they read, but I can’t believe it was published.)
And don’t get me started on Peoople Who Always Send Food Back (PWASFBs). They’re just pure evil.
Posted by Josh — Tuesday, November 23rd 2010
@Kay: I will definitely agree with you on that. Food service scares me a bit. I don’t think I could handle it very well. :P
Posted by Nina Amelia — Thursday, November 25th 2010
Ugh! Holiday seasons are the WORST X( All the crappy customers crawling out at once
Posted by Michelle — Tuesday, December 21st 2010
Blah. Food service customers are horrible bitches. They are so rude and snooty, and God-forbid you don’t have the right amount of pickles or something, you get attitude from them. Creepy old men hit on me, my coworkers are creepy as hell. I have a few stories about really horrible customers. Occasionally you’ll get the really polite people; they’re always nice to get :] Plus there’s tips. Yay tips!