retail lists Archives - Page 19 of 35 - I Hate Working In Retail

Jan
3

12 Customers You’ll Deal With In Retail

Category: retail lists Tags: retail lists Leave a Comment

Joe Raedle/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Oh, retail. What can I say about working in retail? For three summers, I spent my days folding piles of clothes, waiting on customers in fittings rooms, and helping them find the best fitting jeans for their body. Those of us who slaved our souls away under those fluorescent mall lights know exactly what it’s like. Sure — the employee discount was a perk — but it came with the price of needy customers. Very needy customers.

Let me start off by saying that by working in retail, I got to help out some pretty great customers. There’s nothing better than helping a woman find the perfect dress for an upcoming wedding. I should also mention that I probably haven’t been a model customer at all of the stores I’ve shopped at, either. Hey, nobody’s perfect.

However, most of us sales associates know that we have to put up with quite a handful on a daily basis. Why? Because the customer is always right. Ha.

From the “bored out of his mind husband” to the “hey, let’s mess up this perfectly neat pile” guy, here are twelve types of shoppers every retail employee has put up with. Now go to the back room and have a good cry.

1. The “Five Minutes Before Closing” Shopper

It’s 8:53, you’re tidying up the jewelry display, and are about to close the door. But wait.They walk in.

Completely ignoring the fact that the mall is literally about to close, they start asking you about that 30 percent off sale or what they should wear to an upcoming graduation. SIGH. You half-heartedly help them while refolding the pile of tee shirts they just messed up.

They’ll leave 20 minutes later — empty handed, of course.

2. The Emotional Shopper

She. Is. Just. REALLY. Emotional. Right. Now. *Sniffle*

As you find her a new size of jeans, she can’t help but vent about that fight with her husband or how she’s just not doing well in school. You awkwardly nod, apologize, hand her those jeans — then run.

3. The Chatty Cathy

She’s attending her cousin’s friend’s husband’s wedding as is SO excited about it. So excited that she’s letting you know about the flower arrangements. The reception site. The ring bearer’s TIE!!

Again, your “nod-and-smile” game is on point.

4. The “Try On And Leave” Shopper

Every retail worker is familiar with her. She picks out ten pairs of jeans, asks you for your opinion of all of them, and leaves.

She’ll exit one of two ways. She either sneaks out of the store by pretending to send a text while peaking over her shoulder to make sure you didn’t see her leave. Or, she’ll thank you “SO much you all of your help, but nothing really worked out.” I get it! Not everyone can buy everything all the time! But still, even if you try to think rationally, you’ll have to stop yourself from screaming about all that lost commission.

5. The “Not-So Name Dropper” Shopper

The distant cousin of “Thanks But No Thanks.” She will also demand that you give your opinion on every outfit and find that blouse in three other colors — and will actually buysome of the clothes!

But when the cashier asks who was helping her, she’ll shrug and look around. “Eh, I don’t think anyone really was.” Wait. Are you SERIOUS right now?

Cool. I didn’t want to pay rent anyways.

6. The Dressing Room Slob

She wants to try on EVERYTHING in three different sizes. You know — just to make sure it fits. That’s all fine and good.

But will she be a decent human and hang it back up? NOPE. Instead, everything is in one giant pile on her dressing room floor. Your job just went from sales associate to personal maid.

7. The Pile Ruiner

As you’re on floor, you start to notice a woman race through a pile you spent 20 minutes folding to perfection. You sigh, but approach her and ask if she needs help finding a size. “Nope, I should be fine,” she responds, still messing up your pile.

FINE? Fine messing up my beautiful, crisp, neatly stacked cardigans?

8. The Store EXPERT

She’s a damn loyal shopper and just LOVES your store. In fact, she loves it so much that she’s not afraid to correct you on every little detail about your place of employment!

“Wait, I think the BOGO sale is supposed to last until Thursday!” “Aren’t the spring items supposed to be in right now?” “These ballet flats are supposed to come in navy. I don’t know why they’re not here.” “I sure love giving you a headache!”

9. The Anti-Social Shopper

“Hey guys, how are we doing to…” You can’t finish your sentence without her running to the back of the store.

She’ll do anything to make sure NO dirty sales associate gives her the time of day. Stares at her phone. Sprints in the other direction. Hey — at least she won’t ask you to find something in the back room.

10. The Avid Couponer

She loves coupons. LOVES them. Only problem? She insists on using a 20 percent off coupon that expired four months ago. Yikes.

No, I can’t accept this. No, I won’t make an exception. No, I can’t get my manager.

11. The Helicopter Mom

Let’s all admit that shopping with you mom is the best thing in the world. Dealing with other daughters with their mom? Not so great.

For whatever reason, this stubborn mom refuses to let her daughter ask you for anything. “My daughter wants this skirt in a smaller size.” “She’s looking for something to wear to a baby shower!” “Do you think my daughter should be wearing that short of a dress? I sure don’t!”

At least mom’s buying, I guess.

12. The Bored Husband

On the opposite side of things, every retail worker has dealt with the bored husband. You’ll know him when you see him: pacing in and out of the store, trying not to fall asleep on the couch by the dressing room, and basically hating everything about his life.

“Do you need help with anything, sir?” you ask. “Nope — just waiting for my wife,” he sighs.

Carry on.

Sourced from bustle.com

Share the joy

Jan
2

By IHWIR Admin

You know you work at a Grocery Store and hate it when

Category: confessions, Life as a Cashier, retail lists Tags: cashier confessions, confessions, life of a cashier, retail lists Leave a Comment

This is kind of like a you know you work at a grocery store and hate it when. . . type thing. Please add to the list in the comments section below…

The List of Pet Peeves:

1) I find you irratating when you’re on your phone and I’m trying to talk to you and ask you questions. You’re a rude person.
2) I hate when people spin our little code bar that stands above our keyboard. It is not slot machine sir, you will not win but I might punch you in the face.
3) I hate it when you can’t believe that I’m carding you even though you’re this __ old. I do not care, it’s a law and I’m not breaking it for you.
4) I hate it when you give me a hard time about a price being ten cents off what the sign said on the shelf. Does it look like that’s my job? No I am a cashier, my name badge says so.
5) I hate it when I start bagging an order and they all of a sudden want paper bags, or they brought there own bags. Putting them at the beginning of the order or asking would’ve been nice.
6) I hate it when I get yelled at for forgetting to take the credits off for your bags. You get three cents a bag and only used two, wait I’ll give you six cents out of my damn pocket if it’ll make you stop crying about it.
7) I hate when I get through a whole order, the customer pays and then pulls out coupons that they forget. (Note: when you hear them go ‘Oh shoot’ as your back is turned to finish the order that means they forgot something and you might brace yourself for anger) because you then have to flash for a supervisor so they can put them in for you or tell them to go to the service desk. They think that’s taking time out of their valuable lives when really you could’ve just gone through three orders already if they didn’t hold you up.
8) I actually just hate reusable bags, I get that they are great for the enviroment but they are annoying to bag with and I believe the customer should bag their own order at that point.
9) I hate it when the customer needs to pay in ten million different ways.
10) I hate it when the customer comes through with a hundred dollar order and goes ‘shoot I only have 65 dollars.’ Guess you should’ve been keeping track of that now huh?
11) I hate it when a customer is in a hurry but they decide to go grocery shopping and then get pissed at you because of how busy it is. (Note: To those people who do that. How about you wait till after you get to wherever the hell it is you’re going to, to go shopping. Because I promise you the world hates you so much that it’ll be busy if you’re just popping in for one thing. It’s not like other people exist and need food.)
12) I hate it when people say something they think is clever but I’ve actually heard a million times. For instance: “Shoot I saved 10 cents, I can go far with that!” Ha ha. Pretty sure that’s been done before.
13) I hate it when people read my name tag and go. “OH like hopalong Cassidy.” Heard that a milllllion times (similar to number 12)
14) I hate it when people scan their own advantage cards. Whoa. This is my job, and THIS side of the register is mine, my bubble, get out.
15) I hateee it when people try to tell me how to do my job (when people give me the price of something that actually has to be weighed. . . that doesnt help.) or when they tell you that you scanned something in twice but you already caught it and voided it out. (There’s a line that goes right through it, it’s thin but visible. Just look.)
16) I hate it when people bring in their SCREAMING child and don’t do anything about it. Take them outside, tell them to shut up or just don’t bring them to a grocery store. I find it rude of you to wait in line with your screaming child and I can’t assit my customer because I can’t hear them.
17) I hate the fact that we have to tuck in our shirts. I have a bit of pudge, it doesn’t look so good with a tucked in shirt.
18) I hate that we can’t dye our hair because it’s unprofessional. I’m just a part time cashier and my hair should be the least of a customers problem, at least I’m not a bitch to them. In fact I’m the nicest and hardest worker in the store.
19) I hate it when I see a child eating an apple or banana that their parent gave to them. Those have to be weighed to be bought, so you basically are letting your child eat a stolen item in front of me and I’m pissed.
20) I hate it when people take forever to write out a check when you tell them that all they have to do is sign it and they’re going to get it right back.
21) I hate when people swipe they’re cards in a million times but the card doesn’t take and they get pissed, it’s because you’re going to fast and oh look at the screen it’s asking you to press a button. . . pay attention.
22) I hate it when people don’t use the dividers and I start scanning another persons order. Don’t fuckingggg get pissed at me because you don’t understand what these BRIGHT green little rectangular boxes are for. Oh and another tip. It’s called the Void button, *poof* the item vanished from your order. All better.
23) I hate it when people watch me press the subtotal button and they’re not finished with their order and freak out like the register is automatically going to think they’re done and pay for itself. Nope I need your cash or credit card to do that.
24) I hate when there are maybe five-six registers open and we’re starting to get lines and someone has the balls to ask me if we’re going to open another one anytime soon. We’re doing the best we can. We only have a certain amount of help during the day, there’s not a lot we can do and I’m sure you can wait. Why would you come to a grocery store and not expect there to be people?
25) I hate hate hateee when people ask me why I dont have a bagger. We literally have two baggers a day, express cashiers don’t get baggers and the two that are here have to go back and forth and bag for the 6 other registers that are open. Your arms aren’t broken, you’re not lazy. Bag your own damn groceries. The nerve of people.

Sourced from cassidydoris.blogspot.co.uk

Share the joy

Jan
2

By IHWIR Admin

Nine Reasons Your Barista Hates You

Category: Life as a Barista, retail lists, Starbucks Tags: life of a barista, retail lists, Starbucks Leave a Comment

Chris Blakely/Flickr

I’ve been a barista for almost a decade and I’ve seen the best and worst customers have to offer. Caffeine can be nasty: Deprived people do crazy stuff.

Here’s a list of activities that draw the ire of the person behind the espresso machine. Print it out, keep it in your pocket, learn it and be secure in the knowledge that you haven’t made yourself an enemy you’ll see every morning.

1. “Not having your coffee yet” isn’t a good excuse for anything.

It’s early, you are tired and you haven’t had your first hit of caffeine yet. Poor child. This does not make it okay to have forgotten your money, or what drink you were supposed to get for your hungover boyfriend, or to spill an entire 12-ounce cup of coffee on the ground. If you can’t function without a cup of overpriced coffee roiling about in your belly, sequester yourself until you have had it.

DC Comics

You know your order and have exact change? Super!

2. You are not prepared.

You have been waiting in line for 10 minutes, the menu dangling above you, yet as you sloth-walk to the register you stare at me with eyes agog and mouth ajar, no knowledge whatsoever of what you might order. I’m not the only angry one: that line of customers behind you is building up a solid head of impatient steam.

3. You are still not prepared.

If you know what you want, know how much it costs. Scramble around in your purse prior to the drink being handed to you. Rifling through your receipts and empty gum wrappers for a nickel tip does nothing but tighten the coil of my anger one more notch. And who knows when that thing is going to snap?

4. Money is passed from hand-to-hand.

You and I, we are both human beings. When you carelessly dump a wad of sweaty dollar bills on to the counter in front of me instead of gingerly placing them in my calloused hand, it makes me feel like a badly lit vending machine. Or a hooker. I’m not paid enough to pretend to be either.

5. You will never learn how to make latte art.

I pour between 100 and 150 latte drinks a day. The intricate muscular pattern required to pour rosettas in the top of your micro-foamed latte has been digitally encoded into my soul. How do I do it? Hours and hours of standing behind a glowing hot espresso machine pouring drinks. Can I teach you how to do it? If you can afford to quit your high-end finance job and dedicate 20 grueling hours a week to delicately dumping steamed milk into ristretto shots of espresso, then yes, yes I can. If not, next please.

6. No photographs please.

Latte art is pretty and seemingly complicated, I understand that. What I don’t understand is the customer standing on a stool, iPhone in hand, trying to get the best angle on the heart I just sliced into his cappuccino while a line of 30 people stews behind. Can’t stand the thought of never seeing that dairy-based tulip ever again? Order another drink.

7. Stop staring.

Standing behind a counter is the food industry equivalent of being in a cage. This feeling of imprisonment is not helped by you lurking two feet to the left of the register surreptitiously ogling me as I prepare your quad-shot soy latte. The continued presence of your beady eyes on my back will not speed up the delivery of your drink. Kindly step to the rear of the shop and loiter with the other caffeine addicts.

8. What did you do to that condiment table?

Okay, you’re excited. You have your coffee and you are at the condiment station shoveling sugar and cream into the murky abyss and you are just so close to having that coffee in your mouth. This does not justify you spraying cream in concentric circles or leaving a foam- and sugar-caked spoon plastered to the table.

9. This ain’t a restaurant. Bus your damn table.

I am not a waiter. I do not walk away from my shift with a bulge of $20 bills spilling from my pocket. When you are done with your delicious pastry and coffee, I am not expected to sweep in and usher your discarded dishes away. That’s what you and the bus tub are for. Leaving a pile of napkins and soiled plates on the table is the equivalent of pouring a cup of coffee on the floor and walking away. It’s a mess I have to clean up and it does not make me happy.

Sourced from sfweekly.com

Share the joy

12 Customers You’ll Deal With In Retail