Retail workers get a bad rep from unhappy customers. But the thing is that your problems and their problems are remarkably similar. They don’t get why management does the weird things they do any more than you do. They’re just doing their best to serve you and make you happy while simultaneously following the rules set by their employers.
Next time you see a frazzled customer service team member, give them a smile and remember these eight things that they desperately want you to know.
Hey, we've all been there. It's frustrating when you go to the store or to that fast food restaurant and they don't have something or they can't use your coupon or offer you that discount. But these employees you're face-to-face with don't make the decisions. They make minimum wage and do as they're told. What do you think being rude will accomplish besides embarrassing yourself? I'm sure it feels good to take your attitude out on someone else but everyone is staring at you in disbelief while they shake their heads in shame. Stop it.
The company sets the prices, not the retail workers. If you really want to talk dollars I can give you head office’s number?
We don’t make the rules. When I tell you that I can’t take a discount off something, or that I can’t take your coupon, please believe me. Trust me, it would make both our lives easier if I could just do what you want me to do, but I don’t get to make those decisions.
When I tell you that I’m out of a product, please believe me. Trust me when I tell you... I want to sell you something! We are actively trying to make a sale! When I tell you that an item is out of stock, please believe that I’m not running into the back room when you leave and rolling around naked on a pile of that very item that you asked me for.
Imagine this scenario: It is 4:58 on a Friday afternoon. The sun is shining, birds are singing, and Netflix is calling. You’re in the starting block position and looking directly at the door. Then, your boss saunters in and casually asks you to take care of an assignment that was due three hours ago. Goodbye sun. Goodbye Netflix.
This is what it is like when you rock up to your favorite store two minutes before it closes. That overwhelming dread as the automatic doors open just before the freedom bell rings is something retail workers experience every day.
Make everyone happy. If you have to go into a store at closing time, move like there’s a ticking clock. For the love of the weekend, don’t touch anything you don’t need.
We generally dig the whole lot of clothes in two minutes and find out the best garment which fits us. But before doing this, remember that it takes more than two hours for the staff to fold and arrange the shelves.
If we want to go for shopping, then make sure that we are reaching the store well in advance and not just a couple of minutes before the closing time. As they too want to enjoy the weekend and the time after their work.
I can’t return your stained underwear, I really can’t. Return policies are there for a reason.
You're 9 to 5, Monday through Friday job is probably pretty great but let me tell you something about working nights and weekends. My day time is pretty great. It's quiet, running errands is easy and stress-free, and I waste a lot less money by being occupied at times when people are out wasting time and money.
It's 2017 and people STILL confuse genuine kindness with flirting. That barista is not flirting with you when she miles and hopes you have a nice day. The cashier is not hoping you'll ask him out when he hopes your weekend goes swell. We are not flirting with you, we're not!
I’m not a therapist. I enjoy making small talk with my customers, but seriously, just small talk. I don’t want to know about your goiter, your bunions, your bratty children, or how crappy the traffic was for you to get to the store. I’m happy to talk to you about the weather, pets, sunshine, and rainbows. Anything extra, and I may be tempted to charge you a copay like they do at the doctor’s office.
That person in the misshapen polo and khaki pants has feelings. That person also does not get paid enough to deal with the old lady that intentionally hit them with her cart. Don’t pile on the hurt by treating them like they’re corporate robots.
Have some empathy for your fellow human beings. Play nice and you’ll find that your shopping experience will end on a positive note.
Be decent and make sure that you leave the trail room neat and not just throw the most beautiful and the expensive clothes on the floor, just because you cannot fit in or you are not interested in buying them now.
We’ve reached our daily fake-laugh quota.
It is when we want to return a product and want to get paid back for some reason, and the management or the staff cannot do that, we don’t have the right to assault them or abuse them with our vocabulary.
Do you like any shirt so much and very soon get disturbed that you cannot get into it? And when you ask for the next size the staff say no? Yes, this also happens. But when they say no, they mean it. Don’t bother them so many times for the next size.
