Retail Anonymous

[ThorkinBarrimore]

Hey gang! Have you ever worked or currently work in retail? Do you have

any horror stories about dealing with the public? Lets hear them as

misery loves company.

[Moon Sedai]

Oh Great Lord I hate working Retail.

 

I've worked at a grocery store and a video store.

 

You know the major difference? The stuff people get from a video store comes back. Sometimes.

[ThorkinBarrimore]

OH, I know! We should have a National Retail day for those who

have to work in the thankless jobs that keep everything functioning.

It's....it's...it's just CRAZY sometimes!

[Moon Sedai]

Yeah, but you know what? All the Retail workers would have to work.

[Roxinos]

I've worked in retail for...6 months now. Fortunately for me, I also don't have to deal with customers as I'm in the store mostly before it opens. Though, I worked during the holidays and was there after the store opened nearly every day. And I can say...I didn't mind the people so much. And this is in Miami, FL. A city infamous for its douchebaggery. Most people were genuinely kind and just wanted help.

[Moon Sedai]

My typical day at the Video Store (the last retail job I had):

 

9 am: Go into work, count the money in the safe, 9:30 Conference call with District Manager,who wants hourly sales updates. Make the bank deposit. Be back by 10 Am.

 

10- Open the store. Check in all movies in the overnight drop box and put them back on the shelf.

 

10:30-Noon- NOBODY comes into the store, and if they do, they only want a movie that's all checked out. Because it is Friday Morning, and movies come out Tuesday. Call DM every hour to say "We have sold nothing because noone has been in, and those that did said "No."

 

Noon-5 PM- I have to pee, but can't go to the bathroom because we finally have customers. The phone only rings when I'm at the register with a customer.

And the Movie of the Week is still checked out. Yes, I checked the box, only two minutes ago. For that movie. For that lady over there. No, I can't reserve titles.

Ma'am- this video game is Rated M, are you sure you want your kids playing it?

I'm sorry I'm on the phone, it's my DIstrict Manager.

Why is my relief late getting here? and when is my CSR going to get here? I hate working alone!

4:45- Coworkers finally show up. I get to go to the bathroom, then go home.

 

I hated retail.

[LilyElizabeth]

I guess I'm one of those rare people who love working retail. And I worked at Wal-mart, of all places. My favorite thing was working the Customer Service desk. I love helping people resolve their problems. I left because of a horrible manager. I really wish I hadn't.

[Moon Sedai]

I saw a commercial for a bank (or something) where the customer was bragging "THey know my name there!"

 

If I knew a name of a customer, by face, it was either because they were there every day OR because they were annoying.

 

 

*sigh* I need a job.

[Adella]

I've worked in retail for...6 months now. Fortunately for me, I also don't have to deal with customers as I'm in the store mostly before it opens. Though, I worked during the holidays and was there after the store opened nearly every day. And I can say...I didn't mind the people so much. And this is in Miami, FL. A city infamous for its douchebaggery. Most people were genuinely kind and just wanted help.

I've noticed that early in the morning people are better in the morning than at night. The people who think they can get away with stuff come in at night in my personal experience.

 

I guess I'm one of those rare people who love working retail. And I worked at Wal-mart, of all places. My favorite thing was working the Customer Service desk. I love helping people resolve their problems. I left because of a horrible manager. I really wish I hadn't.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE helping people and meeting customers and randomly talking to people and making them smile. But it's the fact that during EVERY holiday season I seem to have a sign on my forehead that reads "PLEASE YELL AT ME! I LIKE IT!" so all the a-holes make a b-line to me and get pissed off over all the things that I have no control what-so-ever over. I apologize for following the store policy that is an insurance that we don't get ripped off, now go screw yourself. [/rant]

[ThorkinBarrimore]

I couldn't have said it better, Adella! I hate when they stand right

behind you sometimes when you're getting their change and go behind

counters that are clearly for employees only and just have a look around.

*Slaps hand* Put that down!

[Moon Sedai]

We had customers who would check the in box for movies.

In the "employees only" area.

[Mightelove]

Worked in the christmas department of Sears as one of my first jobs when I was 16. It ruined Christmas carols for me.

 

Worked in food service for four years. Which, to me, is even worse than retail.

 

Worked in a retail pharmacy for 8 years. God help me. It was unpleasant.

[ThorkinBarrimore]

I know that feeling indeed. I used to work in the Wal-Mart Deli Deprt

for 4 years and, to this day, I still can't even look at rotisserie

chicken! I can't even stand the smell of heavy grease especially at

places like KFC. I love eaiting there as long as it doesn't smell greasy.

I like fried chicken as long as it doesn't have that smell to it.

 

The Bakery was next door so I'm not a big fan of the icing either.

[LilyElizabeth]

The closest I ever got to food service was a Dunkin' Donuts. I was the girl who frosted and filled the donuts. I was horribly sick of them for a long time, but I got over it.

[ed2funy]

I used to work food service (cashier 95% of the time) at an amusement park! God, I hated it sometimes.

 

One time, a young boy on a group field trip gave me a counterfeit 20. We hung him by his toes from the sign. O_O

[ThorkinBarrimore]

*Nods in approval* Good job there, Ed.

 

I one time had to take a call from a guy wanting us (Wal-Mart Deli)

to deliver him a pizza. I kept telling him over and over again that

we have frozen pizzas for sell but that we are a supermarket NOT a

pizza delivery service. He kepts going, "I just don't see why you can't

heat it up and bring it to me." He even tried to offer to pay us with a

bag of grass but I finally said, "Although some of our associates may

think that's a fair trade, it is unfortunately an unacceptable method

of payment at Wal-Mart. If you want the pizza, you will have to come up

here...with money not that....and pay for it!" Then, I just hung up the phone.

 

Seriously, they should have a reality tv show about retail showing what

we put up with.

[Moon Sedai]

I worked at IHOP (a 24 hour breakfasty diner) for 2 1/2 years.

Every year I worked on christmas. (3 christmases)

Every year, i'd have a customer thank me for "the store being open on christmas day."

And every year, I worked an average of 10 hours Christmas day, only to get less than $90 in tip money.

(That is really bad for a very busy day. That's bad for a 'normal' Ihop day.)

 

ONe year, (2005) I went in at &:30 christmas morning and was not allowed to leve before 9 that night. I brought home $85.

 

And got written up for calling in sick on Boxing day.

 

(Just to make this clearer, I am a disabled army vet- i have severe hip problems that prevent me from doing too much heavy walking/running around. I really should not have been a server).

 

I quit that job a few months later because it was too hazardous for my health.

[Krakalakachkn]

I've never worked retail. I think it works out rather well. I don't think retail and I would get along.

[Adella]

So... About 4 days ago now, we had this lady in our store (a HALLMARK store) for 3 hours. What was she shopping for? These $6 glass necklaces that we had on special (spend $15 and get 1 for free) she was under the impression that she was supposed to get one free for EVERY $15 she spent *laughs*

 

Basically, she made a huge fuss about the sign not specifying that it's one per customer, so me and my supervisor (who happens to be my boyfriend) who were both at the end of our shift, just said "okay whatever" about it. Needless to say, she ended up spending $120 on these stupid ugly necklaces. However, she had checked out after I left, and the girl who rung her up apparently forgot about the promotion, so didn't give her any necklaces for free.

 

I came into work last night at 5pm (4 hour night shift) and my boss had taken down the signs for that promotion (I still don't know why). I found it curious, but decided he will put them back up if he wants to. The stupid necklace lady come BACK IN at 6pm, complaining about not getting any necklaces free, and is demanding a refund for 12 of them... That's $74 out of the $120 she spent. I took her receipt, grabbed a calculator, and did the math that she should have gotten 5 or 6 of them for free. I told her I would refund her for 5 of them and apologized fully for the mistake.

 

She proceeds to throw a complete hissy fit, asking me how many times 15 going into 120, over and over and over, refusing to listen to me talk. Obviously if she had gotten the 5 necklaces for free, she would have paid just under $90 instead of $120, so she wouldn't have to worry about that number at all. She refused to listen, and so I let her rant, and when she finally stopped (after calling me a stupid girl a couple of times) I told her that this is all I can give her, and if she had a problem with that she could come back the next day so my boss can tell her the exact same thing.

 

All of a sudden she started going off about "ooooh, I see what you meant, you should have explained it better!" I gave her the refund, and then she proceeded to shop until about 20 minutes before we closed at 9pm. She bought like 8 more necklaces, and since my boss had taken the promotion down I refused to give her any more for free. So, we ended up making MORE money off of her.

 

 

[/rant]

[Moon Sedai]

Awesome, Adella.

 

That was awesome.

 

I'll bet you were glad the sign was down.

[LilyElizabeth]

The nice thing about Walmart is that if I had customers like that, I could hand them off to a manager to deal with. I never did have anyone that bad, though.

[Leelou]

I worked in retail for about 7 years, some were good places, others were horror stories.

 

I think the worst is when corporate decides to run the stores on minimum manpower and give you tons of tasks to complete in one day on a single person shift. The worst about an 8 hour single coverage shift is you cannot really eat or use the bathroom.

 

I think the best place I worked retail was at a theme park. You got to have fun with the guests and they generally weren't too mad/mean/angry/unruly unless they were complete jerks, and those management got involved with.

[Moon Sedai]

the single-person 8 hour shift was common for me at BBV.

[ThorkinBarrimore]

Oh, and who started the rumour that if something doesn't scan then it

"must be free?" When has that ever meant that? I think I hear that

about a million times a day. They lied to you!

 

*Turns items around searching for barcode*

 

Customer: Uh oh, I guess that means this one is free! *Big cheesy grin*

Me: Nope, just means the barcode doesn't scan so now we'll have to

wait for a while until they can get me the item number. *Smiles inside*

 

*Customer looks at the 9 other people looking at them with irritated

expressions and their cheesy smile evaporates*

 

I also hate it when they automatically start placing all of the

dripping plants onto the counter and wonder why it doesn't work

anymore or why the counter is always so messy.

 

Ummm...because I just keep wiping it off and people fail to realize

that I have legs and can walk around to scan their plants.

 

*Ends Rants*

[Krakalakachkn]

I kind of want to find out where you work, drive there, buy a big ass plant, slam it down all wet and dripping on your counter, and yell "Scan my plant bitch!"