I Work(ed) in Retail, and Now I Understand...

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by RaggedyAnn

I once had a kid run in from the mall and clear off a table full of ties. There were probably at least 300. Dad came in and laughed. I did not.

OMG. Once I was in H&M and this little boy (probably about 5 or 6) pushed over a GLASS vase thing holding sunglasses.

Like 5 employees had to stop what they were doing, close off that part of the store and clean it up.

The mom LAUGHED. She didn't tell him that was bad, apologize, anything. She just laughed and walked out of the store. So rude.

[Alumiyum]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

OMG. Once I was in H&M and this little boy (probably about 5 or 6) pushed over a GLASS vase thing holding sunglasses.

Like 5 employees had to stop what they were doing, close off that part of the store and clean it up.

The mom LAUGHED. She didn't tell him that was bad, apologize, anything. She just laughed and walked out of the store. So rude.

Ugh. People like that disgust me. Your lil pumpkin is NOT cute-no-matter what-he-does to anyone else.

[nittanygirl]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

Because of the stereotype associated with the area my store was located in, people also assumed that I was some ghetto girl with multiple kids, stuck working at Pizza Hut to make ends meet (and would imply that when they got mad about stuff). That was always fun.

Are we the same person?
I worked in a pizza hut that was the exact same way and even teachers I had in HS who know what kind of student I am (an excellent one) that practically were asking if I got knocked up and dropped out (not exactly but it was well implied)
I was like uhh hello? Summer job. Hospitality student? No one is hiring in this tiny town? Annoying.
We need a "What I learned from working in hospitality thread"

[LouisaMay]

Just want to echo what others have said about having customers talk down to you. I worked as a Wal*Mart cashier and/or snack bar worker during every summer through four years of college. People (especially people with coupons!) spoke to me like I was a small child. I admit, I did look about 14, but still...

[aggieAXO]

My job is not retail but reading all of these stories I completely relate to those of you that have been in the trenches. Some of my pet peeves:

-you signed the check in sheet that says you will be charged 85$ for the exam-don't act stupid and say you didn't know you would be charged.
-I don't want to overhear about how your BMW broke down and you had to drive the maserati here-get the F off the phone with your mechanic and talk to me about your pet. It is 7 AM and I want to go home. (the guy was on the phone for 10 minutes while I just stared at him-Fing rude)
-don't tell me about how you have no money when you have a huge rock on your perfectly manicured hand and are clinging to your Louis Vuitton and Iphone-unfortunately veterinarian medicine costs money-I have to make a living just like you do
-don't tell me I should work for free b/c I love animals-see statment above about making a living
-try and control your unruly children, they are giving me and Fluffy an ulcer, no wonder Fluffy is always sick

BTW I have never worked retail but I always fold the clothes and place them back into their proper place and hang up what I have tried on-common courtesy

[ThetaPrincess24]

Originally Posted by jennyj87

Now I work at a college and I've learned that everyone thinks its someone else's department that handles things. I work in the maintenance area, answering the phones, and I've gotten phone calls transfered to me about withdrawing from the university and how to use our online class add/drop system.

This happens a lot at hospitals. Every hospital (and medical office) job I've had be it a volunteer, patient care tech/nurses aide, nursing preceptor, or nurse, we'd always get calls like this. At the hospital it was people wanting to be transferred to or know someone's room number that dispatchers/operators I guess didnt want to tell them, so they would transfer calls to Surgery Waiting Room or the Ortho/Neuro unit for us to look stuff up on the computer and tell them. Pre-OP would even get calls like this. At the medical office calls would get transferred back to nursing from the front office to make appointments for people or to answer questions about billing.

[littleowl33]

Originally Posted by jennyj87

Now I work at a college and I've learned that everyone thinks its someone else's department that handles things. I work in the maintenance area, answering the phones, and I've gotten phone calls transfered to me about withdrawing from the university and how to use our online class add/drop system.

YES. I used to answer phones in undergraduate admissions and we would get the weirdest calls that had nothing to do with our department.

I work at a different university now and it's not an isolated phenomenon. My job is actually two positions combined, and the woman who had half of my job before me was a sweet older lady with a lot more time on her hands who was generally happy to track down people's extensions. The operators picked up on this pretty fast and got used to sending her all the really strange calls they didn't know what to do with. Now I have her job (and her extension) plus someone else's and I really don't have time to do this, but they continue to send me the weird calls that have nothing to do with my department. I hate to transfer people back to the operator again, but since I've started doing that it's gotten better.

My co-worker told me the weirdest one she ever got was a man from another country asking her to find his wife, who had left him and moved to the city the university is in. He gave her a list of all the places she might be and asked her to find her and make her go back to him. Huh?

I've never worked retail, but I worked part-time at an animal shelter for many years and have plenty of awful customer stories. People trying to steal kittens by putting them in their purses, people opening up all the cat's cages so they can "play", people who treat the shelter like a zoo for their kids - we had some women actually try to leave their young children with us while they went across the street to go shopping. Because we had nothing better to do than babysit kids and make sure they don't get bitten by already-stressed animals.

This next part is not for the squeamish - but the cruelty and stupidity of people was something that really got to me in that job. One morning in the middle of a new england winter we arrived to find three puppies tied to the front door, freezing, because somebody didn't have the cojones to come in and surrender their dogs face-to-face (the puppies ended up being ok, btw, and all found homes). Another time a person brought in a guinea pig they had been keeping in a cage full of cat litter because they didn't want to buy shavings. The poor thing was caked literally all over with dried clay from where she had gotten stuck in wet litter over and over. And the worst one - this person brought in a cat in a carrier and just left it in the entrance before running out the door. We took the cat in the back to examine her and she smelled awful. My boss put his hands into the carrier to pick her up and his hand went inside the cat's abdomen. She had a mammary tumor that had gotten so bad it had burst and was left as a giant open infected wound. It was horrible. Unfortunately, at that point there was nothing we could do for her and she was euthanized.

There were a lot of happy stories in that job too, but it was a real eye-opener to how awful people can be.

[Tulip86]

I worked at a drugstore/pharmacy and was amazed by how:

- People steal. A lot. From make-up, to tooth paste to candy. So many people steal it's ridiculous!

- People assume you're stupid when working in retail/restaurants

- People are cheap. Wanting a discount on something that is allready 70% off and in perfect condition... seriously?

- People with kids think their kids should be free to do whatever they want. Even is that means breaking things, chewing on stuff and then not buying it. Worst thing: kids putting things in their mouth and the parent handing you said drool-covered item demanding a clean one. *sigh*

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by Tulip86

- People steal. A lot. From make-up, to tooth paste to candy. So many people steal it's ridiculous!

When I worked in the shoe dept at Wal-mart, I could watch someone take off their old shoes, put them in the new shoe's box, hide that box, put the new shoes on their feet and rip the tags off, and I couldn't do A THING about it until they actually stepped foot outside the store...at which point, they were pretty much gone.

[RaggedyAnn]

So, I'm double posting, because I was afraid I'd time out. I have seen just about everything while working in retail, and will probably contribute more, but here is my bee story.

One day, while working at KB Toys, a woman came into my store and asked if she could used our bathroom. She had a bee in her dress-and yes, she was serious. Okay, that part isn't that strange. The strange part is she drove about an exit on the highway and went to the second floor in the mall before doing something about it. I was a part timer at the time and got the manager who went back there with her so they could kill it after it was out.

As a former retailer, I try to be really nice to all the associates and pick up after myself and talk to them, because I know it helps their day go by faster. Because of that, they remember me when I go into my regular stores. I even get hugs from some of them as a hello or goodbye. It makes shopping easier, because they help me and I also get every discount, both advertised and not advertised whenever I shop. I get the newest stuff that hasn't even been put on the shelves yet, if they know I will like it. I've had managers buy me coffee when I was going to be shopping for a while and one even brought me a mini heater one day when I mentioned how chilly the fitting rooms were in passing (that was at Talbot's, by the way). Being polite and friendly will get you some extra perks. I've been offered 2 jobs in the past year too while shopping (and not from my regular stores) and jobs are really hard to come by around here.

Now, believe it or not, I HATE shopping and have actually had to be dragged out to go to the store by Andy for clothes and shoes because I needed them so badly. (How many husbands can say that!) I only go out when I really really need something.

[SWTXBelle]

One of the biggest lessons I learned is that for many people, gift giving is a chore. YOU ARE MISSING THE POINT, SCROOGE.

- If you are shopping for a wedding present, it means someone you care for is starting an exciting new chapter in life. You should be filled with joy and enthusiasm. If you can't muster at least a good grace about it, order on-line.

- If you are shopping for Christmas/holiday presents, you presumably have both some money AND friends and/or family. Lucky, lucky you! What a gift to be able to share with others. Attitude is everything. If you are going to go around the mall with a black cloud over your head, stealing everyone else's joy, do us all a favor and stay home. DON'T take out your frustrations on the clerks, who are overworked, underpaid, and just trying to do their jobs.

[Billy_Optimist]

That no one who is in retail management has a soul. And neither do most of the customers.

[IrishLake]

lp88, that cracks me up. I was like that when I was younger. At one point, I was a 34D... then a 36DD around the time I got married. I adjusted accordingly. But I was so confused when I kept buying 36DDs as the years went by and they weren't fitting right! Finally went to Macys and had a little old lady measure me. Afterwards she reminded me that after having a baby, your ribcage expands. She suggested getting measured once a year. So now, that's what I do.

[lovespink88]

Originally Posted by IrishLake

lp88, that cracks me up. I was like that when I was younger. At one point, I was a 34D... then a 36DD around the time I got married. I adjusted accordingly. But I was so confused when I kept buying 36DDs as the years went by and they weren't fitting right! Finally went to Macys and had a little old lady measure me. Afterwards she reminded me that after having a baby, your ribcage expands. She suggested getting measured once a year. So now, that's what I do.

Haha, yep, definitely a good idea to get measured at least once a year (at VS, we were told it's 6 months, but I personally think that's excessive.) I mean, even a small weight gain/loss that isn't too noticeable otherwise can make a big difference in your bra size. I learned that first hand too, lol

[SWTXBelle]

lp88 - gotta tell you, Gypsyboots and I stopped even asking VS clerks for help when one measured my 36 C cup daughter and told her she was an A cup.

I am an A cup.
I know an A cup.
Gypsyboots is no A cup.

So she just handles her bra fittings herself now.