retail workers are not your slaves

[Ciarrai]

This sort of stems from a post in the everyday life folder about cashiers.
I used to be a cashier at a large Canadian drugstore. I'm a health and beauty assistant now, but occasionally do time on the cash registers when it's busy.
I have to say that I think people who work retail get treated close to the worst if not the worst (food service is similar I would think.) For the life of me I will never understand why people think it's okay to yell at a cashier when something doesn't go your way, throw things (a pack of 12 AA batteries in my case) and generally be abusive. People who work retail are not lower life forms or lesser people, and I think it's horrid when people assume that we are only there for your convienence. It's a huge entitlement problem in my view.

[Chartreuse]

Every single person should be forced to work a customer service or retail job for at least one year of life.  I really think that it'd be nice to let everyone understand why they need to be nice to the poor person who's stuck dealing with their antics.   

[Suze]

Every single person should be forced to work a customer service or retail job for at least one year of life.  I really think that it'd be nice to let everyone understand why they need to be nice to the poor person who's stuck dealing with their antics.  

It also teaches you to SMILE even if you want to rip their head off.

I was a waitress for one year and for awhile we were having problems with the bakery that made the donuts (mmmmm......donuts) anyway the cake donuts were not cooked all the way through and were RAW batter on the inside. One day, one of the regulars called me over and asked me to hold out my hand, (me stupid did it) and he smashed one in my hand. It took all I had NOT to use his shirt as a towel ---

I'm sorry the donut was raw, how could I tell, it looked allright on the outside, and we were not in the habit of taking a bite out of them before we serve them.

From then on we cut his in half before we gave them to him.  Bakery got in trouble too.

[Chartreuse]

http://cbs4boston.com/local/local_story_308163729.html

A 57-year-old Plymouth man was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon after he threw hot coffee in the face of a 17-year-old Dunkin Donuts clerk.

According to police, the man, Kevin Thomas, of Fresh Pond Circle in Plymouth, was expressing his displeasure over a tax on his coffee. Police said Thomas was going to pay for the coffee but was voicing his complaints.

After one of the clerks told Thomas to calm down, Thomas reportedly threw the hot coffee in the clerks face and then threw the cup at another clerk...

[Musicwoman]

http://cbs4boston.com/local/local_story_308163729.html

A 57-year-old Plymouth man was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon after he threw hot coffee in the face of a 17-year-old Dunkin Donuts clerk.

According to police, the man, Kevin Thomas, of Fresh Pond Circle in Plymouth, was expressing his displeasure over a tax on his coffee. Police said Thomas was going to pay for the coffee but was voicing his complaints.

After one of the clerks told Thomas to calm down, Thomas reportedly threw the hot coffee in the clerks face and then threw the cup at another clerk...

Because Dunkin' Donuts clerks are so obviously in a position to change the tax charged on coffee.

[Lunadiana75]

I'm not all surprised at that article.  I'm surprised he's being charged, usually management apologizes to the customer and gives them some free stuff.  Happened when I was threatened by a customer because a different employee lodged a complaint about his sexual harassment.  Management apologized to the customer.  Why?  Because he's THE CUSTOMER, who is always right, and can therefore do anything he pleases.

Working in retail taught me a great lesson about humanity. A large and scary number of people are petty, rude and without an ounce of patience, understanding or compassion.  Especially at Christmas.

I could fill pages with stories, but it would only bring back bad memories. 

[Suze]

I wonder how the poor lady is doing that had coffee tossed in her face is doing.  The article said that she had first degree burns over the left side of her face and sholder.

I hope that she presses charges - no one should be treated that way

[StaciNadia]

I have to say that I think people who work retail get treated close to the worst if not the worst (food service is similar I would think.) For the life of me I will never understand why people think it's okay to yell at a cashier when something doesn't go your way, throw things (a pack of 12 AA batteries in my case) and generally be abusive. People who work retail are not lower life forms or lesser people, and I think it's horrid when people assume that we are only there for your convienence. It's a huge entitlement problem in my view.

Hear hear!

I've worked retail in five different places.  Right now, I'm working in the fitting room.  Ugh, people just hand me the clothes back without the hangers, hung on backwards, and so on.  I've been asking the customers to please get the hangers.  And a couple of woman complained that I should be doing that because it's my job.  Yeah, but I'm going to run out of hangers if people don't bring me back enough!  I have run out of hangers, and I can't hang pants and skirts anymore, and have to put them in a cart.  Even if I didn't NEED the hangers, people should return the clothes as is!

Oh, and this one kid who keeps coming in with his mother and brothers doesn't like when I tell him that he has to stay with his mother.  Know what he said to me?  "I'll kill you."  Wonderful kid you've got there.

Sigh.

[HushHush]

Something I could never understand is the nasty things people do in dressing rooms!  The dressing room is there to try on the clothes before you buy them.  It is not the place to :

-have sex
-make out
-change your underwear
-change your tampon
-change your pad
-pee

Among many other things.  Oh, and I'm sorry the fitting room is hot but I don't control the thermostat and there are a hundred other people waiting to try on clothes so can you please hurry?

And please, if your period leaked onto a pair of white capris while you were trying them on, at least TELL someone so we don't miss it and put them back out onto the floor only to have another customer chew you out when they find the stain.  We damage the stuff out and you'll never see any of us again.

Retail is its own special level of hell.  I'm glad I'm out of it but I don't know if my current job in the welfare office is much better.

Charlotte

[sammycat]

18 years ago I worked as a ticket seller at a world Expo and dealt with people from all over the world.  That 6 month stint ensured I never wanted to work in retail again.  The inability of people to say the basics of 'please' and 'thank you' just blew me away.  Saying/ demanding "I want 3 tickets" and then throwing your credit card or cash at me is NOT the way to endear yourself to me (or any of the other ticket sellers). 

The dressing room is there to try on the clothes before you buy them.  It is not the place to :
-have sex
-make out
-change your underwear
-change your tampon
-change your pad
-pee

    Please please tell me you've made this up!  (Sadly though I know you haven't)  I've obviously led a very sheltered life as doing these things in a change room has never occurred to me.  There I was thinking that shoplifting was the worst thing that could occur in a changing room.

[FoxPaws]

Ugh, people just hand me the clothes back without the hangers, hung on backwards, and so on.

Most dressing rooms I've been in, half the people don't even bring the clothes back out, nevermind the hangers. People really are gross. You have to wonder what the inside of their homes look like if this is the way they act in public.

[Fellini]

Something I could never understand is the nasty things people do in dressing rooms!  The dressing room is there to try on the clothes before you buy them.  It is not the place to :

-have sex
-make out
-change your underwear
-change your tampon
-change your pad
-pee

Let me add:
-smear your feces on the wall
-allow your baby duck to run free
-allow your baby kangaroo to run free
-free babysitter while you shop

[sammycat]

Let me add:
-smear your feces on the wall
-allow your baby duck to run free
-allow your baby kangaroo to run free
-free babysitter while you shop

The last one I have seen for myself,  >:(the first one is disgusting beyond belief but the 2 middle ones sound hilarious.  Were you working in the shop that this happened in or were you trying on clothes? Certainly makes a change from having human toddlers run free in the dressing rooms!

[MelJill]

Way back in the dark ages, when I worked at K-mart, we often found used disposable diapers crammed behind the packaged socks (you know, the packs of 6 pair all wrapped in plastic).  We never caught anyone in the act (usually didn't notice until straightening or 'ewww, what stinks over here' led to investigation).

Some people just should not be allowed out in public.

[Ulla dances in a silly way]

Oy, I'm currently a retail slave and have been for the past 2 years.

The fitting rooms are the worst. Customers never seem to have time to actually try things on so they're in a huge hurry. They are personally insulted that I must count the items and that I will not break the rules just for them. Bringing things back out is simply ridiculous. Oh, and those "hygenic liners" in bikinis obviously belong on walls.

As a cashier, I have had customers scream at me because of the way the store I work in does markdowns. It's an oulet store and markdowns are based on week number, not type. So you might get two identical shirts where one is marked down and the other is not. I will calmly explain the policy, call a manager to explain it to you, but teh policy will not change no matter how ridiculous you think it is.

Oh, and if you want to be waited on hand and foot go to Macy's or something. This is an outlet store, not a boutique. We cannot follow you throughout your shopping and cater to your every whim. No, I don't know if there are any blue polo shirts, I will show you where to look, though. Yes, I will help you but I cannot devote 30 minutes to searching for you.

Trash belongs in a trashcan. If little snookums just HAS to have candy in the store, make sure it isn't left stuck to shelves and merchandise. To those wonderful parents who keep their children under control, I love you. To the rest with all their little precious monsters, clothes racks are not jungle gyms, why would you ever let your kid open toys in a store, and WATCH YOUR KID! I am not a babysitter nor is the toy section a babysitter. Those are not free toys to entertain snookums, they are our MERCHANDISE!

TMI Grossness ahead warning.

Toilet paper goes downt the toilet (which you should flush), not on the floor. If your period leaks on your undies and you feel the need to steal a pair from us to replace yours, at least throw the nasty things away. There's no need to leave it balled up on the floor. Diapers belong in the trash, not left on the floor and cleaning the bathroom is not my job. I will report it to a manager but don't yell at me because I won't get down on my hands and knees and scrub.

-Ulla who is dreading work tomorrow.