 | | I don't think break means what you think it means
| Posted by Alucard on Thursday, February 02 @ 15:36:39 EST (79 reads)
KurtWilde writes "I writing this to get something off my chest and to defend all the nameless retail workers out there.
If you work in a retail environment that is segmented into departments, I'm sure you've heard this before, "I don't take breaks. Do you see me take breaks? When do I take a break?" I've seen it happen time and again and just needed to express my weariness with it somehow. Department managers, yes, you do take breaks.
I've work at the clerk level for seven years and was recently promoted to an assistant department manager position, I was transferred to a new location to train, become familiar with and learn the roles of this position. I like my department manager enough, he's a good guy and has the back of everyone working for him.
As a clerk was milling about coming back from break he remarked, "People just love their breaks." To which I respond "I can't blame them."
Now, this manager and I got into a discussion, rather philosophical and amicable, about the nature of breaks, whether breaks are needed in this particular slow location, and how non-management employees go about breaks.
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"You don't smile enough!"
| Posted by Alucard on Tuesday, January 17 @ 23:06:53 EST (386 reads)
Anonymous writes "I used to work in JcPenney's "catalog" department for a while, during seasonal this year. Right from the start, I was coached that I 'didn't smile enough'. I had been to two coachings and was not feeling well. They complained I didn't smile enough and I sighed a lot. The sigh sound was from a respiratory infection, later, the doctor said I had walking pneumonia.
One day, a nice older lady came in to pick up her order. She found the same item in store in a different color at a better price, and had a $10 off coupon. So, I did what my manager told me to do, I gave her a discount on the order and the new set of blankets. It totaled in discounts to $20, but it didn't say she couldn't use it twice, and my manager said it was okay. When she was signing for her package that she picked up, she accused me of trying to get her to buy the item twice. I calmly explained and showed her that all she was doing was signing for the package, and that I had applied the discount to her card so she wouldn't be paying anymore, she'd be getting money back.
After a few misunderstandings and her getting surly, she understood and practically walked out skipping! I was happy that was over. The second I got a chance to start sorting my media when customer flow died down, my manager approached me. She walked with me to the training room and tried to make happy small talk, and I smiled back at her. "
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A "misunderstanding"
| Posted by Alucard on Monday, January 02 @ 18:38:45 EST (612 reads)
Anonymous writes "I work as a florist in a flower shop, and although I love being able to make floral arrangements and do creative things, I also have to sell a bunch of random junk, and deal with stupid customers. Most people really are nice, but of course as in any retail job it's inevitable you're going to deal with assholes. I just wish I could find a way to not let it bother me, because it really pisses me off!Anyway. Since Christmas is over, we have our Christmas stuff on sale. We have a big sign that says "holiday merchandise 40% off" and lots of people have been coming in. Fine, that's good. A woman came in today and was poking around. I made eye contact with her and smiled, saying "Hi, how are you?" She said fine, and held up a plain white candle and asked "is this part of the sale?" I shook my head and said "No, it's not unfortunately" she asked what is, then, and I told her it was all the holiday stuff, like ornaments and other Christmas nicknack things (to me it is obvious what is Christmas and what is just normal merchandise, but I don't blame her for asking, it was a fair question) She then asked if there was a section of just Christmas sale stuff and I said "not really, it's all kind of all over the store." She said ok, and continued to walk around. She was really taking her sweet time looking at stuff, but I stood at the register occasionally looking over at her to see if she had any more questions (the store is pretty small) She goes into the corner where we have a sale section of random, non Christmas things for 50% off. She looks around a bit (there's really nothing great there, no one is buying any of that junk) and then finally comes back to the register empty handed. I ask if she had any questions and she says
"No. But I think we've had a misunderstanding. I want to go over what you said to me." I was like wtf? but said "ok.."
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Bipolar old man.
| Posted by Alucard on Monday, December 26 @ 21:33:07 EST (491 reads)
Anonymous writes "I work at a business depot and I really enjoy the production part of my job, the customer service part can get stressful.
We sell stamps where I work and we always have to order them in. An old man comes in with a stamp in a size we do not carry any longer, he was a pretty nice person so it wasn't too bad dealing with him. He asks to get a different size ink pad ordered in since the one he got was one size too big, I take all his information and the stamp size and tell him I will try and order a new one in. I ask one of my associates that is higher up than me about how to order this thing in, and they didn't know since the size isn't available anymore. So I ask three more of my more knowledgeable co workers and all of them tell me the same thing. Unfortunately due to the nature of the problem this mans order had not been taken care of for nearly a month almost. So I finally decide to phone the customer and get more information about the stamp to which this conversation occurs: Me: "I need to gather more information about your stamp size because it is difficult finding a match" Old fart: "WHAT? THERE ISN'T ANYTHING I CAN GIVE YOU! ITS A STAMP! ITS BEEN NEARLY A MONTH ALREADY!" (He didn't call or even remember about his order until I phoned) Me: "I understand sir, is there anything written on the stamp?" Old bat:"NO YOU DON'T KNOW THE INFORMATION!?" Me: "I'm very sorry sir I cannot find your size in our information" Old windbag: "YOU SHOULD KNOW! THE GIRL WHO TOOK MY ORDER (which was me) SHOULD BE FIRED!" Me: "um......Why? It's not her fault" Old jerk: "I'M COMING IN TO TALK TO A MANAGER! I'M GOING TO GET HER FIRED!!!" "
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"I want to speak to a REAL manager, not the assistant!"
| Posted by Alucard on Sunday, December 25 @ 23:25:41 EST (546 reads)
Anonymous writes "A few years ago I was working in a retail store/chain that deals specifically in luggage and bags (mostly backpacks during the back to school insanity). Anyway, this idiot customer comes in, and he's pissed because the CHEAP store-brand bag he bought his son six months ago happens to have ripped. Actually, the bottom looked like the little bastard had dragged it on the floor, as kids are often likely to do, and so it was TRASHED. And the customer wanted a new one. For free.
Our policy was three months for damaged merchandise, and we would only do an exchange for the same item or one of equal value. But we didn't know the value, because he DIDN'T HAVE THE RECEIPT. Not a big deal if he paid with debit or credit, but of course there was no record of the purchase because he paid in cash.
So I'm calmly trying to explain our return policy, and being as diplomatic as possible (I offered him the choice of exchanging for another bag of the same brand) and he wasn't cooperating. He says "you should stand by your product, and if it breaks, no matter the length of time, you should replace it." I had to bite my tongue because 1) the brand is shit; not my fault 2) In what universe does stuff get replaced just because it broke past the exchange date? and 3) I'm not even supposed to do anything; I was doing him a favor!
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Selling shoes to smelly ladies, Not ok.
| Posted by Alucard on Sunday, December 11 @ 22:47:54 EST (742 reads)
Anonymous writes "Ok, so I know it's winter and a lot of women don't get pedicures during this time of year but... really, seriously, how hard is it to wash your feet, shave and lotion your legs before exposing those disgusting things to the outside world?
Today was horrible. I kept getting customers that prefaced the removal of their shoes and socks with, "now I need a pedi, don't look". When in actuality, looking was the least of my problems the smell that emerged from one woman's feet lead me to "go to the back and see if we still have your size in this fabulous style too" which actually meant, "Get some air before I'm knocked out by the funk you are hiding between your toes."
Yes, Uggs are "so warm you don't need socks" but for the love of man put something on your sweaty feet. It's like they are in an oven of funk just brewing and waiting for some poor salesperson i.e., me to get down, take a whiff and die. Sadly, after all these years, I fear that's how I'm gonna go on to glory. "
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Lord & Taylor's -- are all retail stores like this?
| Posted by Alucard on Wednesday, December 07 @ 22:33:50 EST (401 reads)
CocoHazelnut writes "I must say I was in for a shock when I started my holiday job at the Burlington Mall's Lord and Taylor's this season. I lasted four days, and not because of the customers, but because of the management and the break policy-- or, should I say, the lack of a break policy.
I was surprised that L&T doesn't care if its associates know what they're doing. I received minimal training and had to basically learn everything as I attempted to do it or by asking other associates, who, of course, were usually busy. The customers just assume you know what you're doing, but, of course, why wouldn't they? And it's a little bit humiliating when you have no idea how to help them.
I mean, I know retail isn't rocket science, but there are so many little things I wasn't told, like the code to the storeroom, how to unlock expensive merchandise w/o making the alarm go off, how to transfer calls, how to order merchandise not in store, whether getting it from another store or from the Internet. It was all trial and error. The floor manager was completely hands-off so she was never available to help. Once I called her and she took so long to come by, the customer ended up leaving. Considering that so many new employees start during the holiday season, which is such a big moneymaker, you'd think L&T would want to make sure their employees know what they're doing. Who knows how many sales are lost due to the lack of training?
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To Err Is Human, or: The Price Is Wrong
| Posted by Alucard on Sunday, November 27 @ 22:04:34 EST (803 reads)
Dirge-NYS writes "Dear Madam,
I am sorry that the price for your item on my register does not match that of the price tag due to your item not being in its correct place.
In spite of how hard my coworkers and I strive to make sure our store's items are in their proper locations, we cannot prevent this from happening 100% of the time. There are only so many of us working per shift, and security cameras can only monitor so much floor space. If the price tag is out of date or if the price itself is completely wrong due to computer error, we will gladly sell you the item at the lower price. However, when I escort you to the aisle and show you that the item was simply moved, the price given by the item's UPC is what I will sell by. This is non-negotiable.
You see, the store I work for is under no obligation, legal or otherwise, to sell your item at a different price if it is anywhere other than its "home" spot. In common law, price tags and an item's location on the shelf are not set in stone: they are what is known as "invitations to treat" (an offer to entertain an offer).
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