Once again, thanks for telling me how to do my job.

[marty]

So Guitar Hero III came out, followed by a rush of people begging for it, confused parents wandering in without their kids to get it or their kids even though they never clarified with said kids what exactly to get (I hate that), etc, etc. So a woman comes in with her kid and gets one of the previous versions used, and a used guitar after asking me to help her find one. So I start ringing them up, ask them if they had our discount card, and they did, so the kid (about ten or so) whips one out of his battered Pokemon wallet and throws it on the counter.

Here!" he said, "This one always works!"

I reach to scan the barcode, only there is no barcode because it's not a discount card, it just has credit on it. So I say, "Do you have one with a sticker on the back, with a barcode? Because this isn't the right one."

"Yes it is!" yells the little cretin, squirming beside his mother. "I've used it here before!"

"You probably used it for credit," I said as politely as possible. Great, now this stupid little brat's going to argue with me. Wait for it, wait for it...

"No, we used this one!" pipes in the mother, her voice grating through her mean little mouth. "We get those magazines, we have the card!"

"You probably have another card, it looks the same on the front ma'am but you should have one with a barcode on the back."

"This is the one we use, this is the one!" the little kid screeched, pawing the guitar with his dirty little fingers, leaving a trail of grease marks down the buttons as only a filthy child can.

"This is the one we use!" chimed in the mother, like some sort of horrible overgrown parrot.

I tried hard not to sigh. Great, great, this family of morons is going to argue with me.

"Do you not know how to do it?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"Yes ma'am I sure do know how to do it, every discount card has a barcode on the back that's scanable, seeing as to how this one doesn't, you've probably used it before to spend some credit that was put on there," I reply, smiling while gritting my teeth (ever try that? It kind of hurts.)

"We're never coming here again, what's the total, we're not coming back."

Then came the kicker, the little bastard said, in the smuggest voice possible, "I'll order it online next time!"

Oh god, please do that so I never have to see you again, please. I told her the total, she paid, meanwhile the assistant manager is staring at me from the other side of the store, mouthing, "What the hell?" and I shrugged.

I've only worked there for two years, but I don't know how to do it. She returned the stuff later and said, "I found my card on my dryer!" I kept quiet, but you know I was thinking, I told you you friggin' moron!


Then my night ended when, while walking out after doing my end of the day work (twenty minutes after closing), some douchenozzle getting out of his car in front of the store yelled, "Aw, come on!" after the am locked the door behind me, using that pouty voice only a spoiled twenty year old can. Twenty minutes after six. So I replied, "What time is it sir?" He looked at his watch and said, "Six twenty-two."

Hell, I'm off the clock, I can say whatever I want in public. "It's f***ing Sunday, we close at six like every other retail store ever does!"


Pssh, I'm mad.

[Bright_Star]

douchenozzle?....LOL. I like that one....lmao!

[Shengirl]

Wow, way to teach your snotty little brat, lady.

On an unrelated note, where are you where shops close at six? Most Sunday closing times around here are like eight, I think.

[Imogene]

Actually, seeing as you are: still in sight of the building, and wearing store dress, it wasn't the wisest thing to cuss at the customer, no matter how late he was, nor that the store was closed. You are still a company representative, and your actions can influence how people view the company.
*shrugs* Sucks, but such is life.
All you needed to say was, "I'm sorry, sir, we closed twenty minutes ago."

[marty]

We don't have set uniforms and my nametag was off, I could've been just a different bitchy customer for all he knew. It wouldn't have set me off if he hadn't actually gotten out of his car, stared at the closed sign, watched me walk out and pitched a fit in the parking lot. It wasn't a muttered, "Aw come on," he yelled it like a little brat and did the little stomp-foot-breifly-flail-arms number, and he had to have been at least college-age. The moment I walk out of that door, I'm done handing out dishes of fake-polite...and he could have just gone to the Wal-Mart across the parking lot without making a scene, they sell the same stuff. And you know..I usually do say, "Sorry, we're closed," but something about someone just a couple of years younger than I putting on the kind of display that a six year old who's never been punished before would do just set me off. Over video games.

I have a bad temper.

Shengirl--every store on our stripmall closes at six except the Food Lion and the Wal-Mart across the parking lot (There's about six other stores besides mine). Most retail places around here do. Might be an area thing.

[princess4life]

Most the stores in the malls where I live close at 6 on sundays but other off the wall stores usally close at 7. Most people around here knw this but you do get a few asshats that don't pay attention to the day of the week.

[mrtauntaun]

Then came the kicker, the little bastard said, in the smuggest voice possible, "I'll order it online next time!"

Good luck with that kid. GH3 came out on a sunday, UPS doesn't deliver that day. Everyone I knew that ordered it online didn't have it until monday.

[Scagnettie]

Actually, seeing as you are: still in sight of the building, and wearing store dress, it wasn't the wisest thing to cuss at the customer, no matter how late he was, nor that the store was closed. You are still a company representative, and your actions can influence how people view the company.
*shrugs* Sucks, but such is life.
All you needed to say was, "I'm sorry, sir, we closed twenty minutes ago."

I would agree with you but the fact of the matter is my involvement with the store begins when I clock in and end when I clock out. I remember when I was working for the big K in college and they held a meeting for all store staff. As the store manager was wrapping it up he came out with the "you represent this store when you are coming in and leaving work and if customers need help you should help them". I of course asked if I would be paid for such excursions and the answer was no. So I never helped one person while not on the clock. They want it both ways and I am not going to give it to them.

[Rapscallion]

They want it both ways, but at some point you have to look after your skin. Most places in the US are at-will and managers will get rid of people who are awkward for them. Even in the few states that are not at-will, they'll start hunting for legal reasons to get rid.

I'm not saying you should kowtow to company demands, especially for unpaid work, but you've got to look after your income. Of course, there are some stiff penalties for companies that force people to work off the clock...

Rapscallion

[Broomjockey]

Also, a lot of places, if you can be identified as an employee, and do anything to harm the image of the company, you can be terminated. It was part of my terms of employment at both my theatres, and I've heard more than a few tales of off-duty people going out for a night while in uniform and getting slapped for their behaviour.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Usually when customers would ask me for help when I was on my way out (or in, for that matter) and off the clock, I would just point them in the right direction (in other words, the CS desk, unless their question was something simple like "where can I find blah section?").

Though I have on one or two occasions answered the question "Do you work here?" with "No." when I was still wearing a coat and carrying all my stuff, or coming back from a food run with my lunch in my hands.

If someone was trying to get in before or after hours, I would just say "Sorry, we're not open yet/closed" and then ignore them.