How do they know when I'm on break?

[OhHerro]

I often wonder how customers have the ability to ask you for help when you are on your break. Our time clock is located at the customer service desk at the center of the store. Tonight, I was getting ready to clock out for dinner, so I slowly approached CSD, peaking around the stacks, much like a gazelle approaches a watering whole, making sure no predators are around. The coast is clear, so I scurry into CSD and quickly punch my numbers into the computer and move the cursor over the "Punch Out For Meal" button. I look around one last time to see if anyone might ask me to help them. At this point, I'd be happy to help them because I am still on the clock. No one is around so . . . *click*

"Excuse me . . . "
*SON OF A BITCH!!!*

She is standing there at the entrance, blocking the coveted break room. The lioness stalks her prey.

SC: Where are the study guide books for tests like the GMAT
ME: (OK, this isn't tough at all) Right over here, I'll show you!

In the section
ME: Here are the books on GMATs on these two shelves. If you're looking for books on other tests, the books are arranged in alphabetical order by test.
SC: Alphabetical order???? (She bites into her victim's leg, wounding him, making a quick escape near impossible)
ME: Yes, see the GREs are on the next shelf down and further down are the LSATs, etc.
SC: What are the differences in each book?
ME: (Are you kidding me?) Some have CD ROMS with practice tests, but they all pretty much cover the same material.
SC: Which one is the best one? (She takes another bite, savoring her kill)
ME: Well, Princeton Review and Kaplan are the most popular, so I'd start with those.


Anyway, I manage to escape, having lost 10 minutes of my break. I did come back and clocked in early but didn't go back to work right away to make up for it.




another pet peeve is when people ask me to look something up but give me all the details I don't need first before giving me something I can work with. This also happened tonight.

ME: Music and DVD, this is (ME), how can I help you?
SC: Yes, I'd like you to look something up for me
ME: Alright. . .
SC: I want you to tell me if you have it in stock
ME: OK, what are you looking for?
SC: It's a DVD that I want to pick up
ME: Yes . . .
SC: It's a children's DVD . . .
ME: . . .
SC: It's part of a series . . .
ME: (patience wearing thin)
SC: It came out a few years ago . .
ME: !!!!!!!
SC: You know, the leap frog series?
ME: (*HOLY CRAP, WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE DVD???*)

[Bramble]

A chip was secretly implanted in your brain so when you even THINK the word 'break' it sets off a sensor that alerts all customers within a 50 mile radius and allows them enough time to get to your store to prevent you from going on break. Hehe I do feel for you on the last one. Dunno HOW many times people would do that to me in the DT with their orders.

[aurelemsrealm]

Try working in a convenience store and taking a break.....

Like I've said before, and I'm sure I'll say time and again, convenience stores are only convenient if you don't work in them.

What I especially love are the people who feel the need to make observational comments, "Oh, so you're eating supper right now, eh?"

"Yeah, and I could finish eating my supper if you'd go away!"

Or.....

You have a free moment, so you go to the restroom. You come out to find some gawker standing there, "I thought maybe the place got robbed, or something."

"Nope, just decided to go to the restroom since I had a spare moment until you came."

[ArenaBoy]

I think that as soon as you get excited at the concept of a break an SC smells it and pounces upon it.

[TonyDonuts]

I think that as soon as you get excited at the concept of a break an SC smells it and pounces upon it.

Bonus points if there are other employees standing ready to assist customers...

...but they must be helped by you!

I think it's related to the phenomenon of "I'll walk PAST the cash register with the on-duty cashier and go stand at the cash register with the 'LANE CLOSED' sign, or better yet, 'Empty Area of Counter with NO Cash Register' dump my selections on counter and SIGH DRAMATICALLY until told I need to move to the register that's open for business, and which point I'll begin bellowing like a stuck pig about how rudely I'm being treated and stomp out the door in a TIFF!"

<pant, pant,pant>

Wow, good to get that out.

[Boozy]

I will help customers on my break, but that's because we don't punch in and out, and my manager isn't trying to coordinate breaks for more than two people. So if I spend five minutes with a customer on my break, I can just take another five minutes when I'm finished.

The grocery store where my store is located has about 200 employees and a punch-out system. So if an employee is approached by a customer on break, they have to say, "Sorry, I can't help you right now, please go to customer service." Otherwise, they just lose their time. And the store can get into trouble with the union for that.

I'm tired of SCs coming into the wine store to bitch about it. They just don't understand.

[Becks]

A chip was secretly implanted in your brain so when you even THINK the word 'break' it sets off a sensor that alerts all customers within a 50 mile radius and allows them enough time to get to your store to prevent you from going on break

Very true. I think I found where they did the implant, but I just can't get the damn thing out.

[ShootMePlease]

We actually had to paint the windows in our break room because people would come in while we were eating and ask us for help. I am always amazed at the audacity of some people.

[Marxfan]

About a year ago, before I moved to Bumblefuck, VA, the receiving crew at my B&N store were kind enough to let me take some boxes for packing. So, during my 15 minute break, I had my coat on, my purse dangling from my elbow, and I had a heaping armful of flattened boxes (not heavy, but awkward as hell), and I was clumsily trying to make my way outside to my car, when! All of a sudden!
"Excuse me? Are you busy?"

*SON OF A F#*#@! G*$ D^%&%^ BITCH!!!!!!!!!!*

Yup, same internal reaction as OHHerro. Pushover that I am, I actually helped the bitch. Dammit!

[BookstoreEscapee]

I think it is downright cruel to put the time clock in a high-customer-traffic area. We used to have an actual timeclock in the breakroom. They changed the system so that you punch on one of the info terminals (in Store2 it is the one in the kids' department which is closest to the breakroom).

When I transferred to Store2 I learned that their setup is such that you have to walk through the kids' department to get to the breakroom, bathroom, and receiving, so there is no escape. I also think this is cruel.

Now I don't have to deal with customers, however I have to walk halfway through the warehouse to get to the timeclock, which is annoying. I pass one in the stairwell on my way in from the lobby (which I started using instead of the employee entrance because that way I pass the cafeteria on my way) but my ID doesn't work in that clock for some unknown reason. So I have to make sure I get there with enough time to stop for my drink and then get to the next closest timeclock which takes about 2 minutes to get to without running. And I have to dodge forklifts (which is still preferable to dodging customers even considering that the forklifts could cause serious injury).

[AmericanZero8503]

I always remove my name tag. That is what they always look for in my store.

If they still manage to stop me, I page a manager and leave them helpless in the aisle.

When I break, I break. In fact I will go and hide so that other employees can't find me to ask me questions. Sorry, but its my break...and its all about me at that time...lol.

[Tito]

I think it is downright cruel to put the time clock in a high-customer-traffic area.

I agree 100%! The time clock in my former retail hell was located in the employees coat room.

When I break, I break. In fact I will go and hide so that other employees can't find me to ask me questions. Sorry, but its my break...and its all about me at that time...lol.

Same here! If a customer asked for my help while I was on break, I would simply inform them that I was on break at the moment. My break time was just that, a break! It is my time when I did not have to deal with customers.

[Rubystars]

I'm working at a sporting goods store now and the time clock is at the front of the store, and the break room is in the back of the store. I have to sneak through the clothing racks and hope no one sees me in order to get to the front or back of the store without being stopped and asked questions. I have no clue about any other part of the store except the one I got recently hired in, the shoe department.

One time I made the mistake of walking down the main aisle to go up to the front to clock out for my lunch and I got someone holding up a piece of sports equipment that I didn't even recognize and asking me to help them with it. I had to find someone to help them and they kept trying to ask me questions about it as I was trying to find someone in that department to help them. I finally ended up just telling them that I didn't even know what that was. They only stopped bugging me after I got someone for them who worked in the actual department. Thankfully it didn't take long.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I always remove my name tag. That is what they always look for in my store.

If they still manage to stop me, I page a manager and leave them helpless in the aisle.

I have been asked for help while wearing a coat and carrying my lunch bag and purse.
I have been asked for help while wearing jeans/sneakers/sweatshirt (IOW, nothing even remotely complying with the dress code) and carrying 2 cups of Starbucks (I had stopped in to visit my friend and made a coffe run for him).
I have been asked for help while wearing similar attire and carrying a DOG! (Sometimes I bring Pablo to visit.)

I would just tell them, "You'll need to go to customer service."

At least now I can honestly say "I don't work here."

Though I have been known to answer the phone when they were really short staffed. 3 calls later, I said "I'm going home!"

[Listerfiend]

There have been two incidents in which I was on break/lunch at my store--not wearing the store apron or anything like that--and yet I still got approached.

What takes the cake is that I was shopping at our other location one day (so I had coat, purse, etc; wasn't even MY store) and yet someone still flagged me down and asked me where something was. It wasn't as if she was asking me like I was a fellow shopper--"Do you happen to know where they keep the...?" It was a direct "Where are your...?" I had to tell her that I honestly didn't know since our stores are so different.

Either way, one of us spends *way* too much time at my store.