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Ok well I worked retail right after high school and threw Christmas one year and swore I would never do it again. Due to the need to play Santa Clause for my kids I broke down and took a part time job at a store in the mall. Over the past couple weeks I have been reminded why I swore I would never work retail again here are a few stories. Sorry this is long.
ME: the lovely princess
SW: sucky woman
SM: Sucky man
Gift Wrapping
As a company policy when it is busy in the store we do not gift wrap but we will give the customers the "stuff" to wrap the purchase themselves. The "stuff" I refer to is clear cellophane or a clear bag some paper straw and a ribbon to tie a bow. We also sell gift bags. So to start this we had a really long line at the check out there are only 4 registers and we have a cashier on each register.
Me: Did you find everything ok?
SM: Yeah I guess so but man it is busy in here.
Me: well there are only a couple weeks until Christmas and everyone wants to stock up on gifts with the sales we have going on right now.
SM: You guys gift wrap right?
Me: we can on occasions, but company policy is when it is busy like it is today that we don't gift wrap for you but we can provide you the stuff to do it yourself.
SM: ok (proceeds to separate everything into smaller separate groups) I need each of these thing wrapped together in separate boxes.
Me: I can give you some of the clear gift bags, some paper straw and some ribbon but I can not wrap these items for you right now it is to busy in the store at the moment.
SM: You just told me on occasions you can wrap things and these items are for a special occasion I want you to wrap them in the gift boxes I see behind you.
Me: (turns to check out gift boxes behind me gift boxes have a sign on them saying $1) sir I can sell you those boxes for $1 but I can not wrap these for you it is to busy right now, imagine how you would feel if you where the person standing behind you and you had to wait in line longer while I wrapped your items for you?
SM: this is ridiculous I want these items wrapped and I don't want to pay extra for the boxes.
Me: it is to busy right now for me to wrap your packages I would be happy to give you the clear bags, straw, and ribbon though. Your total is $xxx.xx
SM: I cannot wrap gifts in clear bags (pays and storms off)
A couple minutes later I had my manager pull me into the back room and tell me that the guy complained I was rude to him and refused to help him. When I explained what I refused to do she laughed and told me to get back to work.
would you like to be emailed?
After every transaction we have to ask for people's phone number (for demographics) and if they would like to receive our promotions by email if yes the email address. The receipt won’t print until we have done this
Me: Ok your total is $xx.xx
SW: (swipes card and follows steps on POS) where is my receipt
Me: I will have that for you in one moment can I get your phone number area code first?
SW: It's 456-7891 area code 123
Me: (inwardly rolling eyes as I move the cursor back to put the area code in the right spot) ok now would you like to receive our promotions by email?
SW: Yes I would
Me: Can I get your email address please?
SW: It's 1234 East ABC Street Nowheresvill
Me: No ma'm I need your EMAIL address
SW: Well I am not going to give you that I don't give that to anyone you never know what kind of people are out there.
Me: Not a problem (presses button to by pass email address and prints receipt)
Now this lady wasn't really sucky but really more stupid. Why would she willingly rattel off her phone number and home address but then refuse to give out the email address cause you don't know what type of people are out there. Last time I checked people could do worse with a home address to someone then an email address I mean come on what am I going to do Spam you to death with emails about $10 off a purchase of $30 or more?
Are you sure you are sold out?
I know pretty much everyone has had to deal with similar to this one and this one might give away where I work lol.
SW: do you have anymore of your twisted peppermint lotion in the back?
Me: No ma'm I am sorry the entire districted is sold out right now, we have a waiting list I can put your name on or you might want to check online.
SW: How do you know you don't have any in the back you didn't even go look?
ME: We have been sold out for over a week and I just came from the back.
SW: Well call another store and see if they have any.
Me: The entire district is sold out none of the other stores are going to have it
SW: you are just refusing to help me I want you to call another store and check for me.
Me: Ok wait out here, I will go to the back and call another store it will take me a little while though
I walk in back and tell manager what the lady is asking she tells me the entire district is sold out but to humor the customer and call another store. I call all the other stores figure the lady deserves to sit and wait.
Me: I am sorry ma'm I called all the other stores in the district none of them have it either if you would like though I can put you on the waiting list and when it comes in we call you and put it on hold until the end of business that day.
SW: fine I guess I will do that I want 10 bottles of this lotion
Well a week later we got the lotion in and left a message telling the lady that her lotion was in and we would hold some for her until the end of business that day.
Two days later the lady comes up to me
SW: Where is my lotion?
Me: Excuse me?
SW: My twisted peppermint lotion you called me on Saturday and told me it was in and you would hold it for me
Me: Ok remind me of your name and I will check the back for you
SW: My name is Sucky Woman
Me: Ok just a minute (I walk to the back knowing that it wont be back there) I am sorry we don't have any hold in back for you if we called you Saturday morning we only hold things until end of business that day we do have some out on the floor right now if you would like I can help you grab some.
SW: No I can do it myself you where no help to start with
When this same lady got to the check out she yelled at the cashier she got because she couldn't use 2 coupons in the same transaction. She ended up putting the cashier in tears so I walked up to take over. A lot of people confuse me for a manager I think it is because I don't put up with crap and I make my response the final answer.
(Introducing OC: Other cashier)
Me: Is there a problem here?
OC: This lady would like to use 2 coupons and I told her she would need to do 2 separate transactions. She is not happy with this (fighting off tears)
Me: I will take it from here, why don't you go in the back and take a breather.
SW: That cashier is worthless, why do you people higher worthless people like that?
Me: She is only following the policy that shows right on this coupon (point to fine print where it says this offer may not be combined with any other coupon)
SW: Well the other store has done it for me before.
Me: We don't do that here and the other store should not have done it either considering our computers will not allow the coupons to be combined.
SW: If you want to keep me as a customer you will do it for me now.
Me: No I will not combine these coupons I can ring up your purchase in 2 separate transactions, or you can use 1 coupon those are your choices.
SW: Just ring up 2 separate purchases.
Now I was nice enough not to enforce the other store policy that if there is a line and you have more then one transaction you need to go back to the end of the line and wait inline to do the second transaction I just wanted the lady to get out of there and check on the other cashier.
When I talked to the other cashier I guess the lady made it sound like everything wrong with the world today was her fault.
ME: the lovely princess
SW: sucky woman
SM: Sucky man
Gift Wrapping
As a company policy when it is busy in the store we do not gift wrap but we will give the customers the "stuff" to wrap the purchase themselves. The "stuff" I refer to is clear cellophane or a clear bag some paper straw and a ribbon to tie a bow. We also sell gift bags. So to start this we had a really long line at the check out there are only 4 registers and we have a cashier on each register.
Me: Did you find everything ok?
SM: Yeah I guess so but man it is busy in here.
Me: well there are only a couple weeks until Christmas and everyone wants to stock up on gifts with the sales we have going on right now.
SM: You guys gift wrap right?
Me: we can on occasions, but company policy is when it is busy like it is today that we don't gift wrap for you but we can provide you the stuff to do it yourself.
SM: ok (proceeds to separate everything into smaller separate groups) I need each of these thing wrapped together in separate boxes.
Me: I can give you some of the clear gift bags, some paper straw and some ribbon but I can not wrap these items for you right now it is to busy in the store at the moment.
SM: You just told me on occasions you can wrap things and these items are for a special occasion I want you to wrap them in the gift boxes I see behind you.
Me: (turns to check out gift boxes behind me gift boxes have a sign on them saying $1) sir I can sell you those boxes for $1 but I can not wrap these for you it is to busy right now, imagine how you would feel if you where the person standing behind you and you had to wait in line longer while I wrapped your items for you?
SM: this is ridiculous I want these items wrapped and I don't want to pay extra for the boxes.
Me: it is to busy right now for me to wrap your packages I would be happy to give you the clear bags, straw, and ribbon though. Your total is $xxx.xx
SM: I cannot wrap gifts in clear bags (pays and storms off)
A couple minutes later I had my manager pull me into the back room and tell me that the guy complained I was rude to him and refused to help him. When I explained what I refused to do she laughed and told me to get back to work.
would you like to be emailed?
After every transaction we have to ask for people's phone number (for demographics) and if they would like to receive our promotions by email if yes the email address. The receipt won’t print until we have done this
Me: Ok your total is $xx.xx
SW: (swipes card and follows steps on POS) where is my receipt
Me: I will have that for you in one moment can I get your phone number area code first?
SW: It's 456-7891 area code 123
Me: (inwardly rolling eyes as I move the cursor back to put the area code in the right spot) ok now would you like to receive our promotions by email?
SW: Yes I would
Me: Can I get your email address please?
SW: It's 1234 East ABC Street Nowheresvill
Me: No ma'm I need your EMAIL address
SW: Well I am not going to give you that I don't give that to anyone you never know what kind of people are out there.
Me: Not a problem (presses button to by pass email address and prints receipt)
Now this lady wasn't really sucky but really more stupid. Why would she willingly rattel off her phone number and home address but then refuse to give out the email address cause you don't know what type of people are out there. Last time I checked people could do worse with a home address to someone then an email address I mean come on what am I going to do Spam you to death with emails about $10 off a purchase of $30 or more?
Are you sure you are sold out?
I know pretty much everyone has had to deal with similar to this one and this one might give away where I work lol.
SW: do you have anymore of your twisted peppermint lotion in the back?
Me: No ma'm I am sorry the entire districted is sold out right now, we have a waiting list I can put your name on or you might want to check online.
SW: How do you know you don't have any in the back you didn't even go look?
ME: We have been sold out for over a week and I just came from the back.
SW: Well call another store and see if they have any.
Me: The entire district is sold out none of the other stores are going to have it
SW: you are just refusing to help me I want you to call another store and check for me.
Me: Ok wait out here, I will go to the back and call another store it will take me a little while though
I walk in back and tell manager what the lady is asking she tells me the entire district is sold out but to humor the customer and call another store. I call all the other stores figure the lady deserves to sit and wait.
Me: I am sorry ma'm I called all the other stores in the district none of them have it either if you would like though I can put you on the waiting list and when it comes in we call you and put it on hold until the end of business that day.
SW: fine I guess I will do that I want 10 bottles of this lotion
Well a week later we got the lotion in and left a message telling the lady that her lotion was in and we would hold some for her until the end of business that day.
Two days later the lady comes up to me
SW: Where is my lotion?
Me: Excuse me?
SW: My twisted peppermint lotion you called me on Saturday and told me it was in and you would hold it for me
Me: Ok remind me of your name and I will check the back for you
SW: My name is Sucky Woman
Me: Ok just a minute (I walk to the back knowing that it wont be back there) I am sorry we don't have any hold in back for you if we called you Saturday morning we only hold things until end of business that day we do have some out on the floor right now if you would like I can help you grab some.
SW: No I can do it myself you where no help to start with
When this same lady got to the check out she yelled at the cashier she got because she couldn't use 2 coupons in the same transaction. She ended up putting the cashier in tears so I walked up to take over. A lot of people confuse me for a manager I think it is because I don't put up with crap and I make my response the final answer.
(Introducing OC: Other cashier)
Me: Is there a problem here?
OC: This lady would like to use 2 coupons and I told her she would need to do 2 separate transactions. She is not happy with this (fighting off tears)
Me: I will take it from here, why don't you go in the back and take a breather.
SW: That cashier is worthless, why do you people higher worthless people like that?
Me: She is only following the policy that shows right on this coupon (point to fine print where it says this offer may not be combined with any other coupon)
SW: Well the other store has done it for me before.
Me: We don't do that here and the other store should not have done it either considering our computers will not allow the coupons to be combined.
SW: If you want to keep me as a customer you will do it for me now.
Me: No I will not combine these coupons I can ring up your purchase in 2 separate transactions, or you can use 1 coupon those are your choices.
SW: Just ring up 2 separate purchases.
Now I was nice enough not to enforce the other store policy that if there is a line and you have more then one transaction you need to go back to the end of the line and wait inline to do the second transaction I just wanted the lady to get out of there and check on the other cashier.
When I talked to the other cashier I guess the lady made it sound like everything wrong with the world today was her fault.
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