If an employee has to leave for a few minutes to go get something for you....

[TravisRB69]

By all means, LEAVE THE AREA COMPLETELY. Sure, we have nothing else to do but circle the entire effing store a minimum of four times in search of someone who, instead of having common courtesy and STAYING THERE, just absolutely HAS to be different and play a cute little game of Hide-And-Go-Seek. How about Hide-And-Go-F***-Yourself? I don't know which habit is more rude, having someone get something for you and then leaving, or the IDIOTS that leave used tissues in the shopping carts instead of *gasp* throwing them away.

I'm sorry to rant. I know that the entire world revolves around you, my oh-so-precious customer. I realize that we are just lowly, lowly peons, and that peasants like me are a dime a dozen and you're completely above us. Just because I'll get in trouble for not getting as much work done as I COULD HAVE GOTTEN DONE IF I DIDN'T HAVE TO PLAY HIDE-AND-GO-SEEK WITH EVERY CUSTOMER, doesn't make it rude, or an inconvenience. After all, I AM here to hold your hand and do all your shopping for you.

[GolfCart34]

That sounds almost like every member of my mom's family. They say they'll be in one aisle while you go get something on the other side of the store. By the time you come back a couple of minutes later they're nowhere to be found! So much for staying in one place.

I've been guilty of going missing in stores on my family members from time to time, but I at least try to say where I'll be if I'm going to go wandering. And I never wander off on employees if they're going to get something for me. That's just downright rude to them.

[mattm04]

I had a guy walk off when I went to check in by freezer for something he wanted. I looked in the general vicinity and don't see him, so I made a page, and he never showed to pick up his important item. About 15 minutes later the CSM calls me and says a guy complained that I didn't bring him he one package of some discusting pre maid pastry, when he was at the opposite end of a 55K SF supermarket. The total time I was in the freezer, about 40 seconds.

[Shironu-Akaineko]

My GOD this happens to me ALL the BLEEPING TIME!!

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I had some old bastard ask me for his photos while I was getting photos for some other customers. I told him I'd get them as soon as I finished up with the other customers.

Old bastard wandered off to look at something else. I didn't see him anyplace so I just assumed he had forgotten.

A few minutes later he finds me, tears me a new asshole, then stomps off to the service desk to bitch at them and demand a manager punish me.

Of course, that didn't happen.

At least the crotchety old skinbag is dead now. Or drooling all over himself in a home somewhere.

I know that sounds harsh, but dammit he gave me the worst ass-chewing I've ever gotten at work. Dropping f and s-bombs all over the place. All because he couldn't be bothered to stick around so I could get information from him, such as his name, that would aid me in finding his photos.

[Catwoman2965]

I hate that! its one thing if you say to me, BEFORE I got into the back to look for something for you "I'll be in the fitting room....", I will then ask your name, so i can go in and let you know what I found., but don't wander away!

Also, if I go in the back to look for something for you, DON'T ask someone else for something because you are impatient! While we don't work on commission, we DO have sales goals, and if you have 3 people running around like headless chickens, when it comes time to ring, two of us miss out on sales that could have potentially boosted our numbers! Our policy is, if an associate is helping you, then ask THEM for something else...rather than bothering the rest of us!

[Soulstealer]

Whenever I did that the security people would page the store asking the parents of the 5 year old girl to come get her. To be fair I was distracted by something shiny, it still occurs occasionally but now whoever I'm with calls me on my mobile.

[protege]

When I'm at the hobby shop, sometimes the counter guy has to go get parts for me....especially if it's something old, or not kept on the floor. However, rather than disappear, I try to stay in the area. Most times, it's only a few minutes--there are catalogs and magazines on the counter to flip through, as well as kits to stare at

[Raieth]

When I worked in hardware at crappy tire I actually told people that if they weren't at the paint desk when I came back with their item that I would help the next person in line.

I was usually the only person in hardware and their was always a line up of people to help. Suprisingly this worked rather well. The paint desk has all those paint chips to look at and the threat of helping someone else "usually" kept people in that section.

[Boozy]

it still occurs occasionally but now whoever I'm with calls me on my mobile.

I wander off on my husband all the time. I get really distracted by all the shiny pretty things when shopping. The only reason I currently own a cell phone is because of this. He bought me one for Christmas last year after a month of shopping with me (and losing me in countless stores).

My husband loves me, so I get away with it. Retail staff don't know me and don't love me, so I always stick around when they're kind enough fetch something for me.

[LadyAndreca]

I suppose that's the nice thing about actually having a guest service desk. All items for guests are brought up to us, so it's just a matter of figuring out which item they're looking for.

My pet peeve about getting items is that when I call the back room to request an item for a customer, very very few of them have the patience to wait for said item, and will hover and nag me for updates. There are four major aisles back there, four shelves high and running half the length of the store--and this is assuming the item wasn't backstocked (didn't fit on the sales floor and is sitting loose in a bin with a notation in the computer system saying where). I warn people that it will take a minimum of five mintues to get their item, more if the back room warns me it's a large item on a top shelf or if I know it's cluttered back there.

It never fails that if the 'guest' finally nags me enough that I ask for a progress report, the guy will be in the center aisle of the store with it, on his way up. It happens every time.