Stop that! You're a customer, not an employee.

[Captain Kidd]

Anybody else have issues with people who are not employees but think they are? I'm not talking about trying to get into restricted areas, but things like answering questions, trying to fix things, refilling printers, etc. By answering questions, I don't mean if somebody asks where X is and this person happens to know, heck I do that. But answering questions or doing things that should only be answered by staff.

I'm waiting for the day I, or somebody else, gets hauled in to the department chair for sexual harassment or some such because the "lab assistant" did X. (This person also lacks quite a bit of tack.) We can't kick him out 'cause he needs access to the computers, and trying to talk sense into him is like trying to talk to a brick wall.

[IHateStupidCustomers]

I am sad to say that my boyfriend is routinely an SC and often will but into conversations between customers and employees to offer his own opinions. Like:

"Oh, you can't get that here. You have to go to ___."

"Oh, you don't what THAT. This store sells crappy ones. Go to ___."

He even did it to me. I worked in a shoe department in the mall, and he was there waiting for me to finish with a customer so we could go to lunch. This customer was looking at work boots. I am on commission and work boots have a high commission rate, and they are expensive. So, work boots help pay the bills. My boyfriend interrupts the guy trying on the shoes:

BF: "Are you really considereing buying those boots?"
Guy: "Well, yes..."
BF: "You don't want those."
Guy: ... "I don't?"
BF: "Nope. You should go to Red Wing. They have the best boots hands down. That's all I ever wear. They even guarentee the boots." on and on and on about how great Red Wings are....
Guy: "Really? They are really that great, huh? Well, I haven't even looked at a pair of Red Wings. I'm sure it won't hurt to try them on before I decide to buy a pair. I don't want to be stuck with shoes I don't like."
BF: "Absolutely. There's even a Red Wing store across the street, right next to that Futon store."
Guy: "Great! Hey, thanks! ... Oh, miss! Sorry, I won't be getting any of these boots today."
Me: "Have a great day."

I know he was just trying to help the guy, but c'mon!

[Swordsman422]

In my store, I've actually found that nothing drives home a sale like customer input. If I'm trying to sell an R/C plane or car, or a particular train set I know is good quality, it's always nice to have a passing customer say "listen to him. He's right."

It's also nice when another customer does all the selling for me, especially during rushes where I can't make it away fromn the counter to answer questions. And I've also found that other customers are generally shameless upsellers.

[Slow-Jo]

BF: "Nope. You should go to Red Wing. They have the best boots hands down. That's all I ever wear. They even guarentee the boots." on and on and on about how great Red Wings are....

"honey? why is there fried dirt on my dinner plate?"
"because sweety, red wings are better! and now we are broke. enjoy your fried dirt!"

[auntiem]

Ooops, I do that at box store garden centers a lot. But in my defence, it is usually only when the person is standing there looking confused and there isn't any staff around. Or when someone is getting something I suspect they will kill (like watering a venus flytrap with tap water) - then I'll give unsolicited advice while standing in line.

[Captain Kidd]

In my store, I've actually found that nothing drives home a sale like customer input. If I'm trying to sell an R/C plane or car, or a particular train set I know is good quality, it's always nice to have a passing customer say "listen to him. He's right."

It's also nice when another customer does all the selling for me, especially during rushes where I can't make it away fromn the counter to answer questions. And I've also found that other customers are generally shameless upsellers.

That's fine, great actually. But do you then let the customer ring up the sell? Or go into the back, grab some merchandise, and restock your shelves? That's the main thrust of my gripe.

Ooops, I do that at box store garden centers a lot. But in my defence, it is usually only when the person is standing there looking confused and there isn't any staff around. Or when someone is getting something I suspect they will kill (like watering a venus flytrap with tap water) - then I'll give unsolicited advice while standing in line.

I do that too. Usually it's a mutual thing, I'm trying to find one thing, the other person is trying to find something else. We help each other out.

[powerboy]

Oh yeah, I have before. At my old job. Happened to be the one day, we were truly busy. I was the only one in helping a customer, and this one guy asked me how to do the register. He was actually behind the desk and was going to do the register.