"I don't know why they hired you"

[looney_librarian]

I was actually told this one day at work.

Here's my story.

I was working a morning shift. We had just gotten in this brand new GPS mapping software (I forget the name) and I was putting it out on the shelves. This lady walks up and after the usual "Do you work here," she proceeded to ask me about the software that I was putting up.

4 things you should know.

1. the department I worked in sold mostly video and computer games, so that was what my main focus is.

2. I treat customers exactly how I am treated (within courtesy)

3. I was known as the software/game guru at my store by my coworkers.

4. There's an Office Max right across the parking lot.

I tell her what I know (which isn't much) and proceed to fall back on exactly what is written on the box.

Well this is how the conversation goes.

ME
SC
MGR (comes in later)

SC "So you don't know much about XXXX"
ME "No ma'am. We just got this in today and this is the first time I've seen this software. I haven't had time to read up on it."
SC "You mean read the box?"
ME "Yes, and go online and read about it."
SC "So why don't you know anything about this software."

Apparently she can't understand this and gets into a rut and we repeat the above conversation about 3 times. Finally

ME "Ma'am, this store is an entertainment store. As such most of my sales from this department come from video and computer games. It's hard enough for my to try and remember 200+ titles off the top of my head for these game consoles as well as knowing all the specs for many of the computer games. Now I also cover our video department and so I have to know that department as well, which means cramming movie knowledge in my already full mind."
SC "Well let me speak to your manager. they should know something about this software"
ME "Alright if you head over there (pointing to the office door) she'll be right out."

I called the manager to the door and went back to helping customers. I had other customers watching this and had at many times told the customers that I would be right with them as soon as possible. They were kind enough to be patient.

As I was finishing up one customer I here MGR and SC returning.

MGR "Well ma'am, this is our software guru. If anyone in the store would know anything about XXXX it would be him."
SC "I'm glad some one in this store knows what they're doing."

My manager drops her off with me and proceeds to leave immediately.

SC "Oh. It's you again."
ME "Yes ma'am. I'm the software guru. But like I said, I mainly focus on game software."
SC "I come to this store expecting competence, but I get you. You're an idiot and I don't know why they hired you."

She then turns right on her heels and walks out of the store. I'm standing at my desk in shock as well as the other customer waiting for me.

But my story has a happy ending. The customer waiting, comes up to me, apologizes for the previous customer and says, and I quote, ""I am an idiot. Would you please help me?"

"Yes ma'am I would love to help you."

[TryNotToBeThatOne]

Gee, didn't you know that you were supposed to psychically know that you were going to start carrying that software & read up on it before it ever hit the shelves?

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

That was cool of the other customer to play funny on that, cool stuff.

As for that woman, she's obviously unaware that product changes ALL THE DAMNED TIME, especially in software, when you have new stuff coming out every week.

[Saydrah]

Gosh, you stupid stupid employee! Don't you know that they send you detailed information weeks before adding any new product to the store, and give you plenty of paid, on the clock time to read up on it?

.....Yeah, I hope that's what she thinks, and she finds herself having to take a job at a multimedia store with that presumption in hand...

[Calud]

The ending is priceless.

[Pezzle]

That crap drives me insane. For instance, I worked at the computer department of Best Buy for a brief period. People would ask "Will Pinnacle blah blah allow me to rip my DVDs and save them in blah blah format?" upon hearing that I didn't know, they'd go ballistic and think I'm dumb. Never ceases to amaze me.

Same with stuff from TVs. They'd ask me some horribly specific question about speaker wire banana plugs and expect me to know becuase i'm good with computers.

[Greenday]

What do you mean you don't know anything about the PS4 and the XBox 711450? You should know about everything! Even before they come out! How dare you be so incompetent.

Cause, we have all the time in the world to memorize anything and everything. How is our memory capacity supposed to be so much ridiculously larger than all normal humans? Granted, they don't have brains, but come on. That's a lot of stuff to have to memorize.

[Retail Associate]

Personally, I'm not paid enough to know everything. Nor do I care to know everything about the crap we sell.

I don't work in a computer store but my love of computers has actually given me incentive to learn as much about them as I can. Also, any software I've been interested in I've actually taken the time to learn the hows, whys and wherefores all by myself.

Imagine that...doing your own research. Heaven forbid an SC should do something for themselves.

.

[dispatch]

well, you're obviously not committed enough to serving the needs of your customer, who is, of course, better than you just by walking in there. and think, all that time you spend slacking off when you're not "on the clock" could have been spent researching every product on the market and writing your own reviews and blurbs

I swear they get worse in the winter! Hopefully she went to a store where someone sold her hook, line, and sinker on something they were getting commission on and actually had no experience with (not knocking commissioned sales here, I'm all for an oppertunist rolling this lady!). Oddly enough, I'm writing a poem about SCs unrealistic expectations and this has been more fuel to get the gears turning...thanks!

[roguesqd]

you mean you didn't psychically know you would be getting the software and personally fly to the developers office to ask them about it???

really people need to start having some realistic expectations of people when you said we just got it in and I havent researched it yet that was a great answer and a time for the customer go ahhh