i'm new, but i already got some things to say

[HawaiianShirts]

I had one of those in our appliances department the other day.

I work in computers because that's what I know. If some customer shopping in another department has a question about pricing or if something's in stock or where to find a certain item, I can probably help. If they have questions about a specific product, I might be able to come up with something coherent, but I'm usually as clueless as they are.

A lady was standing near the computer department looking lost. I asked her if I could help her find something. She wasn't an SC, so I'll just refer to her as C.

C: Yes, actually. You can answer some questions for me. (Walks into Appliances.)
Me: I can try, anyway. This isn't my department.
C: That's fine. I need a new washing machine. I want to know what the difference is between these two Whirlpools. What makes this one $100 more than the other?
Me: (Looking at the washers) Um... Well, this one has three knobs... and that one has four...
C: *blink blink* You really don't know what you're doing over here, do you?
Me: Nope. Sorry. You come up with a computer question, and I'll answer that with more information than you needed to begin with, but this stuff...
C: Not so good with appliances?
Me: I know how to use the ones I have at home.

She laughed at that, and I told her I'd go find KJ, the guy who was supposed to be working Appliances that day. He really knows his stuff, and he got her a good washer. At least she was friendly about it. I've had the unfriendly ones, and I don't understand why they don't understand why I don't understand every product in the store.

[MadMike]

-Where do your dried apricots come from? (um, apricot trees? )

You mean dried apricot trees!

[K245five]

-Why are your apples so cheap? What's wrong with them?

Simple economics, really.

When a store's profit is high, and costs are low, you can sell stuff cheaper than normal! Just because it's "cheap" doesn't mean it always sucks!

'Nuff said!

[Lace Neil Singer]

You can sometimes try the "I'm new here" excuse, regardless of how long you've actually been employed.

I used to quote Homer Simpson and say "It's my first day!"

[LostMyMind]

So, I wore two:

"Hi I'm New!"
"KuzcoLlama"

So how long did you wear that sticker? 4, 5 years?

[Kelly Lynne]

So, why is it that people who work in retail are expected to be "all-knowing" when you'd never expect the same from other jobs (like asking the law firm's janitor about the Peterson case). I write and edit, so people come to me with grammar questions. Makes sense. However, no one expects me to be an expert on graphic design, or web development and programming, or any of the other stuff that people in the rest of the office do. Maybe customers see retail work as "easy," so of course you should know everything about everything in the whole store.

[ladodger34]

So, why is it that people who work in retail are expected to be "all-knowing" when you'd never expect the same from other jobs (like asking the law firm's janitor about the Peterson case).

Even better, the people who probably (just generalizing) ask the questions are working in somewhat specialized jobs themselves.