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Hi, everyone. First post on the board other than my introduction post. Little recap: I've worked at a few retail jobs. My current job is at a three-letter grocery store chain in Texas (everything's better here.) However, I used to work in a movie theatre, and I used to take phone calls as a temp. I shall entertain you with tales from all three.
So, to begin, let's go with the one story from when I took calls:
Me: Hello, (company name here), This is Taylor, how may I help you?
Phone: *BANG BANG BANG CLANG*
Me: Hello???
Woman: Oh, yes! Could I get customer service please?
Me: Ma'am, are you alright? I heard noises.
Woman: Oh, yes. I bang pots and pans into the reciever to make sure I have a real person and not a machine.
Me: ....*connects her to customer service*
That wasn't sucky, but rather a WTF moment.
---
Now, onto the movie theater. I HATED this job with a passion. Here was one woman who was half WTF half suck.
Woman: *walks, well, staggers up to concession stand*
Me: May I help you, ma'am?
Woman: Yeah, can I get a rum and coke?
Me: ...excuse me?
Woman: Rum and Coke.
Me: *knowing woman is obviously drunk, decides to humor her* Well, I can give you the coke, but I'm afraid I cannot supply the rum.
Woman: That's bullshit! I wanna see your manager!
Me: *calls manager over, watches woman get escorted out by security*
---
And now, here's the ones from my current job as a cashier slave.
I'm checking a man's groceries and he's staring at me. Not like 'attentive and friendly' staring. I mean 'creepy and lecherous' staring. It was a huge biker dude, like one of those guys you do not wanna mess with. I bag his groceries and I notice his shirt.
On the front it says, 'I like my coffee the way I like my women.'
On the back it says, '...ground up and in the freezer.'
Yeah, I was really glad when that guy left.
---
One day I was working express, and it was a slow day, so things were going great. All of a sudden a man stomps up to my line and throws a beer case on the counter. The top is slightly open.
Him: I hate this fucking store! Look at this! This is shitty merchandise!
Me: *trying to calm him down* I can ask someone to get you another one if you like-
Him: NO! Just check me through so I can get out of this store!
Me: Would you like anything else-
Him: What did I just say?!
Me: *quickly checks him through and hands him his reciept* Have a nice day?
That was the wrong thing to say. The guy cocks his arm back and takes a swing. I wasn't hurt, in fact he missed me, but I was nonetheless freaked out. He goes out the door and I never heard from him again. The only witness was another customer and I wasn't injured, so I didn't bother making a report. Haven't seen him since.
---
Okay, little backtrack for ya. My store does a deal called the 'Freshness Guarantee' where if you find an item that is expired, you can have a fresh version of that item free. Simple enough, right? We got some people coming through a line trying to do this deal with beer. That is illegal.
Him: *comes up with cart full of beer* Yeah, I wanna do this Freshness Guarantee thing.
Me: I'm sorry sir, it is against state law for me to do the freshness guarantee with alcohol.
Him: But the other store let me do it!
Me: *trying to smother her hatred for that excuse* If that is true, they were wrong in doing that. It is illegal, I cannot complete this transaction.
Him: I wanna see the manager!
Me: Yes, sir. *calls over manager*
Manager comes over, she's a real cool cat, and she tells the man the same thing. The guy does the whole 'but the other store let me do it' schtick, and she gives him the same reasoning. Guy leaves the cart full of beer at the register and storms off in a huff. We got two more people that week trying to do it, then no more so far.
---
Another tale from the express lane, however this time, we were pretty damn busy. It was the Holidays, so there were twenty people in my line (and counting). Lady comes through and buys some cotton swabs, a package of lunchmeat, some nail files, and a soda. I package the non-edibles in one bag and the edibles in another. They were very light bags. This is relevant.
I complete the transaction, wish her a nice day, and turn back to my line. She stand there, hurls the bags into her cart, yells, 'That's bad service!' and marches out the door.
Uh, excuse me? Did you not see the twenty people in my line? Could you not lift the two feather-light bags that were on the counter? Did I really have to put them in your cart for you? All you've proved is that you're a baby who wants to be catered to. Bitch.
To make matters worse, I got called into my manager's office saying that a complaint had been filed by her. The manager sided with me, saying that she understood my feelings, however, since we are the highest customer service rating in the state, we have to uphold a standard. I didn't get written up, but she said that next time, I would have to do it.
To recap for you all, here is the actual walk-through of each customer who comes to our store:
-Greet and smile
-If they need assistance, unload the cart or basket for them
-Ask if they need any other items or the sale item
-If they say yes, get the item for them
-If they wish to replace an item, get the item for them
-If they wish to return an item, return the item for them
-Check the items, make conversation
-Bag the groceries for them
-Put the groceries in the cart
-Take coupons and payment, give reciept
-Offer to have someone take the groceries to their car for them
-If they say yes, take the cart to their car and put the groceries in their car for them
-Say 'Have a Nice Day', go back into store, repeat
...yeah, you see what I mean by people like to be catered to at our store? Now, don't get me wrong, I really don't mind doing this. In fact, the majority of my customers are really, really nice people. It's the people who are bitchy and rude or smug about it that I just don't want to deal with.
---
Here's another hatred of mine. Now, I understand that we are a Texas store. I understand I will get customers who speak Spanish. I do not mind that. What I do mind are people who pretend not to speak English when they really do to try to:
a) Get out of doing something
b) Keep you from offering them something
A woman walks through and I greet her, she smiles and nods throughout the entire transaction. We get to payment stage, she scans her credit card, then says in bad English, 'I don't know my PIN number.' I tell her as best I can that she cannot pay with a card if she does not remember her PIN number.
She keeps repeating the same thing over and over, thinking that if she says it enough, we can magically complete the transaction with the card. I try to explain it to her, failing miserably, and then a man (presumably her husband) walks up and asks, in PERFECT English, 'Honey, are you done yet?'
I look at her and her face is burning in embarassment. She quickly punches in her number and I hand her the reciept.
I've gotten the same routine with people trying to use food stamps to buy non-food stamp eligible items. Blah.
---
Now, here's the one I saved for last. My least favorite customer in all my time in retail. A woman comes through my line with a cart packed-full with items, including several perishables. She says, 'stop me when I hit forty dollars.'
RED FLAG. Since I know all of those items will not add up to less than forty dollars, it means we will have to put the majority of that cart back. Plus, it increases my hatred because:
a) Why would you not check the prices as you go?
b) This just screams 'haggler alert!'
Sure enough, choice b) is true, and from the first item, she starts to haggle. She keeps taking pieces of produce out of her bags to knock prices down. Then I scan a carton of eggs, they come out to $2.14. She says, "That's too much, take the fourteen cents off."
Uh...what?
I try to explain to her that it is a set price and I cannot do that. I call two managers over who also try to explain to her (in vain) that we cannot do that. I am becoming increasingly frustrated with the woman and one of the managers tells me to go bag her groceries. I agree and I start to bag the items.
The woman finally finishes and walks up to me. "I like your jeans." This is the first nice thing she says to me, so I say thank you.
Now, this woman is overweight. (Yes, this will become relevant in a minute.) She is wearing stretchpants with a large elastic waistband. She made Santa look underfed. That's how big she was.
The next thing out of her mouth? "You know, I didn't think I could wear jeans anymore, but if they make them in your size, maybe I can, where did you buy those?"
Oh, HELL no.
Now, I admit that I am overweight. At last weigh in, I am 225 pounds. I am twenty years old, I admit that is not a healthy weight for my age. But I am not as big as her, and for GOD'S SAKE, why the hell would you say that to someone?!
The managers look at me, their eyes wide in shock, wondering what I do next. On the outside, I keep on a fake smile and pretend not to hear her, in my head, 'Urge to kill, RISING.'
I put the groceries in her cart and she finally leaves. The managers pat me on the back for a job well done. I hope I NEVER see that woman again. If I do, I will not serve her. That was incredibly rude and hurtful and I do not ever want to deal with her again.
---
Okay, that's all for now. *sigh* Work is work, I guess.
So, to begin, let's go with the one story from when I took calls:
Me: Hello, (company name here), This is Taylor, how may I help you?
Phone: *BANG BANG BANG CLANG*
Me: Hello???
Woman: Oh, yes! Could I get customer service please?
Me: Ma'am, are you alright? I heard noises.
Woman: Oh, yes. I bang pots and pans into the reciever to make sure I have a real person and not a machine.
Me: ....*connects her to customer service*
That wasn't sucky, but rather a WTF moment.
---
Now, onto the movie theater. I HATED this job with a passion. Here was one woman who was half WTF half suck.
Woman: *walks, well, staggers up to concession stand*
Me: May I help you, ma'am?
Woman: Yeah, can I get a rum and coke?
Me: ...excuse me?
Woman: Rum and Coke.
Me: *knowing woman is obviously drunk, decides to humor her* Well, I can give you the coke, but I'm afraid I cannot supply the rum.
Woman: That's bullshit! I wanna see your manager!
Me: *calls manager over, watches woman get escorted out by security*
---
And now, here's the ones from my current job as a cashier slave.
I'm checking a man's groceries and he's staring at me. Not like 'attentive and friendly' staring. I mean 'creepy and lecherous' staring. It was a huge biker dude, like one of those guys you do not wanna mess with. I bag his groceries and I notice his shirt.
On the front it says, 'I like my coffee the way I like my women.'
On the back it says, '...ground up and in the freezer.'
Yeah, I was really glad when that guy left.
---
One day I was working express, and it was a slow day, so things were going great. All of a sudden a man stomps up to my line and throws a beer case on the counter. The top is slightly open.
Him: I hate this fucking store! Look at this! This is shitty merchandise!
Me: *trying to calm him down* I can ask someone to get you another one if you like-
Him: NO! Just check me through so I can get out of this store!
Me: Would you like anything else-
Him: What did I just say?!
Me: *quickly checks him through and hands him his reciept* Have a nice day?
That was the wrong thing to say. The guy cocks his arm back and takes a swing. I wasn't hurt, in fact he missed me, but I was nonetheless freaked out. He goes out the door and I never heard from him again. The only witness was another customer and I wasn't injured, so I didn't bother making a report. Haven't seen him since.
---
Okay, little backtrack for ya. My store does a deal called the 'Freshness Guarantee' where if you find an item that is expired, you can have a fresh version of that item free. Simple enough, right? We got some people coming through a line trying to do this deal with beer. That is illegal.
Him: *comes up with cart full of beer* Yeah, I wanna do this Freshness Guarantee thing.
Me: I'm sorry sir, it is against state law for me to do the freshness guarantee with alcohol.
Him: But the other store let me do it!
Me: *trying to smother her hatred for that excuse* If that is true, they were wrong in doing that. It is illegal, I cannot complete this transaction.
Him: I wanna see the manager!
Me: Yes, sir. *calls over manager*
Manager comes over, she's a real cool cat, and she tells the man the same thing. The guy does the whole 'but the other store let me do it' schtick, and she gives him the same reasoning. Guy leaves the cart full of beer at the register and storms off in a huff. We got two more people that week trying to do it, then no more so far.
---
Another tale from the express lane, however this time, we were pretty damn busy. It was the Holidays, so there were twenty people in my line (and counting). Lady comes through and buys some cotton swabs, a package of lunchmeat, some nail files, and a soda. I package the non-edibles in one bag and the edibles in another. They were very light bags. This is relevant.
I complete the transaction, wish her a nice day, and turn back to my line. She stand there, hurls the bags into her cart, yells, 'That's bad service!' and marches out the door.
Uh, excuse me? Did you not see the twenty people in my line? Could you not lift the two feather-light bags that were on the counter? Did I really have to put them in your cart for you? All you've proved is that you're a baby who wants to be catered to. Bitch.
To make matters worse, I got called into my manager's office saying that a complaint had been filed by her. The manager sided with me, saying that she understood my feelings, however, since we are the highest customer service rating in the state, we have to uphold a standard. I didn't get written up, but she said that next time, I would have to do it.
To recap for you all, here is the actual walk-through of each customer who comes to our store:
-Greet and smile
-If they need assistance, unload the cart or basket for them
-Ask if they need any other items or the sale item
-If they say yes, get the item for them
-If they wish to replace an item, get the item for them
-If they wish to return an item, return the item for them
-Check the items, make conversation
-Bag the groceries for them
-Put the groceries in the cart
-Take coupons and payment, give reciept
-Offer to have someone take the groceries to their car for them
-If they say yes, take the cart to their car and put the groceries in their car for them
-Say 'Have a Nice Day', go back into store, repeat
...yeah, you see what I mean by people like to be catered to at our store? Now, don't get me wrong, I really don't mind doing this. In fact, the majority of my customers are really, really nice people. It's the people who are bitchy and rude or smug about it that I just don't want to deal with.
---
Here's another hatred of mine. Now, I understand that we are a Texas store. I understand I will get customers who speak Spanish. I do not mind that. What I do mind are people who pretend not to speak English when they really do to try to:
a) Get out of doing something
b) Keep you from offering them something
A woman walks through and I greet her, she smiles and nods throughout the entire transaction. We get to payment stage, she scans her credit card, then says in bad English, 'I don't know my PIN number.' I tell her as best I can that she cannot pay with a card if she does not remember her PIN number.
She keeps repeating the same thing over and over, thinking that if she says it enough, we can magically complete the transaction with the card. I try to explain it to her, failing miserably, and then a man (presumably her husband) walks up and asks, in PERFECT English, 'Honey, are you done yet?'
I look at her and her face is burning in embarassment. She quickly punches in her number and I hand her the reciept.
I've gotten the same routine with people trying to use food stamps to buy non-food stamp eligible items. Blah.
---
Now, here's the one I saved for last. My least favorite customer in all my time in retail. A woman comes through my line with a cart packed-full with items, including several perishables. She says, 'stop me when I hit forty dollars.'
RED FLAG. Since I know all of those items will not add up to less than forty dollars, it means we will have to put the majority of that cart back. Plus, it increases my hatred because:
a) Why would you not check the prices as you go?
b) This just screams 'haggler alert!'
Sure enough, choice b) is true, and from the first item, she starts to haggle. She keeps taking pieces of produce out of her bags to knock prices down. Then I scan a carton of eggs, they come out to $2.14. She says, "That's too much, take the fourteen cents off."
Uh...what?
I try to explain to her that it is a set price and I cannot do that. I call two managers over who also try to explain to her (in vain) that we cannot do that. I am becoming increasingly frustrated with the woman and one of the managers tells me to go bag her groceries. I agree and I start to bag the items.
The woman finally finishes and walks up to me. "I like your jeans." This is the first nice thing she says to me, so I say thank you.
Now, this woman is overweight. (Yes, this will become relevant in a minute.) She is wearing stretchpants with a large elastic waistband. She made Santa look underfed. That's how big she was.
The next thing out of her mouth? "You know, I didn't think I could wear jeans anymore, but if they make them in your size, maybe I can, where did you buy those?"
Oh, HELL no.
Now, I admit that I am overweight. At last weigh in, I am 225 pounds. I am twenty years old, I admit that is not a healthy weight for my age. But I am not as big as her, and for GOD'S SAKE, why the hell would you say that to someone?!
The managers look at me, their eyes wide in shock, wondering what I do next. On the outside, I keep on a fake smile and pretend not to hear her, in my head, 'Urge to kill, RISING.'
I put the groceries in her cart and she finally leaves. The managers pat me on the back for a job well done. I hope I NEVER see that woman again. If I do, I will not serve her. That was incredibly rude and hurtful and I do not ever want to deal with her again.
---
Okay, that's all for now. *sigh* Work is work, I guess.
And yes, we do have scanned per hour goals, and they are highly enforced.
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