I must be stupid because I work here

[npro_god]

I know someone posted something like this a while back, but I just remembered my own experience with idiot SC's who think that because you work retail you must be an idiot.

At the time, I was working in a sporting goods store while earning my B Sc (Honors) in archaeology, and trying to save up for graduate school. In walks a middle aged guy with his young daughter who looked to be about 8 or so. As soon as he clears the doors, he makes a beeline for my register dragging his daughter by the hand.

SC: "See Cynthia? That man didn't go to school and now he has to work here."

Me: "Uh...I'm actually going to University, I just work here on the evenings and weekends to pay for it."

SC: "No you don't." (leaves)



I guess I was mistaken, I thought that I knew my own life - thank you complete stranger for your free analysis of my life. Kudos as well for teaching your young daughter to judge people based on first impressions.

It may be dumb, but what really pisses me off is that he didn't even buy anything - he just came in the store to insult me. ARGH!

[Crow The Robot]

Okay, what the is up with that guy? He walks into your shop and insults you, and he doesn't even buy anything??? Y'know i may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer but i believe you, actually buy things at a store. (or at least look) This ain't a comedy club where you heckle people. Damn.

[Last Jewish Cowboy]

One night a mother and her two children came in to the store I was working in. I was in collage at the time and working nights. This group came up to the till and bought their items. One of the children (he was about 14) looks at me and asks,"Do you have to go to school to do that?" It was the smartass tone that I didn't like.
I replied, "No, this how you pay for school."
I thought I saw a smirk from the mother..........

[shelly2jn]

A woman and her kid were at my checkout once and the little girl was watching me scan everything and said to her mother, "that looks like good fun mummy, I think I might like to work here when I grow up." Mother looks at the child and replies
"don't be silly, you have better in you than to sit here like some brainless idiot"

Me:
Mother: Oh I didn't mean you
Me: Oh, that's ok then but just for your information, the girl on the checkout in front of me is in the middle of a business degree, that guy in front of her is also doing a degree in marketing, our runner over there is doing his degree in retail management and as for myself I have 10 GCSE's, 4 RSA's an NVQ, two OCN's (all qualifications in the UK) and am a member of mensa. I do this job because my full time job in the civil service is badly paid I refuse to get into debt to pay for holidays and Christmas. Just because someone is in a "lowly job" does not mean they are unintelligent. Maybe you should remember that.
Mother Sorry I didn't mean to make assumptions or insult you.
Me: Well you did.

[Rapscallion]

Bwahaha! Love it!

Just curious - do people still do A-levels these days? I have a few I could add into the mix (I even passed one or two...).

Rapscallion

[crazydaisy]

They do...I have two A levels in French and English Lang/Lit.
The only thing stopping me going to uni was a severe lack of money (I'm from a very poor household) and I started work to bring some money in to the house.
I'm not thick, and neither are most of the people I have worked with, but the attitude of many a customer is, that if you work in retail, then probably you can barely read or write.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I have A-Levels in Sociology, English and History; the first one comes in very handy while working retail. I didn't go to university cuz I didn't see the point; I was in a way proven right when a mate of mine ended up temping after getting a first. I did an NVQ instead, and then joined the wonderful world of retail. XD

[Gawdzillers]

Mother Sorry I didn't mean to make assumptions or insult you.
Me: Well you did.

Incredible win on your part.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I had one of my GOOD customers make this assumption. Right before I left Kinko's to work as a graphic designer for a company, he came in. He really was a very nice man, never acted sucky, and always treated us with respect and like human beings. He came in the week before I left.

Me: Hey, I'm glad you're here. I won't be seeing you in here anymore, I got another job and Friday's my last day.

Him: Hey, congrats! Where you headed?

Me: (name of company...it's considered a very nice place to work).

Him: That's great! What will you be doing? Answering phones?

Me: No. I'll be working as a graphic designer.

Him (taken aback) Oh! Wow. That's really cool!

Me: Thanks! (pause) Feh. "Answering phones, he says."

Lady Behind Him:

Him:



It used to so annoy me that people thought me and the other Kinkoids were stupid because we worked at Kinko's. How does that make any sense. We had to be far more computer literate than the customers. We had to be able to troubleshoot and fix not only software and file issues, but sometimes the machines themselves. We had to be able to keep our machines all going at once, do high-tech orders right and on time, deal with customers who half the time didn't know what they want and the other half of the time knew but couldn't express it correctly. All this while working in a pressure cooker and under the scrutiny of a crowd of impatient SC's amid noise and chaos.

I worked with a published comic artist, a budding fashion designer (who has shows around town), a couple honors students, the creator of a long-time, popular, and well known (as in written up in magazines) web comic, a professional photographer, several musicians, and a guy who went from being a delivery driver to the manager of two stores in something like 5 years. So when some mouth-breather with the IQ of a turnip called my co-workers' "stupid", it really got next to me.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

Mother Sorry I didn't mean to make assumptions or insult you.
Me: Well you did.

Ah, I just love the smell of morally bitchslapping someone in the morning.

Congrats on the definitive win.

Mongo

[greensinestro]

Like...........wow! Did this asshole have nothing better to do? Did he say to his little girl, "Let's go to as many department stores as we can and point out what losers are out there working?" I mean, WTF?

I know people who have college degrees, are out working a full time job with what they have, and still do part time jobs like this one. Some do it because they need the extra money (a college degree does not always guarantee you to be a millionaire overnight), and some do it because they like to work.

That's awful though. People like that can be real snobs, and I'll bet you he doesn't have a good education himself, or else he would be doing better things with his time, like quality time with his daughter. This definitely would not qualify as quality time in my book.

[Boozy]

It used to so annoy me that people thought me and the other Kinkoids were stupid because we worked at Kinko's.

I've been in and out of my local copy centre for the last few months for various reasons (sending packages, doing my wedding invitations, etc) and I've become very friendly with one of the women who works there. Turns out, she's also a biology professor at the local university. She's just doing this part time until she gets tenure. (Non-tenured professors are paid crap). And she says that her job at the copy centre is far more challenging on most days than her job at the university! So I definitely believe you when you say that your job is tougher than most people think.

[Becks]

Maybe many of us retail workers are smart, but some of us have little to no motivation, and actually LIKE their jobs (not necessarily the pay, but the job itself...). Do these asshats ever think of that??

[Noelegy]

Me: "Uh...I'm actually going to University, I just work here on the evenings and weekends to pay for it."

SC: "No you don't." (leaves)

Don't you just love the surreal feeling of arguing with someone when you know you're right?

Years ago when I was working as a cashier in a supermarket, I was working the express lane one day when the store's assistant manager, a notorious rhymes-with-witch, bought her lunch through my checkout. She looked at me and said, "You look different today. You're wearing makeup."

I've relaxed a bit in this regard in recent years, but in those days I would not have left my house without makeup on, let alone gone to work. I smiled and told her I wore makeup every day.

"No you don't," she said. "You're wearing makeup today."

At which point I just had to nod and smile, although I felt like applying my index finger to my lips and flapping vigorously: pth-b-b-b-b-b-b-b

[Gurndigarn]

Maybe many of us retail workers are smart, but some of us have little to no motivation, and actually LIKE their jobs (not necessarily the pay, but the job itself...). Do these asshats ever think of that??

Nope. They are/want to be rich, so everyone else obviously wants to be rich. So if you're working retail (which will not make you rich, unless you're in mid-to-upper management), you obviously lack something; othewise, you would have a job that would make you rich.

Me, I could have gotten high-paying jobs. I just didn't want the stress that comes with them.