The Saga of "Can You Help Me?"

[Red_Dazes]

.....or that is what it seemed like today. It wasn't one particular incident, just seemed like EVERY customer had to ask me for help today.
Here was the scene.
We got a random SURPRISE truck from the warehouse the other day a FULL truck of seasonal stuff.... we are SO overstocked on seasonal already I have no idea how we are going to finish off the other hundred or so boxes in the back room. Anyway, this means that everyone, from every department, with the exceptions of the head cashier, frame counter, and fabric counter, was helping to get this seasonal stuff out on the floor. I happily took the Halloween aisle...because ....well... It's so much fun!

So picture this... I am standing, sometimes sitting, in the middle of the aisle... surrounded by wicker baskets, all full of Halloween stuff... virtually stacked up above my waste.... I am stuck in a fortress of Frankenstein Monsters, Ghosts, Witches, and Vampires... there are literally 5+ other employees in every direction of me, none of whom seemed to have been boxed in.... yet, every... single... customer... walked right past them, came up to me... and asked me to take them to find *random obscure item* It became almost comical for a while there... but the hilarity died quickly after maneuvering around those baskets for the eleventh time. And every time I made a pathway out... someone from the stock room would dump more baskets there.

Bonus story
Or ceramic, polly-resin, and pottery are all 50% off this week. Well a lot of Halloween stuff is stuck on our middle display tables to show it off ((and because there is no room for it)) there is a mix of everything on those tables... ceramic, wood, metal... etc. Well I got to listen to a lady whine about how it was false advertising because the "sign" said 50% off... and the little metal ghost was on the table, and so it should be 50% off too.... after the 3rd or 4th time of me explaining in my sweetest deadpan voice... that the sign also said "50% off, Ceramic, Polly-resin, and pottery" she finally took the hint I didn't give a crap and left me alone.



Note:... I felt you all should know that when I typed that italic 'surprise' up there at the top... in my head it was very enthusiastic and included jazz hands......because everything is better with jazz hands....

[EvilEmpryss]

So picture this... I am standing, sometimes sitting, in the middle of the aisle... surrounded by wicker baskets, all full of Halloween stuff... virtually stacked up above my waste.... I am stuck in a fortress of Frankenstein Monsters, Ghosts, Witches, and Vampires... there are literally 5+ other employees in every direction of me, none of whom seemed to have been boxed in.... yet, every... single... customer... walked right past them, came up to me... and asked me to take them to find *random obscure item*.

Well sure... you're the only one who looks like they're actually *working*.

[ShinyKitsune]

I've lost track of how many times I've been busy with over 9000 tasks, and it would be glaringly obvious to even the stupidest of idiots that I'm gonna have my hands full for a while, and a coworker will be literally standing right next to me doing some minor job, enough to be working, but not too busy to help customers. Coworker will ask a clearly lost customer if they need help, and the customer will either tell them "No" or just flat-out ignore them, only to immediately walk over to me and demand that I stop what I'm doing to help them.

Then there's the people that insist that I help them when I'm clocked off for my lunch break, and heading out the door with my lunch right there in my hand. ::facepalm::

[Ben_Who]

I've lost track of how many times I've been busy with over 9000 tasks, and it would be glaringly obvious to even the stupidest of idiots that I'm gonna have my hands full for a while, and a coworker will be literally standing right next to me doing some minor job, enough to be working, but not too busy to help customers. Coworker will ask a clearly lost customer if they need help, and the customer will either tell them "No" or just flat-out ignore them, only to immediately walk over to me and demand that I stop what I'm doing to help them.

Then there's the people that insist that I help them when I'm clocked off for my lunch break, and heading out the door with my lunch right there in my hand. ::facepalm::

Could gender have something to do with it? I had a co-worker who complained that when someone asked her a question, and she answered it, they'd immediately turn around and ask the same question of a man, and that (identical) answer would be more to the customer's liking.

Love, Who?

[Whiskey]

Could gender have something to do with it? I had a co-worker who complained that when someone asked her a question, and she answered it, they'd immediately turn around and ask the same question of a man, and that (identical) answer would be more to the customer's liking.

Love, Who?

Yeah its called sexism. A lot of people suffer from it.

[alcaholjunkie]

....because everything is better with jazz hands....

• Sports such as Basketball, Golf, baseball, etc..
• Driving
• Performing Surgery
• Push-ups
• Hanging off a cliff
• X-rated stuff (Although some people might be into that sort of thing, there are some weird people out there)
• Typing
• Construction work
• Doing sign language
• Walking through crowded areas
• Firing weapons
• Playing instruments
• Soldering
• Ironing
• Tying shoe laces
• Directing traffic
• Brushing teeth
• Eating/drinking
• Fist-Fighting
• etc...

/ I'm pretty bored at the moment if you can't tell. ^_^ Also some of those instances would be funny to see with jazz hands. ;-P

// SC's can only see employees who are obviously doing something that looks like work, the co-workers who weren't surrounded by boxes probably looked like other customers to them. -_- (Despite the obvious uniform you get at most, if not all stores.)

[EricKei]

... the customer will either tell them "No" or just flat-out ignore them, only to immediately walk over to me and demand that I stop what I'm doing to help them.

It's that Aura of Competence. Learn to tone it down when you get really busy like that so people will ignore you.

[Food Lady]

I had that aura today as I was shopping after work, in street clothes. Some lady opened her mouth to ask me something and I happened to see it as I glanced at her, but I did not let on I noticed her and she went away. I've mastered the Blank Stare of Oblivion, apparently.

[Marmalady]

Then there's the people that insist that I help them when I'm clocked off for my lunch break, and heading out the door with my lunch right there in my hand. ::facepalm::

Mmm hm. Got that on Thursday. Heading to the break room carrying my purse, a newspaper, a drink, a bottle of water (for refreshment during the afternoon) and a filled roll, and I get 'Excuse me?'
I turn around and the customer sees everything I'm carrying and says 'Oh! Are you on your lunch break?'
Hooray, I think, someone who's going to be human and let me go.
I smile and say 'Yes I am'.
'Oh, well perhaps you can tell me if you have any blah blah blah....'

Why did they even bother to ask me if I was on my lunch, if the answer didn't make any difference?

[Difdi]

Why did they even bother to ask me if I was on my lunch, if the answer didn't make any difference?

Because they only get 3 Jerk-Points for interrupting you when you're clocked in, but all points count double when you're on break?

[Kristev]

Triple, actually.

[Marmalady]

Ahh I see, now it makes sense.

SC sense, that is......

[BlaqueKatt]

[LIST][*]Firing weapons

Also some of those instances would be funny to see with jazz hands. ;-P

my friend Sawyer and I actually regularly bust out "jazz hands" at the range_I'm also known to bust them out at work-remember I work in a laboratory-complete with safety goggles and lab coat-I'm also known for "petri dish frisbee" and <_< >_> hugging the machines to make them work properly.... 0_0-hey it works!

[mharbourgirl]

Triple, actually.

And if you're bleeding it's like putting their 'X' on the triple-letter square AND making a long enough word to get a triple-WORD square too.