I must look like I work in retail

[ShootMePlease]

This has happened to me more times than I care to count. No matter where I am, be it in my work uniform (which I try to avoid wearing to another establishment at all costs) or in my street clothes, people come up to me and ask me for help. Now, I'm not the type to be an asshole to anyone, so if I happen to know where something is I'll tell them. But I wonder what it is about me that makes me suceptible to these queries. In fact, I don't think I look "retail" at all. I'm rather heavily tattooed and I usually wear rock shirts and jeans for street clothes.

Does anyone else here share this problem ? I have read stories on here from others who have had these experiences, but not this many.

[Nonstop_Death]

you have the air of competence. That's why people ask you for help.

[chainedbarista]

maybe you just seem really approachable; some people give off those vibes, so it might not necessarily be the 'curse of the retail demons.'

strangely, but more people do that to me now, even though i don't think i'm that approachable.

[NorthernZel]

This has happened to me more times than I care to count. No matter where I am, be it in my work uniform (which I try to avoid wearing to another establishment at all costs) or in my street clothes, people come up to me and ask me for help. Now, I'm not the type to be an asshole to anyone, so if I happen to know where something is I'll tell them. But I wonder what it is about me that makes me suceptible to these queries. In fact, I don't think I look "retail" at all. I'm rather heavily tattooed and I usually wear rock shirts and jeans for street clothes.

Does anyone else here share this problem ? I have read stories on here from others who have had these experiences, but not this many.

I've tried that at my local electronics store (where I in no matter looked anything similar to an employee - I wore my coat and a backpack, and had Lil' Zel with me). But the customer in this case apologized and said that she DID know I didn't work here, but she said that I looked like "someone who knew stuff about computers" and she didn't want to bother a worker with what she herself thought would be a trivial question (she was looking for a mousepad for her elderly father who had just bought his first computer).

Since that enquiry seemed easy enough to solve, and the customer was very polite about it, I asked her a bit about how her father's desk looked like, whether it was a stationary or laptop PC, the type of mouse (trackball/optic/laser), had her father trouble with his arm/wrist, and ended up recommending a standard type of mousepad + suggestions for alternative ergonomic mouses/pads just in case her father experienced wrist pains while using the mouse.

So I think most of it comes with entering a store while having The Aura Of Knowledge (TM) around you.

[LillFilly]

Hee. I was wearing my GRUNGIEST clothes because I'd been doing yardwork. I ended-up with more purchases than I intended and was walking around with a stack of stuff. I kept getting asked if I worked there.

Nope. Just obsessed with Christmas lights!!!

[Can I Help Your A$$?]

I think the whole "air of competence" thing is spot-on. Maybe we just know how retail stores work, and can focus on things in a store that many SC's don't. We can walk around a store and look at signs and actually read them, rather than wandering around in a stupor with drool coming out the corners of our mouths?

[Food Lady]

We can walk around a store and look at signs and actually read them, rather than wandering around in a stupor with drool coming out the corners of our mouths?

The drool part made me And SMP, are you good-looking? It's been proven attractive people are perceived as more approachable.

[Zellie Crescent]

It really sucks if they follow you and you're on the phone. It happened when I was shopping for my mom's birthday gift.

[nuthing12]

I used to get that all the time when I was younger. I never wore clothes that looked like staff uniforms but no matter where I went people of all ages would assume I worked for that store.

My guesses why they did so are:

a) I was looking at the merchandise like I was doing inventory

b) I wore a shirt that was the same colour as the staff (which often was not the case)

c) I had an all knowing expression on my face like I could answer anything

or my favourite D - I looked like I was about to steal something and so they called on me to head me off at the pass so I'd know I was being watched

Sadly I no longer get asked questions anymore that allow me to come up with bullshit answers to funny problems

[Whiskey]

you have the air of competence. That's why people ask you for help.

no one asks me for help

[hotelslave]

Today while out shopping got asked where some baking product was. Since I can barely make toast I had no idea what they were looking for. I was wearing a pair of gym shorts and a t shirt that read I see stupid people reading my tshirt. How this looked like a work uniform I have no idea

[DGoddessChardonnay]

no one asks me for help

Consider yourself lucky IMO.

I've had that happen to me on at least two occasions that I can recall. Once was at BlueLight when browsing in the lingerie section with my Mom. I'd just gotten off work, but I had on a coat over my work clothes and some woman approached us and asked me for a price check on something or other.

Another time was at a competing grocery store . . . and I was in my work clothes, hand basket over one arm, browsing through one of the aisles when someone asked me where something was.

Now, even though our shirts then looked similar to what Titter Peeters (thank my late aunt for that nickname, which I just remembered) wore at the time, ours had the Litter Box logo clearly on the front.

Come to think of it, I think there was another time at Wallyworld when I was shopping with Mom and I was in regular clothes. Now how somebody in jeans and a sweater could be mistaken for a Wallyworld employee is beyond me . . .

I've come to the conclusion I must have the word "Retail peon" stamped on my forehead in invisible ink that only customers must be able to see.

[ShootMePlease]

And SMP, are you good-looking? It's been proven attractive people are perceived as more approachable.

Well I think I'm pretty damn cute

[Mikkel]

no one asks me for help

What would happen if they did? It's their survival instincts.

[CloserToSane]

It doesn't happen in stores too much any more (I think office work is making the 'retail peon' stamp fade away). However I am a walking talking map it seems.

I don't mind if it's walking directions in my own city (I don't drive so I point them towards a pub and say they'll get more help there). Every single time I've been to London in the past year or so I've been asked for directions at least twice. I try my best, but that's usually directions my way, tube station and either read the map or ask someone there.

The map stamp needs to go, I'm just a musical ned getting her fix. I also *gasp* plan and google map things before hand so I know where I have to end up, the rest is just wandering, keeping an eye out for a tube station.