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I am brand spankin new to this site, altough I have been reading it for a while now. Reading these posts usually make me more angry about how crazy some of these customers are. I believe I could write a book about it at this point.
Anyways for my first post on this message board I will run the gamit on all of the things that infuriate me about working in retail. I currently work in a retail store for a major wireless phone provider.
Customers:
- I don't make the prices, I can't change the prices, I don't care what your opinion is about the prices and you shouldnt care what my opinion is about the prices...our opinions are irrelevant and will stay that way. The only way the prices are going to come down is if people stop buying it. If the price is too high for you then dont buy the product/service, it is really that simple.
- The standard practice of cell phone companies is to offer discounts on a new cell phone for signing some time of service contract. No, you do not have to sign a contract...you will just pay the retail cost of the phone. The phone does not actually cost $29.99, it is more in the neighborhood of $299.99. You get a discount every 18 months or so, so take care of the damn thing and dont run over it with your car, because you wont be getting another discount. Don't act surprised by this, cell phone companies have been doing this for years.
- Commerce is the exchange of money for products and services, dont spout off that you have been a customer for x amount of years or spend x amount of dollars with us as if it is a donation or something. Dont talk about customer loyalty as if you are our friend who is doing us a favor...you are obviously somewhat happy with our service/products to be a customer for so long.
- A credit check is a very standard practice amongst companies offering a service that provides a monthly bill to be paid on time...also credit checks have always required a social security number. Again, do not act surprised by this, you were not born yesterday. A cell phone is not a utility either, it is a luxury.
- A 30 day return policy is a very generous, and standard policy among most retailers. Dont get mad when I wont return your phone that it 3 months old. The policy is stated right on your reciept.
- It is your responsibility to read the terms and conditions of your service agreement, I will not read it to you.
Managment:
- The reason your employees get yelled at all of the time is because it is widely believed that if you pitch a big enough fit, you will get whatever you want. Dont make your employees look like idiots by accuratly explaining the policy to the customer only to have you override it because a customer got really mad...that makes everyone's job harder.
- I dont get paid enough for people to yell at me all day, that is your job. When a customer starts getting heated, i pause them and grab a manager...thats what you are there for, thats why you get paid more than me.
- If a customer is cursing and being verbally abusive, defend your reps and the other customers in the store and ask them to leave. Don't be nice about it either. Customer service is not about being verbally abused by idiots.
Corporate:
- Your thoughts and opinions on how I do my job are meaningless to me. You do not deal with what I have to deal with. When you make a decision, I am the messenger that has to deliever that info to the customer and I am the one that gets the reaction.
- I am here to make money for myself...not for you. Me making money for me equals you making money so it all comes out of the wash. If you create a policy that does not make me money I will ignore it. I do not care about the growth of the company or how well we did this quarter, I only care about how much money is on MY paycheck.
- Your little suggestions on how to make the store better are laughable considering you never set foot in our store. These suggestions are also ignored.
- Telling me "what customers want" is funny considering the last time you spoke with a customer was in 1992.
<end>
That felt good.
Anyways for my first post on this message board I will run the gamit on all of the things that infuriate me about working in retail. I currently work in a retail store for a major wireless phone provider.
Customers:
- I don't make the prices, I can't change the prices, I don't care what your opinion is about the prices and you shouldnt care what my opinion is about the prices...our opinions are irrelevant and will stay that way. The only way the prices are going to come down is if people stop buying it. If the price is too high for you then dont buy the product/service, it is really that simple.
- The standard practice of cell phone companies is to offer discounts on a new cell phone for signing some time of service contract. No, you do not have to sign a contract...you will just pay the retail cost of the phone. The phone does not actually cost $29.99, it is more in the neighborhood of $299.99. You get a discount every 18 months or so, so take care of the damn thing and dont run over it with your car, because you wont be getting another discount. Don't act surprised by this, cell phone companies have been doing this for years.
- Commerce is the exchange of money for products and services, dont spout off that you have been a customer for x amount of years or spend x amount of dollars with us as if it is a donation or something. Dont talk about customer loyalty as if you are our friend who is doing us a favor...you are obviously somewhat happy with our service/products to be a customer for so long.
- A credit check is a very standard practice amongst companies offering a service that provides a monthly bill to be paid on time...also credit checks have always required a social security number. Again, do not act surprised by this, you were not born yesterday. A cell phone is not a utility either, it is a luxury.
- A 30 day return policy is a very generous, and standard policy among most retailers. Dont get mad when I wont return your phone that it 3 months old. The policy is stated right on your reciept.
- It is your responsibility to read the terms and conditions of your service agreement, I will not read it to you.
Managment:
- The reason your employees get yelled at all of the time is because it is widely believed that if you pitch a big enough fit, you will get whatever you want. Dont make your employees look like idiots by accuratly explaining the policy to the customer only to have you override it because a customer got really mad...that makes everyone's job harder.
- I dont get paid enough for people to yell at me all day, that is your job. When a customer starts getting heated, i pause them and grab a manager...thats what you are there for, thats why you get paid more than me.
- If a customer is cursing and being verbally abusive, defend your reps and the other customers in the store and ask them to leave. Don't be nice about it either. Customer service is not about being verbally abused by idiots.
Corporate:
- Your thoughts and opinions on how I do my job are meaningless to me. You do not deal with what I have to deal with. When you make a decision, I am the messenger that has to deliever that info to the customer and I am the one that gets the reaction.
- I am here to make money for myself...not for you. Me making money for me equals you making money so it all comes out of the wash. If you create a policy that does not make me money I will ignore it. I do not care about the growth of the company or how well we did this quarter, I only care about how much money is on MY paycheck.
- Your little suggestions on how to make the store better are laughable considering you never set foot in our store. These suggestions are also ignored.
- Telling me "what customers want" is funny considering the last time you spoke with a customer was in 1992.
<end>
That felt good.
It's great. I snicker to myself when someone says "Get me your manager!!" Okey dokey. She feels the same way we do...if you come in and ask nicely...behave and are generally courteous..we'll do what we can to help you. IF, however, you come in and pitch a fit...you're done. Not a chance. We've had a few that demand HER manager....who also will tell them no. 
Gotta love it when the SC's lose.
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