Have you ever worked retail? If the answer is no then count your blessings, but if the answer is yes, you may remember these common nightmares that makes your life immeasurably harder.
10. "That's not mine"
Imagine, if you will, that you are ringing out a customer with about 100 different items and they are beginning to become impatient. You are trying your best and going as fast as you can, but this doesn't seem to be enough for the customer. You are finally reaching the end of the line, the light is coming at the end of the tunnel, you scan the last item and hear "That's not mine" in an aggravated, shrill tone. You look over at the next customer in line to find out that it is theirs and they had put their items on the counter right after the customer prior with no indication of a product ownership split. If you work at higher up retailers, this is not a huge problem, as you can just void the item, however, if you work at smaller retailers and cannot void an item yourself (like myself), you have to call up your manager who is throwing freight in the back of the store to come up and void the item for you, wasting more time and building that nightmarishly long line of customers even further.
9. "I don't want that"
Similar to the previous entry, a customer has the entirety of their order being checked out to decide whether or not they want everything they are buying for sure. But, of course, it is always the very second after you ring up their questionable item that they say "I don't want that after all." Again, for the bigger stores this isn't a problem, but for someone who has to call their manager up to void an item, this is a giant pain.
8. Leaving your things at the counter
I get it, you're not done shopping. I get it, your arms are getting tired. I get it, you're so entitled that you think that you can use a public counter that has to be used to check everyone in the store out to hold your things while you go shop for more things. Tell you what, either grab a basket or cart, or you can wait until you have all of your things and come up to check out all at once.
7. "Where is your ..."
Normally this isn't a problem, but when someone is so completely inept as to either not follow your directions or insist that the product isn't where you tell them it is, and then begin to cop an attitude at the situation, that is when a problem begins. Especially when it takes 2 seconds for the associate to find the item, and the customer begins to cop an even bigger attitude because they think you are being smart with them.
6. "That was supposed to be discounted"
At stores like Dollar General and Dollar Tree, there are a lot of discount offers and sales that happen in a very short amount of time, and get reshuffled very frequently, so it is very hard to keep track of every single item we have for sale. It is very common that an item WAS on sale a few days ago, but is no longer on sale. It grinds my gears when customers come up, have me ring up an item, and then give me an attitude when it doesn't ring up at the discount price. If it were at the discount price, it would've rung up a the discount price, simple as that.
5. "Why do you need to see my ID?"
At my store, it is store policy to ID everyone, and I mean everyone, when selling tobacco products. I've had to ID an 80 year old women before. Most customers are understanding of this, but some cop the biggest attitude, even when they can provide ID no problem. It is not my decision to card any customer, it's literally just me doing my job.
4. No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service / No Pets
Another store policy is the No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service thing because it is a health code violation to have anyone in the store without a shirt or shoes. When someone walks into the store without one of these things, I must politely tell them to leave, or if I haven't noticed them and they make it to the counter, I'll ring them up but tell them that for future reference, a shirt and shoes must be worn. Some people try to outsmart me by saying that there is no sign indicating this rule on the door. I then have to walk over to the door and point out exactly where it says the rule, and they begin to cop an attitude. I wouldn't have as big of a problem with this if it weren't common sense. How long have people known about and enforced this rule? A long time that's for sure. And as far as pets go, I understand service animals, but there is no reason to bring your precious schnookums into our store and shed all over our products. Simple.
3. "Why are you guys out of ...?" / "Do you have any more in the back"?
Because other people who shopped here before you like it too. You're not the only one in the universe. And no, we do not have any more in the back because I would have to sift through all of the million boxes back there on the off chance that I would find what you are looking for. And don't try to tell me to tell the delivery guys to send more, because they won't. We have no control over that stuff.
2. Coupon Queens / Digital Coupons
My god. The coupons... The aggravation on the face of someone when I say I either can't take one of their million coupons or the fact that the coupon didn't go through is the worst thing in the entire world. One or two, maybe 3 coupons I don't have a big issue with, but when you are trying to use a million coupons in an attempt to bring you total down from $100 to near nothing, that's when I have a problem. People don't understand that cashiers can get into big trouble if they let money like that slide, so they have to stop and make sure all the coupons are valid, matching the right item, and are being used correctly. This, of course, holds up the line and aggravates more customers. As far as Digital Coupons go, that is completely out of my jurisdiction. I can't control the internet and I can't control the system, it's probably the fact that you either didn't create your account correctly or are getting the wrong item. Sometimes, given, it is the fact that they have created their account too soon and the account hasn't been activated and usable yet, but there is still nothing I can do about that.
Honorable Mentions:
Before we get to Number 1, I have thought of a few honorable mentions that I want to through out there.
Cards
People who do not know how to use Debit/Credit cards, should either learn or not have them. At this point it is basic common sense. I will give a free pass to the cheap readers, because they are relatively new, but when someone cancels their transaction because they didn't approve the amount, gets their pin wrong, or their card declines and then gets aggravated at me, that's when I begin to have a problem.
Walking Out
Sometimes I'll get someone who comes up, puts one thing on the counter, I'll ring them up, and then they'll say they forgot their wallet in their car. Sometimes they actually do (which why wouldn't they check before they came in the store if they had their wallet, but I digress) but sometimes, they'll just drive away and I have to call up my manager to void the transaction before I can help anyone else. Total BS.
Not Putting Things Back
"I don't want these gummy bears, so let's put them back next to the car oil. That's fine, that's their job to put it back anyway." It's really not though, our job is stocking and recovery, not cleaning up your mess.
1. Attitude
Attitude is infectious, that's why whatever day I'm having, I try to put a smile on my face for my customers. However, it is the customers that come up with either a major attitude problem or completely stoic mindset that gets me. If I ask you "Hi, how are you today?" You answer. I don't care if it's just a grumble, you still answer out of courtesy.
