I started working in retail a little over a year ago. I love my jobs and the work that I do, but some times people can be inconsiderate and just plain rude. Here's a list of some of the things that people do the most and what I wish I could say to them.
1. When someone leaves their fitting room a complete mess.
Yes, it is part of my job to put away the clothes that you tried on in the fitting room. That doesn't make it okay for you to leave a mountain of clothes for me to sort through. I have a hundred other things that I have to do, but here I am folding the same shirt for the 12th time today. How hard is it to put the clothes that you don't want back on a hanger?
2. Don't put something back where it clearly does not belong.
If you know where something goes, put it back where it belongs. Don't just throw the shorts that you decided not to buy on my table of nicely folded pleat front tops, you have no idea how annoying those things are to fold.
3. "There's no price, does that mean it's free?"
On a good day, I will only here this about sixty times. No, it's never funny. Yes, that was a pity laugh.
4. "How often is your semiannual sale?"
Um, semiannually?
5. "This is too expensive."
I'm sorry, let me call the CEO myself and let them know how you feel.
6. Stop messing up the clothes that I JUST FOLDED!
I spent a good thirty minutes folding all of the clothes on that table and it took you less than five seconds to destroy all of my hard work.
7. "Do you have anymore in the back?"
I know for a fact that the shirt that you want is not in the back, but I'm going to take this chance to run back and check my phone and grab a drink.
8. Don't come into the store at 8:55 when the store closes at 9:00.
I have been in this store since 2 o'clock and I have to clean and I want to go home. I can't do any of that with you still in the store.
9. "So, how much is this?"
Well, let me see the tag that you were just looking at...
10. "Do you work here?"
No, I'm just folding this mountain of clothes that someone left in a fitting room and putting them away for fun, how can I help you?
11. "50% off plus an additional 20%. That makes it 70% off, right?"
If this is you, you need to go back to high school for a quick math lesson.
12. "How does this look?"
It is my job to sell the product, what do you think I am going to tell you?
13. Stop walking in and out of the store.
YOU'RE RUINING MY CONVERSION!!
14. Don't be rude to me.
If you're rude to me I don't have to give you any coupons. I have all the power. Being nice can earn you 20% off.
15. Don't get mad at me because you didn't read the signs correctly.
It is not my fault that you saw the 60% off jackets sign and thought that it was for the pants that are only 25% off.
16. "I don't have an email."
If you tell me that you don't have an email and you're under the age of 90, I know that you're lying. Just tell me that you don't want to be on our email list, it won't hurt my feelings.
Some of my best stories from work are about customers that were crazy or rude. I've met and worked with some great people and I wouldn't change a minute of it, even the rude people. I think that everyone should have to work in retail at least once in their lives to learn how to be considerate of others and kind. Keep these things in mind when you go into stores and remember that the workers are people too and try to help them out in the small ways that you can.
