I've worked in retail for about a year now and every time when I come in for a shift, I always encounter something new. Customers do many things and most of them, believe it or not, are aggravating to the sales staff.
If you do any of these, it's not necessarily a bad thing, but us sales associates are politely asking you to change your ways. Without further ado, here are my 7 largest retail pet peeves.
1. People throwing their credit card/money at you...
While I appreciate your enthusiasm, it would be greatly appreciated if you didn't throw money at me while I'm ringing you up. You don't even know the total yet.
2. ...Or people jamming their credit card into the reader prematurely
Out of everything on this list, this has to be the one that grinds my gears the most. Let me let you in on a secret: The computer cannot and will not read your card before I've hit 'total' on the monitor.
So if you carelessly force your card into the chip reader before I tell you to, expect an exasperated look from me.
3. Customers who unfold things to 'see what it looks like' and not folding it back up
If you leave something unfolded and don't at least attempt to fold it back up, we will not be happy. Recovering the store and refolding everything that customers messed up takes a long time. Any attempt you make to fold clothes or hang clothes back up would be appreciated.
4. When a customer pulls something from the middle of the stack, leaving the rest of the stack messed up
In terms of the most aggravating thing you could do, this is right up there with jamming your credit card into the chip reader before we tell you to. News flash: Clothes do fall and they do land on customers who promptly yell at us when we didn't mess up the piles.
We try to keep the store as neat as possible and you callously pulling something from the middle of the stack and messing up the rest of it is so time-consuming to fix.
5. Being on your phone at the register
Or while you're trying to talk to us for that matter! Talking on your phone in a store is not only inconsiderate, it's like a slap in the face to us associates when you're trying to talk to us, but someone's on the other line.
Just hang up your phone when you enter a store, we'll be so much happier if you do.
6. Shopping with your kids
I get it. You don't want to leave your kid home alone and there's no one to watch them so you take them with you. But know this: our store isn't your babysitting service.
I've had kids running laps around the store, I've had kids screaming and crying, and I've had kids pulling things off of shelves all with no supervision. If your kid comes shopping with you, make sure you keep them near you at all times so I don't find them in the dressing room ripping tags off of clothing (it's happened).
7. Leave the clothes you don't want in the dressing room
We don't leave that empty clothing rack in the dressing room for the decor of it. Please take everything you don't want and put it on the rack outside of your dressing room. The worst customers are those that leave their mess behind for us to clean up.
As much as we don't like to say it, these things do really bother us. Make your shopping experience--and our jobs--easier and be a thoughtful shopper!
