An open letter to retail customers,
Working in retail has its perks; getting you out of your shell, and of course that employee discount.
However there are times, where customers make it very very complicated. So here it goes
Disclaimer: this is not to all customers. Some are really nice and understanding this is just for the few that aren't.
Dear retail customers,
I hope your time shopping is very enojoyable and I will do everything I can to make it be that way. However please know that If we don't have an item in stock, there is nothing I can do about it. I can order it for you, but do not expect it to arrive in the next hour.
Returns, yes I understand that sometimes things don't fit and that's okay! However I don't set up the rules of the store I work in, therefore don't expect me to be able to magically hang the store return policy for you. I only follow the rules, there is nothing in my power that I can do. Yelling at me will not help at all.
Then there is neatness. The store has to be cleaned up at the end of the night. This entails folding everything, picking up things from the floor, hanging up hangers and making sure that everything looks neat and presentable. Therefore if you see someone who just folded a shirt very neatly, it isn't really appreciated when a customer comes and looks at the shirt and just throws it on top. And no, the fact that you just look at me and do it while I'm looking away is not appreciated either, I still see you.
Cleaning up the store at the end of the night can even take 3 hours after closing which means that we sometimes end up getting out at 12 am even 1! So please, please be considerate. Don't try on clothes and just leave them all scattered inside the fitting room. It isn't a lot of effort to hang it back up or just even bring it to the associate, trust me when I tell you it makes a big difference. Just like if you decide you don't need something, please don't just drop it anywhere, give it to an associate if you would like, but it makes everything much more work for us.
I love being nice to customers and I believe that customer service is an important part of being a good employee and I exercise that as much as possible trust me. How we there are things that just are not my fault. There are things that u cannot control and by yelling at me or giving me dirty looks, I cannot solve anything. I cannot do anything about the long lines at the register, and I cannot give you a discount that you clearly misunderstood. I don't have that power so please I kindly ask you to stop fighting me on it. We are just people working a retail job. Some of us are students that have that part-time job to pay for college. We don't need all the negativity.
So next time you go shopping, please be kind!
Sincerely,
a retail worker