Retail in itself can be extremely frustrating for its employees. The customers who don't understand the return policy, extended holiday hours, and continuously cleaning up after people can take it's toll on you. Working in a shoe store has opened my eyes to just how messy and careless people can be. If you work in a shoe store, you can totally relate to these things.
1. We know we don't carry a lot of inventory for larger sizes
And we're very sorry for this inconvenience! Believe me, if it meant I didn't have to hear your complaining and shy away from your glares, I would carry every single shoe in every single color in larger sizes. But the truth is, not a lot of people have a large shoe size, which means the company would be wasting money having an overabundance of larger sized shoes than the average size 6-8.
2. Please put the shoes back in the box where you found them
Nothing is more frustrating, blood-boiling or terrifying than finding a box with no shoes in it, or a box with one shoe in it. And on rare occasions, I've even found boxes with 3 shoes in it. I don't understand why, but please, just put it back the way you found it! Nothing is more tedious than cleaning up the same messes all day.
3. Yes, it still costs money, even if there isn't a price tag on it
I know this is a wacky concept to comprehend, but shoes have those little labels on the inside with a lot number for this very reason. Between shipment, stocking, people trying the shoes on, tags and stickers can fall off easily. That's why they're stamped or stitched onto the inside of the shoe so your sales associate can accurately ring in your item. So yes, it still costs money.
4. Do NOT walk into our store 5 minutes before closing
Shoe shopping is seriously such a tedious task. You have to try them on, find a style you like, and decide if you can afford the shoe you fall in love with. I've helped some people who have spent 3 hours in the store trying on every shoe in their size. So please, do not come into the store 5 minutes before we close claiming, "I'll be quick!" You won't. There's no way. Don't lie to yourself and waste my time.
5. And if you do, please don't come in with a pile of returns
The last thing we want to be doing when we have a closing checklist a mile long is to deal with your multiple receipt return. Not only is it time consuming, but we would've been able to help you a lot faster when we weren't in the middle of closing down the registers.
6. If you really have to come 5 minutes before we close, at least be nice to us
More than likely, we're going to have to stay open later just for you. We're going to have to stay there even longer because we can't do some of the closing tasks while customers are still in the store. And, we still have to clean up after the mess we KNOW you're about to make.
7. If you have a big return, be patient
Figuring out returns that are made up of multiple receipts, have missing items or the items were on sale can be confusing for an associate to decipher. We're just trying to make sure you get the correct money back in the proper way that the company's policy allows. I know you'd like to be doing something better with your time, but trust me, so would we.
8. We WANT to help you
Our mission is to greet and size every customer, and make sure you leave happy with your purchase. When we suggest a shoe or accessory, it's not to build our sales. It's to help you take advantage of a sale, or show you something you might like that you hadn't seen originally.
9. We're still human at the end of the day
Everybody has a bad day, but that's no reason to take it out on us. We're terribly sorry that we don't have your size or the color you wanted, and we will do whatever we can to either hold it at another store for you, or special order it. But if we're being courteous and pleasant to you, we expect the same in return. Save your attitudes for someone else, because we sure don't deserve it.
