Retail customers think workers have power over every aspect of the company, and the truth is they don’t have control over certain things at all. They don’t control the prices of an item, since it’s up to the company. If something rings up a different price then the one on the shelf, a customer might have moved the item to the wrong place. Or maybe an associate was setting something up and they forgot to change it.

Either way I’m sick and tired of customers saying I changed the price when all I did was ring up their item. I did not change it at all, and it’s up to the company, not the associates and if it’s an issue with the system, then that is different. If an item rings up higher than the clearance tag, then that isn’t an issue. And the prices vary per store because of inventory. One store can put an item on clearance, and the other store is full price because store wants the stuff to sell to make room for more stuff. It’s not hard to get that different stores carry different products. That is why we won’t carry the thing you are looking for that you found a few years ago. We don’t carry certain products that other stores do. I’m sick and tired of people saying that we got rid of something when it’s not my fault.

Retail workers don’t have control over policies either, and it gets annoying when people think we can break it just for them. It’s horrible for retail workers to be treated like dirt over policies their company has, and guess what? People try to get others to break it all the time. I can’t touch the products of another store if my store doesn’t carry it physically. I have had people bring in watches that my store doesn’t carry, and I can’t touch it at all. I’m not allowed too due to liability issues since if I break it the company has to pay for it. I’ve seen it happen all the time, and it’s company policy which is something I have no control over. Time and again people try to get me to work on it when we don’t carry it, and they use the excuse you did it last time. Or, they say they got it at the company when I know for a fact we don’t carry it. I’ve been working retail for 5 years, and I’ve seen it all.

Also when the register messes up the cashier or sales associate has to fix it, and the customers think we have control over it. They don’t. I can’t help it if the registers act up since it’s a machine, and not even my fault. Customers think it’s something I did, and they even try to help me with it like they know my job better than I do. Nope. I don’t want your help fixing the machine.

Cashiers/Sales Associates don’t have any control if your card gets declined, and it’s not our job to keep track of your money. I don’t care if you have enough money since it’s not my fault you didn’t check to see if you had enough for it to go through. Not my fault. Stop looking at me for every little thing with the register since I don’t know everything. Also if you think I know everything then stop treating me like I’m stupid.

Retail workers and sales associates have no control over merchandise. No, I don’t have the power to order items for you out of the cases unless they are personal orders. I won’t know what items come in till they come in. I don’t control how many products we receive either. If you want to get an item not in store then check online. The sales associate can only order special items not regular store inventory. We also can’t look up to see if another store has it.

Retail workers don’t control the weather so stop complaining about things being wet if it’s raining. We can’t give directions from our store to where you are at since it’s called google. We are not going to know what is around everywhere either. We don’t control your coupons being expired so don’t take it out on us since it’s not our fault you didn’t pay attention to the date. We can’t control your mood, and don’t take it out on us.

Store inventory is different for in store and online that it can take twenty-four hours for it to register. Again if it’s different for in store and online then it’s not our fault someone bought it, or put it on a random spot. Someone can actually have it in their baskets too. We don’t control items being out of stock either, and we know it’s popular but people buy stuff again not our control. We can’t help that someone bought your size since people buy stuff….

Some of these things are definitely out of a sales associates and cashiers control, and don’t take it out on them for it. It’s not their fault. They are only human after all, and yelling at them for things they can’t control is pointless since they can’t help it.