for all those who have ever worked retail...or haven't

[s14silvias14]

Retail blows at times...its the consumers who come in and give us attitude, mainly. So for those who work retail I salute the patience and aggrivation that you experience with me. and for those who do not work retail, learn how it works, or I'm eventually going to snap.

I have been working retail for almost 6 years now. I am currently an employee of the Sherwin Williams company. I used to work at Best Buy where I started my run in retail hell. Sure, for the most part it is kinda fun at times as long as you work with the right kind of people on the store staff, but its the customers that can get to you. For some reason we seem to be targets for irrate and ignorant people. So it came to my attention as to why people get angry at the people in the store who sell the product...simply, they're all stupid/ignorant jerks who have nothing better to do than to become unreasonable and point blame to someone who doesn't have anything to do with the creation of the product they buy. (its like killing the messenger).

But what I want to say is that for those who don't know what it takes to be in retail, consider this scenario: There is an ad in the paper for products on sale. There are a bunch of stores (ex: best buy) all over the country. The ad is the same all over the country. There are a lot of people in this country (nearly 300 million). We have 500,000 of a product to split amongst 600 stores and sold out of a product. Now what do you do?

One person can ruin my whole day because they think I can be like Copperfield and make things appear for them...leave us alone and be patient like all of the nice people. If we are out of something, just say 'OK. What can we do about this?'

I needed to vent. It just seems that people these passed couple of weeks have been evil.

I know there are others out there who know how I feel.

[illegal_eagle187]

i work retail just about every single day of the week...i work at Garden Ridge, and some of the rudest people come in there, but i dont take any shit from them, ive worked there for 7 months and dont plan on working there for much longer at all....somehow people seem to think the customer is right, whenever someone told me that........they were looking at a price (which was the wrong price) and i tried to explain it to them, and they said "havent you ever heard the customer is always right", i said "yes, but who works here?, me or you?, who knows the price of things around here, me or you?"...oh boy did they get mad lol it was funny, then they were like can i speak to your manager, i was like yeah sure, go find him and walked off lol, they eventually found him, and he told me later, just not to do it again, and i said im not going to take any shit from a customer, but me and my manager are cool....so yeah retails sucks, i highly suggest avoiding it like herpes

[240SXSlideStar]

Right now I'm working 2 jobs, I'm helping a contractor and also working at the auto parts counter at Canadian Tire (a Wal-Mart type place). I hate the contracting job like you would not believe, it's just back breaking, horrible work, but at the parts counter, it's bad ass, and if anyone gives me any attitude I just go "yes, yes, yes, sir (or maam), there's nothing I can do" and the njust turn to the next person or start stocking shelves, they eventually leave me alone. The thing is, you can't let it get to you, you have to let it slide. But I must admit, sometimes it sucks, when I worked in sports and housewares (at the same store) it was horrible!! lol, Fucking customers go nuts over a 20cent saving on toilet paper!

[Rally Sport]

20 cents saving?

[Cl0ak]

I work retail too, he's not kidding about the 20 cents while working in a grocery store this lady had a coupon and when it didn't go through the register I told her it was invalid unless she purchased 2 of the item, the bitch throws a pepper right at me she was so mad and walks out haha.

[sivic02]

: ive worked in retail for the better part of the past 5 years. I have had many a pepper thrown at me, could be because I am a smartass. Screw the customers, they may pay your paycheck but if they are jackasses then fuck em, just blow them off.

Since we are talking about retail jobs, i work in a grocery store as a stocker, when people ask me where something is located like say...popcorn. I simply point to the side of the store where it is and say "You see that big ass sign that says popcorn? Its right under that." My manager got a kick out of it.

[sirsmiley]

i used to work at a computer store (now i work for the military) and i had ppl come in the next day and say, is my pc built is my pc built like fuck guy i got 20 ppl lined up and we are custom making your pc, this isnt dell, this isnt compaq.....usually it takes a week, i mean i can make them in 30 minutes and another 30 to put windows on but sometimes you get such demand you run out of parts etc etc and thats why you say itll take up to a week we will call you when its ready i mean if you order something the day before xmas youre retarded anyways....my current job is ok most ppl respect you for the hard work you do but theres always assholes in any job, it only takes a few of them to offset the dozens of nice ppl

[Raz_Kaz]

I dont think it's so much retail that you get bad experiences...it's whenever you deal with the general public that you get the assholes of the human race that you just want to destroy and rip apart all their limbs slowly in such an agonising way that the rest of these scum will get the message...sorry, I got carried away

[alphalanos]

yeah people always complain to me that the price says $8.59 but its supposed to be $8.49. all i do is look at them with a look of "fuck you and your grandma" 10 fucking cents and youre a rich bastard anyway. (i work in this rich section of the beach, no i dont live there thank god) (im not rich btw)

[solaris=amazing]

Oh jeez....i've been in retail since i'm 19...i'm 24.

My last job was autozone....complete hell.

One thing you have to remember, when someone is yelling at you, or talking to you in a demeaning manner...you don't get paid for that. So yell back, thats what i've learned.

Also, have a VERY direct attitude. By that i mean if you don't have something, and they ask why/what etc...don't say, "Sorry sir, i don't have it.."for whatever reason... Say "NOPE"....

As soon as a customer hears you get apologetic (did i spell that right..?) they try and eat you alive..not me.

[solaris=amazing]

BTW, technically you cannot be fired for yelling back to a customer, if they are rude to you....be rude to them.

And if your "boss" has a problem with that, tell him you don't get paid to handle personal abuse from people....i'm here to do my job.

Lol, you probably think i'm bs-ing, but i've used that MANY times and the boss was ok with it.

[solaris=amazing]

Lol, one time (about a month ago) i got this mechanic at 8am looking for a seal of some kind for his boat engine... "oh this is bullsh*t"...."everytime i come here this always happens"...he says..

I get my buddy to help him, and tell him right in front of the guy "help him before i do something that will land me in jail again"..

OH he shut up....

[sivic02]

Well it all depends, a lot of places have a probation period where they can fire you for smelling funny if they want, no questions asked. A buddy of mine who is a manager at a store actually did fire someone during their probation period because they smelled funny, he told them that they werent working out at the store but it was really because they smelled horrid.

*EDIT* That is why he should make sure he wont get fired if he yells at someone first, then just yell at people for the hell of it.

[xokayxo]

i work at a small "upscale" furniture store and i've had some pretty nasty people come in. i havent been rude to any customers who've been rude to me, mostly because i dont care if they come back or not and i'd rather not piss them off on purpose. but i'm sure someone could change my mind. my manager would definitely get a kick out of me yelling at/telling off a customer.
like solaris said, be direct - not apologetic.

[Jm93]

You know guys, you cant let it get to you like said above. I have been a Manager at Canadian tire for quite a while now. And i get my fair share of people swearing at me, threatening this and that, complaining about the dumbest things, and at the end of the day, i leave it at work. Its the same for any job, you have to leave work at work. You can imagine some of the stuff i have had to deal with. More then once i have had someone threaten they were going to kick my ass in the lot after work. None have ever shown up. and if they do, ill simply phone the cops. No need for me to deal with that shit. I have to deal with thieves on a daily basis, and its the same thing. eventually it becomes routieen (sp) and it doesnt bother you any more.

Bottom line is, if you want to survive in retail, you have to let the bad go, sure that customer is pissed. But deal with them in a polite way, stay positive, and make eye contact the whole time. Also its never a good idea to say no, instead suggest annother route. Damn i should get paid for this stuff.