I’ve worked in retail for the past 18 months and have been in the customer service industry since I was 16. Throughout my experience, I have seen many things that are unbelievable. From theft to unnecessary bitchiness to customers who I absolutely adore and remember their names every time they shop with us. While I’m not always the perfect worker, or the chipper-est, I try my hardest to provide a good experience for the customer because they are the ones that keep us in business. But there are a few issues that need to be address, especially for those that have NOT worked in retail before. This is spurned solely by the need to get this off my chest.

1) If a store’s hours are listed as 10-7, that does not mean you can come in at 6:58 and spend 20 minutes wandering around the store. Many of us are students (well, not be anymore), but we often have tons of homework to do, papers to right, group meetings, even classes. A few weeks ago, a couple came in at 6:30 to order their wedding invitations. They had not looked at the books before, but were not leaving without ordering. At 7:30, I had to leave for a meeting, but told the other sales associate to text me when she left, so I could make sure she was okay. That poor girl did not leave until 8:30 and ended up missing one of her classes. So when you are shopping, keep an eye on the time. It’s disrepectful to think that us clerks have no lives outside of work, especially when we’ve worked 8 hour shifts without food.

2) Store policy is store policy. If it states on the receipt that all returns must be accompanied by the receipt, do not show up without one expecting to return your item. Especially don’t bitch at the sales clerk who says that we cannot except your return. We did not make up the rules, the owner did. We are also a small boutique, not a chain store, so we will not have the same policies. If you have a problem, then we would prefer to not have your business.

3) Don’t get mad at us for your own stupidity. This past week, we had a 12-year old girl come to our counter, wanting to buy a $18 bag with a gift card. The sales clerk told her that unless we have the exact amount on the card, it will be declined. The girl said that it was $20. We tried – declined. We tried $15 – declined. $10? Declined. Pouting, the girl left. A few minutes later her mom stomped over. “My daughter just got that card for her birthday and it had not been used. I don’t know what is wrong with your machines, but you need to do something about this.” That was her exact words, no lie. The sales clerk nodded, then dialed the 1-800 number on the back of the card. This next part makes me still giddy to remember. The balance on the card? $5. Of course the mom was shocked and started yelling at her daughter, wanting to know what she had bought. The kid just rolled her eyes.

4) Keep an eye on your child. Don’t let s/he run around the store like a maniac and do not let your child drool on our merchandise.

I think that’s enough for now. I hope you all keep these points in mind. Even if you’re having a bad day, do not bring it upon someone else.

If you’ve worked in retail, do you have a horror story or a rant to share?

For customers, do you a story about a horrible shopping experience that you want to share? Leave a comment!!

Tagged: on Saturday, January 16, 2010 · 2 Comments »